19 replies to this topic

[Mark Ballard]

I don't know if anyone knows about the very sad news, but today there was a very extensive fire at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull ( just down the road from me) with over 600 historic motorcycles destroyed. I know it is slightly OT but I'm sure there are a number of people who will be equally upset as myself about what has happened
http://uk.news.yahoo.../140/e8mdd.html

[Ray Bell]

What a disaster!

Some of those bikes were undoubtedly the last of their type, too...

[eldougo]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Ballard
[B]I don't know if anyone knows about the very sad news, but today there was a very extensive fire at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull ( just down the road from me) with over 600 historic motorcycles destroyed. I know it is slightly OT but I'm sure there are a number of people who will be equally upset as myself about what has happened
________________________________________

I dont think it is OT ,I feel we all share in a passion for all thing s that move under petrol power!
Very news indeed.

[UAtkins]

From their website just now:

Over 300 of the exhibits in the Museum have been saved. Sadly, three of the Museums five exhibit halls have been destroyed along with their exhibits, probably totaling around 400 machines.

A full assessment of the damage is being undertaken with a view to getting operations underway again as soon as possible. In the meantime the Museum will be closed to visitors and conference events until further notice.

Many irreplaceable machines will have been damaged in the fire, but they will be restored once again, to their original showroom condition.

I knew I should have gone there in April

Ursula

[rdrcr]

Thanks for posting that news... tragic as it is. What a bitch.

[Rob G]

OMG, that's horrible. That's the one drawback to having so many great machines in one convenient spot.

[Arturo Pereira]

[Hse289]

Very sad news, am i right in saying Brian Angliss who owned A.C. has a large collection of motorcycles there.

[Gary C]

this is just bluddy awful news!

[RTH]

Just seen the pictures on BBC Breakfast TV - with the Firemen still hosing down - it truly does look as bad as you can possibly imagine - put me in mind of those awful B&W photos of the Jaguar factory fire in the 1950's- except of course this stuff really is irreplaceable - its a desperately sad scene.

[RTH]

Midday news : 400 machines valued at £9M are destroyed ( half the collection ) . The fire was started by a discarded cigarette end. Buildings also of course total loss.

[Doug Nye]

...

[Dudley]

And another reason cigarettes should be illegal...

[Fred Gallagher]

And there is a small but real car link. Rally GB (RAC Rally that was) held many of their organising committee meetings there over the last 15 years. Also the Paris Dakar rally had their press alunch their around 1993/4.

[ianm1808]

It's very sad news and even more sad to see it in the flesh. Drove past it last night at about 11pm on my way back to Solihull on the A45 which overlooks it. All you can see are the charred beams of each of the halls that went up. It was still burning and smoking with all the fireengines damping down. It's a disaster for the area as a lot of the machines that once made Birmingham the centre of motorcycling manufacture have been destroyed.

I've heard it's actually more like 700 bikes have been destroyed and only 200 were saved and that the two remaining halls are badly damaged. If it wasn't for the fact that there were delegates there for a conference (It is or rather was a conference centre) , more of the bikes would not have been saved , as they were helping get the bikes out.

Thankfully no-one was hurt as that place gets full when there's a conference on as well. And even more thankful that the smoke didn't cause a bad accident on the M42 or A45. Both of those roads are extremely busy at that time of day. Plus it's on a flightpath into Birmingham Airport.

What I can't work out is why the fire prevention didn't kick in? It was reported at 4.50pm and by 5.00 you could see the smoke as far away as where I work. The place just went up like tinder.
Plus the place was supposed to be No Smoking.

Does anyone know where they'll put the remaining bikes? I suppose the Heritage Museum at Gaydon is the obvious place or maybe even the NEC?

Just makes me wish I'd been round it more recently. Last time I went was when I was about 15 to actually to see the collection..

EDIT: Just heard from a work colleague that the fire actually started outside. Apparently there were discarded aircon filters that were outside resting against one of the walls. Some **** apparently threw a ciggarette at it and that's what went up taking the roofs with it. That's why the sprinklers didn't kick in. The **** should be made to pay the full cost!

[josvdp]

'****' allegedly should read employee

[ianm1808]

Latest news...

http://news.bbc.co.u...nds/3115430.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk...le-museum.shtml

"Allegedly" an employee is probably correct. Bet it was round the back near the kitchen areas.. Seen them smoke round that area when I was at a conference there a few months back. Ever regret not doing something at the time? Should have gone round then. Isn't hindsight wonderful?

[fines]

What a disaster!

[David Beard]

Terrible. I took my Dad there a couple of years ago.

If I remember correctly, all of the exhibits were British bikes, from our defunct motor cycle industry. Is this the saddest of all closing chapters?

[Patrice L'Rodent]

Dammit dammit dammit !!! At least 6 times in recent years I have driven past there enroute from Birmingham International. Every time I said, "Wish I had time, Next time for sure" and now some careless bloody smoker has taken it away from us. I knew there was a reason why I hate smoking !! (Apart from cancer, emphysemia, hardening of the arteries, sexual dysfunction, carbon monoxide poisoning, nicotine addiction, pollution of waterways, general stink and mess, ...yeah, I knew there was something else)
PDR