2010 - Pearl of Year!

With a very successful year behind, we are now looking forward to 2010, our 30th Pearl Anniversary year. This is going to be a fantastic year, full of exciting and inspiring events and exhibitions, which will be bigger and better than ever before!
The year kick-starts with the opening of our new gallery ‘Ghost Town?’ on 15th January 2010. This will be a thought-provoking gallery telling a media-led story of the rollercoaster plight of Coventry’s motoring industry from 1980 to 2010. Followed by the new gallery we have three major special exhibitions lined up for the year which will excite and interest everyone. During spring there will be an exhibition of disabled transport vehicles followed by the Ice Cream Dream Machines exhibition in summer, a story of ice cream vans and ice cream through the ages, and the Ladybird Books Exhibition in autumn, where you can find out about artists who worked for motor trade and Ladybird books. And don’t forget the Coventry Blitz Ball this year on the occasion of the 70th year commemoration of the Coventry Blitz!
And then there will of course, be our Craft fairs throughout the year, where you can buy unique handmade gifts for your loved ones, holiday activities and workshops for children, loads of infotaining activity weekends organized by our friendly facilitators and a fun-filled programme for Christmas.
So watch out for forthcoming activities on our website as well as the blog and come along and have your Great Day Out!

CTM Events Calendar 2010

Xmas Factor Finals

What a Grand Final! Fantastic performances, fabulous entertainment and a full house audience!
The competition was won by the duo, Charlie Blyth, age 13 from Coundon Court and Conner Nolan, age 15. The winners are also members of the EGO Performance Company which is based at the Quadrant on Warwick Row in Coventry. Performance ability runs very deep in the Nolan family as Connor’s dad is Paul Nolan, Nipper from the Cheeky Chappies, who are currently at the Belgrade 2 with their Christmas show.
Estelle of Coventry’s singing family ‘Good Evans’ was on the panel of judes and there was a performance by the Evans children. There were sizzling performances by Phoenix Dance Academy while Touch FM’s Breakfast Show host Brody Swain was the Dermot O'Leary for Coventry's own version of the X-Factor.
The event has been our biggest and best so far and we are going to make it even better next year! So watch out all those who couldn't strut their stuff this year... there's always the next year!

New Props for Doctor Who

The Doctor Who exhibition that's been on at the Museum since this March, originally scheduled to close in November,it has now been extended to the 10th of January 2010, owing to its whopping success! Thinking of it now, it's one of the longest running special exhibitions we've had! But that's not all... we now have brand new props in the exhibition from the latest Doctor Who special, ‘The Waters of Mars’, screened 15th November on BBC One.
So you can now meet 'The Flood' (a monster who spews water at the touch of a button!) the costume of Captain Adelaide Brooke (played by acclaimed actress Lindsay Duncan), the costume of Andy, and the robot GADGET!

We also have on display in the Museum ‘Bessie’, the Third Doctor Jon Pertwee’s yellow roadster car together with his costume. There's no charge to see these as these are not in the exhibition. So you can pose beside Bessie for a photograph for free!

So for all you Doctor Who devotees, an excellent way to spend time over Christmas holidays. I even coined a slogan: "When you're bored and can't find anything to do, come to Doctor Who!" ... Cheesy, huh? But don't let that put you off! Do come along and see our new 'Waters of Mars' props for before you know it, it's going to be 2010 and they will be gone! So don't miss this fabulous opportunity!

Booking information is available here or call our Doctor Who Information line 0871 976 9461.

Xmas Factor Grand Final this weekend

The Xmas Factor heats were simply great on the Saturday before last, 21st November that is! And we have 11 spectacular finalists including a guitar-based duo and 9 year-old identical twin girls who call themselves "Paw Prints"! All the singers will be performing two songs and the lucky winner will receive £100 cash prize, plus other great prizes.
There's going to be other great stuff as well... the Phoenix Dance Academy dancers will be performing, so will this year's Britain's Got Talent stars Good Evans while mum Estelle will be on the panel of judges. And Brody Swain will be playing presenter! So, if you are looking for some entertainment on a cold Saturday afternoon, why not join us at the Museum at 2'o clock and give a big 'whoop whoop!' to all the particpants? It's totally free!
Though you might want to book the tickets right away... free tickets, they are going faster than hot cakes!

