21/11/2011 Inside Out East Midlands

Hello from Matlock Bath in Derbyshire. Tonight Inside Out

poets can drink to the test. The which of our council spends the

most and is it worth it? What do need a twin town for? You

are never going to go there. Also tonight, a museum makeover. Geoff

Burch told staff. A looks as something out of East Germany

before the ball came down. Observing the past, or hidden gems

in the Magic Attic. It is amazing what things people have got out of

their garden sheds and attics. I am Marie Ashby and this is Inside

You can spot the clues on signs all around the East Midlands. We have

got towns twinned with places in France, Germany, Poland and even

Nicaragua. What are the benefits to being.? Should our councils really

be spending tens of thousands of pounds each year on the trimmings

that go with Poynings? -- twinnings.

Town planning, it all started after the Second World War. Instead of

fighting one another, European towns were encouraged to join

together in peace and harmony. Today, there are more than 22,000.

Towns around the world with over 2500 in the UK. It is something we

have embraced in a big way in the East Midlands.

Today, when the future of the euro is uncertain and international

relationships are strained, is pound winning more important than

ever? British cuisine. I really enjoy it. Or is it simply a waste

of time? The argument that businesses make that businesses

twinned with Maromme can have economic benefit, I cannot see that.

Despite the arguments for and against, for most of us, small

towns in France and Germany have become our partners. It is this

tiny village in Rutland with just 28 houses and a pub that has a

bizarre French Connection as it claims to be twinned with Paris.

Barbara dinners and wrote to the mayor years ago proposing a link.

Whitwell declared itself twinned with Paris and celebrated in style.

Not everyone can to such a glamourous partner. For some, the

twinning relationship is one might a long-lost relative. I went did

three places in a spare, laughter and Derby, all named after their

twins, to find out. Have you ever had a German tourist come and have

a bacon butty here? Many. They really? Really. What do you need

eight Twin Town for? You are never going to go there. Any ideas why

this road is called what it is? a clue. Any idea how it got its

name? Not a clue. A little later, I will be revealing be three councils

who are the biggest spenders as we investigate their town twinning

expenses. First, I am going somewhere with a small-budget but a

big connection to its French twin. For 50 years, families from

Coalville have organised and paid for an exchange visit to their twin

town in the south of France. On the surface, these two towns could not

be more different. Romans sur Isere and Coalville, they are not

identical twins. When people but the towns together, they try to

find something that they have in common. The things that these two

towns have in common is a shoe- making. The similarities end there?

Yes! Twinning was the inexpensive way to go abroad. There were not a

package holidays. We always had lots of people but it is harder now

to get people to go because for the same amount of money they can have

a Hollywood -- holiday abroad with no ties. Before we crossed the

Channel, I made a quick visit to meet possibly the UK's only

national expert on town planning. There are no formally compart

national statistics on how much councils spend and how locals

benefit. In your personal opinion, do you think that town twinning is

a good thing? Do you think it would be poorer if we did not have it?

There are so many different town twinning relationships and each are

different. When you have so many and they are so independent, you

see some that to think are wonderful and some that you think

are awful. Dr Nick Clarke and his team completed a two year study

exploring people's attitudes to town 20 across the UK, the benefits

and the problems. -- to town twinning across the UK. There have

been occasions when civic did to the trees have gone on trollies as

part of the twinning. You cannot see what has come out of it apart

from the mayor and their entourage having a good time. But I do not

think that happens much any more. The heyday of the exchange visits

from Coalville may have passed but for those of them and making the

pilgrimage, it is an emotional reunion. It is difficult to say in

English but it is a long friendship, you know? Whenever we meet, it is a

pleasure. Coalville's visits to France are for friendship, not

business. The only financial support is a �500 grant from the

district council and the civic dignitary has to pay her way like

the rest of the group. These exchanges have been going on for 50

years. Why do you think it has been going on for so long? The people

are so friendly and back in Coalville. We give a warm welcome

and they reciprocate. It has been fantastic. Your twinning

Association has got some modest means. But there are big spenders.

In tough economic crimes, do think it isn't one of those things that

should be cut? -- in tough economic times. We would hope, we have had a

good rapport with the officers that the council, they have given a

small, modest grant, but I am Besides friendship, some councils

claim that town twinning is essential for promoting business

links. They spend big money in the process. Back home in Blighty,

Inside Out sent a Freedom of Information requests for two local

councils to discover the top spenders. Before I reveal who they

are, I am off to a place to end with Maromme in France where they

have decided to stop spending anything. There are councillors

elsewhere in East Midlands who have been sent all over the world all-

expenses paid. Would that happen here? No. Why not? It is not a

priority of our residents clearly, a few councillors going off to have

a pleasant time in Maromme, that does not benefit the residents.

Economically, you think town twinning does not stack up?

argument that businesses here would mix with the businesses in Maromme

and would bring economic benefit, or I cannot see that. That is one

that Council match spends nothing. A big contrast to our top reap who

spend a bit. They have considerable twinning budgets. Derby East and

they did arrive 1000 -- Derby East Benz 85,000, Broxtowe spent some

more and it is Leicester that spans of the most, 130,000. There is no

bait -- data base to allow us to see how much each council is

spending. We cannot know what the national averages. But that looks

like the upper end. I am meeting Culdipp Bhatti who is in charge of

town twinning in Leicester and the biggest budget we discovered. One

of your biggest Spence was one used -- when you sent a format Lord

mayor to China. How do you justify the �15,000 expense to taxpayers?

It was two trips are combined in one. It reduced the cost. One trip

went to the north of India and then the Lord mayor along with his

secretary went to China from Delhi, instead of making two trips. How

did that benefit Leicester? You are developing human relationships. It

is a question of you going there and seeing and that is believing.

Benefits to local businesses are difficult to quantify with few

formal facts available. However, town planning has created thousands

of friendships. Children from across the UK have been able to

join in international exchanges. And it has certainly played a part

in promoting peace and harmony across Europe. Let us not forget,

that is why it all began. Lots of children in England are

quite insular, they do not realise that there is a big world out there

and they do not realise that they are their competitors in the future.

We buy them fish and chips and mushy peas and British cuisine. It

is a lovely thing to do. I really enjoy it. And you have been doing

it for 30 years? Yes. We have good friends, we see them grow up, get

married, get divorced and then die! I have not only got a family at

home, I have other families over there. They say the French don't

like the English, but they do. Times are hard for our museums.

Funding is being cut and visitor numbers are down. Not far away from

here in Derby that has already meant The Silk Mill being

mothballed for two years. In Matlock Bath, there is another

small museum that has only been attracting five paying customers in

some weeks. Time to call in tough- talking troubleshooter Geoff Burch.

My name is Geoff Burch and I am an international business guru, that

is a fancy name for a bloke who is called in to help struggling shops

and businesses. Last year, I faced the mother of all makeovers when I

helped transform a Derby department store stuck in the 70s. Look at

that! I would not know where to buy anything like that. It was a big

success so I am back for a new challenge. It has never been a

tougher time for museums. I am here to talk to the bosses of Britain's

biggest museums. I want to show them how to get the visitors coming

in and coming back time and time again. Become a showman, becomes

sales people... Beside the big boys, this event has attracted some

smaller museums and it is one from Matlock Bath in Derbyshire which

has asked for my help. It is a very dreary, wet, cold Monday in the

middle of January. You would not think that in the summer this place

is teeming with visitors. It is literally the last Bagust of

Derbyshire. You would think that this would be a brilliant place to

open a museum? -- de Las Vegas of Derbyshire.

What a grim-looking place. It looks like something out of East Germany

before the Wall came down. This is kind of boring. It is just boring.

I really kick to the wall when I looked at our bank statement about

a year ago. We are a charity and uncertain about the future.

It needs to be Bish, bash, wallop. Clearly this little figure has had

a stroke and collapsed. The horses are weird. When I spoke to the

people running his best, they suggested that there was a peak in

1996 when it was rolling along and every year it was making a profit.

