The Model of Victorian Winchester - TrustNews December 14
On Saturday 8th November by fortunate coincidence, Michael Morris happened to be up from Exeter and staying with Roger Brown while the latter’s model was on display in the Great Hall. o we took the opportunity to invite them both, together with the County Chairman, Cllr Colin Davidovitz, to a small ceremony around the model.
A gathering of some 30 members heard Colin thank Roger for his quite remarkable gift (9 years work) to the people of Winchester, Michael for his dedicated help from the very start, and a number of others who had contributed to the model's survival and present display. He added that it was becoming increasingly urgent to find a permanent home for the model and that he would ask for the help of the newly formed Hampshire Cultural Trust. Keith Leaman responded by thanking Colin for his words and the County Council for having generously taken on the model's storage and display. He added that the model was deteriorating due to the repeated need to take it apart and reassemble it, and that quite apart from its intrinsic value to all who visited the model, his own experience of commissioning such things suggested that it would now cost in excess of £60,000 to build. He agreed with Colin that a permanent home for this very precious asset must be found.
It was interesting that as we assembled, a large group of Italian tourists appeared spell-bound as their guide explained Winchester and its history with the aid of the model. Were the model ever to be supplemented by the exciting audio-visual display envisaged (and to some extent prepared) by Roger, it is quite possible that it would pay for its upkeep in a suitable location.