Just a day trip to the museum....

Paul K · 30-01-2006, 17:17

BBC

Quote:

A stumbling visitor to a top museum has destroyed a set of priceless vases which stood on a shelf for 40 years.
The 300-year-old Qing vases were among the best known artefacts at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The visitor is said to have slipped on a loose shoelace and fallen down a staircase bringing the vases crashing down as he tried to steady himself.
The vases, donated in 1948, were said to hold a "significant value" and were among the best known pieces on display.
The museum declined to identify the man who had tripped.
The accident happened last Wednesday and the museum said it was a most unfortunate and regrettable accident.

Wonder why he didn't alert a member of staff???

punky · 30-01-2006, 17:26

BBC news is going downhill a bit.

First they are "priceless" and then they said they held a "significant value" Well, which is it?!?

Anywho... if they were so wonderful, why wern't they in a case or enclosure, or at least out of arms reach from the stairs?

MovedGoalPosts · 30-01-2006, 18:44

I like the link on the BBC news website "hear how the vases were broken". One can just imagine the BBC sound effects guy working overtime on that one

Paul K · 30-01-2006, 19:01

They actually have the guy on CCTV, wonder how security explained not actually catching up with the guy lol

MovedGoalPosts · 30-01-2006, 19:05

er I'm confused Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC

The museum declined to identify the man who had tripped.

Does not mean they don't know who it was

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC

An ambulance was called but the visitor left the Museum on foot having been seen by paramedics and staff first-aiders

suggests museum staff wer very much assisting the person involved.

Chimaera · 30-01-2006, 19:11

I think it means they know who it was - they are just not grassing on him!

luftys · 30-01-2006, 22:41

Good job they were not new ones

Hom3r · 30-01-2006, 22:56

I don't no if to laugh or not

Xaccers · 31-01-2006, 09:06

Does the museum have new for old insurance? (with accident cover of course)

luftys · 31-01-2006, 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Does the museum have new for old insurance? (with accident cover of course)

No ,because they work on a shoe string

danielf · 05-04-2006, 23:00

The culprit's been arrested for criminal damage...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/c...re/4878850.stm

05-04-2006, 23:50

This is most odd.

I remember this being told on R4, they said it was an accident and the museum banned him, then they did not as they had specialists in to glue the vases up... then it went all quiet and now he is up before the beak.

I take it the specialists could not get the glueing sorted then?

Graham M · 06-04-2006, 02:48

They found Pritt Stick to be not good enough to hold it together

**Chris** · 06-04-2006, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuftus

This is most odd.

I remember this being told on R4, they said it was an accident and the museum banned him, then they did not as they had specialists in to glue the vases up... then it went all quiet and now he is up before the beak.

I take it the specialists could not get the glueing sorted then?

I don't think it has anything to do with their ability (or not) to repair the vases. A charge of criminal damage requires intent to be proven. If the police have arrested him, it's because they think it may not have been an accident after all.

Gareth · 06-04-2006, 11:16

I never liked the way that Nick Flynn, the guy who did it, glibly referred to it as a "Norman Wisdom moment". If I had done that much damage to something so valuable and irreplaceable, I would be devastated a helluva lot more apologetic than he was.