Friends of the Bagpipe Museum

The purpose of this page is to establish the level of interest in forming an independent 'Friends of the Bagpipe Museum' organisation, to support the work of the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum.

The Chantry is a 13th Century

Grade I Listed Building in Morpeth, Northumberland owned by Castle Morpeth Borough Council. It contains a Craft Fair, Tourist Information Centre, and most importantly (as far as this site is concerned), a Bagpipe Museum. The council is claiming that the costs of running this facility are no longer affordable and are reviewing the entire operation.

The museum displays are based around the collection of W. A. Cocks, an enthusiast, who started collecting bagpipes, particularly Northumbrian pipes, in the early 20th century. He was widely regarded as an authority in this rather obscure field and on his death in 1971 his extensive collection was bequeathed to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, of which he had long been a member.

It was then housed for a while in the Black Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne, the headquarters of the Antiquaries, but difficulties were encountered in this arrangement, and in 1986 the collection was loaned to Castle Morpeth Borough Council, who undertook to establish a museum to ensure appropriate access to this collection and other items.

The council has not reached any decisions, but there is an ongoing consultation process which could result in the removal of the Bagpipe Museum, either to another location in Morpeth, or elsewhere in Northumberland. In the limit there is a possibility that the Bagpipe Museum would be closed entirely and the collections put into storage.

The purpose of the Friends of the Bagpipe Museum could be as follows

To establish the level of world-wide interest in such a facility.

To campaign to ensure that the bagpipe museum has a proper home.

To promote the museum throughout the world.

To raise funds, through subscriptions, for the development and promotion of the museum.

To provide a pool of expertise both in piping and other skills which could prove useful to the museum.

Ideally the Bagpipe Museum would stay where it is, as any move would necessarily incur expense, but the Friends would support the Museum wherever it was located. As a first step, a mailing list

has

been set up, and anyone who would consider eventually becoming a subscribing member should click on the link to join the list. It is a closed mailing list, which means that only people who have subscribed can post messages to the list.

The mailing list will be used to keep members informed of developments in this ongoing saga, and for discussions about organisation, subscriptions etc. The subscriptions are currently envisaged as being in the region of £10/15euros/$20 per year, and hopefully can be paid electronically.

Although I am Vice Chairman of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society, the 'Friends of the Bagpipe Museum' is intended to be a totally independent organisation, embracing all who have any interest in bagpipes or the museum. The committee of the NPS are aware of this initiative, and I have informed the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. When enough interest is forthcoming, Castle Morpeth Borough Council will also be informed.

Page prepared (in haste) 5th August 2004

Barry Say