Chrysler 300C 5.7 V8 HEMI

Chrysler 300C 5.7 V8 HEMI
Originally uploaded by CopperPhoenix

My first "Hemi", a fantastic beast to drive (in a straight line, in the dry!) when all eight cylinders fire up (as it normally drives on only four), the engine note changes from a rumble to a growl, to a snarl!

It was one of the highlights of my time working with a client, the occasional automotive treat keeps the marketing consultant happy!

www.copperphoenix.co.uk

Go-ahead for Jet Age Museum at Gloucestershire Airport

JET AGE MUSEUM PRESS RELEASE
15 February 2011
 

Just £80,000 is now needed for a museum commemorating an outstanding part of the nation’s aviation history to go ahead.

Gloucestershire charity Jet Age Museum is pressing ahead with building a pemanent home now that planning consent has been granted.

The all-volunteer museum’s collection of historic planes and archives can now be saved for posterity in a purpose-built museum at Gloucestershire Airport.

The airport is providing a two-acre low-rent site and the museum has already raised about £190,000 towards the estimated £270,000 cost of Phase 1. Tewkesbury Borough Council approved the planning application, with conditions, on 11 February.

Construction will now go out to tender and fundraising for the remaining £80,000 is being stepped up. Funds raised to date have come from significant donations by Rolls-Royce plc, a local charitable trust and the museum’s own members. In addition, Tewkesbury Borough Council has pledged to contribute ten per cent of money raised up to a limit of £27,000.

Jet Age Museum chairman John Lewer said: “Thanks to our group of dedicated supporters a permanent home for the museum is at last within our reach. It’s an exciting and worthwhile project - please give your support in any way you can.”
 

FURTHER INFORMATION:
John Lewer can be contacted on 01562 69797 or by email: john.lewer@virginmedia.com
See also Jet Age Museum’s website at www.jetagemuseum.org
 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The jet engine was designed by British engineering genius Sir Frank Whittle (1907–1996). His son Ian is a patron of Jet Age Museum.

Britain’s first jet plane, the Gloster E28/39, powered by Whittle’s revolutionary invention, first left the ground on 8 April 1941 at the Gloster factory-airfield between Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Its official first flight was at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, on 15 May 1941.

The original aeroplane can be seen in London’s Science Museum.

Jet Age Museum volunteers have built a full-size replica which can be seen by appointment at their Brockworth restoration workshop, close to the factory where the original was designed and built.

Three more of the museum’s Gloster-built aircraft are on view: examples of Britain’s first jet fighter, the Meteor, and the Cold War-era Javelin are at Gloucestershire Airport and a fully-detailed reproduction 1925 Gamecock biplane is at Brockworth with the replica of the first jet.

Ongoing restoration projects include rebuilding an RAF Gladiator biplane which crashed in Norway in 1940 and a late World War Two Gloster-built Hawker Typhoon.

Other aircraft, engines and exhibits, together with the museum’s outstanding document and photographic archive, are currently in store awaiting completion of the new building.

Jet Age Museum is an all-volunteer registered charity (number 297818) with more than 200 members. Members meet at the Tithe Barn Centre, Brockworth Court, Court Road, Brockworth GL3 4QU on the second Wednesday of every month at 7.30 pm. Newcomers are always welcome.

END

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Wet Day Discoveries

Despite the occasional heat wave the British weather is still an unpredictable thing and sometimes our plans for a family day out are going to be disrupted by rain. So we can’t go for the picnic we’d planned or the walks (at least not without getting very wet) so what is the alternative? 

 

Have you looked at local museums recently? The traditional image of a stuffy dusty building is a long way from reality with museums now recognising the appeal of family friendly destinations and offering activities, exhibitions and family tickets aimed squarely at encouraging families to call. So on a wet day what would be the best places to discover in Gloucestershire? Looking at www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk for a selection of museums we have come up with a list of venues suitable to explore on a wet day. They are under cover, dry and warm – perfect for a wet day when you want to be inside.

 

The Corinium Museum in Cirencester is in the centre of town close to car parks and shops, here you can find out about the Romans who built and lived in Cirencester. On a wet day you are bound to feel sympathy for the Romans who were used to much warmer and sunnier climes! There are lots of things to keep all the family amused here, with reconstructions of Roman shops and domestic rooms, clothing for children to dress up in and sit with a Roman Legionnaire in his Barracks, plenty of interactive information through computer terminals, and hands on fun such as building mosaics in the Atrium area. If the weather remains wet, you can walk under a covered way from the museum to Jacks Cafe next door and watch the rain on the glass roof.  Your museum ticket entitles you to an all day visit so if the weather did get better you can explore more of Cirencester and return to the museum later if you wish.