Yet they have kind of sat back and watched the steady decline. This is

the entrance to the mind. Visiting what appears to be what is a Surrey

-- what appears to be a semi derelict building is only the part

of it. The numbers have been disappointing? Very disappointing.

This last week, probably about four. Four?! I cannot believe you do not

get more visitors. It is amazing. A proper adventure place. Are you

were told concerned about the way things are going? I really am.

does the future hold, do you think? Unless we get more visitors, it is

going to be very grim. I have absolutely no idea what I am going

to do with this place. So many things need changing us up the

budget is tight. I have four weeks to think about it was up if I do

not come up with a good idea, I found this in the mind, I'm going

to like it and stick it through their letterbox. Four weeks on, I

have come up with an action plan. With Maxine and Robin's budget

tight and visitor numbers on the decline, my ideas have to be easy

to implement and target tourists fast. I have tracked Maxine and

Robin all the way from Derbyshire to Buckingham shirt to see this, it

is the Roald Dahl story centre and it is about the most exciting small,

independent museum in the whole country. Hopefully, this place will

give the pair a much needed 90 to kick-start their own museum

makeover. -- a much needed a nudge. This museum is about an old guy who

wrote lots of books and they have built a whole museum around it.

These people have got a tunnel that kids can clamber down and they can

also pan for gold. They can then take away their own bottles of golf.

-- gold. I have come up with five or six really taught ideas that I

want you to take on. The first want is what you look like, the

appearance. I have managed to twist the arm of a brilliant graphic

designer who has helped me to develop a new logo for you. I like

that. There is activity in there. We need that impact. That has got

to start outside. Until we do that, we are not going to get any further

This meeting went on a bit so to sum up. We need to borrow the best

ideas from this place. Robin needs to tackle first impressions on the

outside and give his museum some real pizzazz on the inside. Make

more of their mine. This is a hidden gem. And finally, school

visits are big business so work hard to get some bookings with a

new teacher's pack. It's tough love but it's all long overdue. We will

take it very seriously. We need to, to survive. The ideas are very good

and practically, we can do them. It's now summer, over six months

since my first visit and despite the tough talking, things have

slipped and visitor numbers are still in free-fall. We have had a

disappointing trading period, unfortunately. With the exception

of one week, every week has probably been around �400 down.

This is all very worrying. I just hope they pull it off. But better

late than never. Maxine and a mate of the museum are heading to the

high street to try to drum up some business. I am interested in it but

I am a bit of a geek! I have never actually been in. It's worries me

that it has a place where people visit but we are not getting them

through your door. We were walking down the street in Matlock Bath and

somebody stopped us and told us about it. A lot of things could

benefit from being highlighted more. It has been 10 months since we

visited the Peak District Mining Museum. It is now branded again as

Last and they are fighting to win it new customers. It is the day of

the elimination as today, one of the busiest periods. If they cannot

pick it up today, what chance have Hello, Robin. Good to see you again.

Looking good. I like the new signs. They have been accepted by the

locals. One or two have been down and spoken about them. Where is the

banner? We have not achieved that. When I work with businesses, it is

usually to bring about some radical change, some sort of impact that

changes things. I cannot see any dramatic change. I was worried that

he will not be able to survive. I can see any way improve the

visitor in -- visitor attendance, I will do it. By except some of the

suggestions that we have adopted and we may have adopted them in a

piecemeal way because at the end of the day in the main, it comes down

to me. You do it all. I think you are more of a mine enthusiast

rather than a PT Barnum. You have I think he would be brilliant. But

you have got to get people in. The Illuminations certainly pulled

in the punters but few were parting with their cash, most were opting

for a coffee rather than taking a tour. On the upside, Robin and

Maxine have designed a new schools' pack and got their first booking.

