A dispute – which it’s thought could end up in the Courts – has led to two of the main players in forming and developing the old Tank Museum, now Conflict, History and Remembrance Museum (C.H.A.R.M.) in Northwood being barred from entering the site yesterday (Thursday).
Stan Baker told OnTheWight that he and his wife Jane, who were part of the Management Committee, were stopped from entering the site by police, who were acting on behalf of the landowner.
Baker: “The worst day and my life”
Having worked tirelessly on the project for the last 18 months, they were still in shock at the end of the day by what has happened to them.
Unable, for legal reasons, to say too much, Stan posted the following on Facebook last night,
“Jane and I having spent the last 18 months juggling between getting the museum open and at last, a tourist place that people actually want to visit, doing casework and supporting my family, as well as raising funds to get the work done, we are now skint, virtually homeless and emotionally broken.
“Jane and I have dedicated our lives over the last year to this project at the expense of everything else. Along with our fantastic volunteers we did what no one thought was possible and now that the work has been done, we are to be removed from it.”
Stan’s post was met instantly with messages of support, which have continued today, both on his page and community pages on Facebook.
Several people who have made donations to the museum say they will be taking back their items, disgusted with the way the Baker’s have been treated.
Apology
Stan has asked us to pass on his apologies to all those he were hoping to help and those he’ll no longer be able to help.
OnTheWight have sought a response from the landowner and will update once we hear back.
Update 13.4.2015:
Landowner and trustee, Jon Hinchliffe, told OnTheWight,
“CHARM the Conflict History And Remembrance Museum is a registered charity ( a CIO ) whose aims include the running of a museum of military history and using any profits from that and ancillary services to support ex service personal. CHARM is run by trustees committed and duty bound to ensure its strict adherence to its stated charitable aims.
“Stan was acting site manager and his wife was catering manager(ess) for reasons that I do not want to discuss here the trustees decided that neither of them was the best person to continue in their respective rolls.
“Sadly with the full support of the other legally appointed trustees I acted as I did as landowner in the best interest of CHARM, which is a legal Charitable Incorporated Organization and not a tourist attraction.
“We are determined that CHARM will be a success under the new management.
“I will not go into details of the reason we made the universal decision we did at this time because we believe it would not be in the best interest of the charity, or of Stan, or of his loyal supporters or of his family.”
Image: © Stan Baker