 

 

 

 

Still in the dry after your visit you should browse the shop which sells a good mixture of items for children including armour and helmets, books, jewellery and ornaments, indeed something for everyone. Just beyond is an exhibition space which has a changing series of displays that tie into the events that run through the year. Many events are indoors and aimed at family activities so check the website for more details before your wet day visit. The Museum is open all year, except for Christmas and New Year and has lots of child friendly activities to keep the youngsters amused. There is excellent access for pushchairs throughout the museum with good toilet facilities too and despite the weather you will want to spend between one to four hours for a visit.

 

If you are caught in bad weather in the Forest of Dean, then the Dean Heritage Centre at Soudley will offer you both shelter and food in an historic mill building next to a lake. Although the Centre has outdoor exhibits, if it is too wet to look at them then as a family you can still explore the inside in the dry – you may feel brave enough to venture out afterwards!  From the good sized car park access for pushchairs is simple, with lifts to take you to upper floors. On entering the Heritage Centre you will start a Forest related journey from the Ice Age to the present day - beware the wolf as you enter and other furry creatures watching your progress! Exploring the galleries reveals the Royal Forest’s history, and you will unearth throughout the galleries activities for children, from brass rubbing to dressing up clothes in the recreated old school room. 

 

 

If the rain is still putting you off exploring the woods head up to the first floor and the family friendly cafe. Here you can enjoy a good lunch together, children meals are an option and high chairs are available too - if sitting by a window you can look out over the lake with the ducks and other water birds who probably won’t be as worried about wet weather as we may be!

 

The site’s atmosphere is rustic and feels remote from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. It is open throughout the year except between 24^{th –} 26^th December and you should allow an hour for the exhibits inside.

 

If you’re caught in wet weather near Bourton-on-the-Water you could visit the Cotswolds Motor Museum. Your children may recognise Brum, the little car that starred in his own TV show, but there are lots of discoveries to make together, with delivery vans, sports cars and even a Formula 1 racing car to see. It will stir memories to be shared and questions to be asked from all the family. As well as the cars there are plenty of motoring items and toys dotted throughout the museum with one area devoted to displaying the vintage Toy collection. There is an indoor play area for children but there is so much to see and find out on your visit that youngsters should be kept well occupied throughout the museum. Afterwards there are plenty of motoring related items to buy in the shop ranging from die cast models to pocket money purchases. The route around the museum is all on the level for easy access for pushchairs. Sometimes in moving between buildings you may have to brave the elements but it is only very briefly that you’ll be exposed to the rain. 

 

 

 

It is open all year except for January and February and allow an hour to visit, hopefully enough for the wet weather to pass. There are currently no refreshment facilities on site but a very quick dash around the corner will take you to a tea room that offers food and cakes.

 

If you or your family have an interest in art then a visit to Nature in Art at Twigworth, north of Gloucester is a great way to spend a wet morning or afternoon. In a Georgian Mansion built in the 1700’s the many different types of animals, birds, insects etc that are featured in pictures and sculptures throughout the house should provide something diverting, dry and warm for a family visit. Although there are sculptures outside the majority are within the main building so unaffected by the weather. The whole setting is family friendly and offers specific children’s activities during school holidays too, while the shop is full of artist’s materials, art books plus pocket money purchases and would be a good source of presents for those who enjoy the arts. You will also find a very good cafe with friendly service, offering a range of tasty main courses and desserts, or just tea, coffee and a slice of cake while watching the rain from the conservatory. There’s plenty of room to bring in pushchairs from the car park outside and Nature in Art provides a warm welcome in all ways throughout the year. It only closes between December 24^th – 26^th and on Mondays.

 

 

The Museum in the Park, Stroud, is set a little way from the car park, about three minutes brisk walk, but once inside there is plenty to discover on a wet day. The museum plays host to temporary exhibitions, talks and drop in activities throughout the year for all ages, typically workshops making things so that you have something you can all take home with you at the end.

 

Even if there are no activities then you’ll have fun exploring the museum together. It focuses on the history of Stroud and the surrounding area, from prehistoric times up to the modern day. Most rooms have areas where children are encouraged to try themed games, such as making mosaics, creating gearing systems, and using interactive screens plus there is a dedicated play area/reading room. The children may enjoy the skulls on display, dresses and a wall display of weapons, but the museum has in its collection the very first lawnmower and there are some smaller sized ones for the youngsters to try mowing the carpet! There are baby changing facilities, a lift and access for pushchairs is good, with ramps up to the exhibition rooms. It is suggested you allow two to three hours for your visit.

