THE CONNECTED EARTH PARTNERSHIP

Milton Keynes Museum, an independent, local social history museum and home to the Telephone Museum, officially joined BT's Connected Earth partnership on 26th March 2003. To mark the occasion, Milton Keynes Museum received a large collection of telecommunications objects from the BT heritage collection - and also funding towards a new Connected Earth gallery dedicated to the history of telecommunications.

Milton Keynes Museum is run by a charitable Trust with almost all work carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers. It is situated on the site of a farmstead, once occupied by tenants of the Radcliffe Trust, whose rents paid for the running of the infirmary, library and observatory at Oxford. It lies on the edge of Wolverton, the world's first "railway town". Started by a group that saw Milton Keynes as a threat to their heritage, it has become a Local Social History Museum that is part of the New City. Transport and shopping are also featured within the story of the Victorian farmstead. The Telephone Museum, operated by a separate charitable trust, has evolved there over approximately 15 years.

Milton Keynes joins a unique partnership of eight national, regional and independent museums across the UK, which have all received Connected Earth artefacts to augment their existing collections and funding towards new galleries.

Welcoming Milton Keynes to BT's Connected Earth Partnership, Richard Lloyd, BT project manager, said: "Milton Keynes has already built up a significant collection of telephone memorabilia and we are delighted that it will now join the Connected Earth network. The additional artefacts and the contribution towards a new Connected Earth gallery will improve interpretation and context, making telecommunications heritage accessible and enjoyable for visitors as well as educational groups."

Bill Griffiths Museum director, said: "This announcement represents the latest stage in the development of Milton Keynes Museum. It is recognition by one of the UK's leading companies of what the Museum has accomplished to date, and in particular the work of the telephone volunteers. We anticipate that becoming a partner in Connected Earth will help to raise the profile of the Museum locally, regionally and nationally."

As well as the range of Telecom-related artefacts, BT donated three of their historic vehicle fleet to join the Telephone Museum's Morris "Z" engineers' van. These were a 1 ton Morris Commercial Stores lorry with matching trailer in green livery; a 1977 Bedford Pole Erection unit in yellow and the Roadphone, probably the world's largest working telephone.

Designed to make a big impression, the huge yellow Roadphone was built in 1983 on to a Ford van chassis, and was modelled on an Ambassador telephone. It was taken around the country to fairs, exhibitions and processions, including the Lord Mayor's Parade in London, and could be used by the public to make calls. These vehicles will now become exhibits at Milton Keynes where they join an existing collection of working telephones, switchboards and exchanges, as well as additional items from the Connected Earth collection.

BT is providing part funding for a new gallery, with other funding sources now being approached by the Museum, working towards a realisation of the project in 2005. The new Telephone Museum will be located close to the existing Transport Hall. Planning permission and initial building construction is planned for the next 12 months with internal fittings and displays etc, the following year. The Museum will hopefully incorporate a THG library facility and it is envisaged that the external façade will be representative of a "period" telephone building.

Visit the Connected Earth site