Safeguarding our Heritage: an interview with Dr Harry White

When the announcement came on Monday 12 September that the National Brewery Centre was to close at the end of October, there was an instant public backlash. A Facebook group “Save our National Brewery Centre” was made, a petition created  that at last count had over 8,000 signatures and there was a protest march through the town on Sunday. One person who didn’t attend the march was Dr Harry White, the Chairman of the National Brewery Heritage Trust. In this exclusive interview Harry speaks  openly and honestly on the closure and his hopes for the future of the archives and artefacts that make up Burton’s unique brewing collection.

“I can understand and sympathise with the marchers wanting to express their personal feelings and sadness about the closure of the National Brewery Centre and for them to want to show solidarity with one another and be seen to be doing  something, but ultimately going on a march is not going to solve the need to find a permanent safe home for the NBC collection,” states Harry before adding realistically. “The NBC closure is going to happen, so best to focus efforts on how to keep the collection  together, in Burton and safeguard it for the future.

“I think a lot of the emotion being generated is because people want instant answers to some complex questions which are going to take a while to be resolved,” he adds.

What Is Happening Currently?

There are a lot of talks taking place to secure the future for the archives and artefacts.

“I believe Molson Coors, East Staffordshire Borough Council and the National Brewery Heritage Trust all share a common purpose of trying to find a best-fit solution for the collection in Burton,” says an optimistic Harry.

So how much dialogue currently is there between MCBC, ESBC and yourselves? Do you agree that there appears to be a lot of confusing information coming out?

“A lot of discussions are taking place between all three parties, and no I’m not aware of any confusing information being circulated by any of us. As soon as there are clearer plans in place I’m sure these will be shared.”

The Public Reaction

Was the scale of the public outcry surprising?

“Yes, and in many ways that is to be welcomed, but I feel a lot of it has been an instant gut reaction rather than serious thought as to the underlying reasons why.”

 There has been a noticeable rise in Facebook posts showing people visiting the NBC since the announcement of the closure, this may be regulars going for one last look around, but no doubt others are taking the opportunity to visit for the first time before it is too late. 

“We’re all sad to see the NBC site close and feel extremely sorry for employees and volunteers who are losing their jobs, but the decision to close the site has to be viewed within the broader context of the current economic climate, and  in particular the difficulties facing the hospitality industry.” 

Harry doesn’t sound like he was too surprised.

“No, I wasn’t,” he reveals. “The NBC has been very reliant on hospitality and events activities and of course COVID meant the site was closed for the best part of two years.”

How long had discussions been taking place between MCBC and PSL and when were the NBHT informed of the decision?

“I was officially told of the plans for closure in September, after the agreement between PSL and MCBC was signed. However, I was made aware during August that discussions between PSL and MCBC were taking place.” 

On the recent march the chants were very much aimed at MCBC, although ESBC have taken a lot of criticism in the media.

“ESBC are spear-heading a major initiative to regenerate Burton town centre and attract visitors to the town. Their intended purchase of the Old Bass High Street site offers them huge scope and potential to re-orientate the town centre  and create something special both for Burtonians and visitors alike,” compliments Harry. “They have offered and are keen to rehouse not only the archives but also the important brewing artefacts displayed at the NBC as part of their overall plans for the High Street site.”

 
The Archive and the NBHT

“The NBHT are a registered charity made up of volunteers whose objectives are to protect and preserve the archives and artefacts, ensure they stay together in Burton and encourage greater public awareness and accessibility. For over a decade  the Trust has operated independently of PSL, who have operated the site and MCBC who own the site and most of the collection.”

Most of the archive is not on public display, so many people will not understand the range of materials that the NBHT look after, can you explain what there is and their current storage requirements?

“The brewing artefacts on the NBC site include items of malting and brewing equipment from Victorian time onwards, together with ancillary plant such as a huge steam engine and various forms of road and rail transport for both raw materials  and finished beer.

