Plight of Burns Cottage

[westendcafe]

When I was staying with my sister in Alloway over Christmas I was dismayed to hear about the pilght of Burns Cottage which is under threat of closure. It would appear that the roof is leaking and that priceless and irreplaceable documents are deteriorating and in great danger.

What other country would allow such a thing to happen to the work and birthplace of their National Bard? At a time when peoples the world over will be celebrating his memory I urge you, at the very least, to sign the online pettition at:

http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.u ... TopicID=46

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

John D

[jamesbissett]

Hi it is a disgrace that a national treasure like burns cottage is at risk but there has been much fuss recently that the Scottish Executive will save it soon.
I hope
Jim

[westendcafe]

Hi it is a disgrace that a national treasure like burns cottage is at risk but there has been much fuss recently that the Scottish Executive will save it soon.
I hope
Jim

Indeed let's hope so - though with their track record when it comes to buildings it could take some time and goodness knows how much it will end up costing.

John D

[hahaya2004]

Thanks for the post, John, and the link. I hope James is right, but, as you said, it could take time - too much time to save the treasures. A bit of pressure is necessary in these cases, so I hope the petition is signed by everyone who cares about Scotland's heritage.

[Alistair Mann]

I couldn't agree more John - I signed and hope that all others in the group will do the same. It would be a tragedy to lose such an important part of Scottish history.
Alistair (San Diego)

[Catherine Belle]

Thanks John for posting that link.
How could there be any doubt whatsoever about the restoration and upkeep of Burn's Cottage? I'm amazed that we have to resort to signing petitions to persuade 'Them' to do the right thing! Whose in charge there anyway? And how did the cottage get to be in such disrepair? Surely, the allocation of funds for, at the very least, a new roof, for such a tiny building wouldn't have broken the bank. It's a disgrace! Do they think the people don't care? Hah! I hope they're drowning in signatures by now.

Catherine
ps: I signed the petition

[ellenyoung31]

Hi John, just to tell you Robert and I signed the form,
also a friend, hope the get lots more names
thank you for giving us the chance to sign.
Regards.
Ellen

[isigrant]

I've also signed the petition. I remember when I was wee and we used to go on 'mystery tours' on the bus. That was one of the favourite places to stop at. Let's hope they get lots of signatures.

Isobel

[westendcafe]

From what I can gather this has all been going on for some time now. 3 years ago the Scottish Executive announced that the Burns icon would be central to its efforts to promote heritage tourism.

In October 2003 following a Project Planning Grant from the Lottery Heritage fund the Burns National Heritage Park (BNHP), the people trusted to look after the Museum and Cottage, unveiled a bold plan for a £7M development.

In Dec 2004 the same BNHP announced that the above plan had been abandoned.

"The money for such an ambitious plan was not there. The problem was not the capital costs, but the running costs, because there was no long term commitment from either local or national bodies." - Laurie Black Interim Manager BHNP

So while the Executive says fine things about building heritage tourism around Burns the money was not forthcoming to bring the plan to reality. And you can also see how much time has already been lost.

The Executive also stated on 20 Dec 2004 that "The buildings and documents in BHMP are in safe hands." However it was reported in The Scotsman that a Bible belonging to Burns' father had been damaged following a leak in the roof and that other valubale manuscripts, including "Auld Lang Syne" and "Scots Wha Hae" had been moved to other museums for safe keeping and that lack of heating and humidity controls was causing the old paper to curl. Now does that sound like a safe pair of hands to you?

The Executive would now like to get the National Trust for Scotland involved. This seems the right way to go when you consider that their raison d'etre "is a conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for the present and future generations to enjoy." But no doubt they would want some kind of funding deal if they were to take the project on.

I think that the pressure needs to be kept up to ensure that a satisfactory resolution is found and quickly.

John D

[joromomi]

Hi , That is just a crying shame about " Rabbies " cottage,he is known and celebrated all over the world, especially at this time of the year!
At the same time I sometimes think us ex-pats feel stronger about
things like that, than the locals.
I have signed the petition, so have other people I know.................
hope it's enough.
May the best ye'veever seen
Be the worst ye'll ever see,
May a moose ne'er leave yer girnal
Wi' a tear drap in his e'e
May ye aye keep hale and he'rty
Till ye're auld enough tae dee
May ye aye be jist as happy
As I wish ye aye tae be.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cheers............Joyce

[Catherine Belle]

In October 2003 following a Project Planning Grant from the Lottery Heritage fund the Burns National Heritage Park (BNHP), the people trusted to look after the Museum and Cottage, unveiled a bold plan for a £7M development.

In Dec 2004 the same BNHP announced that the above plan had been abandoned.

The Executive would now like to get the National Trust for Scotland involved. This seems the right way to go when you consider that their raison d'etre "is a conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for the present and future generations to enjoy." But no doubt they would want some kind of funding deal if they were to take the project on.

John D

Why does'nt the BNHP just hand over the Project Planning Grant money (plus the accrued interest) they received back in October 2003 from the Lottery Heritage Fund, to the National Trust for Scotland?
At least it might get the ball rolling toward a roof repair for now. Incidently, the person who lied about the welfare of the contents of the cottage should be fired!
And what about the town of Alloway, surely Burn's Cottage generates a large portion of the towns income, via tourism? Why doesn't someone suggest a town fund raising event to fix the roof? I know I keep harping on about the roof..but it seems to me that that's a priority at the moment.
If left to the Bureaucracy,nothing will get done!

gb

[marydobson]

Hi Everyone
I have added my name with pride to the Petition and sincerely hope that the Scottish Parliament takes heed.We have an obligation to protect our heritage.
Good luck with the Petition.
Mary.