Rugby League museum (Merged Threads)

[JohnM]

40 minutes ago, Trojan said:

As far as access goes Wigan is a njghtmare.  Take it from someone who commuted nearly every day from Yorkshire to Lower Ince for over twenty years.

Take it from me, as a Swinton fan, it wasn't  easy to persuade Wigan Council to keep a  selection of Yorkshire people out.... but delaying them was the next best thing!

[Padge]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

On closer examination the plans don't look all that special.

According to the planning consent for the George Hotel revamp...https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/filedownload.aspx?application_number=2019/91506&file_reference=749165

...the museum would be in a single room, in the basement that would also house a spa & plant/machinery. 96 square metres space https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/filedownload.aspx?application_number=2019/91506&file_reference=749154

 

Looks like it will just be a revamp of Stevo's old collection room.

[Man of Kent]

3 minutes ago, Padge said:

Looks like it will just be a revamp of Stevo's old collection room.

Indeed. Must say I was expecting more.

Hardly think Aussies are going to make a beeline for it as Ken Davy suggests.

[fieldofclothofgold]

A national British RL Museum must be well appointed and of a high standard or not at all . Have inhouse historians and actor interpreters 

[M j M]

3 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

On closer examination the plans don't look all that special.

According to the planning consent for the George Hotel revamp...https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/filedownload.aspx?application_number=2019/91506&file_reference=749165

...the museum would be in a single room, in the basement that would also house a spa & plant/machinery. 96 square metres space https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/filedownload.aspx?application_number=2019/91506&file_reference=749154

 

These plans are dated 2019 - is that still the current plan? It looks like they put aside space to reinstate the heritage centre at that point but the council's proposal to house the full blown museum was rather later.

[Man of Kent]

2 minutes ago, M j M said:

These plans are dated 2019 - is that still the current plan? It looks like they put aside space to reinstate the heritage centre at that point but the council's proposal to house the full blown museum was rather later.

Yes, it’s the latest plan and, more to the point, that is what has planning permission. I can’t see any plans for a full blown museum, only ‘Stevoworld’.

[Trojan]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

Take it from me, as a Swinton fan, it wasn't  easy to persuade Wigan Council to keep a  selection of Yorkshire people out.... but delaying them was the next best thing!

In that case they should have made it easier for us to leave.  They didn't, if anything it was worse going than coming.   I used to commute regularly  from Lower Ince to Barclays bank on the Asda site next to the Saddle Junction (there was never anywhere to park in Wigan centre) which if it was to be on Robin Park would be en route. It used to take about half an hour for a 2 mile journey.  Take it from me Wigan traffic is a nightmare.  Plus of course there's ###### all to do in Wigan on an evening except visit over priced dark barns that play very loud music and charge exorbitant prices for beer that's probably been recycled from the urinals.

[Padge]

5 hours ago, Trojan said:

As opposed to a grid locked former pit town you mean?  Robin Park?  It's easier to get to Leeds from Wigan than it is to Robin Park

You have obviously never been to Wigan since they opened Southway which relieved the major pinch point at Saddle Junction, shortly the Poolstock relief road will open taking more pressure off.

I go home from the town centre to close to the M6 at Marus Bridge junction in rush hour via the Saddle Junction in under 10 minutes,

[Trojan]

11 hours ago, Padge said:

You have obviously never been to Wigan since they opened Southway which relieved the major pinch point at Saddle Junction, shortly the Poolstock relief road will open taking more pressure off.

I go home from the town centre to close to the M6 at Marus Bridge junction in rush hour via the Saddle Junction in under 10 minutes,

Three years since the last time I was there.  Has this happened since then?  if so, about time.  I've traveled all over the north of England and never encountered anywhere as bad as Wigan for traffic congestion.  Bradford's pretty bad, but not as bad as Wigan was.

[Trojan]

Isn't there room at Red Hall for a museum?

[John Rhino]

On 18/06/2020 at 14:46, John Rhino said:

The claim made by Rugby League Cares when it first applied for grants was that it would be one of the most modern and interesting museums in the world. Lots of interactive displays, games etc.

I'll see if I can find the brochure they sent me and get some actual quotes and details. Not that they will now follow it but I think RLCares are still behind it and it would be silly not to 

Found it, here is the original vision. Hope you can read it! 

[tms]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53163130

[Damien]

Well that's a shock!

[Eddie]

Sentimental decision and I can understand it, but I’d have preferred it to be in more of a rugby league town (sorry Meast). 

[fieldofclothofgold]

Well that's it ,but under the present circumstances big recession on the way ,big cutbacks.  I hope this is not done on the cheap.  I hope its created to a very high standard one worthy of our sport 

[Lowdesert]

RL Cares chooses Huddersfield over Wigan ‘world class’ option.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/wigan-will-not-be-home-national-rugby-league-museum-2893654

[17 stone giant]

Congratulations to Huddersfield. I wish them well and hope that they can put together a good museum.

Commiserations to Wigan and the other losing candidates. I'm sure they would also have done a great job.

[noobiefana]

I don't have a vested interest to argue for any particular town but in my opinion Leeds is the sensible place if only because it is by far the biggest city in which the game thrives.

 

Transport links exist. Hotels, infrastructure etc.

 

On another point I wouldn't worry about American or other "new fans". Fact is that the heartland of the game is what it was 30 years ago and will be 30 years in the future. By all means try to appeal to others but when I got into the game I knew very well that places like Widnes, Warrington, Batley and Dewsbury were not Las Vegas. Grit and northern townscapes are part of the game's history.

[gavin7094]

Should have gone back to the Bentley Arms. 

[Man of Kent]

Anyone seen the plans for the George Hotel museum that RL Cares says will be ‘the envy of the world’?

I really wish it will be but I don’t see how it can be if it’s just in the basement as per the planning permission for the George Hotel redevelopment.

[Griff]

What time does it open ?

[Clogiron]

It's the right place for it with a unique connection, I thought the original choice of Bradford was a bit weird, then the council were very half hearted about bringing it about then the final nail in that particular coffin was the Bull's moving out of the City, would have been like having it in Lancashire where they were late to the show when the NU was formed.

[M j M]

3 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Anyone seen the plans for the George Hotel museum that RL Cares says will be ‘the envy of the world’?

I really wish it will be but I don’t see how it can be if it’s just in the basement as per the planning permission for the George Hotel redevelopment.

Even though it's been claimed otherwise on here I'm pretty sure there will be revised plans which mean the museum isn't just in the basement. The news reports today suggest it will be significantly larger than the heritage centre.

 

[meast]

9 hours ago, Eddie said:

Sentimental decision and I can understand it, but I’d have preferred it to be in more of a rugby league town (sorry Meast). 

No need to be sorry, it's the birthplace of the game by location and logistics, I can live with that.

It's also going to be located in the centre of the heartlands of the game with good transport links, so again, no issue

The George hotel is synonymous with the sport so it's only right that it should host the museum.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

1 hour ago, meast said:

No need to be sorry, it's the birthplace of the game by location and logistics, I can live with that.

It's also going to be located in the centre of the heartlands of the game with good transport links, so again, no issue

The George hotel is synonymous with the sport so it's only right that it should host the museum.

Geographic location probably why Joseph Platt,  son of Oldham,  Father of Rugby League,  chose it. But we all know where the real home of the 13 man game is.