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[Liverbudgie2]

It is announced today that the Steamboat museum has been awarded a grant £9.4m to rebuild the museum and restore the boats. Due for completion in 2015.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-23501157
LB

[rmaddock]

I saw this.  I hope the new museum's better than the old one was.

[spearfish99]

But the old one was much better than nothing at all!

[rmaddock]

But the old one was much better than nothing at all!

That may be true, but it was always an anti-climax once you got in.  At least it was very cheap by Lakes standards at the end.

Don't get me wrong, I think these boats need to be restored and worshipped.....as long as the public money doesn't go to building a private club house for rich boat owners.

[Capt Podge]

....as long as the public money doesn't go to building a private club house for rich boat owners.

Totally agree with you there...
 
 
 
Regards,
 
Ray.
 

[TheLongBuild]

Can be private it if its a Lottery Grant ?

[spearfish99]

as long as the public money doesn't go to building a private club house for rich boat owners.

  Let's face it, that was what it was before. One man's collection that was open to the public for a fee.  It effectively was given to the "nation" in lieu of duties payable.  It was put into the care of the Lakeland Arts Trust who are developing it. If you read their web site and the proposals for the future, it is hard to see where you would get the idea that it would become " a private club house for rich boat owners"

  In the past while in the Pattinson family ownership I and many other ordinary individuals gave money to reboiler "Osprey" for which we got our name on a plaque on the wall and a pleasant afternoon trip on one of the launches with tea prepared by the steam kettle connected to the boiler.  The fact that the vessels remained the property of a private individual didn't make public support less necessary or welcome.

  The fact is that the boats that are there are still with us because "rich boat owners" thought them worthy of preserving  .  I think that the Pattinson family found out the same as people trying to preserve classic cars or aircraft ,i.e. it is expensive to do. I personally have no quarms about Lottery funding being used as long as the end result is open for all of us to enjoy. A better use than some of the groups that get support for their activities

[Footski]

We might even get the model boat exhibition back. That really was worth going to.....I won prizes there over several years.....

[warspite]

This my personal opinion, though some may disagree, I believe the heritage of the items contained in the museum is worth keeping, though fix and mend instead of a complete rebuild, to keep costs down, if they are a private individuals property and they are to profit from it, then no, they should only get what is needed to preserve the item in question and if they do not then the item is to be deemed 'lost'.
As for model boats, I had an unpleasant experience with the local club, who looked down on those others whose boats were not to the same 'calibre','quality' or a windermere launch, quite snooty, but they may have changed since then, i dont know them, so cannot pass judgement now.

[SailorGreg]

Well I think it's great news.  I spent a very happy day there many years ago, trip on the lake, tea from the Windermere kettle, smell of steam.....    Still got the mug I bought that day.

I don't think the issue of private ownership is material.  Nearly all the sports clubs that get lottery grants are "private" in the sense that they are owned by the members not the public.  Most of the theatres that get grants are not publicly owned, nor are the buildings that get renovation grants.  The point is to preserve what is worth preserving, not to bring it into public ownership.

I wish the museum every success and I hope these lovely boats will continue to steam across Lake Windermere for many years to come.  And that is the main point.  It is a working museum, not a collection of pretty artefacts in glass cases.  Long may it continue. 

Greg

[steam up]

A number of years ago on this forum I recall horror stories about the restoration of the stem engines at this museum.
Others might better remember the details however comments about three steam engines undergoing a strip down with the parts thrown into a common bucket with little idea how they go back together spring to mind.

[Liverbudgie2]

 
The model weekend will be back, this time with proper display areas and facilities.
 
For the Doom Mongers: http://www.steamboats.org.uk/
 
All the boats are owned by the trust not individuals.
 
A lot of people have worked hard and given a lot of their time to  make this  successful bid. This is not the time to look backwards and revive any grievances, perceived or otherwise. The team are willing and keen to make this venture a success and, they deserve all our assistance in making sure that it does work.
 
No taxpayers money is involved, as far as I know anyway, the majority has come from the National Lottery and other fund raising events, which if you did  not play, you did not contribute to the funding.
LB
 

[spearfish99]

Hi Liverbudgie,
  Thoroughly agree with your comments. Any action to get the boats back to their best and available for the public to see is to be applauded.
 
  If action isn't taken, the chances are that we would get a repeat of the situation at the defunct National Motorboat Museum, which the local council who owned the site decided that they would "redevelop" i.e. close.  As the boats were privately owned but loaned for exhibition, they had to go back to their owners ( whether they had appropriate storage or not) and a wonderful collection dispersed.
 
 One of the exhibits, the classic offshore racer "Surfury" was part of the National Maritime Museum collection, so did it end up being exhibited at Greenwich?  No, it's stuck away in their "big" item store at Wroughton , where it is more likely to slowly deteriorate rather than be seen by the public again.
 
I have been holidaying in the Lakes for best part of 40 years and have visited the Museum many times and enjoyed it. The last time, one of the staff took the time to open up and show the wife and I around the steam Yacht "TSSY Esperance", which was the basis of Capt. Flints boat in Swallows and Amazons.
 
 Its actual life and use by a steel magnate who lived in Bowness and commuted down the lake to Lakeside to be met by his personal train to take him to his office is even more fascinating than the fiction
 
 Personally, they can use all my contributions to the lottery for things like this as it is likely to have something to please tens of thousands of visitors to the Lakes every year, compared to some of the minority ( and rather strange) interests that get grants every year

[joppyuk1]

I've just spent a week in the Coniston/Windermere area, and a visit to 'Blackwell' the large Arts and Crafts house overlooking Windermere allowed a look at a model of the proposed new museum and details of layout. It will have a number of buildings including a 'conservation workshop' and a route for viewers to follow, including the workshop. There is still a boat pond shown on the plan. As stated earlier, completion expected 2015.

[spearfish99]

I've just spent a week in the Coniston/Windermere area, and a visit to 'Blackwell' the large Arts and Crafts house overlooking Windermere allowed a look at a model of the proposed new museum and details of layout. It will have a number of buildings including a 'conservation workshop' and a route for viewers to follow, including the workshop. There is still a boat pond shown on the plan. As stated earlier, completion expected 2015.

I have a cottage booked for a week at Clappersgate for 3 weeks time. I shall have to plan a visit to 'Blackwell' and have a look.

[Liverbudgie2]

The last open day for a while will be on Saturday the 14th of September; so bring your models and have a sail and a look around. Others not so inclined can wonder, aimlessly no doubt, around the other local attractions.
LB

[spearfish99]

Hi LB
  by open day , do you mean at the Museum or at Blackwell ?  That's the day I arrive so I will be cutting it a bit fine!

[Neil]

. Others not so inclined can wander, aimlessly no doubt, around the

for a moment Jon I thought you were going to burst onto Wordsworthian poetry and prose....then I realised that the daffodils had gone for this year,

[Liverbudgie2]

Hi LB
  by open day , do you mean at the Museum or at Blackwell ?  That's the day I arrive so I will be cutting it a bit fine!

The museum.