 

If the wet weather lessens there is the parkland to explore, with tarmac paths to keep you off the grass and mud. A walk down to the bridge across the bottom of the lake, around the water and up takes about twenty minutes and the water birds and swans can provide plenty of distraction. Although there are no specific refreshment facilities at the museum, there are some in the sports centre next door and in Stroud itself.

 

 

In Tewkesbury on Church Street the John Moore Countryside Museum offers an interesting refuge from the rain. It focuses on rural Gloucestershire and its wildlife in a 15^th Century building. On entering there is the immediate opportunity to stroke a fox, mole, otter and hedgehog (although they are examples of taxidermy rather than live inhabitants) with further birds and animals to be discovered over the next two floors in glass cases. As you move up the steep stairs examples of farming implements sit alongside the wildlife that was so prevalent in pre mechanised days and is very difficult to spot today. You may be showing your children some animals and birds they will have never seen before. To help families on wet days explore there are quizzes for children to take around the museum, with Moore the Mole providing you with a score at the end. A trip around the museum should be about an hour.

 

A few doors further down the street is The Merchant’s House another 15^th Century building which was a home and shop, now restored to as near original condition as possible. Prepare yourselves for a very different experience from a modern house as there are no recognisable modern day comparisons. Seeing this on a wet day will bring home the lack of light in the building, and how primitive living conditions were, even for a merchant who would have been relatively well off! As a family would you have been happy to all sleep in the same room, or crouch around an open hearth to cook?

At certain times of the year you may find themed events focusing on the history of the building over different periods. Any inclement weather will really add to the atmosphere of such a visit. The Museum has limited opening during the winter but otherwise is open most of the week through the year. Because the buildings are so old there are steep stairs and steps up into them, so access for pushchairs is compromised but not impossible. The museum is very cosy and welcoming on a wet day and the staff will be happy to help you get the most from your visit.  

 

Another good indoor visit is to be had at the Edward Jenner Museum, in Berkeley. Situated in the former home of Dr Edward Jenner who pioneered vaccination, the 300 year old house has a fascinating mix of gruesome pictures of smallpox victims, the chance for you to share the experience of exploring the spooky 300 year old Attic Rooms where the servants lived (check that tours are running) and a recreation of Jenner’s study. The doctor’s medical instruments, for flensing and amputating always get a reaction from people of all ages! As smallpox is a disease that now no longer exists, this museum is a source of fascination for both adults and children alike as they learn of “the speckled monster”.

 

 

Of interest to some will be the photograph on the half landing of the stairs showing what has become known as “The Jenner Ghost”. Taken by the BBC the image of a ghostly figure appears in a doorway in the Attic. If you get a chance to go on an Attic Tour, will you be the only ones up there? The Attic is a perfect visit for a gloomy wet day, as the weather will enhance the atmosphere. With the rain against the windows you’ll get a feel as to the conditions the servants had to endure, despite living in a supposedly comfortable house.

 

There are children’s trails to follow in the museum, a “den” area and events aimed at families to join in with. If you are going to visit regularly, the Museum has introduced a Friends Scheme which gives free entry as one of the benefits.

 

Outside, if you want to brave the rain, tucked in a corner of the garden is the Grade II* quaint thatched rustic hut that Jenner christened “The Temple of Vaccinia” where he vaccinated the poor for free against smallpox. This has always proved popular with children and is usually one of their lasting memories of a visit to the museum. 

 

Finally a wet weather option in Cheltenham is the Holst Birthplace Museum. You can step off the street and take your family back in time to a Victorian, Regency and Edwardian furnished house, different periods being represented in different rooms. As you move through the house you will discover that even small houses could appear quite opulent in their reception rooms, but as you all climb the stairs past the family bedrooms you’ll get to where the servants slept and the Attic room where the children were expected to stay all day away from the parents! In this room are a number of toys and games from past eras, many still recognisable by children of recent times, so have a play together out of the rain. For a complete contrast head to the basement and show the children how it was “below stairs” with the recreated Victorian Kitchen, if you’re lucky there will be a fire burning in the grate. Here discover how hard the servants worked, to do things that we take for granted today like preparing food, cleaning and the laundry. There is a pay and display car park signposted near the museum and is a couple of minutes walk away. It does have lots of stairs to climb and little room for pushchairs. There are some cafes nearby if you want any food or drink, but it is in a mainly residential area.

