The police museum birmingham

[Astoness]

hi folks...this thread has been started with the sole purpose of keeping us updated on all matters concerning our police museum...one of our members Steve R who has connections with the museum will be keeping us updated on the new website they are working on (which will give us easier contact) and also on any upcoming open days the museum has planned...oh and we may also discuss a possible forum meet up at the museum in the near future...

many thanks for your efforts steve...

lyn

 

[Steve R]

Hello all
I thought I would put an update on the Forum just to update you on a few things.
The Museum is still very much up and running. It is located in the old court house that is attached to Sparkhill Police station. The station itself no longer has a front office but it is still very much an operational police station where neighbourhood officers serve the local communities. The museum does not receive any funding from any authority and survives on donations from visitors and requests for research. For several years one Volunteer has been actioning the research requests,if they have survived they are made accessible to the next of kin but not the general public. I was surprised to read in other threads that people requests have gone unanswered as I am aware of many that have been completed. There was a recent visitor from America who was visiting the UK researching his family. He contacted the Museum and within two days had the full service history of his relative who serviced around the 1900's and was also assisted in taking photographs of Digbeth Police station and Steelhouse lane, he went back to the states a very happy man. If there is anybody reading this who is asking for research then the correct email address to request this is'[email protected]' I am not sure, perhaps requests have not gone to the correct address?? in any case I am always happy to have a private email and follow things up for you. The museum doesn't have open days planned at present but I will update the site when they are set. Having said that the museum has plenty of private group viewings. Having looked for July there were five events held by the museum. One of these was an internal event and four were for the public. There were three groups of 15 that had a guided tour, then a group of two with learning difficulties also had a visit. In March there was a display at the motor show at the NEC and this week we have a lady at the museum researching Women in policing. Here is an interesting fact, this year is the 100th anniversary of the first police women in the country although you will need to wait another 2 years for a Birmingham Police woman. We have items of Uniform going on display in parts of the country to celebrate this as the museum owns several items of female uniform from this period that cannot be found anywhere else in the country to our knowledge. In Jan/Feb this year we had a drive to increase the volunteers and raise the profile of the museum, this included asking Carl Chinn to be the Patron which he gladly accepted. In more recent months we have looked into digitalizing parts of the collection which is already underway and will make older records more accessible. At this time it is unsure if this will be available through a separate 'stand alone' web site or through the West Midlands Police website I will update this forum when this has been decided. The museum is run purely by the good will of volunteer, some are retired police officers some still serve in addition to a few other. The important thing is that the history is preserved for all, it is accessible now and will be more so in the future.
Steve R

 

[Astoness]

thank you steve for that comprehensive update i think it should answer any questions that we have...i have to admit that i myself have had a little moan about access to the museum without fully understanding the situation but it was never directed towards the wonderful volunteers that you have there but more at the lack of help from the authorities and until recently talking privately to you i did not know that one of your main researchers has been very poorly for over a year now and although still not in good health is still doing all he can for the museum ( i thought this should be mentioned)...steve i am quite sure that some of our members will be up for a visit when it can be arranged this is something we can maybe talk about at our summer meet up so i hope to see you there...

all the best and please thank everyone involved with the museum for striving to keep this part of brum history alive..

lyn

 

[Old Boy]

thank you steve for that comprehensive update i think it should answer any questions that we have...i have to admit that i myself have had a little moan about access to the museum without fully understanding the situation but it was never directed towards the wonderful volunteers that you have there but more at the lack of help from the authorities and until recently talking privately to you i did not know that one of your main researchers has been very poorly for over a year now and although still not in good health is still doing all he can for the museum ( i thought this should be mentioned)...steve i am quite sure that some of our members will be up for a visit when it can be arranged this is something we can maybe talk about at our summer meet up so i hope to see you there...

all the best and please thank everyone involved with the museum for striving to keep this part of brum history alive..

lyn

Hi All,
I have to inform you,with deep regret, that Dave Cross, former curator of the police museum, passed away on 13th December 2016 after a long ilness.. Dave was a member of this Forum but he kept his head down as he feared that he would be inundated with requests that he could not deal with. He only worked part time and combined it with another responsible job. Daves illness in later years did not help and I honestly believe that he was worn out. May Dave Rest in Peace and God Bless his wife and family
Chris Beresford (Old Boy)

 

[Astonian]

Hi Oldboy
Many thanks for in forming us all on here about the Los of David Cross and of his passing away
He was a great tribute to this forum in more ways than one indeed
i did have the pleasure of meeting him at the musuem in sparkhill many years back now
and asking about my grand father whom served his time at many stations
digbeth . steel house lane and at piddock street smethwick in the early nineten hundred period
originaly from batsford , glocestershire to police to birmingham
I am also saddened to hear of his death and send my sincere condolences to his emediate family
As i am sure there will be other members of this forum whom will also send there condolences to his family
R.I P . DAVID CROSS ,,