Crunch credited with museum boom

Museums and art galleries across Staffordshire and the Black Country have been enjoying a summer boom in visitor numbers with the recession taking the credit for the upturn in fortunes.

Free attractions at the venues have prompted people to stay away from costly theme parks and head to the council-run activities. The Museum Of Cannock Chase in Hednesford has just enjoyed the best July in its 18 year history – with 6,566 people visiting.

Museum bosses believe the credit crunch has helped boost visitor numbers and they believe August may just be as successful with 750 people already turning out for a Summer Family Fun Day earlier in the month.

Adrienne Whitehouse, Cannock Chase Council leisure development manager, said: "Last month was the best July in the 18 years I've been working at the council. Perhaps the recession has made more local families try some of the great free facilities that are on their doorstep."

Elsewhere Wolverhampton's museums and galleries are also seeing record visitor numbers this summer.

Bantock House Museum, Bilston Craft Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery are all experiencing higher numbers, with the July total hitting more than 25,000.

Zoe Papiernik, head of audience development for Wolverhampton Arts and Museums said: "Summer is always a busy period for us, but this year more so, with an additional 2,000 visitors compared to 2008."

The number of visitors to Dudley Museum and Art Gallery were up eight per cent in July, compared with the same month in 2008.

Stafford attractions are also seeing a boom in visitor numbers this year with hundreds more visitors flocking to the Ancient High House and Stafford Castle.

But in Sandwell visitor numbers were down in July.

Sandwell's culture and leisure boss, Councillor Linda Horton said: "Visitor numbers to our museums in July are down on last year but that has been due to the very bad weather conditions that meant many people stayed away."