Wednesday 5 October 2011

Should the Daniel Adamson Tugboat go to the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum?

With the news that lottery funding has been refused is it now time in this economic climate to re-assess the situation and make some drastic and sweeping changes that may change the fate of a once forlorn hope, The Daniel Adamson, or Danny as it now likes to be called.

Although the funding may still come through or be revised, the whole project is at a pivotal point for all the hardworking people who will have been bitterly disappointed at the news that funding has not been granted. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/10/05/heritage-lottery-fund-refuses-to-fund-historic-mersey-tug-daniel-adamson-100252-29538957/
Did the Heritage Lottery Fund think, We don’t want another Waverly situation where money continues to be evaporated like steam off its condenser. Or was it because there was not enough education facilities available and a worry that funding it may turn out to be a hobby horse for a few people.
It is berthed in a dock on land owned by Peel Holdings and has restricted access, this leaves the Tender in a compromised situation for its redevelopment. Though Peel have helped out in allowing it to be berthed there, this is not advisable for its future.
There is no public access to see the tender except for special occasions, and with Peels record on the historic environment, where the Pump Station at Langton Dock just lays rotting, and they are planning Shanghai-On-Mersey there is no future in leaving it there. http://www.danieladamson.co.uk/

Its historic value is that it is named after the man who built the Manchester Ship Canal, that bypassed Liverpool, and considering the Canal goes right past the Boat Museum it makes sense to ally it there with its fellow lost causes.
Yes, it was once there and the washed up trustees of the Boat Museum let it go for the token sum of a pound. But that was then and this is now. The public need access to it to see it, and an education facility is required. The Boat Museum has classroom and education facilities. It is up and running and not some godforsaken forgotten dock that's on Private Peel land has none. http://www.nwm.org.uk/
So where better than the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, as long as a few washed up trustees are ex ponged and replaced with people like Peter Elson to help steer his passion for things that sink.
The publicity that has been created from the campaign to save her needs to keep going, but would that new found momentum be a help to another worthy cause? The Boat Museum?
Will the trustees of the Boat Museum understand that their past ineffectual attitude and infighting has made them look a basket case.
The recent BBC series on Museums, in general, that was filmed there, on the Wirral, showed that old blokes fighting for their last bastion of jobsworth power, before they are declared irrelevant, and sinking ships, go down well together. But these old things are our history. Sink the trustees I say.
Running out of steam is constant problem for trustees and need constant revitalisation.
Putting it in perspective £2.8 million is a huge sum and when there is no tangible asset at the end such as with a property based bid. Where does this leave the heritage lottery bid and all the hard work the current team have done to get the bid this far.

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