West Berks Museum, A museum? Really? Options

[On the edge]

i appreciate I'm probably in a minority, but I'm one of those who actually likes the refurbished building. New extension a pretty effective, economic and sympathetic design; a well considered replacement for the poorly designed 1930s erection it replaced.

So far so good.

I took a family visitor in this morning and oh my! Her only repeatable comment was that she could see why they can't charge. A very meagre and poor collection (if what was presented could be so described) with no theme and no context. No real mention of the rich history, social or otherwise of the area. I've often wondered why opening hours are so restricted, now I know, it's simply embarrassment.

Words fail me, what a waste. Even more frustrating, the museum seems to be run by a community trust, something I thought would deliver a first class result. How wrong can you be.

[blackdog]

The museum is run by WBC - not a community trust.

The displays are indeed weak - partly a result, I suspect, of them not raising quite as much cash as they needed to have professional displays included. The current policy is to have no permanent displays - they are all temporary. It is a lot of work to put together a good display so replacing all of them regularly is an immense commitment, which they seem to expect to be done by volunteers.

Sadly while they have more space than the old museum they have far less on show.

My personal beef is the failure to tell (or attempt to tell) the story of the town - something any first time visitor to a town museum expects to see. But you're right they don't attempt to tell any stories - just put some stuff on shelves with little interpretation or anything else to put it in context.

Hopefully it will improve - at least the building has been done and the fabric of the old buildings has been repaired/restored.

[HeatherW]

i appreciate I'm probably in a minority, but I'm one of those who actually likes the refurbished building. New extension a pretty effective, economic and sympathetic design; a well considered replacement for the poorly designed 1930s erection it replaced.

So far so good.

I took a family visitor in this morning and oh my! Her only repeatable comment was that she could see why they can't charge. A very meagre and poor collection (if what was presented could be so described) with no theme and no context. No real mention of the rich history, social or otherwise of the area. I've often wondered why opening hours are so restricted, now I know, it's simply embarrassment.

Words fail me, what a waste. Even more frustrating, the museum seems to be run by a community trust, something I thought would deliver a first class result. How wrong can you be.

I've been in it, before it was done up. At least if I visit now I shall know what to look forward to.

[Ruth]

I went in there with my boyfriend just after they vamped it and I wasn't that impressed. A New outside to impress and then once in you quickly want to leave.

[Exhausted]

Pretty much an opportunity lost and I think Allan Mercado was not far off being right in his letter to the NWN a week ago. It does look like a row of derelict shops although I would hate to see stickers all over the windows. We should leave the paper notices to the West Berks Hospital.
The problem is that it is the West Berks museum when it is ideally placed to be the Newbury Town museum as it was in the past. I feel sure that we have better to offer not only for our local history but to fill the voids. Do we really want to waste space with a large meeting room when there are loads of alternatives, Shaw house with loads of parking for example.
There are still loads of unseen items available, and I believe that WBC are still renting storage in Bone Lane where the remainder of the collection rests. How disappointing that someone who wants to research an old local company (Field Packaging) is denied the opportunity. The collection has been in storage for several years now and there are no real facilities to get access.
There was a volunteer group set up but it was/is a bit of a club and whilst the inaugural meeting was promising it seems to have lost its purpose but when you look at their objectives, that says it all.

The Friends Group is an independent charitable organisation working in partnership with the Museum and its staff. It will not be involved in funding the day-to-day activities of the Museum, but in adding value. Final decisions about running the Museum are taken by the West Berkshire Council, but the Friends will be a valued, influential and respected stakeholder.

...... ensures that there is little opportunity to do much under the terms. WBC knows best.

[Simon Kirby]

i appreciate I'm probably in a minority, but I'm one of those who actually likes the refurbished building. New extension a pretty effective, economic and sympathetic design; a well considered replacement for the poorly designed 1930s erection it replaced.

So far so good.

I took a family visitor in this morning and oh my! Her only repeatable comment was that she could see why they can't charge. A very meagre and poor collection (if what was presented could be so described) with no theme and no context. No real mention of the rich history, social or otherwise of the area. I've often wondered why opening hours are so restricted, now I know, it's simply embarrassment.

Words fail me, what a waste. Even more frustrating, the museum seems to be run by a community trust, something I thought would deliver a first class result. How wrong can you be.

That's very disappointing to hear OtE. I'm a fan of the building too and I like the new lobby, so it's far from good if the museum is poor. Worth a trip to Abingdon to see how it can be done - a very well restored museum building in the middle of the market square with a pretty good museum telling the story of the town from ancient to modern - good cake shop in the basement, amazing viewing gallery on the roof where they'll even serve yo cream teas, and it's free to park. We've missed a trick.

[Simon Kirby]

The Friends Group is an independent charitable organisation working in partnership with the Museum and its staff. It will not be involved in funding the day-to-day activities of the Museum, but in adding value. Final decisions about running the Museum are taken by the West Berkshire Council, but the Friends will be a valued, influential and respected stakeholder.

