West House, Pinner

The first phase of the planned Heath Robinson museum at West House in Pinner has now opened to the public. West House is a Georgian house at the top of Pinner Memorial Park which was bought by the people of Pinner as a war memorial, but which by the 1980s had become derelict. Heath Robinson lived in Pinner and The William Heath Robinson Trust was seeking a permanent home for its collection. The Pinner Association, with the WHRT, formed a new trust to raise funds to renovate the house and to extend it to provide a purpose built gallery. Phase one of the project was to restore the existing house and this has now been done. It provides a café, shop and exhibition space where examples from the WHRT collection are displayed. Initially, the gallery will be open from 1pm to 5pm on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons with extended hours during special exhibitions.

Meanwhile, The West House and Heath Robinson Museum Trust will continue, with renewed vigour, to raise funds for the second phase, the building of a new, purpose-built gallery.

Latest News: Our bid for Heritage Lottery Funding was successful. We were granted a "Stage 1" pass and now embark on 14 months of development. As well as working up detailed designs for the building, a permanent exhibition and the way the museum will operate, this will involve production of plans for audience development, learning activities, communications and volunteer management. We shall also need to have secured £500,000 of partnership funding by the end of the development period.