Museum Charges

I see for the first time in about ten years the museum department is going to start charging to visit places like Aston Hall & Sarehole Mill. This will raise a miserly £250,000 per year. Well I suppose Mike Whitby has got to get his expenses money from somewhere. That'll be a few more nights at the Hyatt then Mike.

Phil

Phil charging will drop admissions. They can then close them through lack of use.

SB

Knowing Birmingham Council this is probably the plan, the last time they put admission charges on these places visitor numbers dropped to hardly none, That is exactly why they removed them in the first place. This is paltry because £250,000 is nothing in the scheme of things. But if the upkeep and wages bills go for these places then we are talking about a substantial saving and there is always the possibility of selling them off.

Phil

The small museum where I volunteer charges between £2 and £3 and it is great value.

With our grants cut we struggle.If it was without the volunteers it would not survive.we must protect the culture of our country.

Denise,

Yes but is that an independent museum, or is it owned by the Council?

Phil

independent Phil.

Denise

Then that is fine, it really gets me going when I see some of the things that receive millions of pounds a year funding from the Arts Council & the National Lottery. You can bet they won't be making any cuts to the opera and ballet in the cut backs.

Phil

I think they have cut some opera & ballet by 10% Phil. Trouble is it should be a 100% cut

Mike

I haven't seen the latest Arts Council grants (we are talking about the aren't we?). I don't suppose they are worried because the shortfall will more than likely be made up by the Lottery.

Phil