Originally Posted by pensionpointer

As a general observation, the money being raised now would probably have to be raised even if the museum was a more viable concern as this is a new exhibit to record recent history, not merely a collection to shore up the museum. Also, no-one is asking Gunners to put their hand in their pocket this time, merely to raise the funds. Some regts are nearly there already.

pp

When the museum opened the recent (to 2001) exploits weren't really included - Gulf War was there as was a bit on the Falklands but no really display of Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Balkans etc. The exhibition does need updating; the job of the museum is to preserve our heritage and the operations since 2001 do need recording especially as these operations will lead to a revolution in Gunner affairs.

The question of raising money is a difficult one. On the one hand the exhibition needs to be displayed proudly and it needs to be done properly. On the other the Gunner community are being asked to raise a large amount of money per Regt and HQs. What I for one haven't see (looking on the intranet, Firepower website, Internet, in Gunner magazine) is what this exhibit will look like. I know the contract has been let so there should be mock ups/ images that can be shared; I for one would like to know how my money was being spent. If there are any diagrams/ pictures then please post them.

GBTD

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"When the going gets tough, the tough hide under the table"

Originally Posted by pensionpointer

I still think the longer-term way forward is to co-locate at the National Arboretum, possibly with some other Corps museums eg, - R Sigs, RLC, Int Corps. In this way we could all share from the large visitor numbers that the NA enjoys and the RA Museum would surely be the jewel in the crown amongst such doudy competition!

There is no spare space at the NMA for a major military museum. It is also very wet. The only sensible place for Firepower is at Larkhill because that is the only place visitors can see guns fired.

Any one with a kit fetish can dip into the MFO box of almost current kit and have their foto taken. I would have done but
they didn't have any body armour in XXXL.

We don't do Firepower demos any more, as it costs too much in ammo. So how would the public benefit from the museum being at Larkhill (if we could afford to move it and there was somewhere to put it)? The museum runs at a loss now, so adding an ammo bill on top and a relocation bill of millions would sink it for sure.

Originally Posted by Pteranadon

....Larkhill because that is the only place visitors can see guns fired.

And that could be the killer app that really puts it on the tourist "must see" map.

Lots of options for RSA to help out with a few "no cost" assists: ie get the courses to carry thing like basic gun drill in an area viewable from the Museum.

What if the courses arent firing that day? what about weekends (major visitor influx) - who fires then? i wager that the burden from deconflicting and coordinating this would be greater than asking regiments for money!

Unless things have radically changed at RSA, live firing is highly unlikely to be anywhere close to any museum site, so that's a non-starter.

Originally Posted by django_strikes

What if the courses arent firing that day? what about weekends (major visitor influx) - who fires then? i wager that the burden from deconflicting and coordinating this would be greater than asking regiments for money!

Doesn't have to be coordinated. The Museum just has a viewing area that overlooks any gun park activity that happens to be going during weekdays, and this is just treated as a no-cost bonus.

"Live" firing is probably always going to be too difficult/expensive to lay on. Firepower would be better off with maybe a row of blank-firing guns for its own display programme - similar to the other private arty museums. This could possibly be the weekend activity that fills in for lack of gun-park activity by RSA.


With a bit of imagination and Regimental will, there would be a lot of scope to add ad hoc enhancements to a Firepower at RSA.

We cannot afford to move the museum so we are stuck with the museum in Woolwich. What we have to do is save money at Woolwich. My thoughts:

- remove the Firepower Management company RAML. They are ineffective, cost too much and are not fit for purpose. The Museum to be managed by the civil servants who work there.
- close the museum Monday to Thursday to reduce overheads.
- BPT realise some cash from the collection.
- be inventive in 'selling' the museum to the wider Gunner community. what about at RA events (as listed in the front of Gunner - like Sandown, Officers' Mess Dinner Nights or even the Army v Navy perhaps?).
- put articles in Gunner and the RA Journals.

Thoughts?

GBTD

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"When the going gets tough, the tough hide under the table"

Originally Posted by 4(T)

With a bit of imagination and Regimental will, there would be a lot of scope to add ad hoc enhancements to a Firepower at RSA.

I disagree. Firepower has two separate failings:

Wrong site. Impossibly and unrecoverably wrong. Even if the second coming were to be in Woolwich and provide twelve months notice, and the prophets let slip that the new messiah was rather into loud bangs, visitor numbers would not increase. This is blindspot number one, but separately, and even if the collection moved to Larkhill...

Wrong scale and scope - i.e. Strategy. Sadly, artillery in its own right is 'niche'. It may be a great collection but it is never going to be a high-appeal tourist composite, that brings revenues that exceed the opex and capex. Wilfully perpetuating the status quo would be amusing were it not sapping regimental funds and doing a disservice to the regiment's proud history. Do any of the other non- teeth arms attempt the same exercise at such scale, lunatic location or not? No - and there is a reason for that.

My solution? Close FP. Of the collection:

Fill an Arctic with a touring collection that does RIAT and the other military shows in the UK 'season'. Combine it with RAATed current kit where possible.
Create a touring roadshow that does the schools and other similar opportunities, with a focus on ' Living History' - carrying a mixture of the sacrosanct (such as the medals) and the sort of things that can be passed around kids. Make the presentation team shit hot and work them hard.
Put the other equipment and archive material in somewhere like the rotunda. Perhaps put it in a coastal battery somewhere - couple of forts still empty Gosport way and still Crown Estate aren't there? FP may well be at the arsenal site but that means cack all when its just a series of dull brick buildings where people made weapons and ammo. Whoopee-do. I loved those forts and martello towers when I was a child and it's closer to the tourist artery.
Of the residue, sell it to realise some funds.