National Glass Centre reopening

bobster999

bobster999

Winger
Theyre moving the cafe upstairs as downstairs is still closed

Re-opening information - Sunderland Culture

We’re delighted to have reopened following recent storm damage! Things will be a little bit different for a while as we continue to address the storm damage to the riverside front of the building. But our team has worked hard to make changes so that we can offer visitors a packed programme of...
sunderlandculture.org.uk sunderlandculture.org.uk
 


bobster999 said:
Theyre moving the cafe upstairs as downstairs is still closed

Re-opening information - Sunderland Culture

We’re delighted to have reopened following recent storm damage! Things will be a little bit different for a while as we continue to address the storm damage to the riverside front of the building. But our team has worked hard to make changes so that we can offer visitors a packed programme of...
sunderlandculture.org.uk sunderlandculture.org.uk
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I might actually go one day. I've been meaning to since I first saw the signs for it when I started going to the match 20 years ago.

Edit: just checked and it looks like the first match I went to was 02 Dec 2003, almost exactly 20 years. I feel old now.
 
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double maxim said:
I think it's shit and exists as the world's most expensively constructed coffee shop.
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Well that's bollocks. Some of the exhibitions they've had on (all for free) over the years have been outrageously good. Been to dozens. They also do the glass blowing demonstrations (for free) and glass blowing workshops.. there's a small museum in there (for free) with loads of incredible artefacts and pieces of 300 year old immaculate glass objects and pieces of Sunderland history. There's also an education centre/space in there, and a tremendous gift shop selling the specialised glass artworks that you'd struggle to get anywhere else. So no, it's just not just a coffee shop .
 
I’ve only started to visit at all in the last few years and I like it.
Nice cafe in a lovely riverside location and the exhibitions are very good.
The glass blowing demonstrations were also excellent.
Although the riverside location in someways is good, for footfall it’s probably a struggle.
It would be criminal to lose that though
 
vinegar hill said:
I’ve only started to visit at all in the last few years and I like it.
Nice cafe in a lovely riverside location and the exhibitions are very good.
The glass blowing demonstrations were also excellent.
Although the riverside location in someways is good, for footfall it’s probably a struggle.
It would be criminal to lose that though
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It’s location is it’s biggest draw
Shove it in the back of the museum and no one will go
 
tunstallhill said:
Well that's bollocks. Some of the exhibitions they've had on (all for free) over the years have been outrageously good. Been to dozens. They also do the glass blowing demonstrations (for free) and glass blowing workshops.. there's a small museum in there (for free) with loads of incredible artefacts and pieces of 300 year old immaculate glass objects and pieces of Sunderland history. There's also an education centre/space in there, and a tremendous gift shop selling the specialised glass artworks that you'd struggle to get anywhere else. So no, it's just not just a coffee shop .
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Maybe if it wasn't all (free) it might be more of a viable enterprise to keep on?

Regardless of economics, I know sunderland has some glass making history going right back to Benedict Biscop but I always found the link to sunderland to be a extremely tenuous anyway. Even their own website talks about Benedict Biscop then says "fast forward 1300 years".

And what they are fast forwarding to is a secondary industry and although we produced a lot it was mostly rolled plate and pressed glass (windows and bottles) so it was essentially a factory process, the quaint glass blowing demonstrations don't really represent the history of Sunderland's role in glass making.

There are towns up and down the country that have as much or more of a tradition in decorative art glass production. I know its not the most reliable of sources but sunderland isn't mentioned once here

Early modern glass in England - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Or here

en.m.wikipedia.org

Glass - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

I've always been a bit embarrassed to have it here to be honest and I certainly won't miss it when it's gone and replaced with a bit of exhibition space in the museum or new culture house.
 
double maxim said:
Maybe if it wasn't all (free) it might be more of a viable enterprise to keep on?

Regardless of economics, I know sunderland has some glass making history going right back to Benedict Biscop but I always found the link to sunderland to be a extremely tenuous anyway. Even their own website talks about Benedict Biscop then says "fast forward 1300 years".

And what they are fast forwarding to is a secondary industry and although we produced a lot it was mostly rolled plate and pressed glass (windows and bottles) so it was essentially a factory process, the quaint glass blowing demonstrations don't really represent the history of Sunderland's role in glass making.

There are towns up and down the country that have as much or more of a tradition in decorative art glass production. I know its not the most reliable of sources but sunderland isn't mentioned once here

Early modern glass in England - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Or here

en.m.wikipedia.org

Glass - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

I've always been a bit embarrassed to have it here to be honest and I certainly won't miss it when it's gone and replaced with a bit of exhibition space in the museum or new culture house.
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So fuck. Who cares about other cities, let them worry about themselves. Seriously, your embarrassed by the national glass centre?

The university glass related courses are pretty unique and world renowned. We can be proud of more than one aspect of the cities history. We weren't the only people to build ships either

Don't even know why I'm responding.
 
"Some glass-making history"? Worrabout Pyrex??

I've always enjoyed a visit to the Glass Centre when back up, the kids loved the glass roof - highlight of the day!
 
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Plodge said:
"Some glass-making history"? Worrabout Pyrex??

I've always enjoyed a visit to the Glass Centre when back up, the kids loved the glass roof - highlight of the day!
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A factory for mass produced products. And you do realise it was a US based multinational not a firm set up by Billy Pyrex from Pallion.

Your kids will love the Dewhirsts Experience and The Papery World of Edward Thompson.
 
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