Call to house museum in old school building (From Echo)
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Call to house museum in old school building
2:10pm Thursday 17th February 2011 in Southend
Anne Chalk with the petition and Michael Assenheim, David Shindler, Carol Foster, Rosemarie Mason and Louise Wilcox
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for a Victorian school building to be turned into a museum to house military artefacts to showcase Shoebury Garrison’s history.
Community group Friends and Residents of Shoeburyness has urged Southend Council to retain ownership of Hinguar School, in Hinguar Street, when pupils move to a new £6million building in Gunners Park.
Members say the 100-year-old building would be an ideal place for a cultural and heritage centre to display books, photographs and old weapons, currently stored in a shed in the old garrison.
Anne Chalk, who has been spearheading the campaign, proposes that half of the building should also be used for community groups.
Mrs Chalk a member of the group, of High Street, Shoebury, said: “We feel that part of the Hinguar School building could have the artefacts and the other part could be for community use for both young and old residents as well as being a place for some school lessons.
“The main thing for us is to get it somewhere near the garrison. The building is a key part of Shoebury’s history and I know there are concerns about where the artefacts are being stored at the moment.“ Mrs Chalk has collected 300 residents’ signatures for a petition to preserve the building.
Concerns have been raised that the school building could be sold to housing developers.
Mrs Chalk continued: “It is not the kind of building to be developed into flats. I am afraid that the building could be knocked down and turned into flats.
“A lot of the residents I have spoken to want to see this building used as a heritage building with a museum.”
Michael Assenheim, Independent councillor for Shoeburyness, said: “I fully support this and I think we need somewhere in Shoebury to keep the artefacts from the garrison.
“Shoebury is a historical town and it is important that we have this.”
Southend Council has approved plans for the new school, costing about £6.1million.
Comments(6)
emcee
says...
4:10pm Thu 17 Feb 11
APR wrote:It is indeed a good idea... but it'll never happen. The land will be almost certainly be sold and the residents of Hinguar Street will likely be facing a block of flats before they know it.
Sounds like a good idea, as long as they can get volunteers to staff it. As the council hasn't the money
jayman
says...
4:37pm Thu 17 Feb 11
i recently visited the old drill hall which is now being developed. I asked the onsite builders to look around and possibly take some pictures. to my surprise the said it would be fine as the owner was on site. the owner approached me and gave me a sort of tour of the drill shed. he pointed out several interesting facts about the building and the renovation work being conducted. he pointed out some iron rings mounted to the wall where the gun doors where once positioned that had baffled various military historians who had surveyed the site. i finished my tour of the garrison including the small memorial by the drill shed and came home a little bit more connected to my past and how rich and vibrant this local area is and its important role to our heritage.
a very good idea. therefor im afraid it wont go down very well at the local council who are currently preoccupied by re-branding the location with spurious links to history.
Andycal 172D
says...
9:57pm Thu 17 Feb 11
emcee wrote:Yes they'll have flats but just think, from the top they'll be able to see Anna Waites palatial estates in Barling
APR wrote:It is indeed a good idea... but it'll never happen. The land will be almost certainly be sold and the residents of Hinguar Street will likely be facing a block of flats before they know it.
Sounds like a good idea, as long as they can get volunteers to staff it. As the council hasn't the money
I hate to point this out but don't we have a museum with a load of old toot in it already?
siddymint
says...
6:37am Fri 18 Feb 11
“Shoebury is a historical town and it is important that we have this.”
but when asked if he would support saving the historicaly important station the answer was no
bigmak
says...
4:44pm Fri 18 Feb 11
The old Garrison church has car parking and stacks of history and I understand tat the Royal Artlllery ex-servicemen's association was keen to open a museum in it.
APR says...
2:23pm Wed 16 Feb 11