The story behind the MG Museum in Abingdon

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When factories close, all too often the memorabilia, the history, the photos of the life of once world renowned companies are discarded in a skip (dumpster) by someone tasked with clearing the site to begin anew with shopping malls, apartments, or something else totally unrelated.

Those of us who have worked in British Engineering over the past few decades now travel past sites in our towns and cities, sites unrecognisable from the days when thousands of men and women created products that fed the industrial revolution, continued to supply products to an eager world, many products that helped the defence of countries, or created an aviation industry.

Travel around the world and you will still often see machinery, equipment and vehicles some still in use providing a memento of those long forgotten factories and the once famous brands they produced.

MG is no different. Almost every model that was produced is well represented in the many markets to which they were exported but of the factory where the majority were produced – disappeared.

When a factory closes those who might have been keen to see the place of their once successful endeavours preserved are suddenly thrust into the urgent need to find employment elsewhere.

The enthusiasts who once enjoyed visiting the factory or supporting the progress of their competition teams might be keen to put in a bid for this, or that, but few are really thinking of the future and what will remain for future generations to see. Yet it is important to appreciate how these things were made, what type of people made them, in what conditions and even what they thought.

Fortunately many people raided skips, obtained interesting items and above all hoarded things from the past in attics and sheds, so there is actually a wealth of MG memorabilia. Some of it is available in general motor museums such as the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, or the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, but these museums are trying to display a whole industry and their space is primarily used for preserving vehicle exhibits.

Over the years since the Abingdon factory closure in 1980 there have been attempts to create a museum in Abingdon, especially once the major parts of the factory buildings were ripped down or disguised, but the sticking problem has always been the cost of a facility. Ex-employee Brian Moylan has been the mainstay of propagating the idea for a museum and, where others have come tried and given up, Brian has persevered, looking for any opportunity.

   
It was the inspiration of Brian that caused the writer to work within a group and even develop a business plan in an endeavour to capture a part of the last suitable public owned building in Abingdon, The Old Gaol. After years of wrangling, the local authority preferred to sell it freehold for redevelopment, rather than allow it to be used by the community.

One good result was that this exposure of the lack of any public MG museum in the town hit the headlines and Brian was approached by the curator of the town museum with the offer of a small room in the attic to use as an MG Museum to see how it would be patronised through last winter. Those who visited the museum at that time and those who visited the special MG, or MG Factory display events in the main museum hall before and since are to be thanked, because by recording their numbers we were able to positively support the argument for a permanent display.

This winter the MG Museum reopened on October 25th and is set to run, but it continues to be open only at weekends when local MG Car Club members are able to man it, a commitment in itself.

The museum in Abingdon is housed in the interesting old Berkshire County Hall building built in the late 17th century and, whilst exquisite, desperately requires major refurbishment to include improved access and improved mechanical and electrical services, not an easy matter in a Grade 1 listed building.

I am pleased to say that they have been successful in achieving Heritage Lottery funding for this, but any development of the MG Museum itself will have to be provided by separately raised funds, in the order of £20,000.

What will this provide?

• We have already been allocated use of an adjoining room that considerably improves the space available but we need to have the dividing wall removed and the area returned to its original format which is much more useable for an exhibition.
• To date we are using a variety of old display cabinets unusable elsewhere and we would like more secure purpose built cabinets with full museum design support.
• Partly due to wiring limitations the current lighting is inadequate so we would gain better power and lighting
• Finally and perhaps most importantly the room would be equipped with CCTV monitored by staff in the main museum room. This would enable the MG Museum to be open 7 days a week along with the rest of the museum, i.e. when most people, especially from overseas, visit.

Unless an unknown benefactor out there is able to provide a building and all the above facilities, this is the final opportunity for a museum in Abingdon marking the important part played by the MG Factory in producing MG, Austin Healey, and later Riley cars, plus the huge contribution to British rallying, racing and speed records, during the twentieth century.

What we would like to see are members of motor clubs and enthusiastic individuals from Europe and around the world coming to Abingdon to see what has been achieved and hopefully supporting the fundraising campaign.

One group of MGF owners in South Wales has already delivered a cheque for £500. The local Abingdon Works Centre of the MG Car Club, who currently have to man the museum, have contributed £500 and also plan to run an event in 2009 to raise more funds.

Your urgent help would be greatly appreciated.
Please contact the Curator, Dr Lauren Gilmour at
Abingdon County Hall Museum, Market Place, Abingdon, Oxon. OX14 3HG
Phone: (44) 1235 523703 - Fax: (44)1235 536814 - Email: abingdon.museum@abingdon.gov.uk

If you prefer to contact the enthusiasts running the MG Museum, contact Brian Moylan (44)1235 531384, or Simon Pedrazzini on email: scribe@mgabingdon.org.uk

Simon Pedrazzini
November 2008