SITE DEVELOPMENTS
When I last prepared notes about activities on the site at Wythall, the museum’s events season was just beginning. As I write these notes, the season is over and the bunting to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee has come and gone. What started as red, white and blue bunting ended up as white, white and blue, the red demonstrating what we already know from the red buses in our care, that it is not very durable. As always, preparing the site for open days takes up quite a lot of staff time. Equally, clearing up and putting away buses at the end is an onerous task. We are getting better at parking the buses up and now have a magnetic board with scale buses so what goes where can be planned in advance without resorting to umpteen sheets of paper.
Weather conditions in 2002 have been good for plants. This has kept Dennis busy with the lawn mower and given our volunteers plenty of foliage to keep under control. As well as the display areas the work to reclaim areas at the side and back of the Shire Hall from encroaching vegetation has continued.
The weather conspired to make the final 2002 event eventful. Arrival on site early on the Sunday found Pete Murphy busy adding extra screws to the admission hut in an effort to prevent the roof from taking off. This was successful but it was not long before continued strong winds saw the top of one of the Leylandii coming to rest on top of the railway carriages and then one narrowly missing Fleetline 6311, parked outside for the open day. Buses parked near these were moved for safety and Pete Murphy was observed wearing a hard hat for most of the rest of the day. No further trees fell and the fallen bits of tree have now been cleared.
During the summer the open top D9 has been mobile and utilised for a number of jobs. Alex Potts cleaned all the big lights in the Scania Hall and Pete Murphy together with others changed failed tubes in the Shire Hall. Pete also used the bus to prune some of the trees on site that have been growing over roadways and threatening to result in scratched paintwork.
Fred Withers contribution to keeping the site running should not be under-estimated with routine tasks such as emptying the postbox, making sure the museum is opened up properly on open days, and keeping charge of the petty cash but, I’m sure all will agree, it is his tea making that is most important for keeping the workers happy. He also finds time to do some of the maintenance jobs round the museum, particularly the carpentry, although recent work on the handrail of the steps to the Gents toilets brought him the complaint that he had not done the ladies too!
Complaints about preferential treatment of the Gents loo are likely to continue. A recent decision is to upgrade the Gents so that it doubles as a staff facility over the winter with hot water for hand washing and frost protection heating to prevent frozen pipes. At the time of writing the plumbing has been modified, although changes to the electrics have still to be made. The work on this was delayed as, when checking where pipes ran, it was noted the supports holding up the portacabins were nearly rusted through. This observation was not a minute too soon as later the same day one of the legs collapsed (presumably aided by the investagatory prodding). Immediate remedial work saw all the legs being cut off and new steelwork being welded in place.
Anyone who has seen the jump battery trolley wheeled round the site recently will have wondered just how long the wheels were going to stay on. Fortunately, Pete Murphy acquired a new set of wheels recently and fitted them so the trolley is once again stable. Other work on museum equipment has included the overhaul of the small hoist and repainting in a rather bright yellow (as has been the battery trolley).
Keeping the buildings in good condition is an on-going concern. The Scania Hall has again required remedial action on the roof.
The arrival of a Fleetline Chassis was recorded in the June “Omnibus”. At that time it was believed to be ex-Coventry but we have since been informed by Tile Hill College that it originated with Thamesdown (formerly Swindon) and when they first had it, it had a complete body, which it has lost over the years. The trust is grateful to Paul Hodgkins of the PSV centre at Tile Hill and to Lloyd Penfold who was one of the crew of the NBB Matador which brought it to the museum. The chassis is now parked outside the prefab with rope and fencing to prevent the public climbing on it.
Phil Ireland
Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcs B47 6JX
Tel : 01564 826471 e-mail us
A registered educational charity no 507191
