The Mapping Museum research project was created to look at the increase in the number of museums in the UK. As part of this project, David Harrigan was interviewed about the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.

Explore more about the Mapping Museum project here and read Harrigan's interview below:

Interview summary

Name of person being interviewed: David Harrigan

Location of interview: Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

Date of Recording: 05 February 2019

Recording Length: 01:47:32

Name of interviewer: Dr Toby Butler

Description: Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is a family-run museum and was set up over 20 years ago. It is now widely seen as a living memorial to the 55,500 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives during the Second World War. It includes in its collections one of the rarest aircraft, an Avro Lancaster Bomber, along with many wartime vehicles including a Ford WOT1 Crew Bus, the only one of its kind known in existence.

Summary of main points in interview: After a career in the air force, David Harrigan worked with the Digby Museum, which gave him valuable insight into what does and doesn’t work in a small local museum. The Centre works with several partner museums and heritage centres throughout Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, and has partnerships with the Imperial War Museum. The Centre has been used as a location for various films.

Harrigan discusses applying for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, and the Centre’s website which helps visitors plan their trips in advance. He looks forward to having bigger facilities, though at the moment as a Council-run site, money is tight. He ends with a discussion of immigration and the rise of the right in Europe. He feels that all the smaller heritage sites do well because each one provides a unique local story, with its own heroes. He feels that people love relating history to an individual, making it more personal.

NO TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE.