Jump to content

Manchester Science Museum – Shackleton AEW2


Filler

Recommended Posts

Interesting to see comments of MOI being somewhat run-down. I first visited a couple of years ago when there was substantial work going on around the main entrance. At the time I considered it to be the best all-round museum I had ever visited.

We returned last year, the improvements to the entrance had been completed and I found it most impressive. We (my family) commented how poor it now made the Science Museum in South Kensington appear. True, the aviation hall hasn't benefitted from recent improvements, but taking the museum as a whole, I consider it to be truly outstanding.

While I'm old and cynical enough to recognise the bleeding stumps strategy mentioned earlier. It is somewhat galling though to see the museums being threatened are always those outside the capital city, given the choice I would put the investment into MOSI over South Kensington on any day of the week.

Cheers,

Bill.

I agree: overall, the museum is good. I've got no connection with Manchester but I've always found the section on the city's history to be interesting, and I've been down the Victorian sewer exhibit a few times! While I'm not into railways, the locomotive hall seems pretty good. It's the aviation section that's become a poor relation, and it used to be so much better. There used to be a display on the history of Ringway/Manchester Airport, for example, and if I remember correctly there was also good coverage of local aircraft manufacture by Avro and Fairey (Heaton Chapel). There were temporary exhibitions - I have fond memories of one on International Rescue and the Thunderbirds..... But now, it's just a floorspace on which a number of aircraft have been deposited, with minimal supporting information and, as Max points out, interspersed with odd specimens of ground transport. And there are a few large, random photos of aeroplanes on the wall, including a very nice air-to-air shot of an Avro 504 - again, as I recall, with little or nothing in the way of a caption. The last time I was in, even the toilets were out of order and, I think, the lift to the gallery - not that there's anything up there any more but you can get a view of the aircraft. In fact, the aviation hall (only) was shut completely, for no obvious reason, when I dropped by on one occasion during the last year or so. It's such a shame.

I agree about South Kensington, too. To be fair, I've not been in for years but I wasn't impressed by it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting to see comments of MOI being somewhat run-down. I first visited a couple of years ago when there was substantial work going on around the main entrance. At the time I considered it to be the best all-round museum I had ever visited.

We returned last year, the improvements to the entrance had been completed and I found it most impressive. We (my family) commented how poor it now made the Science Museum in South Kensington appear. True, the aviation hall hasn't benefitted from recent improvements, but taking the museum as a whole, I consider it to be truly outstanding.

While I'm old and cynical enough to recognise the bleeding stumps strategy mentioned earlier. It is somewhat galling though to see the museums being threatened are always those outside the capital city, given the choice I would put the investment into MOSI over South Kensington on any day of the week.

Cheers,

Bill.

Hello Bill,

We are not saying that MOSI isn`t a good museum, because it is,.....we are saying that the Aviation Hall, which used to be a totally separate entity that was taken over by MOSI, is very much the poor cousin and has been substantially run down since the takeover with most of the very interesting supporting exhibits now removed. Back in the 1980`s it was a very vibrant and interesting aircraft museum, but not now.

Cheers

Tony O

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 years later...

A bit of thread resurrection, but Manchester's MOSI did indeed close down their Air and Space hall, and the Avro Shackleton WR960 belonging to the RAF Museum was offered to the Avro Heritage Centre in Woodford, South Manchester. I was in the vicinity yesterday morning and whilst killing time I drove through the new housing development to have a look at Vulcan XM603 in the lovely morning sunshine. She is looking very well and despite the challenges of living outdoors, she sure is nicer to look at than if she was wedged inside somewhere.

 

Anyway, whilst there I stuck my head in the entrance to ask about Dougal. I was told that it is in storage in bits next in the facility next door and when I asked about when and how I might be able to view Dougal again, the answer was pretty much 'no idea'. The chap just said that they'd like to be able to build an extension to the building to accommodate it. The rate at which the new housing is going up on the site, it's hard to imagine them being afforded any more land than they have, so I must say, I can't see how it is ever likely to go on display there, either inside or outside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I alway find it sad that while national museums of all types tend to survive on a shoestring, private entertainment venues for sports clubs soak up ridiculous amounts of public money as “incentives” to remain in cities. This side of the pond, every year there is another story of a city being held hostage by another billionaire owner threatening to leave unless they get concessions. My response would be, “Don’t let the door hit you on the a** on the way out.” I got to visit the Manchester Museum a few years ago, the aircraft were packed tight, but at least they were inside. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...