They've built a new museum mine entrance to attract trade, and

they're carrying on street selling He has changed the signs and bits

and pieces but in these tough times, small businesses need to really

work hard, he needs to dress up, be a showman, all those visitors in to

make it work. But as the lights go on in Matlock Bath, I wonder if the

light will stay on in the new elite-renamed Blast. I have my

doubts. -- the newly renamed. For 25 years, volunteers in one

Derbyshire town have been running an historical archive that's now

become one of the biggest in the country. Historian Richard Gill

couldn't resist a rummage through I've been fascinated with local

history for as long as I can remember. Particularly the local

past. And my attic has become something of a shrine to my

interests. I'm off to meet a group who's created possibly the biggest

and best independent archive in the country. This unique collection of

local history is known as The Magic Attic. Sounds intriguing! I have

never come across anything like it before. I will be 82 this year and

it extends your life to get into something like this. It is

unbelievable. What people have turned out of their gardens sheds

or whatever. I would recommend anybody to look at it.

historical of letters and bits of bombs that have fallen on the town.

It is in its 25th year and volunteers have amassed a great

collection of local history. Before I meet one of the people who

started it all, I am exploring their latest project which involves

thousands of historic football photographs. All East Midlands

teams and collected by one man. Phil, you have a selection of what

may be the biggest collection of football photographs in the country.

Over 3,000. And also what may be the oldest. He has, I think this is

probably the oldest photograph that exists, 1872. I would challenge

anybody to find one before that. Your father gathered most of this

material or it was sent to him. When he died, what was the next

step for you? Before he died, he was concerned that the photographs

did not just get abandoned or thrown in a skip. I was assisting

him to try to find a home for them. We made various attempts for

museums to take the collection. I even wrote to the secretary of the

Football League but did not even get a reply from them. They did not

seem interested at that point and then the opportunity came when we

heard about the Magic Attic. presume they will not just be stuck

in a box, they will become interactive? Yeah, from my father's

perspective, that would be really appealing to him. All the names of

the players on the photographs will be recorded. My great grandfather

played for a Sunday school team, something like that, you can find

him? Yes. With his arms folded probably. And the Magic Attic,

wedding albums have pride of place and there are hundreds. Many were

salvaged from house clearances and so the identities of the bride and

groom may never be found out. Weddings were not huge occasions,

there was no wedding industry but where the photograph is taken his -

- is interesting. There is quite a large party here in a back garden.

What they have done his gone to the Church or Chapel, come back, posed

themselves along with the flowers and the fence and along here, a

smart group with top hats, but they I have heard people say that it

could only happen in Swadlincote. Perhaps they are right. Funny

things do happen here! Around here is the buzz of activity, but how

did it happen? IT started around a pub table when a group of us

decided certain items, documents, maps, newspapers should be saved.

It looked like they would be lost. Not many weeks after we had moved

into an attic above the snooker club, a gentleman turned up to do

some research and study at the top of the stairs and looked up and

down the place and said "this is the Magic Attic" and that is where

it came from. And he was right. To end my day at the attic, I am

meeting a researcher John Redfern We have had a look through the

Derby Mercury and as far as I can see, there is no record of murder,

great robbery that was suggested that Plean to Canada was a good

idea of. One of his relatives left Derbyshire and a cloud and is

rarely talked about now. It was only when his father died but they

found a box stuffed full of letters, war medals and small nuggets of

gold sent from all corners of the globe. Why did he fully written?

And can the Magic Attic help solve the mystery -- why did he escape

Britain? Why it leave England at 16? He said

tell my anti- that I will one day make the wrong right. All you have

got is these tantalising whispers. He was seldom -- Sending My grandad

�800. Which as we used to say in Exploring the family tree has

become a kind of minor cottage industry in this country. When you

get a case such as Barry's, does it differ very much from the other

inquiries you get? I have certainly never come across something as

complicated or mysterious or challenging as this. I am

determined to find out more about it but quite what that will be,

heaven alone knows. So with the help of census records, and other

details, it will hopefully sold one of the family mistress. It is one

of hundreds of ongoing quests and to think it is only possible to two

large numbers of volunteers all with a real passion of preserving

our past. In my opinion, places like this really are... Magic.

Isn't that brilliant? And banks to those volunteers, some of the local

history has been saved from the skip. From Matlock Bath, that is it

for this week. See you next week. Next week, Brown 10 revealed, and

Inside Out exclusive. I stabbed him quite a number of times, slashed