...... ensures that there is little opportunity to do much under the terms. WBC knows best.

Those terms look fine to me and entirely appropriate, but so much depends on the willingness of the council to make it work.

[On the edge]

It seems absolute madness to have spent all that money; then claim you haven't got the cash to deliver the objective! Who would build a factory if even a shop and not make it productive when complete?

Sorry, I don't buy the idea that it's 'too hard' for the Council staff, or better,maven the volunteers to put some reasonably acceptable displays together. They do have all the old artefacts in store after all. This really isn't something that needs an expensive 'professional', simply a few competent amateurs.

OK so the Volunteers don't run it and surprise, surprise, the dead hand of WBC is responsible.

[Cognosco]

It seems absolute madness to have spent all that money; then claim you haven't got the cash to deliver the objective! Who would build a factory if even a shop and not make it productive when complete?

Sorry, I don't buy the idea that it's 'too hard' for the Council staff, or better,maven the volunteers to put some reasonably acceptable displays together. They do have all the old artefacts in store after all. This really isn't something that needs an expensive 'professional', simply a few competent amateurs.

OK so the Volunteers don't run it and surprise, surprise, the dead hand of WBC is responsible.

Now you can understand why they need a massive expenses rise.............to try and get a high quality of staff I suppose?

[On the edge]

Now you can understand why they need a massive expenses rise.............to try and get a high quality of staff I suppose?

A very good point, but their pay scales are quite generous; certainly for this role. Arguably, they need some general facilitator, someone who woukd makes best use of enthusiastic volunteers. Believe me, such people aren't expensive! Nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised if this debacle was part of a cynical job preservation scheme.

[x2lls]

I just don't understand why, when it was the building that required an upgrade, and badly done in my opinion, was the display structure changed? There is far too much light. To give an historic atmosphere, surely low or creative light is required. On the day we visited, the ambient temperature was high, which made the reference library upstairs, with kids activity included, unbearable.

Thumbs down for us...

[Exhausted]

Those terms look fine to me and entirely appropriate, but so much depends on the willingness of the council to make it work.

Therein lies the rub.

Quite right that WBC don't want a load of well meaning amateurs treading all over their museum but I doubt that they, the Friends, have achieved much although I do not see any published minutes.

[blackdog]

The 'Friends' were created by the museum to provide access to another source of grant funding - to a large extent they have served their purpose and are now trying to reinvent themselves in a more independent role. They should not be confused with the volunteers, they are not the same - you can be one and not the other.

The current displays are the result of volunteer effort - if anyone thinks they can do better I'm sure the museum would welcome them as a volunteer.

[Exhausted]

The 'Friends' were created by the museum to provide access to another source of grant funding - to a large extent they have served their purpose and are now trying to reinvent themselves in a more independent role. They should not be confused with the volunteers, they are not the same - you can be one and not the other. The current displays are the result of volunteer effort - if anyone thinks they can do better I'm sure the museum would welcome them as a volunteer.

Correct, to be a volunteer is free and you give your time free.

To be a friend, you have to pay an annual subscription, £8:00 a year at the moment, go to meetings and that's about it.

[blackdog]

To be a friend, you have to pay an annual subscription, £8:00 a year at the moment, go to meetings and that's about it.

Though you don't actually have to go to any meetings.

[On the edge]

....


The current displays are the result of volunteer effort - if anyone thinks they can do better I'm sure the museum would welcome them as a volunteer.

Not actually the case, sadly.

Not discovered by me by the way. Nonetheless, it does seem to be the usual response of officialdom round here, politics or executive, volunteer help is only wanted for putting the chairs out, delivering leaflets or perhaps serving coffee.

More evidence? Anyone seen the 'come and create displays for us' adverts, even in the window?

[Andy Capp]

Surely a museum is only as good as the curator and I would imagine it is not a job any person could do, even with the best interests at heart?

[blackdog]

Not actually the case, sadly.

Not discovered by me by the way. Nonetheless, it does seem to be the usual response of officialdom round here, politics or executive, volunteer help is only wanted for putting the chairs out, delivering leaflets or perhaps serving coffee.

More evidence? Anyone seen the 'come and create displays for us' adverts, even in the window?

Not seen the advert in the window - but I have seen this flyer: https://www.anony.ws/image/D6Bx

Surely a museum is only as good as the curator and I would imagine it is not a job any person could do, even with the best interests at heart?

Curators are out of fashion - the West Berkshire Museum has a Manager instead.

[Andy Capp]

Not seen the advert in the window - but I have seen this flyer: https://www.anony.ws/image/D6Bx

Curators are out of fashion - the West Berkshire Museum has a Manager instead.

Then then manager becomes a curator! Which might explain a lot.

[On the edge]

...

Curators are out of fashion - the West Berkshire Museum has a Manager instead.

Is that the same type of 'manager' often mentioned in comments about the NHS?

A good many managers aren't properly qualified, just use the name. I suspect that in reality, there is just a supervisor, or to use its dreadful modern parlance Team Leader.