THE £74 million Riverside Museum in Glasgow opened its doors to the public yesterday.
Despite the rain, hundreds of people flocked to the new Museum of Transport and Travel, which houses more than 3000 exhibits including trains, cars, motorbikes, buses and trams.
The opening ceremony was conducted by the leader of Glasgow City Council, Gordon Matheson, who broke a bottle of champagne on the side of the building.
The Riverside Museum has more than 150 interactive displays telling the stories of the people who made the term “Clyde-built” one that travelled the world.
The ground floor of the museum also includes a re-creation of a city street during the 1900s.
Mr Matheson said: “I’m a proud Glaswegian and I’ve got my own personal memories of the old museum, so to have the opportunity to open to the public this magnificent building, with a collection of international significance, it’s a sheer joy.
“People are desperate to tell you their stories – it’s so moving.
“A gentlemen was telling me he used to work on the trams, a man was an apprentice on the locomotive, and a lady was saying she used to get on the tram to go to the dancing.
“The museum is about the riveting stories of Glaswegians, rather than stories about rivets.”
Mr Matheson added: “The exhibits have been given a further lease of life thanks to some stunning new displays that not only show off the trains, cars, trams and bikes, but also tell the stories of the people who made them, bought them, used them and loved them.”
Among the visitors to the museum yesterday was Nan Cowan, 84, from Balornock, Glasgow. She said: “It looks marvellous. It’s a big difference from the Kelvin Hall. I’m looking forward to going back to the olden days.”
Jamie Connolly, 47, from Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, said: “It’s excellent and well laid-out. It was a long time coming but it’s more hands-on than the other and more user- friendly. There’s too much to see in one day.”
Hopping aboard the 779 tram was so popular it was as busy as rush-hour.
Marlene Robinson, 66, took her three grandchildren on board and said: “I’m not sure who’s enjoying it most – them or me.”
The largest vehicle on show is the South African Railways locomotive 3007, which weighs more than 150 tonnes – the smallest a Vanguard toy car weighing just under three ounces.
However, visitors were most impressed by the period street. Unlike at the old museum, visitors can venture inside the shops including Le Rendezvous cafe, the Mitre bar, a garage, pawnshops, dress shops and a toy shop.
Gaynor McLea, who lives in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, was visiting the museum with her five-year-old son. She said: “It’s very impressive and a lot brighter than the last place.”
Angela Adams, who is 58 and lives in Knightswood, Glasgow, said: “It’s much bigger and better than the old one. I worked in the old one years ago in the 1990s.
“It’s really, really fantastic. It’s taken a lot of hard work. It’s great for children to see the history.”
Lawrence Fitzgerald, project director and manager of the museum, added: “We’ve also got paintings here and costumes – a whole range of material people haven’t seen before.
“The public have been involved in this project from the very beginning. We had stakeholder groups set up and they helped inform this museum, they’ve helped with the content by donating their memories and their photographs.”
More than 1200 people have worked on the project since it was given the initial go-ahead in 2002. Work on-site at Pointhouse Quay began in 2007.
The Riverside Museum was designed by Zaha Hadid and is the architect’s first major public commission to open in the UK, according to Mr Matheson. It was funded by Glasgow City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Riverside Museum Appeal (RMA). Like all of Glasgow’s 10 civic museums, entry is free.
The RMA is a charitable trust established to raise £5m in sponsorship and donations from companies, trusts and individuals for the development of the museum. To date, it has raised almost £4.6m, including more than 6000 individual donations.
Outside the new structure, The Tall Ship Glenlee is moored in front of the museum’s south-facing side, bringing her together, for the first time, with the city’s ship model collection in the building.
The Glenlee is one of only five Clyde-built sailing vessels afloat in the world today and the only one in the UK. The Tall Ship, which recently underwent a £1.5m refurbishment, also opened to the public yesterday.
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