Manston - another museum in trouble

Discuss all things 'aviation' that do not fit into a more appropriate forum
Dragon Rapide
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Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Listen to that Gipsy music.....

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Georgeconna
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Georgeconna »

Did not even know they existed, Maybe that could be an issue!!
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tankbuster
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by tankbuster »

Georgeconna wrote:Did not even know they existed, Maybe that could be an issue!!


Snap!. Enthusiasm and goodwill aren't enough you have to have a strong marketing side. Shame but this is the modern world.
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Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Since they are already losing money I doubt they would increasing indebtedness in a marketing campaign which as most of us know will not come cheap.
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john001
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by john001 »

Dragon Rapide wrote:Since they are already losing money I doubt they would increasing indebtedness in a marketing campaign which as most of us know will not come cheap.


If you don't market you won't survive and I disagree that you have to spend a lot. Margate close by is pretty popular these days with the Turner Gallery there - you feed off each other, engage tourism bodies, create events. A lot of volunteer time yes but look for more sponsorship.

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Which is what I inferred they were seeking. But a comparison with the Turner is misplaced as that has had millions to establish it and operate it.
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play it cool
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by play it cool »

It's a nice little museum, as is the nearby RAF Manston History Museum (well worth the £2 entrance fee). I guess the closure of Manston airport will have had an impact. :sad:

farnboroughrob
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by farnboroughrob »

Is this not a free museum? IIRC the neighboring museum had a small admission fee too. Perhaps the two need to get tougher and offer combined admission, but probably lots of politics. Since Manson closed there is just nothing nearby to tempt me to visit.

john001
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by john001 »

Dragon Rapide wrote:Which is what I inferred they were seeking. But a comparison with the Turner is misplaced as that has had millions to establish it and operate it.


I'm not comparing it with the Turner - I am saying a lot of people go to Margate - and visit the Turner - feed off the millions already spent to attract people to the area...

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

play it cool wrote:It's a nice little museum, as is the nearby RAF Manston History Museum (well worth the £2 entrance fee). I guess the closure of Manston airport will have had an impact. :sad:


Which is what they said, isn't it? I have thought they should make a nominal charge as does the History Museum. As to co-operation I believe they are set up and managed quite differently so that might be a problem.

I take the point about the knock-on effect from visitors to Margate and perhaps more could be achieved in that area. However simply increasing the visitors without donations along the way will not help. If I was a bit nearer and less committed elsewhere I would certainly offer to help. I do wish it well - it's a very good small museum.
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john001
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by john001 »

Maybe all the Kent area small museums and historic locations Brenzett, Capel, Manston Shoreham, Biggin Hill etc should get to together and produce between them an aviation trail. Although all may not visit every museum/location at once at least it raises awareness without a major outlay for each museum. I come from Kent and had never heard of the museum.

FGR2
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by FGR2 »

I went there a few years ago, it along with the RAF Manston museum are a good way to spend a couple of hours.

Alanko
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Alanko »

Why don't they merge with the other museum? It seems incredibly short sighted to have two small, niche, museums operating on each other's doorsteps, especially on the edge of an all but extinct airport in a fairly deprived area of Kent. Neither museum looks especially noteworthy, unfortunately.

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Have you visited them?
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Alanko
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Alanko »

Dragon Rapide wrote:Have you visited them?


No! Middle of nowhere location, and a fairly pedestrian exhibit list. The Spitfire and Hurricane museum looks even worse; glass cases of twisted scrap medal and random knickknacks with random A4 sheets of paper telling you what you are looking at. Museums for old men. :grin:

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

What a bizarre, ill-informed and frankly moronic comment. But considering some of your other contributions in other threads unsurprising.

john001 - well perhaps an interesting thought, although I'd include Hawkinge's exceptional displays of twisted metal but Biggin and certainly Shoreham would be well off the trail.
Last edited by Dragon Rapide on Wed 31 Aug 2016, 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Daz
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Daz »

No! Middle of nowhere location, and a fairly pedestrian exhibit list. The Spitfire and Hurricane museum looks even worse; glass cases of twisted scrap medal and random knickknacks with random A4 sheets of paper telling you what you are looking at. Museums for old men. :grin:[/quote]

Well I for one think they're great museum's. I've visited a few times, I can't get enough of them. Use them or lose them!
Proud Grandson of an Avro Shackleton "boy"

FGR2
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by FGR2 »

One of my mates lives in Canterbury, so one Sunday we spent a morning there.

The RAF museum has a Hunter, Buccaneer and Victor cockpit sections, a complete Meteor, T33, SAR Wessex, and Chipmunk all indoors. They also had a Jaguar outside, plus a lot more that I am just trying to remember off the top of my head.

It would be a shame if either were to close. The collection down there is impressive for such a small museum.

