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One that isnt clear to me at least, is the relationship between the RAF Museum Cosford, and RAF Museum Hendon,

I understand they are one organisation.

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> Is it possible the increases in staff reported in Pondskaters post of nearly 50% from 124 in 2001 to 182 in 2008 reflects an increased public access and display at Cosford with the opening of the cold war exhibition and further buildings to place more of that collection under cover and on public display? and restorations and display preparations for that site, or even two sites, rather than just indicating surplus staff at Hendon?

That would need more evidence from them but since the staff levels show a gradual build up since 2003 rather than sudden blips with each new building, I suspect not.
I don’t like your use of the term “surplus staff” – it implies they are not doing anything worthwhile. They may well be doing important things, but the issue then becomes priorities in staffing some areas while the museum cannot open fully. I would question their priorities.

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> Is it possible that the management focus, financial and staff investment has largely been at Cosford to bring it up to a higher standard and that Hendon has suffered as a consquence? at least during that focus of effort and investment on Cosford?

Perhaps, in which case this exercise will help by giving publicity to their three or five year plan – and we can all judge whether their self imposed targets are met.

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I understand Hendon has always suffered lower attendances than Duxford due to that latter sites ability to swell attendances with monthly fly-ins etc, but does any one know the comparitive visitation levels of Cosford and Hendon?

Visitor figures from their annual reports with Hendon first and Cosford in brackets are:
Date : Hendon (Cosford)
2003/04: 250,512 (164,469)
2004/05: 285,316 (241,518)
2005/06: 257,172 (213,643)
2006/07: 255,030 (261,205)
2007/08: 270,131 (331,493) – big increase due to new exhibition

Duxford’s figures will be in their annual report – forgive me I’m going out and haven’t time to download it but wikipedia quote 450,000 (sourced from a DCMS website)

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In particular I dont see similar complaints of lighting, customer service performance, reliable public access etc about Cosford, so assuming it is the same Management team and Board it would seem they are capable of satisfactory outcomes (and if so, perhaps deserving of that being acknowledged?), and are simply yet to turn their attention back to the original site to ensure both products are at their optimum and same standard?

A few here have acknowledged the good things about the RAF Museum – and hopefully that balance will continue.

On the issue about whether Flypast or Aeroplane will want such an article – the only way to find out is to pitch it to them. I know advertising staff sometimes say they can influence editorial but all editors I’ve met guard their independence vigorously.

I’d be happy to see either Graham or Kev35 take this on (or both together) depending on their willingness/availability. I’ll help where I can.

Chox, as a researcher you’ll appreciate a few facts to hang opinions on, so here some tourism stats. Where I am in NW England, a tourist board study included investigating families visiting attractions. They found two distinct market segments – approximately the same size. One wanted entertainment and went to places where the kids could have fun (outdoor activities such as rope courses in trees etc) in the other group the parents wanted the kids to have fun but come away having learnt something – and chose museums. I would suggest that most family visitors to museums want the kids to learn something – and have fun. If anybody has a similar report from London, do share.

The issue of repro rights is a red herring – all similar collections charge. The issue is the photo library being closed. Say your father flew a Stirling, you might like a photo of it. Why are they denying that?

2. The poor condition of the sites infrastructure – in particular what greets the first-time visitor on their arrival.
We need to ask if there in any regular maintenance scheduled for such things as external painting and decorating – also, why are there so many traffic cones and barriers around?

In their 2008 annual report it states:

The Trustees continue to face challenges as many of the museum’s buildings need major maintenance for which an application for additional funding from its principal sponsor has been made

I would suggest you will get that answer. But the more pressing question is why are they so apparently short of money and staff and yet, since 2003 they have had a 50% increase in staff? :confused: If anybody is an accountant and can read the accounts, please tell us how much extra money that is costing. Why is there an increase in staffing but no money for maintenance?

This has a horrible parallel to a business I saw before which was short of money, needed more staff in key areas and yet was recruiting in several other areas. They narrowly avoided complete collapse but lost the chief exec and over a quarter of their staff – inevitably the good ones saw it coming and walked. They are still struggling with the challenges of focussing on what matters.

The buck might stop with a museum director, but problems as highlighted by JDK indicate trouble right down the chain.

Just after Milestones opened I took photos for a training session for museum staff. They liked Milestones, felt it was generally good museum standards (if not state-of-the-art) but the surprise was the poor signage on site. There was nothing to indicate the new entrance, the visitor flow in the Bomber Hall was reversed, coming in at the back end of a Buccaneer rather than the imposing Lancaster but nobody had turned the signs round. Banners from the ceiling all faced the wrong way! Lack of linked up thinking back then obviously continues today.

The issue of whether we like children in museums is a bit of a distraction. Children should be encouraged to visit, but the museum should provide activities, quiz sheets etc to help keep them occupied.

I remember my first visit to Hendon many years ago watching a demo on the theory of flight given to a group of children. The friend I was staying with in London said she learnt more about flight from that one demo than anything else.

Children should be encouraged, in the right way. For info see the Kids in Museums project..

what would happen if the Natural History Museum started throwing-out their dinosaur skeletons if they decided they were too much trouble to preserve?
The “plastic” Spitfire and Hurricane oustide sum-up Hendon nicely. They’re all about presentation and popularity rather than historical preservation.

Did you know the big dinosaurs are copies? Plaster casts of the originals, brought in to create an impression and pander to the Victorian popularity of Dinosaurs. Plastic Spitfires outside are just advertising hoardings saying it is an aircraft museum.

If letters are written they need to focus on the issues that prevent the museum as it is today being the best air force museum in the world – which was the RAFMs vision until just recently.Talk of the Beverley will be ignored, it is not relevant to what is wrong today. After all, why not talk about the Southampton, more recent and much more praiseworthy?

I like Kev35’s idea of pressure to encourage an open meeting – I’ve seen those bring two sides together before and create something very good as a result.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund the majority of the National and other sponsored museums (22 of them) but RAF Museum is a little different in being sponsored by the MoD. So copy your letters to your MP, and the Secretary of State for Defence, John Hutton.

For info, the list of DCMS funded National (and other) museums is:
British Museum* Design Museum Geffrye Museum Horniman Museum and Gardens Imperial War Museum* Museum of London* Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester National Coal Mining Museum for England National Football Museum National Gallery* National Maritime Museum National Museums Liverpool* National Museum of Science & Industry National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum People’s History Museum Royal Armouries* Sir John Soane’s Museum* Tate Galleries* Tyne & Wear Museums Victoria and Albert Museum* Wallace Collection*
* = National collection.

The Italian designer of British cars you might be thinking of is Giovanni Michelotti who designed the Spitfire, Herald, GT6, the pretty TR range, Dolomite, Toledo etc. The “M” on Spitfire/Herald bonnet catches is his signature.

Back on track:

Its impressive to get two aircraft in there, in any case. They must have had a long list to work from, as there are plenty of additional ones I could add:

I looked at the stamps, wondered about Concorde being there, thought a bit about Alec Issigonis and seriously questioned why they haven’t included British road signs as a design icon, by designers Jock Kinnear and Margaret Calvert. So good that the rest of Europe copied them.

Two things particularly struck me about this incident.

First, I had no idea that there was such a strength of feeling in our country. To hear such vehment allegations claiming that our troops were involved in atrocities shocked me. Yes, very much a minority view but powerful enough to provoke demonstrations. That needs addressing – but how?

Second, I fear for the backlash. Kev is right, the majority of Muslims are, like you and me, living quiet, respectable lives but extremists who will condemn this demonstration will lash out at at easy targets. I so want to be wrong but I feel this small group has done a lot of damage to the relationships between parts of our community in the UK.