Talk:Red House Museum

This isn't the only Red House Museum
I thought it was worth pointing out that there is a museum in Christchurch (Hampshire, UK) of the same name: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/redhouse.htm 86.16.36.95 (talk) 08:33, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Closure section
The section on closure is over long and gives WP:UNDUE weight about the council finances. J3Mrs (talk) 18:00, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * I have once again removed referenced but not encyclopedic content. This is not the place to fight closure. I notice you have expanded this article for DYK, it contains too much on something that has not happened and tells us nothing about the house. WP:UNDUEJ3Mrs (talk) 19:54, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Normally I'd agree with you, and if you have not been to the museum you won't realise how important this information is to the general public. Staff, Friends of the Museum in labelled shirts, and visitors were talking about it when I was there last weekend. However there was much misinformation going around, so the article needs full and properly referenced and balanced information. This is not about fighting closure or campaigning for or against. It is about full information and balance. Please note that I am still in the middle of researching and working on this article as it is of local importance, so you may wish to keep your major edits for later. Storye book (talk) 20:11, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Please do not make this into an edit war. The paragraph concerned is fully referenced and balanced, and is about political events concerning the museum, which have happened. As I am currently working on this article, you will find it difficult to keep track of your edits, so you may wish to delay your major edits until later. Thank you for your kind help so far. Storye book (talk) 20:19, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * I edited the article after I became aware of Mary Taylor while I was there so don't make assumptions, I am a regular visitor to museums and libraries throughout West Yorkshire and have visited several times. It has been threatened with closure for more than a year. It requires a couple of sentences at best but you appear to be padding it out for DYK. It most certainly is NOT balanced, there's nearly as much about it as there is about the house. Encyclopedia articles should be selective, not stuffed with everything Google can muster. J3Mrs (talk) 20:26, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Balance of number of words per section is not critical until the article reaches GA status. For a new article at DYK level and at C status, one section can at that stage be weaker or stronger than the main section. Please do not repeatedly delete whole referenced paragraphs. There is no stuffing or padding going on here. Editing WP articles is not about winning or pride. Please do not enter into or continue an edit war. Thank you. Storye book (talk) 20:34, 12 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Nonsense, balance is important in all articles. I will delete undue non-encyclopedic content that is about questionnaires and consultations as campaigning. Be aware it takes two to edit war. J3Mrs (talk) 20:39, 12 July 2016 (UTC)

Missing Threatened Closure paragraphs
Since the following paragraphs have been deleted from the article, I am moving them here so that the information and references remain available. These paragraphs put the subject of the article into current political context, showing both the Council's valid reasons for closing it (financial) and the objectors' valid reasons for keeping it open (educational, cultural, etc.), plus full references.

As of July 2016, Kirklees Council was considering closing Red House, the Tolson Museum and Dewsbury Museum, due to funding cuts. According to the The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, "The council has decided it can only afford to run two museums in the borough – one for North Kirklees and one for Huddersfield and South Kirklees." The Council for British Archaeology, Yorkshire, says: "The local authority looks to make savings on the service of £531,000 by 2017-18." The Daily Mail says: "The decision has been criticised by groups celebrating the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë's birth, who insist the museum building should be protected because of its unique history and literary links. It also quotes Jacqueline Ryder, Chairwoman of the Friends of Red House Museum, who says: "This news confirms our worst fears after months of rumour and speculation. Red House is a rare example of a yeoman clothier's family house and workplace, complete with outbuildings and historic, award-winning gardens. It was owned and run by the Taylor family for hundreds of years, who made a substantial contribution to the area's textile industry."

As 2016, the museum was handing out to visitors a questionnaire relating to the threatened closure of some of its museums, including Red House. The questionnaire invites the respondent to tick options which do not include keeping the museums open. Kirklees Council says that it is responsible for Red House Museum as a historic house, however at the same time it argues that a museum is not a building but its displayed contents. The Council's consultation period regarding the current plan for museum closure was the three weeks following 4 July 2016, and the consultation day for Red House was Tuesday 19 July at 6 pm.