Museum chief to retire after £221k grant boost
SCOTLAND’S longest-serving transport museum director is to retire after 38 years in charge of one of the country’s most successful heritage venues.
Mike Ward MBE, who has been at the helm of Aberdeenshire’s Grampian Museum of Transport since 1983 and whose national honour recognises his work at the popular venue, will step down at the end of the 2021 season. The search to find a replacement has begun.
Mike has worked with trustees, staff and volunteers for almost four decades to develop the Alford museum, which covers private and commercial motor vehicles, steam road traction, stage coaches, buses, railways bicycles and trams, including the Great North of Scotland Railway’s Cruden Bay tram.
His philosophy, which he passionately believes that all heritage railways, museums and vehicle owners should adopt, is to keep exhibits both topical and relevant.
Mike’s wife Mandy has also worked at the museum, and Mike said: “It’s been a privilege being in charge at Alford for so long and to have worked with the entire team and the community to develop the museum in terms of space, number of exhibits and local and national impact.”
Vacancy
“We’ve just had a piece of good news,” he added. “Although we’ve been closed because of Covid, we’ve just received a £221,000 boost from Museum Galleries Scotland’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, which will allow us to reopen later this year, if that’s allowed by the Government.”
Paul Lawson, chairman of the board of trustees, said: “Mike has done a wonderful job and will leave big shoes to fill.
“That’s why we’re looking for a special individual who can build on the very solid foundations established by Mike to take the museum forward and also to bring his or her own ideas to developing the museum further.”
Full details of the £37,500 salaried job are at www.gtm.org.uk/museumdirector