 

So there we have it. Even if it is wet and dreary you can still get out as a family and discover something different in Gloucestershire. All the museums can be enjoyed on a wet day and in some cases if the rain does stop there will be some outdoor discoveries to be made too, and you can always decide to come back on a drier day to explore further.

 

Most admissions are either free or less than £5 for an adult and there are discounts available for over 65s. So why not have a few wet day trips up your sleeve if your original day’s plans have to alter? But whatever the weather all of Gloucestershire’s museums will give you a warm welcome and a good value family day out.

 

For more information on specific opening times and to see what other museums you can visit in Gloucestershire visit www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk  

 

Words - Tim Davies, Copper Phoenix

Pictures - Rupert Marlow, Rupert Marlow Photography

 

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An Appetite for Tourism

So you’ve looked at a tourism website such as www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk and found where you want to take the family for the day. You’ve planned how to get there and how long it will take, but when it comes to eating and drinking during your visit what can you expect?

 

When we’re on a family day out there are all types of food we can hope for, savoury, sweet, filling, good value etc. but whatever the destination or activity, we all need some sustenance at some point, either to keep us going or as a good way of rounding off a visit. Some prefer to eat on arrival, at least a coffee and cake as it gives a chance to soak up the ambience and means if we’re with young children that they aren’t saying “I’m hungry” within a few minutes of entering a museum! Most museums and attractions offer some sort of refreshments as they recognise that this is beneficial to the family on a day out, whether it is basic fuel to keep you going or treats and sweets for the younger generation.  

 

 

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If you’re in the Forest of Dean you should look at combining food with a visit to the Dean Heritage Centre at Soudley. Because it is tucked in a quiet valley in the Forest, they have a captive market but luckily it is a very good place to be captive. You can enter the Cafe without having to buy an admission ticket and there is plenty of choice from all day breakfasts to locally sourced bangers and mash, teas are served in a mug and the portions are generous and tasty. Together you can to sit and eat (high chairs are available) while you look out he across the lake with its water birds providing plenty of entertainment.

 

After your meal or snack why not go in and look around? As a family you can go downstairs (or in the lift if you have a pushchair) and together explore the Centre itself through a mixture of indoor galleries and outdoor exhibits, the latter found on a walk around the lake. While moving through the galleries focusing on the Royal Forest’s history, you will find activities for children, from brass rubbing to dressing up clothes in the recreated old school room. The site’s atmosphere is rustic and feels remote from the hustle and bustle of the modern world and is open throughout the year except between 24^{th –} 26^th December: allow an hour for the exhibits inside.

 

Another good food stop, especially if you or any members of your family have an interest in art, is Nature in Art at Twigworth, north of Gloucester. The cafe area looks out over the garden with plenty of sculptures to see and then visit after you have eaten. Part of the seating area is in a conservatory so you have a light and airy feel for your coffee and cake or meal. Food ranges from Jacket potatoes to quiches and soups, so it is simple but filling and you can be assured a friendly service - the cookies are definitely worth sampling with a hot drink!. There are books to browse through too if you want to make your visit more leisurely.  After you have eaten you can discover the various rooms in the 1700’s Georgian Mansion, which houses art featuring many different types of animals, birds, insects etc in pictures and sculptures. Some are abstract, others life studies, but plenty to look at and enjoy for children and adults. As a year round attraction you and the family can enjoy it throughout the year as it only closes between December 24^th – 26^th and on Mondays.

 

The Corinium Museum in Cirencester deserves a long visit and although doesn’t have its own cafe area has open direct access to the cafe “Jacks” next door. It is featured part way around the museum and you can sit in a glass covered atrium, drinking hot chocolate or ordering more substantial meals for lunch. Obviously being set in Cirencester town there are plenty of food and refreshment options around the town and your ticket to the museum allows you as a family to come and go, so you can explore the town as well!

 

The museum itself has lots of things to keep all the family amused here, with reconstructions of Roman shops and domestic rooms, clothes for children to dress up in, plenty of interactive information through computer terminals, and hands on fun such as building mosaics in the Atrium area. Many events are aimed at family activities so check the website for more details before your visit. The Museum is open all year, except for Christmas and New Year and has lots of child friendly activities to keep the youngsters amused. There is excellent access for pushchairs throughout the museum with good toilet facilities too.

