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Science Museum Newhall Street

As a boy I had little interest in the culture of the Art Gallery give me the Mechanics of the Science Museum any time.I,m sure most of the boys of the 40s-60s felt the same.This has to be one of the greatest losses we have had to endure in this city I would have loved to have been able to take my grandchildren there and shown them the things I grew up with. Dek
 
This has to be one of the greatest losses we have had to endure in this city


Absolutely, the old museum was a gem; I would spend hours there, there was so much to see and do.

They would play the organ near the entrance; the gas engine was always running, along with the Amos beam engine, the uniflow engine. We would arrive promptly on the house to watch the Corless mill engine run for 5minutes each hour.

There were buttons to press all over the place. I loved the sciencesection with the Fox and hen game, the telephones….

You can understand why all of Birmingham’s museums have hada steady decline in visitor numbers over the last twenty years, with the alternativesoffered by the living museums where you still can press button and ring trambells and immerse yourself in the past.

The impression I formed with Think Tank is, just because they are not interested in our proud industrial past, it does not mean everyone else is not interested either.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head, Mortum - 'they' are just not interested in what this city was and what it stood for. Yet the Black Country Museum proves that today's people are indeed interested in what our ancestors did and how they lived.

Am I correct in thinking that the former Elkington works was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Science Museum?

Big Gee
 
Am I correct in thinking that the former Elkington works was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Science Museum?


We were always told that by the staff; apparently there was a lot more stuff in storage they wanted bigger and better premises for.

Looking at Eli’s photos we lost a great museum and now have a very useful car park, not.
 
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Have just remembered that the last time I visited the Science Museum in Newhall Street, I was showing a German business visitor around Birmingham. He was very interested although I expect thay had better laid out museums in Frankfurt.
 
Hi

Does anyone remember any details about a museum in central birmingham that used to have a great mechanical engineering section. It used to have a steam loco on rails which used to move forward occasionally. We are talking about 40 years ago. I remember some large mechanical devices that would still rotate under electrical power.

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

hi john ;
yes a gang of us kids from ladywood used to go there every sunday afternoon we was all from king edwards rd
we used to fight each other to go first on the draught machine the gadgets was good and intresting
also dd you go on the old telephone systems where you cpould speak on these early system telephones they had we was there for hours
we learnt alot we spent alot of time around the blue bird car the fastest car ever on record for its year
great place to take your kids astonian
 
Re: Sicience Museum

Yes it was a wondrous place for a young lad to wander round for a couple of hours on a Sunday, and the best thing of all was it was free.

Phil

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Re: Sicience Museum

Yes, a wonderful place - with more thinking than the Think Tank.
For a time I worked for Plessey, who had taken over Ericson Telephones, the suppliers of the demonstration Strowger telephone exchange that was so popular. It had stood, irrepairable for some time; several of our engineers had tried to get it going, without success. One day I decided to go and have a crack and 'bury' myself in the museum. The problem seemed impossible but I stumbled upon a circuit diagram and eventually I found that a replacement pair of relay contacts had been wired incorrectly. After a few days of total bewiderment and a few minutes actual work the thing was working again - and so it continued for years. My contribution to the enjoyment of countless youngsters and no small amount of job satisfaction for me.
Ted
 
Re: Sicience Museum


Spent a lot of time in there :):), when should have been at school :rolleyes:,

also a lot of time on the Draught`s machine, so much stood me in good form in future years playing the game :):):):):):):):)

Was a great place :)
 
Re: Sicience Museum

The images were great - brought back some memories ... wonder what happened to all that equipment.

thanks for the response

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

Some great responses - I too remember the draughts machine and also the telephones.

I wonder what happened to all those beam and steam engines.

thx for the replies

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

HI, yes I went there too. Some, but not all of the stuff went to the positively awful, (my opinion) "THINK TANK" on the old A-B Row site.
 
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