I think the museum could be excellent. I haven't visited it since it opened, other than when opening it (so no choice) and when I had to visit the archives for Bty history. I simply do not visit that part of London (or perhaps even the country). If I were to be in London, I would need to be there for a few days to ensure that I went there and that would be through a sense of loyalty - so what incentive do non-gunners, who have probably never herd of it and wouldn't be passing through have to go?

The choice of site is a dead issue - it would cost millions to relocate and we would never get any lottery money or the like to do so. Also, LArkhill area would be an ideal choice, but only in as much as it is the home of the RA now and it is in a heavily visited, tourist attraction rich area. Actually finding somehwere to put it may be difficult (althugh there are several plots around Larkhill Garrison, outisde the wire that I can think of as possibilities).

Maybe if it was here, the burden of administration could more easily be shared by the Larkhill Garrison, as I believe people are posted to the museum now from regiments - well a stint in the museum as part of an ERE tour is not out of the realms of the possible (although probably unpopular and you would need the right people).

BUT, this is still assuming that the serving community must bale out the museum. Do the Armoured Corps do the same at Bovington? Or the Engineers at Minley?

It would be devastating to see the place fold, criminal to see the heritage lost, but there must be a better way of doing business.

Is there no way of folding it into the Imperial War Museum or another military museum as an Artillery Wing?

You have hit the nail on the head, about visiting the place. If you don't and you are interested, Will the odd tourist visit? Although The Tank Museum is the Regimental Museum for RAC and RTR, you wouldn't know it. New members of the corps have a guided tour of the museum to show their heritage, but Regimental intrusion is very tentative. Bovington is incredible lucky in that the location (Dorset) now is a major tourist destination. And when it rains, the museum is the largest place to spend the day with your family in the area. Also Tanks have that sexy factor with visitors. Unfortunately, and this could be said of tanks as well, but i believe even more so with Arty, a gun is a gun is a gun to many people. Also, i believe slightly cerebral in detailing history of the cannon, importance in conflicts etc..

I think it would be possible to move the museum. A fancy building is not necessary, B&Q throw up large warehouse sized buildings all the time. That's all that is needed. Consider how exciting, to visit a museum and watch live firing demo's, on Larkhill ranges?

One major fault of the firepower is the lack of foreign arty. It's nice to see comparison. If it stays where it is, it is doomed, and people will say this is where the army used to be.

Originally Posted by msr

Is there no way of folding it into the Imperial War Museum or another military museum as an Artillery Wing?

You really wouldn't want that to happen. Imp Duxford is shedding staff to the usual cost cutting. I believe one of the halls was closed/closing over the winter months to save on electricity, much to the annoyance of the Anglian Regt. museum which is housed there. There are now unhappy murmurings from the Airborne museum which is also located at Duxford.

Also, who would the Arty merge with? It has a great wealth of history and should be stand alone.

I think they looked at the inclusion in another museum, but it is fairly specialist to the RA, hence we wnated our own museum in the first place. Doubtless if it does fold, some museums will bid for the exhibits if interested and the RA will keep the REALLY good stuff and make it gate guards or fill Larkhill with more things to go rusty...

As for "throwing up a warehouse and nothing too fancy", where? And that still isn't cheap. B&Q or Tescos will do a survey on catchment area, projected earnings etc and then build if given permission. We have a museum and can't afford to build another, then move the kit, even if it could be shown to pull in 200 visitors a day or whatever (conservative estimate for the area - crikey they visit Woodhenge, a bunch of concrete posts laid out in a stonehenge formation, not in the site of the original wooden version...). And where? The sites I think of are either on the fringe of the existing camp, or in outlying areas (like on the edge of quarters areas) and may not be ideal for access or residents.

AND they wouldn't be able to visit the museum and then look out onto live firing. I work here and can't see any live firing, only hear it. Organised visits for civvis to watch some shooting would NEVER happen...I agree it should be (or should have been) here, but don't see it as likely to be, short of a major capital raising venture and that DOES NOT include raping every serving Gunner for £100k through "donation" of a day's pay and trying to raise another £100k through charity ventures...

MSR, et al,

IWM is a national war memorial and archive for all 3 services and the nation. NAM in Chelsea is the official Army Museum and each surviving capbadge has a (partially) publicly funded Museum run out of DG Pers's budgetary area. This funding runs mainly to CS staff (under severe pressure), some training and not much more. Clearly the Museums tend to enjoy subsidised real estate and utilities if they are still on MOD estate.

Clearly Firepower is unusual in terms of its location, funding, local authority partnership etc. The support from RAI/RACF has been significantly reduced over the last couple of years and despite 22 years of service I have never been forced to support it financially from my own pocket, although I have been in regts that have had to raise funds on a couple of occasions. I know regts have to provide soldiers to reinforce the volunteers but that is not too onerous a task.

It is where it is (for now) but at least we have an archive and repository for our history even if it might be malplaced. I think we should support it as best we can and craqck on with our day jobs.

UQFEGD

PP

Not my Corps but, as a trustee of my own regimental museum, who has visited Firepower, a few thoughts.

Firstly, as others have said, it's in the wrong place - more so now that the Regiment has moved out. The tank museum is at Bovington, sappers at Gillingham and signals at Blandford; all next to their respective corps' "homes" and schools. At least this means the serving soldiers get a chance to see the place and what they're paying into.

Secondly, the army is rather smaller than even 20 years ago. Presumably there are rather fewer gunners as a result and the war/national servicemen (great sources of funds for my regiment) are dying out. That must mean you're going to have a lot less cash in future. Nor will sponsorship be easy unless you can find a really great sugar daddy (and I'll bet any captain of industry who admits to serving will have been tapped by now), have a wow-factor site that's easy to get to for the corporate stuff.

When Firepower was being touted - before anything had been built, I was based in Woolwich with the RADT. I remember that neither myself, nor any of the other Gunners, could fathom out why Woolwich was being proposed! Even more so, once we heard that a) Woolwich had been chosen and b) we had to help fund it!

My personal view (from a lowly rank's position), is that it would be better to fund the museum's move to Larkhill, where it will get it's full attention. If this doesn't happen, I foresee Firepower swollowing up all future funds, wanting more and still going under!

Sadly, where it is currently situated, I wouldn't visit it (even though I know the area). It too off the beaten path and If I, as a former Gunner, won't visit it - even if visiting London, then what chance has it of getting the casual visitors or tourists?

Originally Posted by bookman

You really wouldn't want that to happen. Imp Duxford is shedding staff to the usual cost cutting. I believe one of the halls was closed/closing over the winter months to save on electricity, much to the annoyance of the Anglian Regt. museum which is housed there. There are now unhappy murmurings from the Airborne museum which is also located at Duxford.

Also, who would the Arty merge with? It has a great wealth of history and should be stand alone.

There is no doubting the wealth of the history, but I suspect the reality is that the general public would rather look at artillery exhibits as part of a wider collection / day out, than at a stand alone site.

And if a site the size of Duxford can't make things pay, then what hope Firepower?

Firepower. Now do not get me wrong. Great concept although the location has brought its own issues. Before this place was built I remember having to give some of my wages towards it with the promise that serving Gunners will get in free. In typical fashion that did not happen once the place was built however as the place took some lottery money/soldiers wages it obviously needed to make some return for the good of the Royal Regiment (really?).

To the average gunner it is just a great big albatross around our necks to which we will not visit and are still being asked to contribute too even though we are not at fault for its business failing. I believe in heritage, i believe in the Gunner ethos, I do not however believe in constantly tapping the serving soldiers for dead weight.

Harsh maybe.