[ST] Fire Nearly Destroys Museum...

[Bil Swartz <bil@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Saw this on the HSTA list, is it true?  If so it's a dern shame, what a
loss...

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      INDUSTRY NEWS - Fire Nearly Destroys Museum
      Posted By Paul Carruthers

      Some 650 Bikes Destroyed 9/16/2003

Fire has destroyed most of the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham,
according to reports on the BBC. About 650 vintage machines worth between
£7m and £9m have been destroyed, the report says.

The following is from the BBC...


The museum, at Bickenhill near Birmingham International Airport, was home to
more than 900 vintage machines - many of them unique - tracing the history
of the British motorcycle industry.

Owner Roy Richards started collecting the bikes in the 1970s and the museum
opened in 1984 with an initial collection of 350 machines.

It became one of the biggest motorcycle museums in the world and attracted
about 250,000 visitors a year. It was also a conference center.

Richards told BBC Midlands Today: "It is a devastating loss, not just to me,
but for the country as a whole."

He vowed to reopen the museum, despite the destruction of much of his
collection.

The fire destroyed more than 60% of the building, with three of the five
exhibition halls burnt out.

Exhibitor Neil Payne told the BBC: "There are so many unique, priceless,
irreplaceable machines that are lost. It is absolutely devastating. The
museum and indeed the country has lost some unique machines from British
motorcycling history."

Firefighters will be at the scene for another 48 hours, but the fire was
under control on Tuesday evening.

At the height of the fire, there were big delays on the A45 between
Birmingham and Coventry and smoke was drifting across the nearby M42.

The traffic problems made it difficult for the fleets of fire engines trying
to get to the scene.

Three of the five exhibition halls were destroyed It is not yet known what
caused the fire, but fire officers say it appears to have started at the
rear of the museum near a lift [elevator] shaft.

Fire investigators are expected to start examining the scene on Wednesday.


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