Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Bill Ridgeway
appreciate this is off topic but many people interested in subterranea are
also interested in World War 2.)
I liked the range of artefacts in the Museum. Whether other visitors agree
is subjective and depends on personal interests. I would, however, comment
that nearly all of the descriptive texts are in block capitals which does
not make it easy to read. They also contain numerous spelling errors which
is irksome and indicates a lack of attention to detail. Over all a slightly
less than professional presentation.
It is not the most welcoming of museums I have ever visited. Having sold
you a ticket they then try to confiscate any number of personal items. I
argued that I need to keep my mobile telephone so I may be contacted if my
Mother had a fall and pressed her alarm. Probably I couldn't do anything
being some distance from home but the sooner the help-line knew the sooner
they could call someone else. It would seem that I couldn't be trusted with
a mobile phone yet it was expected I should just hand it over. What is the
situation if visitors' valuables were to be stolen? Does the Museum have
insurance cover (and in sufficient value) for this eventuality? What is the
position with visitors' insurance in view of the fact that they voluntarily
handed over their property? I was informed that information is in 'Terms
and Conditions' (so that makes it all right). It is ironic that a World
War 2 museum is claiming only to be doing what it is supposed to do.
Wasn't that the basis of the Nuremberg defence?
I was also told that other places (like The National Trust) have also
imposed a similar ban on the recommendation from the Police. However, I am
assured by The National Trust that it doesn't have such a ban and neither
does Kent Police acknowledge issuing such advice!
Another contraband item are notebooks. (It is not clear if the ban on
notebooks means both electronic and paper variety.) This calls into
question the value of going to a museum if you are not allowed to make
notes - unless your are fortunate to have a photographic memory.
It was argued that they didn't make me visit the Museum. This is, of
course, true but having travelled over 100 miles did they expect me to just
return home. One staff member in particular (who seemed to have had a
charisma by-pass) just walked away.
On returning home I looked at the Museum web site. The 'Terms and
Conditions' http://www.kbobm.org/howto.htm#terms includes a reference to
what items will not be allowed into the Museum and also a reference to
verbal abuse. It also asserts the right of Museum staff to use reasonable
force to eject visitors from the premises. Is it possible that the attitude
of 'you will do what you are told', 'take it or leave it' and the
insinuation that all visitors are potential thieves may just be connected
with verbal abuse?. I do not doubt the right to deny entry of anyone to
whom they take a dislike but I would call into question the overall attitude
to visitors. The Museum may benefit by rethinking its corporate attitude to
visitors and its public relations strategy.
This is not a museum I would wholeheartedly recommend!
Bill R
Jules
> They also contain numerous spelling errors which
> is irksome and indicates a lack of attention to detail.
Hmm, that really puts me off, more so than factual errors do.
> It is not the most welcoming of museums I have ever visited. Having sold
> you a ticket they then try to confiscate any number of personal items. I
> argued that I need to keep my mobile telephone so I may be contacted if my
> Mother had a fall and pressed her alarm.
They tried to take your phone? Heck. I can appreciate a museum asking for
phones to be put on silent out of respect for other visitors - but
what's the logic behind that? Did they not want people taking photos or
something?
> Another contraband item are notebooks.
Hmm, it sounds like they might be going to major lengths to try and
"protect" what they see as "their" intellectual property - which
completely goes against the point of being a public museum in the first
place. I suspect that writing to the museum will do nothing, but
contacting the local paper might be worth a try and get others talking
about the ridiculous policies.
> This calls into
> question the value of going to a museum if you are not allowed to make
> notes - unless your are fortunate to have a photographic memory.
Careful, they might make you remove your brain upon entry.
cheers
Jules
Les.
"Bill Ridgeway" <bi...@compsols.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:h4c2d4$rug$1...@news.albasani.net...
>I have recently visited the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge. (I
> appreciate this is off topic but many people interested in subterranea are
> This is not a museum I would wholeheartedly recommend!
>
> Bill R
episodes, decent food in the canteen and absolutely top line staff. A real
pleasure.
Les.
