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News Archive 2006

Mary Rose Publication Wins Prestigious Award

The latest accolade for the Mary Rose publication came on 6th November when the Trust won the prestigious Keith Muckelroy Award for the publication detailing the artefacts discovered inside the ship and entitled ‘Before the Mast’. The award was presented at the British Archaeological Awards Presentation Ceremony 2006 in Birmingham and is given ‘for the best published work on the subject of British Nautical or Underwater Archaeology that best reflects the pioneering ideas and scholarly standards of the late Keith Muckelroy’.

Christopher Dobbs, who was at the ceremony with Editor Julie Gardiner, says: Keith was the man who inspired me to take up Maritime Archaeology when he delivered a series of lectures at university. He worked on the Mary Rose site with us in the late 1970s and he would have loved to see this publication that the Trust has now accomplished under the fine editorship of Julie Gardiner and with generous assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Before the Mast was the third of the five volumes of the publication that are currently being prepared and they are available from the Mary Rose Shop (call 023 9283 9938 for details) The final two volumes, that cover the ordnance found on board and the ship herself, are due to be published in 2007.

Award Ceremony

Editors Julie Gardiner and Michael Allen with the Keith Muckelroy Award, together with Charlotte Matthews (Project Manager from Wessex Archaeology) and Christopher Dobbs from the Mary Rose Trust

12 November 2006

Still on Course - Strengthened Bid to go to Lottery

The Mary Rose Trust was disappointed not to receive a pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund in its initial bid for a major grant for the new museum. However, we have all been much heartened by the message coming for the HLF that there is very strong support for us to return in 2007 with a revised bid. To quote the comments of their Chairman, Dame Liz Forgan, after their June meeting:

“The Mary Rose is one of the most important pieces of our nation’s heritage. The Trust rightly considers that such a treasure deserves a truly world-class museum to tell the story effectively. Unfortunately, the project as it currently stands is not yet considered capable of delivering that vision. We have been a huge supporter of the Mary Rose in the past awarding nine grants of over £5.6 million and we hope to work with the Trust to realise its ambitions in the future.”

We have had very full and constructive feedback from the HLF on the reasons behind their decision and the areas in which we should improve our bid. The Trustee Directors immediately swung into action to confirm a recovery plan that aims to correct the shortcomings and strengthen our case.

In brief, the HLF Trustees considered that the Trust needs to be absolutely clear in its aim. Is our vision correct? Are we to be a museum embracing the whole of Tudor Maritime Life, or should we be concentrating largely on the Mary Rose? The Trust was seen to be lacking a ‘museologist’ on the staff who had the requisite experience of such a major project and who could act as Project Champion. The HLF Board wished to see a detailed Audience Development Plan and some concerns were raised about the limitations of the building site and the risks involved around the ship. And finally it was perceived that the Trust would do well to strengthen its fundraising staffing structure and also the skill balance of its Trustees.

All of these points can be, and indeed are being, addressed. The Trustees have commissioned an immediate review of our bid and a plan of action to resubmit an entirely new bid in 2007. This review is being undertaken by Stephen Riley, Director of Maritime Heritage at the National Maritime Museum and now seconded to the Mary Rose Trust as their Project Champion. He is being ably assisted by Dr Eric Kentley who has much experience with maritime museums and the bidding process of the HLF. The Mary Rose staff are working very close with this review to maximise the effort in order to return to the HLF as soon as possible.

In summary, therefore, the issues raised by the HLF Board have been taken on board and are being addressed. The Trustees are confident that the end result will be a stronger bid and a more well developed project. Already, we are seeing the benefits of this process.

The aim remains to have the museum up and running in time to benefit from the tourist opportunities that will be created by the London Olympics of 2012. To achieve this target we must resubmit our proposals in 2007 with the aim of starting work on site in 2009. There is every reason to believe that the wind is set fair to achieve this and that, following an unexpected delay in harbour, the Final Voyage will be on passage once again shortly.

The delay has, of course, cost some money but the Wilkinson Eyre design remains the blueprint so all the efforts involved with this will have been worthwhile. The new submission will, however, probably involve a slightly larger footprint on the existing site. The submission will also incorporate the application for funding for the ‘drying out’ phase of the hull conservation, which was previously going to be presented to HLF as an independent bid. Combining the two into one will make for a clearer project that will be more easily understood by potential donors, though inevitably it will reflect the total sum of around £30 million which is for both the museum and the completion of the conservation.

This combined bid will enable us to realise the Trust’s remaining founding objectives ‘to preserve … and display for all time in Portsmouth, the Mary Rose’. The involvement and support of you, our stakeholders, is more important than ever.

4 November 2006

Conservation of Mary Rose takes significant step forward

The completion of the conservation programme to preserve the famous Tudor warship the Mary Rose, came one step closer today with the switch on of a new spray system in the Mary Rose Ship Hall in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

. Margaret Rule pressing the button to start the spraying

Dr Margaret Rule CBE, who led the project to excavate and raise the famous ship in 1982, pressed the button to start the spray of a thicker solution of the water-soluble wax (polyethylene glycol 2000) which will preserve the timbers. This final spraying programme will last until 2011, when the hull will enter an air-drying phase.

maragaret Rule being applauded by the Mary Rose team

The switch on took place despite the disappointing response from the Heritage Lottery Fund regarding the Mary Rose Trust's application for a £13.5m grant towards a new permanent museum. The Trust looks forward to receiving more details from the HLF of their concerns with the bid before seeking ways to amend their plans to build a world class museum. They are confident that further support from the HLF should still be available for a future bid and are warmed by the HLF's public recognition that Mary Rose is one of the most important pieces of our nation's heritage.

Dr Margaret Rule said at the launch: “The Mary Rose Trust is obliged to secure a permanent home for the Mary Rose and ensure that this magnificent treasure is made safe for future generations. The project has encountered many obstacles in its time and I am confident that the Trust will get the help it needs to fulfil its dream of creating a permanent museum.”

July 27th 2006

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