Who needs rotten old ships anyway?

[anteros_lmc]

Well that's helpful... As well as abolishing the UK Museums Libraries and Archives Council (wtf?!) and the UK Film Council the Tory bastards Coalition Government have also just announced that they are going to abolish the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites and Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships. I have to confess that I haven't previously heard of the former but the loss of the latter is a tragedy. For those who haven't come across them before the Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships are:

..the successor to the National Historic Ships Committee, which emerged from a seminar held in 1991 to discuss the problems facing the preservation of historic ships and vessels in the UK and the evident neglect of this important part of our heritage.

National Historic Ships carries a wider remit than its predecessor body, looking not only at the immediate issues concerning historic vessels in the UK, but also addressing questions relating to the support infrastructure for historic ships, their potential for contributing in the wider economic, social and community context, and by maintaining a watch list of vessels abroad with potential UK significance.

How far sighted of our overlords. At this stage I am unclear if it's just the Advisory Committee that is being abolished or the entire organisation, but it's a sad day regardless.

Cross posted to anything_aos

Comments

[esteven]

*gapes*

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

My response also had four letters :(

[esteven]

I am so not surprised!
*remembers a few years back when they discussed selling Victory

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

These guys would privatise their grandmothers if they had the chance!

[esteven]

Considering what sort of guys they seem to be, their grandmothers might actually be glad.

[rosinarowantree.livejournal.com]

Different 'they' in that case - not the present Government, but their predecessors. So New Labour were also masters in the Sale of the Grandmothers ...

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Oh aye, one lot's as bad as the other. *hangs head in despair*

[esteven]

Then you must have a lot of happy grandmothers, to be shot of their 'grandchildren'
*shakes head*

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a loss for the whole world.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what it is. Grrr.... This calls for my best pissed off Archie icon.

[rosinarowantree.livejournal.com]

Contributions from the whole world will therefore be gratefully received...

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Shall we start passing the hat round?

[rosinarowantree.livejournal.com]

Provided we don't have to pay it back ... I am not sure quite how much this is the Cull of the Quangos, leaving more money for the real work (for certain definitions of 'real' and 'more'), and how much is going to affect the work.

But the announcement does say "declassifying the Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships and transferring its functions to another body ". I think they are just getting rid of some duplication and several 'advisory' layers that only advise other advisors.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope the functions will be transferred to another body, the NMM perhaps? I'd be less worried if the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council hadn't been axed in the same round of cuts. I guess we'll just have to wait and see and hope for the best.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was pretty much my response. What can I say? The Government are unprincipled bastards.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Tbh in this particular sector it's the abolition of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council that has caused the most ructions today. It's madness. And in the health sector a whole bunch of watchdog organisations got the axe.

Didn't nodbear have a quote from Pellew on Bridport's retirement that drowning was too good for him? I'm beginning to feel that way about our dear leaders.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

What an excellent idea! It would only be fair after all ;)

[weeboopiper.livejournal.com]

Governments can't be relied upon to care about or save ships. Members of the general public who care about historic ships have to step up, especially in these tough times. Whether it is donating money (any amount), volunteering time, or just spreading the word about ships that need help, people have to get involved and stay involved. If governments or the owners of historic ships don't see any interest or support for the ships in local communities, it's that much easier for them to give the order to dispose of them.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Here speaks the voice of experience. Thank you for the very timely reminder that we all have a responsibility and a role to play in helping to save these beautiful and important vessels for posterity. I've heard nothing more about this announcement since yesterday but I will keep you updated if there are any further developments.

[weeboopiper.livejournal.com]

Before I became involved with the Falls, I never really thought about how much it takes to maintain a large historic ship properly. For a ship of her size and type, we have been advised that we will have to raise at least US$500,000 to $1 million every year, just to cover basic operating expenses (ship's manager, maintenance crew, insurance, supplies, utilities, fund raising, etc.). I was told that it will probably cost us about $2 million just to re-rig her, assuming that her existing masts are sound. Add to that money for dry-docking (dockyard labor, towing, towing insurance, materials) every 3 to 5 years and you can see what a financial burden it can be.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

That is an extraordinary financial commitment and I sincerely hope you can raise the funds to continue to maintain this vessel. I believe Glenlee gets the bulk of her funding form the National Heritage Lottery Commission and from Glasgow City Council but I have my doubts about how secure that funding is.

[weeboopiper.livejournal.com]

One of our board members was just there on holiday and visited the ship. He was in contact with two of the gentlemen who were heavily involved in the effort to restore her and they told him that the city does contribute to the funding.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

If there's anything left of the public libraries sector by the time the coalition falls apart it'll be a miracle. You have my sympathies.

This is cultural heritage we're talking about. This is history. Do these things just not mean anything anymore or what?
Don't get me started. The thing that worries me is that I have a nasty feeling that the public sector will be touted as the potential saviour of our cultural heritage :(