SLHS: A New Museum Needed

To Be..   Or Leave Us As We Are ?

In Stratford there is almost universal opinion that the town ought to have a local history museum - there’s even recorded dismay by visitors and newcomers that there isn’t. Other aspects seemingly universal are: disagreement about where it should not be, how it should be paid for, what it should not contain, who should run it, whether it matters that it might or might not run at a loss and much more.  Sometimes we are asked to consider “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable..” etc and we are asked to think about such things. Well now is that time..

Covid - The Case For

Covid has been blamed on an awful lot of poor business performances and so it would be nice to see something of the opposite come out of it. It appears that since the removal of the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 UK visitors have shown that they are keener than ever to explore their own country..

Stratford A Destination Of Good Choice

However their fervor is not just for beach holidays but for inland holidays and trips to meaningful destinations. This is overwhelmingly true of Stratford in that visitor numbers recovered very quickly after lockdown and the demographics show a higher proportion of UK visitors compared to that before lockdown. In fact on the weekend when the first lockdown was stood down not a blade of green grass could be seen on the Bancroft Gardens and the Recreation Ground because of all the visitors’ picnic blankets.

Archaeology

Across Warwickshire there have been found remains of human endeavors. Stratford is no exception. It has been found that Tiddington, which was just off the old Roman road from Banbury to Alcester, had many kilns producing fine pottery etc. Stratford remains one of the most excavated towns in the Midlands yet very little of this is available for public display. Many buildings are being investigated by universities with state-of-the-art techniques -what are these ground breaking techniques ?

The Case For

The Case For In Depth Cases

So Many Stratford Personalities - The Case For Social Explanation

The World Looked To Britain’s Industrial Revolution

Across world countries saw an empire turn the maps that it had originally produced turn pink. Why ?

This was due to entrepreneurs who took risks and succeeded. It’s a story told exceedingly well by the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums. Yet Stratford had such an entrepreneur who built a rival canal to The Grand Union Canal and had plans to build a railway from Stratford to London before anyone else including the North’s George Stephenson. Yet William James is unknown. His headquarters were here.

Within a short space of time his coal from Staffordshire, arriving by his own means, was coming here at a staggering rate of 35,000 tons per year. He paved the way for Espleys Brickworks, a thriving Gas Works, the success of Cox’s Timber Supply, the nationally renowned Flowers Brewery and many more. He wanted to supply Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s new shipping company with it’s basic need: coal. In an unprecedented move he, therefore, bought the whole river Avon. What happened next ?

Undisplayed Archive Material

The town became a centre for ecclesiastical training. No matter how people want to ignore that these days it had a very real bearing on Britain’s society in general and Stratford’s early renown - John de Stratford, later Archbishop Of Canterbury dethroned Edward II to place Edward III on the throne. Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe.

Stratford’s Guild Chapel contains Europe’s most significant collection of mediaeval paintings.

As it was a town given very early Market Town status it is a place worthy of study but its success, and the keenness of locals to keep records, make it a particularly good example of the change of Britain from feudal to market lead expansion. Levi Fox’s book expounds this.

The Case For Commercial Insight

Successful People Look To Art

Of course the brewery paid for the first internationally renowned theatre in the world: Stratford. Stratford revels in the story of The Bard. However a visitor with only a few unalterable hours available needs to be able to understand why his or her visit is too short and therefore should come back. Could a museum, come information centre, address that ?

But, for sooth, what light over yonder window breaks.. what eye doth see apparel of a different kind..

If one has one’s eyes opened one may be led to see that all forms of art are expressed in a town placed square within the idyll of English Countryside and the Cotswold Hills. Are there also paintings, murals, pottery, glassware, but ceramics, leatherwork, furniture and much much more.. Could a museum, come information centre, address that ?

The Case For Artistic Expression - But Not Just One Art

The Case For An Online Website Is Good But Physical Is Better

Our Past Is Not Just Past

All this contends that history is important: how can we understand where we are or where we are going if we don’t understand our past ?

This should not just remain a catchy strap but needs to be acted upon. That action cannot be fully expressed on a flat screen - we are physical people with physical responses to physical stimuli. Of course we could all watch Shakespeare on a screen but we don’t. Tens of thousands of visitors per year prove that. At present we have to see Stratford’s contribution to national and world history from a book or a screen because there is currently no other way.

The Inspiration For Understanding Is Experiencing

Adults and children will see that the physical setting out of evidence of our past will show that Stratford was, and is, significant.

“Here is the evidence. It’s not AI. Let me show you..”

Springboard For Stratford

Our Past Is Not Just Past

All of us know that an information centre is a dry place. The leaflets and books can signpost destinations. However the right museum can set down crumbs, well quite sizable chunks of wholemeal, along Hansel’s path to a much wider Stratford experience than anyone would otherwise have known. Whilst Tudor England had poverty Stratford’s many markets brought prosperity for all that were prepared to work - and so many did; at so many trades. Residents could hardly believe how well run it was. At times it was actually fun.

For all these reasons above..

..why haven’t we got on with it before ?

To return to Master page click on ‘New Museum’ above.