 

Another town setting offering plenty of food choice is in Tewkesbury. The John Moore Countryside Museum focuses on rural Gloucestershire and its wildlife and being set on the main street through the town means you can easily uncover a good place to eat. You can stop at the nearby 1471 Delicatessen (named after the Battle of Tewkesbury) or walk round the corner to the Abbey, which has a small cafe run by volunteers. The Bell Hotel does good teas and coffees as well as some unusual bar snacks. After you have eaten head back to the museum in its 15^th Century building. Make sure your kids have washed their hands because they can stroke a fox, mole, otter and hedgehog (although they are examples of taxidermy rather than live inhabitants) with further birds and animals to be discovered over the next two floors. To help families explore there are quizzes for children with Moore the Mole providing you with a score at the end. A trip around the museum should be about an hour. Just a few doors further down the street is The Merchant’s House another 15^th Century building which was a home and shop, now restored to as near original condition as possible. See if as a family you would have been willing to cook your meals around the open hearth and not have a fridge to keep it all fresh. The Museum has limited opening during the winter but is open most Saturdays and school half terms: because the buildings are so old there are steep stairs and steps up into them, so access for pushchairs is compromised but not impossible. The museum is cosy and welcoming and the staff will be happy to help you get the most from your visit and point you in the right direction of more food stops!

 

 

Another museum set in a beautiful setting blessed with many food options is the Cotswolds Motor Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water. This picture perfect village is a popular destination so caters well for tourists. Although the museum doesn’t offer refreshments at the moment they are developing an area next to the stream for light snacks. Inside your children will discover Brum, the little car that starred in his own TV show, but there are lots more finds to make together, with delivery vans, sports cars and even a Formula 1 racing car to see. As well as the cars there are plenty of motoring items and toys dotted throughout the museum with one area devoted to displaying the vintage Toy collection. Just around the corner, just a minute’s walk, is the Windrush Garden Cafe, which can give you everything from an Eccles cake to a full meal. It is popular so if it is full you have the whole High Street to explore including tea rooms, pubs, pizzerias etc. The museum is open all year except for January and February and allow an hour to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

The Museum in the Park, Stroud, is set a little way from the car park it shares with the sports facilities, but on the way you will pass a cafe where you can stop to eat. In the museum there are instant hot drink facilities and biscuits on sale, so you can sit down and have a drink together before you investigate the museum itself. In addition to the history of Stroud there are lots of talks and drop in activities throughout the year for all ages, typically making things so that you have something you can all take home with you at the end of your visit. Most rooms have areas where children are encouraged to try themed games, such as making mosaics, creating gearing systems, and using interactive screens plus there is a dedicated play area/reading room. There are baby changing facilities, a lift and toilets all accessible from the foyer; access for pushchairs is good, with ramps up to the exhibition rooms. It is suggested you allow two to three hours for your visit.

 

If you want to bring your own picnic or sandwiches then there is the parkland to explore, with tarmac paths to keep you off the grass and benches to sit on. A walk down to the bridge across the bottom of the lake, around the water and up takes about twenty minutes and the water birds and swans can provide plenty of fun if you sit and watch them. In Stroud itself there are again many places you can get food, but you’ll need to head back into town to find them.

 

 

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Finally the Edward Jenner Museum, in Berkeley is a place where you and your family will discover all about “the Speckled Monster” that was smallpox. Situated in Edward Jenner’s 300 year old former home, there are lots of gruesome pictures of smallpox victims, and medical instruments to look at so you’ll have to decide whether you want to eat before or after seeing them! An Attic tour when running is a fascinating insight into the servants’ quarters and going up two flights of stairs may build quite an appetite. 

 

The museum is happy for you to bring a picnic and eat it in the large gardens, either in the sheltered area behind the Vinery or the larger main lawns, with soft drinks and ice cream on sale. They also offer tea/coffee, biscuits and cake in The Old Cyder House, but if you want more substantial meals, there is the neighbouring Berkeley Arms Hotel and a good value tea room on the corner of the High Street. If you want sandwiches, try the Berkeley Bakery which makes freshly made food for you while you wait. The museum has toilets and room to leave pushchairs, although there are gravel paths around the garden.

 

So if you fancy something to eat while you and the children or grandchildren are out and about there are just some suggestions from Gloucestershire’s museums. If the destination you go to doesn’t offer food or refreshments just ask the staff at the museum - they will be able to point you to somewhere they are happy to recommend.

 

 

All the museums listed above are open during winter months for visits, some featuring seasonal events and can give your family a fun day out, staying warm while sharing new experiences. Most admissions are either free or less than £5 for an adult and there are discounts available for over 65s. So why not plan some trips with food to the fore? 

 

For more information on specific opening times and to see what other museums you can visit in Gloucestershire visit www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk  

 

Words  - Tim Davies, Copper Phoenix

Pictures - Rupert Marlow, Rupert Marlow Photgraphy

Posted via email from Copper Phoenix's posterous