Classic Car Show 2009 - NEC Birmingham

Last week we went to the Classic Car Show 2009 held at the NEC in Birmingham which turned out to be a grand success for us. The show which went on over the 13th, 14th and 15th November, saw record number of people visiting our stand, not to mention that we had a fantastic time interacting with them.
The two highlights of our stand were the 1923 Model T Ford built at Trafford Park in Manchester and a rescued 1923 Omega motorcycle which is about to undergo a restoration make over. And of course we created the atmosphere with facilitators dressed up in period costume. We even received an offer from two motorcycle enthusiasts to help restore the frame and fuel tank with full paintwork and livery of the Omega motorcycle. We were helped on the stand by members of our Friends oranisation who are also helping us the Omega restoration project. So if you wish to help us recreate living history, you can join our Friends organisation. To join the Friends or find out more visit the Friends page on our website or call 024 7623 4270.

We had a complimentary email, feeding back on the show by Gordon Lund, a visitor and member of Club Lotus:
“It has been some time since I last visited the Museum but I was certainly impressed by what I saw [at the show]. My friend who was with me used to live in Coventry and his wife has memories of the blitz when she was a girl. I remember seeing some exhibits from the war in the museum. It was very effective.”

Following on from this success,we are now raring to go with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline for 2010, including the opening of our brand new gallery ‘Ghost Town? What happened to the Coventry Car Industry?’ that will definitely make it a worthwhile visit to the Museum for one and all. More coming up on that ... keep watching...

Retiring policeman met 'old friend' at the Museum

A Coventry policeman, Charles Thorneycroft, who retired after 40 years of service on the Warwickshire police force, met his 'old friend', the Triumph PI squad car at the Museum. Charles and his wife, Alma came in with Telegraph reporter, Duncan Gibbons and photographer Mark Radford for a photo op with the car he drove for most of his service. Charles, aged 64, said: "It’s just like meeting an old friend from the past!"

This is one of the things our Museum does... It brings on a strong sense of nostalgia. You never know if you might just come across a vehicle or an experience or a just a little something that you or your father or grandfather knows! There is something at the Museum for everybody!

Click here to read the full story on Charles Thorneycroft.

Xmas Factor Returns

You know what they say... If you've got it, flaunt it! Well, here's an excellent opportunity for you all to show off your musical talents as our popular singing competition Xmas factor is back for a third time! So if you think you've got it in you come along and strut your stuff at the heats which be held this Saturday 21st November and see if you can make through to the Grand Final on 5th December.

The competition is open to all, young or old, amateur or professional. All you need to do is perform a Christmas song and spread some Christmas cheer. You can perform at the heats unaccompanied, or accompanied by a CD. If you wish to sing to a music track, don’t forget to bring along your CD. There will be four categories of performances: groups, under 10s, 10 – 15 years old and 16 years and above. You will be judged for your stage presence, professionalism and ability. So get practising as the heats are just around the corner!

The Grand Final will take place on Saturday 5th December 2pm – 5pm. The show will be hosted by Touch FM’s Brody Swain and there will be grand performances by ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ stars Good Evans while mum Estelle will be on our panel of judges and also by Coventry’s own Phoenix Dance Academy performers. With grand prizes for winners and loads of fun for everybody the event promises to bring a fun-packed evening for one and all!

No pre-registration is required for entering the heats. For free tickets to the Grand Final email us at enquiries@transport-museum.com or call 024 7623 4270

Winner of Godiva Family Friendly Award

Hey! We won the 'Best Family Friendly Venture' at the Godiva Awards 2009 held at Warwick Arts Centre on Thursday 22nd October! The prestigious awards are held annually to applaud and celebrate excellence in Coventry and Warwickshire and are a leading event in the region recognising businesses with creativity, flair, ingenuity and commitment.

