Category Archives: economy

The “Fan-owned” Museum

Posted on May 22, 2013 by

For my sins I am a Portsmouth Football Club supporter. Last month following the club’s relegation to the fourth tier in English football and having been in Administration for three years, the club was bought by its fans. Portsmouth (Pompey) … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, museums | Leave a comment

A tale of two dairies

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

As a good social historian I try really hard not sanctify the past. Yet in the course of the  research the interpretation of Crowe Street Cottages in Stowmarket, it’s hard not to feel a longing for a gentler age. Nos. … Continue reading →

Posted in Abbot's HAll, economy, museums | 4 Comments

Piecing together the Bury St Edmunds Round House

Posted on March 22, 2011 by

The re-erection of the old Round House that stood in Bury St Edmunds Cattle Market is an intriguing component of the current redevelopment at MEAL. Built in 1864 and sometimes referred to as the Settling House, the building was used … Continue reading →

Posted in Abbot's HAll, economy, museums | 4 Comments

The Countryside must be able to share in the White Heat of Culture

Posted on February 4, 2011 by

There have been quite a few blogs summarising the Culture Change conference at the National Theatre last week, two of the best are  Claire Antrobus and Mark Robinson. The event explored what cultural organisations would need to do to remain healthy, wise … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, landscape, Social Capital | 1 Comment

Why people in rural areas pay double for culture

Posted on October 20, 2010 by

The experience of the regeneration of the physical cultural infrastructure in rural Britain compares poorly to urban areas. In the last 15 years virtually every major town and city in the UK has enjoyed some form of rejuvenation. New commercial … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, landscape | 2 Comments

For a Big Society we need small worlds

Posted on July 7, 2010 by

I’ve been a long time admirer of Sue Clifford and the work of Common Ground. I’m very pleased she is to speak at this week’s Museums Sustainability and Growth conference in Norwich which MEAL has helped organise. Since the late … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, landscape, Social Capital, Trust | 1 Comment

Looking for the silver bullet for resilience

Posted on June 24, 2010 by

There have been some nicely provocative blogs in response to straightened times, prompted by  the doom of a harsh budget and the prospect of an even graver Comprehensive Spending Review in October. They range from Bridget Mackenzie’s assertion that the … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, museums, Social Enterprise | 2 Comments

The Abbot’s Hall Project – work begins at last

Posted on June 9, 2010 by

I’ve just read the first of Maria Balshaw’s blog about the capital development at the Whitworth Art Gallery, so in very unoriginal fashion I’ve decided to write my own account of MEAL’s major development plans. Today was the first meeting … Continue reading →

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Can cultural assets inspire the ‘Great Imagining’ of Transition?

Posted on April 27, 2010 by

On Tuesday last, I spoke at the latest of Mission Money Model seminars, Thriving on Less, at the A Foundation at Rochelle School in Shoreditch. The event challenged people working in culture to respond to a future of low or no … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, Social Capital, sustainability | Leave a comment

Is it time for Transition Museums?

Posted on March 28, 2010 by

The development of the Transition movement should be very instructive to UK museums. Faced with climate change, Peak Oil and gas and a dependency on state aid for funding either at local or national level, museums might look to Transition … Continue reading →

Posted in economy, museums, Transition | 6 Comments