Vintage Vehicle Museum Shildon - Michael Bowman collection slide show Bedford Dennis Scammell

Having a sort out in the loft and come across the Vintage Vehicle Museum of Shildon leaflet which was the dream of Michael Bowman to showcase his personal collection and fellow enthusiasts and good friends to store their vehicles and projects. It was a very small museum packed with exhibits with a small £2 entrance fee and was competing with the recently opened National Railway Museum which was later renamed the Locomotion Museum whom offered free entry but donations and many visitors thought his display / museum was another part of the railway site trail and expected free entry.
Mike was a lovely man and when he retired his business in the town he shared his passion with us all and created his dream under one roof.
Bedfords was his passion and me working for a GM/Bedford-AWD dealership we had loads to discuss and share information and his desire to keep things as was and in very good order.
If it wasn't for Mike I would have never ever seen a Star Flyer lorry and was always shown loaded with bric a brac in a period look. Then he found a Dennis Horla lorry and restored it and found a trailer so he could show it, not only in the museum but on the local vintage rally scene at many events.
Sadly the museum which opened in 2005 welcomed over 3000 visitors annually but closed its doors in October 2012, due to lack of footfall of approx 2000 visitors that the entrance fee didn't cover the running costs, even though it was a registered charity status it never received any grants to fund the museum.
Mike Bowman, whom grandfather began a horse and cart haulage business in the Tyne Valley in the 1890's , said that (in 2012) that the museum was a labour of love and had really enjoyed running it over the years till it closed the doors.
Mike sadly passed away 26th September 2020
Every time I see one of Mikes vehicle collection on the rally scene with its new custodian, I do think if it wasn't for him and his friends saving them from the scrap men they would have been lost many many years ago.
So as a tribute I have edited together a few images in a slide show of his vehicles in the museum and on the local rally scene and events. (2005-2006) 35mm scanned film slides.