The Museum is dedicated to welcoming families and carers with children of all ages and has recently collaborated with nine other museums across Coventry and Warwickshire to plan and deliver programmes and activities specifically targeted at families with children under-five years. As part of this the Museum launched a range of family-friendly activities this summer which included a soft play area, story corner, a full size Peugeot which children can climb all over for an interactive experience, and a dedicated play area with toys for 0-3 year olds, all of which were well-received by visiting families. It has also recently completed a number of improvements to facilities, including a dedicated buggy parking area, better Mother and Baby rooms and picnic areas for families, making it a truly parent friendly venue.

The Museum is one of the most visited family attractions in the Midlands and offers something to every member of the family from children to grandparents with all activities and galleries designed to encourage quality family time together. It has a vibrant programme of activities combining education and entertainment throughout the year and organises popular activity programmes during every school holidays which welcome young and the old alike. This commitment to excellence as a family venue in all aspects of the Museum’s work was exalted at the Godiva Awards night.

Museum Top Floor Closed - Work on New Gallery Begins!

An exciting new phase begins for us as work on our new gallery begins tomorrow the 29th October. As result some of our top floor galleries of the Museum including the Cycle Gallery, Motorcycle Gallery and Motorsports Gallery will remain closed to the public from Thursday 29th October (12noon) until Monday 2nd November 10am.

We regret any inconvenience caused due to the closure.

The new gallery ‘Ghost town? What happened to the Coventry car industry?’ will open in January 2010. Watch this space for more information.

1971 Rover P5B

A 1971 Rover P5B has been offered to Coventry Transport Museum. We have accepted the offer and will add the car to our collection early next year.

The car was built in Solihull (the current Land Rover factory) and was bought at a dealership in Coventry. The gentlemen who will donate the car to us has been the only owner and it has always been based in Coventry.

Click here to see photos of the Rover

We have a Rover P4 and Rover P6, so it fills a gap in our collection.

The BIG DRAW 2009

Lots will be happening here at the Museum this October Half Term with the The Big Draw where you can make your mark. We are having a series of master art classes where kids over 12 can work with local artists and learn unique, smart and wacky forms of art. From turning socks into cute kittens, puppies and bears to technical drawings and Japanese manga art, the idea is to keep the kids busy with something exciting and creative. For the under 12s, we will have craft activities such as ceramic and fabric painting and spare part arts.
Our Highlights Tours will be on throughout the week along with a number of hands-on activities, where you can discover about Coventry's past.
Spaces at the master class sessions are limited, so do hurry to book your place. Further information about the October Half Term events is available here

New Gallery

We are clearing out the Icons gallery to make room for the new 80’s, 90’s and today gallery. This will open early in the new year, the building of it has to be finished before Christmas though. Basically we have cleared the ‘row of old cars’ in front of the ‘old café area’ and the icons area and temporary moved these cars into store or into the current 80’s 90’s and today gallery (next to the offices).

Most of the cars have been removed and we are currently removing the ramps and other equipment.

1950's Police Box

Our police box was positioned on the corner of Humber Road and Binley Road in Coventry. It was donated to the museum in January 2008 by a resident of Lower Stoke in Coventry. The police box was acquired by the donor’s father in 1970 and used as a garden shed.

It is a wooden police box as apposed to the concrete Tardis-style concrete boxes. Different police services around the country used different (local) designs. This is a Coventry box that would have been used in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

View some images of the Police Box as it was found here

When we received this police box it was in a rather poor condition although many of the original features were still there (like the blue police light on the roof). Due to other commitments we had to look for partners to help us restore it. Luckily we were able to start the initial restoration with help of the local probation service.

After inspection it was found that additional restoration was needed to bring this historic police box up to display standard, so the local city college was contacted to see if they could help us. The college’s wood working department was very keen to help and work should start in the next few weeks. With added information from the restored police box at Avoncroft museum we are hopeful that we can resurrect this Coventry police box.

