The Missing Museum

About the Book

The author was invited by the London police to design build operate and finance a popular educational exhibition about policing London to be located at Bow Street Police Station. It was to help young people, ethnic communities and tourists to learn about the British way of policing, past and present. This is his frank and fascinating account of planning and financing the project up until it was brought to an end when the grand historic building, which was to be used, ceased to be available.

Andrew Thorburn tells the history of policing in Bow Street, and sets out how the building was to be adapted and extended. The full designers' brief for the museum is included, and an account of the fund raising and town planning negotiations. The two final chapters set out what happened when the project was ended. It is a story of creativity frustrated. One ends up wondering about the failure of a major public body to deliver.

This book is a major contribution to understanding public/private partnerships for development, and how developers work. It is equally useful in explaining the tasks of a modern police force, and why better policing should come from the public knowing more about these.

About the Author

Andrew Thorburn grew up on a small farm near Bridport, obtained a degree in Physical Geography, served two years in the Royal Navy, married, and taught himself town and country planning. He worked as a planner for five different County Councils with an interlude directing the Notts-Derbys. Sub-regional Study. Andrew is the father of three children. He has written many papers on the policies and processes of town planning and a book entitled Planning Villages published by Estates Gazette in 1971.

During nine years as County Planning Officer of East Sussex he served as President of the Royal Town Planning Institute and initiated the foundation of the Sussex Heritage Trust. In 1983 he was appointed Chief Executive of the English Tourist Board. Two years later he resigned to work in Tourism and Leisure consultancy, first with Pannell Kerr Forster, then Grant Thornton, and finally with his own firm, which continues. He wrote this book whilst cruising in a small yacht in the Mediterranean.