My sincere apologies if this is old news but after visiting recently the FirePower Museum of the Royal Artillery in the old Woolwich Arsenal, an amazing collection of British artillery hardware I felt I must pass this on. Sadly,the FirePower museum is due to close in July this year (2016) and I strongly urge anyone who has any interest in the military at any level to visit. The collection is due to be relocated to Larkhill, however I am told that it will never be reassembled as a collection again due to financial constraints.(The same reason for its removal). Once again apologies if it is old news but I still strongly urge a visit before it goes.
That's what happens when you have a bunch mercenary jackals as "leaders". And a public that keeps electing them. Royal Hospital next? Chelsea after all; it would make a lovely block of flats!
Move it to Leeds, 'the Powerhouse of the North' (apparently). It will go well with the Royal Armouries. Only two hours from London on the train and within walking distance of the station. I enjoy travelling to London for a day in the museums and galleries but I only got to Woolwich once. Mike
I'm delighted that he is "pleased to announce" - must only be him and the other politicking senior officer ne'er do wells who have made me ashamed to be a former Gunner. This is a disgrace. Of course, Greenwich would be cock a hoop if they could eradicate any military presence, historic or otherwise, in its boundaries
Opening a museum at Larkhill was the plan before Firepower was created. The Larkhill plan was to combine it with a new Stonehenge Visitors centre (giving the public something to look at whilst the disappointment of the stones wore off). Move the collection to Larkhill, open it as a museum and staff it with the gunners being trained at Larkhill. They can show off the history of their branch of the Army (whilst learning it themselves) and Larkhill ranges will allow live fire demos for the public, not just blank fire but live rounds. I'll never forget the thrill the first time I saw a round fly all the way from the gun to its target.
Can't see them getting any more people through the door in deepest Wiltshire as they did in London but presumably costs will be lower. I thought this was also subject to a Lottery Grant. Has this been approved? I wonder who has funded the REME Museums transfer to Wiltshire.
Woolwich may be London, but it was never exactly straightforward to get to. Always felt a little off the beaten track, not somewhere I passed through much. Trouble is, it was just the 'right' spot, historically. Larkhill makes sense, but any Stonehenge visitor connection has sailed, and the rocks can feed enough outrage already without throwing in further complications! Leeds Armouries could do with 'something else' in the immediate vicinity. Makes sense to me. So does Salisbury plain though I suppose. We shall see. Explosion, for example; might be in exactly the correct historical spot in Gosport, but even locals find it a pain in the arse to get to. Tricky business, museum location...
Bovington gets lots of visitors & that's even more awkward to get to. Maybe tanks are sexier than guns?
A lot may depend on what they do with their library and archives - assuming that they're keeping them... Given that the REME was turfed out of its ancestral home, there's no guarantee that the RA will be at Larkhill forever and in a position to protect their museum.
Bov's got the grim spectacle of Monkeyworld across the way. Suitable for tactical distraction of uninterested others while zeroing in on Tankworld. It's also in a mega tourist area.
I like Larkhill...I fired a 25 pounder there when I was 13 years old. H&S was so shit in them days the Gunners gave us the filters (fag butts) from their cigs to stick in our ears
