A4s at Shildon this weekend past

What follows below is the content of an email just sent to George Muirhead, the museum manager at Shildon.

Dear George

I am writing something which I will post also to http://forsytheonthenrm.blogspot.co.uk/ ,  as I will any answer that I receive.

I wish to offer my congratulations on the display of the A4s at Shildon this weekend past. I have read and received several reports and they all say a great show was put on by the museum and its staff and helpers. A very special moment I understand was when the The Great Marquess on a Weardale railtour puffed by.

I am very mindful that when I got a few words with Steve Davies at the media call for the arrival of the A4s 10 days ago, he assured me that the presence of the A4s would be used to maximise revenue generation for the NRM.

As you will know in recent months the ability of the museum to manage events in a positive financial way has been problematic. I thought it would be a positive story therefore, as Steve Davies' time comes to an end, if the Museum was asked to publish the financial breakdown of last weekend.

In the scenario I am putting, we can assume that the costs of the two Transatlantic visitors travel to Shildon is to one aside. That has been sponsored. I am aware that attendees at the evening events were paying a premium fee and I am also aware that Track Access Charges to deliver other visitors to and from Shildon at the weekend have to be vectored in. I would imagine your prime extra cost has been in staff and security costs measured against a normal weekend and that revenue income on the same basis, can be assessed.

From all this I assume it is not that difficult for the museum to know whether it has made or lost money on the weekend past. I very much hope that the museum can be persuaded to share this information for whichever way the penny drops, the public who own the museum have a legitimate interest in knowing.