Bid for Dickens museum in Malton begins to thrive (From Gazette & Herald)

Bid for Dickens museum in Malton begins to thrive

10:50am Thursday 9th August 2007

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HOPES are high that part of a historic Malton building where Charles Dickens is said to have set his classic "A Christmas Carol", will become a unique museum as part of the campaign to boost the town's economy.

The project is the brainchild of the new Thrive group, which has been set up in Malton by business and civic leaders and backed by the Gazette & Herald, to inject new life into the town.

Leading group member Stewart Frank said he and two other members, Coun Lindsay Burr and Carl Wain, had met Roddy Bushell, manager of the Fitzwilliam Estate, which owns the listed property in Yorkersgate, and who had been supportive of the idea to convert the basement, currently used as a store for Malton Museum, into a replica of Scrooge and Marley's office.

"We now need to work with other parties to get financial support and to draw up a business plan to obtain grants, " said Mr Frank.

The aim is to re-create the basement of the building which is still an accountants office as in the days of Dickens, as it would have been when he wrote the legendary story basing, it is believed, his characters of Scrooge, Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, on those who worked in the basement office at the time.

Thrive is also in contact with the Dickens Fellowship and as a result it hopes to obtain artefacts and displays on loan relating to the author.

"It is an exciting prospect. Malton has such close links with Dickens and there is the potential to use them to help the town's economy, especially 'A Christmas Carol' which is universally known", said Mr Frank.

He said: "The meeting went very well and the estate was very supportive of our group and its objectives.

"There are a few outstanding issues with interested parties which we now need to go away and negotiate, and we're going to draw up a business plan and then look at applying for grants."

In the short term, Thrive is concentrating on a scheme to encourage shops and businesses in Malton and Norton to open on Sundays - Thrive on Sundays.

Carl Wain and other members will be talking to traders, getting them to sign up to the idea, so that they can produce a flyer to distribute to households in time for a pilot scheme around September.

If you would like to sign up to Thrive on Sunday, can contact Carl Wain at Thrive (driving forward change for Malton & Norton), 23 Commercial Street, Norton, Malton, YO17 9HX, or email thrive@hotmail.co.uk

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