When the restored item returns to the museum, it will go on display at Coventry Transport Museum.

Festival of Motoring News Round-up

The Festival of Motoring draws ever closer and by the end of this week, the runners and riders will receive their run numbers. There are a number of interesting entrants, amongst them Judy Woolfenden, MBE who is looking forward to taking part in the 60-mile car run on Sunday 6th September.

Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the young age of 36, Judy refused to let her medical condition override her zest for life. She integrated her passion for adventure with her cause to raise positive awareness of disability through her charity organisation ‘The Judy Woolfenden Challenge’. Judy has accomplished amazing challenges including 54 hot-air balloon flights, cross-country ski challenges, been pushed in her wheelchair in several marathons, and ridden pillion on Harley-Davidson and BMW motorbikes. Her organisation has raised over £60,000 for the various charities she supports.

The Festival of Motoring is shaping up to be a truly exciting and memorable event with a packed programme of family entertainment throughout the weekend and, of course, a 60 mile run through Coventry and Warwickshire.

As part of the event, the Museum will host a civic reception and dinner on the evening of Saturday 5th September and Richard Noble, OBE will be guest speaker at the event. Richard was the holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of Thrust SSC, the vehicle which holds the land speed record set in Nevada in 1997. At the Festival Dinner, Richard will be speaking about his new engineering adventure for the 21st century ‘Bloodhound SSC’ and his quest to achieve the first 1000mph record on land. Both of Richard's record holding vehicles are on display at the Museum.

Tickets to the Dinner cost £22.50 per person and can be bought from the Museum by calling 024 7623 4270.

This week Festival organisers faced the tricky task of re-working the route for the Sunday run due to road works in Kenilworth town centre. The run will now take a different route for the Kenilworth part of its 60-mile ride on Sunday 6th September as major gasworks repairs are in place on that route leading to the closure of New Street. Alternatively, the Run will now proceed from Upper Spring Lane, Beehive Hill, Malthouse Lane and High Street.

Organisers are asking the runners and riders and people holding street parties on the day to make note of the new changes in the route for the Sunday Run.


For further information please visit the Festival website: www.festival-of-motoring.co.uk

Museum awarded top prize!

We were all very pleased to be awarded a prestigious VisitBritain prize last week, following a day-long assessment of everything the Museum has to offer.

The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (or VAQAS) is VisitBritain’s quality assessment service for all types of visitor attractions throughout England.

All areas that impact on the quality of the visitor experience were included in the assessment, ranging from an initial enquiry via our Admin team, information gathered from our website - www.transport-museum.com - through to the facilities available to visitors.

Let's Do It! - Summer activities at the Museum

The summer holidays are pretty much upon us now and we are putting the very final touches to our hectic programme of events called 'Let’s Do It!'. It's a real crafts extravaganza and will be taking place at the Museum from 20th July to 28th August.

There's a different theme each week where young and old alike can try out model making, painting, designing, thread work, drawing and making a fabulous array of items including tea light holders, helicopters and photo frames.

Museum staff will also be on hand to help visitors explore the Museum and Coventry’s past including fascinating stories about the pioneers of Coventry’s motoring heritage and there's also the chance to get to grips with some of the Museum’s artefacts.

We're also hosting very special circus workshops for kids to learn how to spin plates, juggle and much, much more. Circus workshops take place every Wednesday morning.

Finally (I did say it was hectic!) our special quizzes are also available Monday to Friday.

The Museum itself is guaranteed to keep everyone entertained and what’s more, it’s absolutely free to get in!

Let’s Do It starts on 20th July and activities take place every Monday to Friday until 28th August; there’s no need to book in advance. For further information on all the events taking place at the Museum over the school holidays, visit the Museum website: www.transport-museum.com

Coventry Transport Museum

Welcome to the Museum's first blog post - keep checking back regularly for updates from the home of the world's largest collection of British road transport.