Hello

I posted for my mother a week or two ago a inquiry regarding a management
structure for a historic house, owned by local body government and run by
asociety, this house has not yet been opened. I did not get one response,
and since then in my own musuem have been discussing a similar  issue with
another museum that has been operating for over 30 years, the Curator has
been told by their Council, to come up with a more feasible and economic
management plan, or shut down at the end of the year.

I would really like to pass on to this Curator any contacts to people who
may have successfully managed to structure a historic house museum. The main
problem is that historic houses in small areas, don't have enough visitors
to make enough of a economic return, ie their earnings come no where near
their costs. Staff being the main expense, and maintienance draining the
supply, create a huge problem. We are told we can't stay open and pay wages,
but need to continue the same amount of visitor numbers or face another cut
in a couple of years.

It would be great to get some ideas, or contacts, even if just to explain to
the management people that want us to justify our role more, that there are
sites around the world who either don't compromise at all, or have come up
with more feasible plans. I hope someone will be able to give me some ideas.
By the eway, neitehr house could be moved as the location they are in make
up a huge part of their historic context in the community.

Nina Siers
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