A meeting with Mark Bills

To Gainsborough's House this morning to meet the new Director, Mark Bills.  Our discussion was very wide ranging.  Having been a trustee over the past two years when we were without a Director, it is something of a relief to have a real professional in charge once again.

Mark, who has come from the Watts Gallery in Guildford,  is settling down well in Suffolk, and has enjoyed his first weeks at the Museum.  He has some ambitious plans for the future which should really enhance the experience of people who visit the House, whether coming from nearby or from afar.

We discussed the importance of Gainsborough's House to the local community.  I note that Mark is quoted in the Free Press this week in connection with the Visit Suffolk, Curious County Campaign.  It seems that we were too late to be involved with the project by the time he had arrived.   This may be a blessing in disguise however since I share the misgivings of others about the appropriateness of the Curious Suffolk slogan. I am also pretty sure  from previous experience that money spent on participation may well not have been worth the outlay, although I have no idea of what the fee would have been.

What is certain however is that the museum already contributes to the viability of the town centre, attracting around 20,000 visitors a year from overseas as well as other parts of the country.  If we can increase the footfall by making its attractions more widely desireable it could really contribute to the current efforts that are being made to revitalise Sudbury.