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Public to be locked out of museum
Tuesday 7th October 2008, 11:30AM BST.
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The historic Willenhall Lock Museum is to close to the general public by Christmas, another hammer blow to its long-term future in the town.
The building in New Road which charts the area’s famous lock-making heritage will only be available to schools and groups that have pre-booked in the New Year. Owners of the historic Locksmith’s House building, the Black Country Living Museum, confirmed the historic building will close to the public unless funding is found urgently.
The attraction is currently open only on Wednesdays after opening hours were cut due to dwindling numbers. The revelation is the latest in a series of setbacks after Walsall Council ditched plans to move it.
The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) wanted to pull down the Grade II listed house and move it brick by brick to its main base in Tipton Road, Dudley.
But planning chiefs turned down the proposal in the summer. The application to relocate followed a Walsall Council decision to axe an annual £12,000 grant earlier this year.
Willenhall councillor Ian Shires said he was disappointed but not surprised by the announcement. He said: “If the council doesn’t get a package together quickly it is inevitable it will close. It will be a massive blow.”
Opened in 1987, the museum traces the town’s famous lock-making heritage dating back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when it was commissioned to make all the locks needed for the royal household.
Upkeep of the building has been costing BCLM around £10 for each of the fewer than 3,000 visitors annually and bosses insisted the relocation would ensure it would be seen by around 300,000 visitors at the Dudley attraction each year.
A spokesman for the museum today confirmed the Locksmith’s House was set to close by Christmas but pre-booked groups would still be able to attend after December.
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Isn’t it ironic that the one thing that the Lock Museum is famous for, ie making locks to lock things up, is going to be its death sentence when it gets locked up itself.
I suppose it is justice really in the most saddest way I have ever myself know.
God bless them, there will be many tears shed in the Baker household tonight.
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The issue of funding is an excuse! The BCLM make a great deal of money from the site in Dudley and if they ran The Locksmith’s correctly then it could look after itself! The BCLM get so much funding every year and love to massage the figures. What this needs is the public to show the BCLM that they want The Locksmith’s House open to the public!
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What needs to happen is for the public to rally behind the Locksmith’s and get rid of the apathy that seems to be around! The ‘mighty’ BCLM think that they can do what they want and the trouble is they are getting away with it! Do not give in to them and do not be fooled by lack of money or visitor numbers! If it were advertised then the visitor numbers would increase, but of course that is not what the BCLM wants!
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This is a disgrace! The Black Country Museum are up to their old tricks again! Does anyone actually believe that at only one day a week it costs much to run, considering it is run mostly by volunteers! Lets all face up to the fact that The Museum only purchased it to knock it down and that is why it has never been advertised etc. Considering the fact that Flora did so much for her community isn’t it time for the community to do something for her!
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I was brought up locally and remember Flora & Edith Hodson. They did so much for anyone and everyone and the best that people can do is to rally around and stop the Black Country Museum from closing it! They say that they are there to preserve history but if that is the case then why are they really shutting it? If you go to the Black Country Museum most of the buildings are closed up so why would destroying a wonderfull piece of history mean that more people would see it? Willenhall is called ‘Humpshire’ for a reason and we are proud of our heritage! Plus the Locksmith’s House is about a way of life not just locks, So Go & See It, I Think You Will Fall In Love With It!
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One of the friendliest museums I have ever visited. A jolly staff who answer questions and make you feel wanted and at home (unlike BCM). You wander freely amongst a family home and lock works. Willenhall,the worlds home of locks no longer has a manufacturer and its history is to be “locked up”… a public disgrace.
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The BCLM is showing its true colours. In stead of being a socially responsible museum that uses the profits from its Dudley site to promote local history in context it only cares about being a money-making ‘heritage’ theme park. I live in the Borough of Walsall and have never seen any promotion for the Lock Museum since the BCLM have had it.
They are now blackmailing the people of Willenhall and having a childish tantrum because they are not allowed to demolish a listed building. Boycott the BCLM and let everyone know how little they care for our heritage.
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Willenhall’s a ghost town now anyway, theres nowt there! close it i say! move it to a town where ppl will deffo go n visit!
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i,ve just recieved the chronicle through the door and sat down to read it and on the front page its there again about OUR lock museum i used to visit here when i was a child both with my grandmother and local school it,s disgusting what people want to do but most of all a comment from dr carl chinn as dissopointed me he says it is an important heritage building for willenhall & walsall why walsall if it was.nt for walsall council and all those do gooders willenhall would still be a thriving place but instead its just a struggling little town like darlaston town and then you come to walsall town millions & millions being spent on it what about the people of willenhall and darlaston spend some money here in willenhall and keep the museum open instead of spending it on the wannabe merryhill waterfront
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I think people are getting the wrong end of the stick. The BCLM are not the bad guys here, they would happily take the locksmith house from willenhall and move it to the open air museum in dudley
Its strange how all of a sudden when this place is about to close people say its a shame. You should have used it when it was freely available
You dont know what you’ve lost till its gone
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