The museum looked much the same twenty years later when I first visited on a school trip by coach from Brighton, in about 1963, followed by the Royal Tournament in the afternoon. As a "Friend of the IWM" the current management of the IWM resents my decision not to vote to merge the independent Friends organisation with the IWM itself. This was an easy decision for me to make since the IWM management could not think of any reason at all to disband the Friends. Following the failure of the resolution put to the AGM to pass by the necessary margin the IWM Management have laid their true cards on the table which they failed to explain before the vote. This can be summed up by the rather rude phrase: " something off and die." Use military language. I am now asked by the Friends to indicate which of the following suggestions (abbreviated) would have my support: - Dissolve the Friends charity and hand assets to the IWM. - Continue and make an annual donation to IWM. - Become a renamed "military charity" separate from the IWM. - " For the Friends to merge with another military themed Friends/Membership organisation." As for the IWM Management, the recent refurbishment at the Lambeth premises was expensive. That's all I can say about it. More money was spent at Duxford refurbishing the American building. The glass front was removed and replaced, but the original construction was scarcely out of its teens. Perhaps museums try to match current MOD procurement standing orders, particularly the one that says "Just throw money at the project." The research facilities are very limited and uncomfortable, if one can get an appointment. I may be influenced by the fact that last time I visited a young lady with a streaming cold and a very small handkerchief spent her time sneezing and coughing and infecting the air around her: success for the invasion of the virus she expelled, in my case. I recall being in the old reading room under the cupola with the Ten Commandments written large above my head and being handed documents about the Hofuku Maru by the late, great, Rod Suddaby, expert on Fepow materials held by the IWM. Oh well, never look back.
