The video was shot in the Jeweller's Workshop. This was during the 12:00 guided tour which was excellent from start to finish.
My first impressions of visiting the Museum were rather tainted by the lady at the admission / information desk who had obviously got out of bed the wrong side. I think this person hasn't yet quite got Birmingham City Council out of her bloodstream, as she was very brusque dealing with questions about how the museum worked. Perhaps she should take a moment to reflect that just because she knows about the place, it does not follow that everyone else does.
Bizarrely, both my wife and I were informed that if we booked a place on a guided tour, we had to wait until the next scheduled one in the assigned space upstairs. This applied even when the next scheduled tour was some time off. If we did not do this, or if (gasp!) we left the building for a few moments (presumably to look around the Jewellery Quarter generally, or - god help us - get a cuppa somewhere else) she would vacate our tour booking. If this is a policy approved by the Birmingham Museums Trust, it is a moronic one.
This brand of stupidity is borderline defensible for a council-run free admission establishment, but a private trust trawling for supporters treats paying customers this way at their peril: Take heed.
Dictatorial silliness notwithstanding, I was happy to have stayed around long enough to get just a small flavour of this vital part of Birmingham's heritage.
The chap featured in this video was superb, and the practical demonstrations given brought the Smith & Pepper company back to life (if only for a few moments, and albeit in a health and safety friendly way).
Teething problems aside, this museum is a worthwhile place for anyone interested in British industrial history to visit. Make sure you book a tour upon admission though, as you will be unable to visit the workshop unless you are part of a group. When you go in the workshop you will understand why.
Click here to visit the website of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter.
More about this visit and my exploration of other BMT sites to follow anon.
