Dear Colleagues

I was wondering if you would be willing to publicize Canterbury City Council's desire to close its Roman Museum and the protest against this action?

The museum has an interesting history, it was largely created by a Luftwaffe bomb and during the clearance of the bombsite in 1944 an in situ Roman mosaic was discovered worked on by young enthusiasts such as John Wacher, Shepherd Frere and others.  I attach a letter sent by students of the University of Kent to the Council.  Significantly, 19,000 children visit the museum per annum and it plays a major educational role. It would seem the Tory Council refuses to even allow stakeholders such as Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Christchurch University or the University of Kent to devise a plan of action with the Museums' Service to keep the Roman Museum Open.

Please email John Gilbey is leader of the council and the main spokesman for closure = [log in to unmask].  Interestingly, this closure rather puts the skids under Tory Heritage policy and it is worth contacting Ed Vaizey a front bench Culture, Media and Sport person from Shadow Cabinet = [log in to unmask].

There are following for further info and expressions of outrage:

a) An online petition has been organised http://www.petitiononline.com/Museums1/petition.html

b) A website has been created with information on who to contact within Canterbury City Council - http://savecanterburysmuseums.wordpress.com/

c) There is also a Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/lloyd.bosworth?v=info&ref=name#/group.php?gid=234657429317

Please do circulate this to colleagues as appropriate.

Many thanks

Ray

Dr Ray Laurence

Head of Research and Knowledge Transfer          Reader in Roman History and Archaeology

Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity

University of Birmingham

Birmingham