“In addition to raising funds through membership subscriptions and donations for repair and refurbishment of some of the artefacts stored and displayed at the NBC, the Trust’s main activities in recent years has been to increase public  awareness and accessibility to the vast array of brewing industry archives stored in the attics in the NBC. To help realise this goal a small team of volunteers have been working on producing a digital catalogue of the archives and publishing this via a public  access website: http://nbcarchives.co.uk/“

The archives consist of approximately half a million items, embracing breweries, brewing companies and public houses across the UK, and date from the mid-1700s to the present day. They include brewing records, personnel records, engineering  plans, sales records, and photos as well as audio visual material.

“The archives are unique and because they cover such a breadth and depth, should be considered the crown jewels of the collection. It is intended that they will form a key part of the proposed new museum in High Street. The archive collection  is currently stored in a space that is less than 200 square metres in size and so there will be enough room at the new museum to house these effectively.”

The Immediate Future

What can we expect to happen in the next few weeks?

“I understand that the NBC site will close to the public at the end of October and PSL will vacate the site by the end of November. Sometime in the new year MCBC proposes to begin the sensitive redevelopment of the site focused on the main  building. The building known as the Joiner’s Shop, which was the home of the original Bass Museum, and a number of other areas are not, as I understand, part of MCBC’s immediate development plans for the site, and so these buildings can be used to continue  to store the collection. 

“The Joiners’ Shop and its contents will remain as is in the interim, as will a number of the vehicles in the yard, including the Robey steam engine, unless the owners request their return. The immediate priority will be to find appropriate  temporary storage for the various items of malting and brewing equipment currently on display in the Gallery area of the NBC.” 

The proposed use of shipping containers has been the subject of a recent rather controversial article on social media.

“That article ignored the context within which the use of such containers were mentioned. They wouldn’t be used for items for which they weren’t suitable,” says a frustrated Harry.

Will the paper archives be stored in the Joiners Shop?

“No, it is intended that the long-term permanent home for the archives will be as part of the new museum in the town on High Street. For the interim the Trust and ESBC are working together to find a safe and secure location in Burton that  actually improves access and availability to residents and tourists.”

The Long-Term Future

“ESBC passed a resolution at its meeting in late September to work with the Trust and MCBC on maintaining a space for celebrating Burton’s brewing heritage. The High Street site is a central feature of the Town Development Plan, proposals  which were published in 2021. A core aim of this is the transformation of Burton into a major tourist destination. Hopefully the relocation of the important brewing artefacts displayed at the NBC will support and help realise this ambition. With respect to  the artefacts, the Trust believes that first and foremost they should be kept in Burton.”

Will the High Street solution work with regards to capacity and accessibility, who would be best suited to run this facility? Where will the money come from?

“The High Street site far exceeds the NBC in terms of size and depending on what the final overall plan for the site is, public access should not be an issue. How the site will operate, who will be responsible and how it will be funded  are issues currently under discussion. In terms of funding, although the initial set up costs could potentially be covered by government grants, I believe a key ambition for the site is that it should be self-funding in terms of covering its operating costs.  To do that it will need to be multi-purpose as opposed to simply a museum.”

Do you think that the Heritage Centre on High Street could work better than the NBC?

“Because the archives are mostly paper and/or card they need to be stored in a humidity and temperature-controlled environment, which the current NBC doesn’t lend itself to easily,” reveals Harry. “So yes, I think the proposed new museum  on High Street, assuming it is properly set up and financed, offers a far better environment for the archives, and artefacts, and should ensure their safety and security for future generations to come. There is also an opportunity to look at how a modern museum  could operate, linking the existing offer of the NBC with new, immersive technologies that could encourage more visitors.”

What can the public do to help secure the future of the archive?

Anyone who, like us, cares about preserving the town’s brewing archives and artefacts, should consider joining the Trust and supporting our work. Find out more by visiting our website http://www.breweryheritage.com/“