British Interactive Group - Newsletter Winter 1999

What happened to the Exploratory?

Dr Mike Coles

As most readers know, the Exploratory closed its doors to the public on 1st September and by the end of September our home in Isambard Brunel’s engine shed at Temple Meads was completely bare. Fortunately it won’t become a nightclub or leisure centre just yet because the Empire and Commonwealth Museum (our neighbours during the ten-year stay at Temple Meads) moved in straight away.

What about all the exhibits?

Most of them went to good homes. About 80 were transported down the road to the Harbourside Development in Bristol to await decisions by Explore@Bristol. Another 50 are already in South Africa awaiting re-assembly to form the nucleus of a science centre at Gold Reef City. Most of the Stradivarium exhibits went there, so, Wendy, you’ll need to plan a holiday in South Africa if you want to play with the ‘Walk-on Piano’ again! The Giant Guitar was craned through the roof and is now owned by the Deutches Museum but is somewhere in Italy. The remainder of the exhibits, and lots of bits and pieces, went to Science Projects, and are resurfacing at Inspire and Herstmonceux science centre.

The original carefully planned disposal of the Plores, advertised last Christmas, was just not feasible in the time scale involved and the major criteria by the summer of 1999 were simply to find good homes for as many as possible and to complete this exercise as quickly as we could. Despite this, a few old prototypes came to an undignified end in a skip, bringing tears to the eyes of even hardened pilots!

And the staff?

Lorraine Butchart and Rachel Chidgy, who ran the administration, found other jobs and moved on early in 1999. Barry Moorshead, the general manager, left at Easter to do full-time consultancy work for Explore@Bristol and has subsequently been appointed as Facilities Manager there.

Of the recent fabricators, John Ells and Ed Kearton-Gee are now working at Explore. Bob Gill, the Workshop Manager, and Ed Cook saw things through at Temple Meads to the end and have now set up their own company in a workshop a few arches down Brunel’s engine shed from the old Exploratory; see their web page at www.didactics.demon.co.uk

Caye Kerr, the Exhibition Manager, has returned to translating Swedish texts and Martin Glancy, the Science Officer, is working at Explore on a short-term contract. Of the Deputy Exhibition Managers, Tony Bagshaw and Jock Playle have finally retired and Lawrence Westland is looking for work; he can be contacted on 0117 977 3536. The pilots moved on to pastures new, although Ben Brown and Sharon Leverment bought a StarDome system and are now visiting local schools with ExplorerDome; see their web page at www.explorerdome.co.uk

And that leaves yours sincerely, ‘Have Science Shows, will travel’. I am currently resting(?) but all lucrative offers of consultancy and performances seriously considered! I can be contacted on mike_coles@hotmail.com

Newsletter Winter 1999 Contents



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