Re: [ST] Fire Nearly Destroys Museum...

[george <gkeslin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It's true.  One of the English members on the Hawk list posted the story 
yesterday.  I tried to pass that on here but for some reason was unable to 
post it even after numerous attempts.

"I don't get it Big Dan!"  Ulysses Everett McGill

George

At 03:14 PM 9/17/2003 , Bil Swartz wrote:

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