News Archive - January-February 2004

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Consultation on Carved Stones
Titanic exhibition at Orkney Museum
NMS Acquires Concorde
Iron Age fort could collapse into the sea
National Maritime Museum - Online Learning Resources for students and teachers
The City of Adelaide gets possible reprieve
St Andrews Preservation Trust Museum seeks information and exhibits


Consultation on Carved Stones

A three month consultation has be been launched on carved stones, by Frank McAveety, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport on 22 December. The consultation is open to all with an interest in the future of this valuable cultural resource; including owners, local authorities, special interest groups and the wider public. The aim of the consultation document is to raise public awareness and to promote best practice guidelines. The consultation will be carried out by Historic Scotland and the document Carved Stones: Historic Scotlands Approach is available from Historic Scotlands website www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or by post by contacting Nicola.jones@scotland.gov.uk or Ms Nicola Jones, Room G40, Historic Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH.

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Titanic exhibition at Orkney Museum

During January and February 2004,the Orkney Museum is hosting a large exhibition about the ill fated luxury liner RMS Titanic, as well as her sister ships Olympic and Britannic.

The exhibition unveils many historic and rare treasures that have never before been seen outside a private collection. These include a silver pocket watch which stopped at the time the ship went down and a number of spectacular props from the Oscar winning film Titanic, including two dresses worn by Kate Winslet and the dazzling 'Heart of the Ocean' necklace featured in the film. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to try on the spectacular necklace.The amazing collection of artefacts comes from the private collection of Titanic enthusiasts Sean Szmalc and Margot Corson.

The exhibition "Titanic, Honour and Glory" will run at the Orkney Museum from January 17th until February 21st, 2004.

Opening times are Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm until 5.00pm. Admission is free.

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NMS Acquires Concorde

British Airways has announced that it has decided to locate one of the Concorde aircraft at Scotands National Museum of Flight, part of National Museums of Scotland. NMS fought off stiff competition from over 60 bidders around the world to secure one of the aircraft that were taken out of service at the end of 2003. This followed a collective effort by a number of individuals and organisation, including strong support from the First Minister, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. Scottish Executive has agreed to provide funding for the transport, housing and display of the aircraft

. The aircraft G-BOAA played a central role in the development of Concorde. It was the first aircraft to be delivered to BA, the first in commercial service, flying the first scheduled flight, and the first aircraft to make the monumental journey to New York, touching down only minutes before an Air France plane. It will be transported to the museum in the spring, 2004.

The Museum of Flight will close its doors for three months from January 5 to March 31 as work gets under way on the first phase of an 8 million overhaul. A new exhibition telling the story of the supersonic jet will be prepared and other improvements will include new signage and displays. The longer-term development plan will involve an upgrade of all hangars and site buildings, development of new permanent exhibitions and interactive exhibits, and an education centre.

Concorde will go on display to the public in the museums main hangar in the summer of 2004. The collections currently housed there will be moved to new displays in other hangars.

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Iron Age fort could collapse into the sea.

Archaeologists face a battle against time and the elements to save the remains of a prehistoric settlement at Carghidown, near the Isle of Whithorn, Galloway, in south-west Scotland.

Consisting of a promontory fort 100ft above sea-level, it was home to the Novantae, an ancient tribe about whom little is known before the Roman Conquest. They were farmers and herders, and the 'fort' wasn't a defensive structure. Within it were two roundhouses defined by dry stone walls, close to one of which three rare lead beads were found.

But the site has been eroded by wind and the waves at it's base over the years, and could eventually collapse into the sea. The archaeologists are hoping to return to Carghidown in 2004 to further excavate the site, and record as much as possible about one of Scotland's early peoples.

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National Maritime Museum - Online Learning Resources for students and teachers

The National Maritime Museum, in partnership with The Travel and Tourism Programme (TTP) have developed a new, innovative, free online resource to support business studies and leisure, travel and tourism courses at GCSE, GNVQ and AVCE level. The Museums education department has worked with TTP, with the support of the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) to develop the first resource of this kind. Students and teachers are able to access case-study information and a virtual resouce chest containing visitor research, admission figures and downloadable examples of posters, flyers, newspapers and radio adverts. The site will also be available to TTPs global partner countries such as Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa and Russia. For more details visit: www.nmm.ac.uk

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The City of Adelaide gets possible reprieve

What should have been the star attraction of the Scottish Maritime Museum (SMM) - the former clipper ship City of Adelaide, once better known on the Clyde as HMS Carrick - has lain rotting on a slipway at Irvine Harbour for the past 11 years. (see article on this website). It looked likely that the ship would have to be demolished as the funds for renovation could not be found.

The SMM, conscious that the ship was deteriorating rapidly and with no substantial funding being forthcoming for its restoration, sought a Demolition Order from North Ayrshire Council. That was refused because Historic Scotland had deemed City of Adelaide to be of such historic merit that it designated it as a Listed Building, the only ship in Scotland to be covered by such a designation.

However, while that decision may have saved the ship, it almost closed the museum, which was left with the storage and preservation costs but with no income pay for this.

Now it seems that it might possibly be saved after all, and, along with it, the seriously endangered Scottish Maritime Museum, thanks to a benefactor who has come up with an ambitious restoration plan. Mike Edwards, a businessman from the Midlands, wants to see the former clipper ship not simply restored as a quayside visitor attraction but returned to her former glory, fully seaworthy and under full sail on the ocean.

A specially commissioned feasibility study will determine whether the ship can be made completely seaworthy again and, in the meantime, Mr Edwards has taken steps to ensure that City of Adelaide does not deteriorate further by funding protective works to the vessel, including erecting a canopy over the ship as a further protection from the elements. The donation will also contribute towards some of the Maritime Museum's existing slipway costs

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St Andrews Preservation Trust Museum seeks information and exhibits.

St Andrews Preservation Trust Museums Easter exhibition will look at the Home Front in St Andrews during World War Two while the summer exhibition will focus on 'A Century of Childhood.'

Curator Lesley-Anne Lettice is currently sourcing information and exhibits for both of these events and would like to hear from anyone in the town who might be willing to loan photographs, clothing, furniture, toys and such like.

Contact the museum on 01334 477629.

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MAJOR NEW HISTORICAL WEBSITES:

Medieval or Later Rural Settlement (MoLRS) Website
http://www.molrs.org.uk



Scottish Archive Network
http://www.scan.org.uk



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November-December 2003
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