please empty your brain below

There are a couple of museums in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, one in Richmond and another in Twickenham. Twickenham and Richmond were seperate boroughs once but were joined to become the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

http://www.museumofrichmond.com
http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk

Both of those are independent museums run by volunteers, not by the council.

They may be local, they may be good, but they're not allowed on my list.

The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow could also arguably be seen as a history of one local man's effect on the life of many wealthier people. I love the place.

Newham decided to get rid of it's museum some years ago - to be replaced by the 'London Borough of Newham Heritage Service'. There was a time when you could make an appointment to see the remaining exhibits, but I believe that option has disappeared now. There were rumours that the North Woolwich Station Museum might disappear at some point too.

The Museum of London is in, and funded by, the City (and most of its content is City rather than Greater London in focus...)

I was nearly persuaded to include the Museum of London as the City's museum, but not quite.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the results of refurbishments at Valance House. I really hope they don't screw it up.

In addition to Greater London, there are several museums in Herts that I'd recommend:
Lowewood Museum (Hoddesdon)
Museum of St. Albans
Watford Museum

There are two 'local' museums in the borough of Barnet.

Barnet Museum in Chipping Barnet. The building is owned by the borough, but the contents and operation is down to the Barnet & District Local History Society.

Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon. It is the only museum promoted by the borough through its website and on 'official' posters and publications advertising its exhibitions.

dg writes: Thanks Dave - I've updated the list

Ah, yes, the Cuming Museum - a frequent source of giggles on the N89 home.

Ok, you aren't prepared to include the Museum of London, but how about Guildhall Art Gallery, which is *entirely* funded by the City of London? Some great art and, of course (and I wonder how many people know this) the exposed foundations of the roman amphitheatre in the centre of what was (and to a certain extent still is - certainly the square mile has the same geography and dimensions as -) Londinium.

There's also the Clock museum in the Guildhall itself of course.

There are lots of borough-funded museums in London, but few are borough-themed. Sorry. I'm not including art galleries, even if they do have a Roman surprise in the basement.

Sorry to point this out, but you have the post-code for the Sutton museum as SE17? Same as Southwark, this can't be right surely, should be SM something. Anyway I've been there and it's good.

dg writes: Oops, cut and paste strikes again.

I guess as you have already disallowed the London Museum and the Guildhall Clock museum that you will not allow the Museum in Docklands for Tower Hamlets....funded by City of London rather than BanglaHamlets.

Actually, come to think of it, City of London must also run the little display at The Temple in Wanstead Park (Redbridge).
Newham used to hold information about that area too but they closed their local history service quite a while ago. I'm sure I remember reading that the man who'd been made redundant and cast aside along with the collections committed suicide. Bloody, unforgiveable crime committed by LBN.

I was involved in the campaign to save Wandsworth museum last year. 22,000 signatures on paper and electronic petitions. A real passion for history and local identity unleashed. All water off a politician's back and all to save £420,000 off Council Tax bills. There will be a charitably funded private alternative-a CEO has just been appointed by the charitable trust. Not quite sure where it will be yet but something is going to emerge out of what was an excellent,popular borough museum.

Sorry Bina, have to come back to you on that comment. Newham Local Studies is still running, and is part of Stratford Library (as it always has been). Newham closed the Passmore Edwards Museum some years ago - as I understand it the exhibits were scattered to new homes (the MoL being one); some retained in the Heritage Service (which is based at the Old Dispensary in Stratford).

I believe you are referring to Howard Bloch, who was made redundant by LBN some years before his death. He was incredible knowledgeable about local history, and I had the pleasure of working with him in the early 1990s. He has left a lasting legacy in his writings.

I vaguely remember, c1976, that the Passmore Edwards museum had a super collection of local Bow Porcelain. I can't think of any sensible place it could have been sent to. Where did it go?

Felix - maybe the curators had a smashing time with it.

Ahh, the Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon. I grew up and lived in Hendon for 22 years of my life. The Museum was only about a 5 minute walk from home and as kids we'd go there reguarly, there was (is still?) a very pretty pond in the gardens there with newts, tadpoles and frogs, and if memory serves me correctly a lovely weeping willow too.

Felix - the Porcelain went to the Museum of London http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk...ages/
newham.asp


Hmm, I was going to suggest the Guildhall Art Gallery too, shame. Those Roman remains are really worth seeing, when I visited, I was on my own in the hall and it was just so eerie.

Would have suggested the Livesey Museum but that closed in February due to funding cuts.

Bangla Hamlets - not heard that before.

No one else mentioned it, but it is irritating me.. so I'll have to do it..

There are only 32 London Boroughs and not 33 as mentioned. The "City" Of London cannot be a borough of itself.

To clarify, the "City" of Westminster is a borough of London.

dg writes: Yes, I know. However, for jamjar-related reasons, this blog sometimes chooses to ignore that fact.

Brendan, thanks for shedding light on the subject raised. I hadn't remembered the names but I'm glad you have.

i *heart* the book covers - never seen them before!

The Livesey Museum for Children in the Old Kent Road, a pioneering community museum that also served as a launchpad for local artists and an exhibition space for the Southwark council art collection, was shut down in February by Southwark Council as part of a round of funding cuts.

The people who protested against this cut formed an educational trust, and are now in talks with Southwark council about re-opening the museum as an independently-funded concern. All enquiries/messages of support to [email protected]...











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