SpamTrapSeeSig
<bi...@compsols.wanadoo.co.uk> writes
>I was informed that information is in 'Terms and Conditions' (so that
>makes it all right).
I assume your brackets meant irony, and, I think, rightly so.
I am not a lawyer, but I did do a couple of years of it at university:
it's a standard 'Law 101' question: in consumer/retail circumstances,
terms must be on clear and obvious display at the point of sale (i.e.
where the contract is actually made, as you purchase a ticket). No terms
visible; no terms in the contract.
My law lecturer obtained appropriate damages from a car wash operator
after their machine broke off a windscreen wiper - there was a
disclaimer, but it was a sign on the machine, not in the kiosk where he
paid for his token. It didn't go to court: he issued proceedings and
their lawyers caved-in immediately.
The museum is quite within its rights to prohibit items, or to ban
photography (since they own photographic rights to their property in
what is, after all, a private place), but they cannot impose such
conditions _after_ selling you a ticket, if there is a reasonable
assumption that such terms wouldn't otherwise apply. Some museums do and
some don't allow photography, so I'd expect them to make that clear, at
least.
At a general level, is this museum run commercially, or by a group of
enthusiasts? If the latter, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, and
perhaps write a note to the trust's chairman about them being a bit
draconian. If the former, it will probably cause them increasing
problems as time goes by.
It's a bit of a shame, either way.
Regards,
S.
--
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David Eyre
> I have recently visited the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge. (I
> appreciate this is off topic but many people interested in subterranea are
> also interested in World War 2.)
<snip>
> On returning home I looked at the Museum web site. The 'Terms and
> Conditions' http://www.kbobm.org/howto.htm#terms includes a reference to
> what items will not be allowed into the Museum and also a reference to
> verbal abuse. It also asserts the right of Museum staff to use reasonable
> force to eject visitors from the premises. Is it possible that the attitude
> of 'you will do what you are told', 'take it or leave it' and the
> insinuation that all visitors are potential thieves may just be connected
> with verbal abuse?. I do not doubt the right to deny entry of anyone to
> whom they take a dislike but I would call into question the overall attitude
> to visitors. The Museum may benefit by rethinking its corporate attitude to
> visitors and its public relations strategy.
>
What a curious attitude to visitors. Looking at the Ts & Cs they seem
to be remarkably paranoid.
If you are in the area again divert to Manston where you will find both
the RAF Manston Museum and the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum.
Neither have hang ups about what you can take in and there seems to be
no problem with taking photographs, making notes or sketching. The RAF
Manston museum has underground interest with mention of underground
hangars and a replica ROC post. The staff were very friendly and chatty
when I visited earlier this year.
Mike Ross
>Bill Ridgeway wrote:
>> I have recently visited the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge. (I
>> appreciate this is off topic but many people interested in subterranea are
>> also interested in World War 2.)
>
><snip>
>
>> On returning home I looked at the Museum web site. The 'Terms and
>> Conditions' http://www.kbobm.org/howto.htm#terms includes a reference to
>> what items will not be allowed into the Museum and also a reference to
>> verbal abuse. It also asserts the right of Museum staff to use reasonable
>> force to eject visitors from the premises. Is it possible that the attitude
>> of 'you will do what you are told', 'take it or leave it' and the
>> insinuation that all visitors are potential thieves may just be connected
>> with verbal abuse?. I do not doubt the right to deny entry of anyone to
>> whom they take a dislike but I would call into question the overall attitude
>> to visitors. The Museum may benefit by rethinking its corporate attitude to
>> visitors and its public relations strategy.
>>
>
>What a curious attitude to visitors. Looking at the Ts & Cs they seem
>to be remarkably paranoid.
Quite. I took 'no notebooks' to mean 'no notebook computers' - pretty damn
paranoid. But reading the actual Ts & Cs I'm pretty sure they really do mean
paper-and-pencil notebooks, which... would be hilarious if they weren't serious
about it. A museum. No notebooks. Wonder if they get many school trips?
Arseholes. Just because you're volunteers it doesn't give you a free pass to be
amateur arseholes.
Mike (a *professional* volunteer firefighter)
--
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I am the history within'