Transport museum in drive for a new home

Aldridge's historic transport museum site was today ready to open to the public as it seeks to raise funds for a permanent home.

The Aston Manor Road Transport Museum was forced to quit its base in Witton Lane, Birmingham, in a row with the city council over rent.

The charity and its collection of up to 30 buses and commercial vehicles moved to a new storage unit in Northgate, Aldridge, just before Christmas.

The unit was offered to volunteers by Volant Passenger Vehicle Solutions, a firm occupying the other half of the site, and talks are ongoing between the two organisations about how the building can be developed into a fully operational museum.

They still need thousands of pounds for the plan to become a reality and are hosting an open day on Sunday for the first time for people to see what the charity does.

The event includes the chance to travel to Walsall and Sutton Coldfield on a 1950s bus.

Vehicles that form part of the collection at the base on the Beecham Business Park include a tram from the 1920s, a van from around 1928 and a taxi from the 1970s, along with an old Royal Mail bicycle, bus stops and an old fuel pump.

Finance director Richard Gray said: "Following the museum's enforced move from its historic tram depot in Witton, it has been most fortunate in finding, at least, storage accommodation.

"In the four months since the move much work has been able to be done to several of the commercial vehicles and buses that form the vehicle collection, while the vast amount of archive material is being sorted and properly catalogued for future benefit.

"New volunteers have appeared and with the assistance of Volant PVS, who are developing their own business on the site, it is possible to have the first of three open days this Sunday. Buses from the museum's collection as well as several 'guest' vehicles will be running free services for most of the day with a half hourly service to Walsall and hourly to Sutton Coldfield.

"Back at Beecham Business Park, the unit the museum presently occupies will be open with a chance to see some of the vehicle exhibits, including the lower saloon of

Birmingham tramcar 107 which has also been receiving some overdue care and attention." Founder member Alan Bishop added they were pleased to be be able to show the public the fruits of their labours.

The 69 year-old said: "It is the first time we have opened to the public in Aldridge. We decided to hold an event so that people can see what we are about and what we are trying to achieve." The event runs from 10.30am to 4.30pm, costing £3 for adults and £2 for children and senior citizens.

The museum in Witton closed after a bid to buy the Grade-II listed Victorian tram shed housing was rejected. The offer was turned down last August amid disagreements over the valuation of the building, potential lease arrangements and unpaid rent. It emerged last year the future of the tourist attraction was under threat. Originally a steam tram shed built in 1882, the site was set up as a museum by 1992.

Rent on the council-owned building was initially paid by the local authority's museums department until three years ago. But, in a bid to save cash, the council halted funding and asked for full commercial rent.