A Lease, a Legacy, and a Lot on Fleet Street
In April 1892, a lease was signed for a plot of land on Fleet Street in Birmingham. On the surface, it was a typical legal document: land, rent, and a list of conditions. But it also reflects the way the city was developing—expanding industry, formal agreements, and long-term plans between property owners and local tradesmen. […]
In Loving Memory of Nick Booth: Visionary Trustee, Storyteller, Champion of Change
We were shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of Nick Booth — a long-standing Trustee of Birmingham Conservation Trust (BCT), an exceptional supporter of the Coffin Works, and above all, a kind and generous friend to so many of us. Nick’s contribution to our work was enormous, but it was the way […]
Coffin Works Museum secures multi-year grant of £50k from Garfield Weston Foundation!
2024 just got better, as we recently received the news that our grant submission to Garfield Weston Foundation was successful! As such we have been awarded a multi-year core costs grant of £50,000 over the next two years to fund our growing repairs and maintenance bills. For us, it’s a lifeline to have foundations like […]
Honouring Julian Litten: life, legacy and a league of his own
In the early 2000s I attended a Church Monuments Society tour in the south of England. At one particular church, the leader of the tour called upon a smartly dressed gentleman to talk about two specific monuments. That man was Dr Julian Litten. During the dialogue between him and the tour participants he made reference […]
Coffin Works’ ’10FOR10′ Campaign
The award-winning Coffin Works will be 10 years old on 28th October. We’ve achieved so much in that time and built something special, including our wonderful team of volunteers and now we’re looking to mark the past decade by launching our ‘10 for 10’ campaign. To mark our 10th-birthday celebrations, we’re looking for people to […]
Coffin Works Museum awarded a £101,989 grant from DCMS
The Coffin Works is one of 26 museums nationwide to receive a Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) grant! The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sponsors a number of non-departmental public bodies to help deliver national priorities relating to digital, culture, media and sport. Those with responsibility for sectors covered by MEND include: […]
Shortlisted nominees announced for the 22nd annual Museums + Heritage Awards
The Coffin Works Museum is pleased yet again to have been shortlisted for a Museum+Heritage Award, this time in the category of Volunteer(s) of the Year in partnership with the Heritage Volunteering Group. The nomination is in memory of the late Vickie Jones, who had volunteered with us since 2015. She unexpectedly died in November […]
The Newman Sisters
We know a lot about the Newman Brothers, but not so much about the Newman Sisters, and there were four of them. Thanks to census data and a bit of newspaper research, their legacy is not lost and in honour of International Women’s Day we’re highlighting their stories this March. And we promise to keep […]
The Mystery of Edwin Newman: Bankruptcy, Buckingham Street and Another Brother
Since we opened the museum nearly ten years ago, the mystery of Edwin Newman has flummoxed us. Frustratingly we’ve never been able to determine why after setting up the Fleet Works with his brother, Alfred, just one year later the partnership was dissolved. The Fleet Works, otherwise known as Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Works, was […]
Celebrating the Life of Vickie Jones: volunteer, friend and Coffin Works’ champion
I first spoke to Vickie in the summer of 2015, when she phoned to say that she’d visited the Coffin Works at the weekend, been on a guided tour and loved the place, so wanted to get involved. When I first met her a week later, she told me that she’d just retired, so was […]
Trustees’ Week at the Coffin Works: Introducing Annette French
Introducing Annette, one of our new Trustees. Annette joined our Board in November 2022, but she’s been a champion of ours for a long time, even offering guidance for our Museum Accreditation journey a few years back. Here’s what it means to be a Trustee in the words of Annette herself: “I’d wanted to […]
Coffin Works awarded VisitEngland Hidden Gem Accolade
VisitEngland announced on Thursday this week the winners of its Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2022-2023, recognising the high-quality visitor experiences on offer across England. Following our recent VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment, we’re pleased to share the exciting news that The Coffin Works has been awarded a VisitEngland Hidden Gem Accolade. This accolade is […]