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Yes you are right. You have partially described the Manston History Museum with its broad range of exhibits loosely related to its history. The Spitfire and Hurricane Museum, around which the thread is based, is focused on WW2 the history of those two aircraft displayed with a whole range of well displayed associated exhibits.

Both are well worth the visit and the Merlin Cafe adjacent to the Spitfire Museum serves freshly prepared snacks and meals at reasonable prices with a large patio of outside seating. The Memorial Garden rewards a quiet walk around the plaques and shrubs and saplings supporting them.
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fire3
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by fire3 »

The RAF Manston History Museum is not struggling, numbers are down (Red arrows etc used to draw in the crowds) but we still attract 20k+ visitors each year.
Entrance is just £2 for adults 50p for children, our ever growing collection includes the following

BAC Canberra B(I)6 WT205 (complete cockpit section)
Canadair CT-133AN Silver Star N36TH (Complete aircraft representing 117415)
De Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10 WP772 (Complete Aircraft)
Gloster Meteor TT.20 WD646 (Complete aircraft representing as WD615)
Handley Page Victor K.2 XL190 (Cockpit Section)
Hawker Hunter F.6A XG226 (Complete cockpit section)
Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2B (Complete Cockpit Section)
Panavia Tornado GR.1 ZA325 (cockpit section)
English Electric Lightning F.6 XR770 (Complete aircraft)
SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3A XZ106 (Complete aircraft)
Short 330-100 G-sswp (Cockpit, serves as event cafe)
Slingsby Cadet TX.3 XA312 (Complete, repainted as VM791)
Westland Wessex HU.5 XS482 (Complete aircraft)
Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 XN380 (Complete, repainted in USAF colours)
Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1) (Replica Gate Gardian)
Nieuport 17 (Reproduction from movie Flyboys)
Slingsby Grasshopper TX.1 XA321 (Complete)
Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter (Reproduction from movie Flyboys)
PZL TS-11 Iskra G-BXVZ (Complete aircraft)

Many of the cockpit sections and complete airframes are open to the public on a number of open cockpit days (September 18th is the next one) and by prior arrangement.

Over the last few months Our TS-11 Iskra has been prepared for a repaint into Team Iskry (White-and-Red Sparks) colours, Whirlwind XN380 is getting some well needed attention, a Ferranti ARI-23231 Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeker (LRMTS) has acquired and fitted to XZ106 and a recently acquired Rapier missile has been refurbished and put on display in our armoury section. Not bad for a small band of dedicated volunteers!

https://www.facebook.com/manstonhistorymuseum/

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

If you go to the beginning of the thread you will see that the subject is the Spitfire Museum following apiece on the local newspaper linked in the OP.

I am well aware that the History Museum is thriving but thanks for the reminder!!
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DeanW
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by DeanW »

That seems incredibly good value for the museum, maybe even too cheap? If you doubled the tickets to £4/£1 then that'd still be incredibly cheap and would generate more cash for the museum? Can't imagine anyone being put off by those prices.

Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

Not so long ago it was £1.50 and each visit I tried to persuade the friendly helpful volunteers that it would still be a snip at twice the price. So now it's got to £2 and I agree it would still be exceptional value at £4.
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ArabJazzie
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by ArabJazzie »

A good few years ago, i decided it was time to tick off a few museums that were a bit out the road as i would probably never get back to them. With Manson in general on a really shoogly peg at the time, this was top of the list. As the intention was to see the Spit and Hurri, i went into the first museum i came to and wandered through what is a wonderful museum and soon forgot about the 2 i wanted. Coming out again, i then remembered the 2 targets, realizing there was a second and separate museum that contained the 2 icons of WWII that did so much from Kent!

Now this is where the disappointment began! I know there is a lot to get through with the subject surrounding these aircraft, but there is far too much in the area surrounding these aircraft and it really seemed far too cluttered and uncomfortable. And the difference in the clientele was clear, from the young families in the Airfield Museum, to the Spit/Hurri Museum that was full of old codgers. Of note, a young family that i seemed to bump into all the way through the AM, were later heard to say amongst each other that they were not going to bother with the other place!

I can clearly see this, and im sure some of the locals and holiday makers will see this as well, and all this potential custom who are inclined to visit will more than likely make the same choice if in the area again that i will, and visit the Airfield Museum and not bother with the Spit/Hurri Museum.

Once finished with the museums, i asked myself why 2 museums are so close together? I then wondered why they cant pool their resources? I think that this now needs to be seriously considered, with steps taken to ensure people come back!
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Dragon Rapide
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Re: Manston - another museum in trouble

Post by Dragon Rapide »

I don't altogether agree with your criticisms but I understand your comments. As to pooling resources someone else has made a similar suggestion. Perhaps it's worth a discussion but I have a feeling that the way the two are set up is quite different - the Spitfire Museum has charitable status - so it might not be as feasible as it might seem superficially.
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