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Musuem Ticket Office + Gift Shop

Proposal to use GO4

The St. Nicholas Market Air Raid shelter tour enters its 3rd year as the most popular tour in Bristol.

The current tour now offers 2 routes:

A Market + Shelter tour and a dedicated  Blitz tour.

Over 5000 people visited the shelter last year with a 50% increase in numbers in January  over the same time during 2024.

3 tours of 25 people are offered on a Saturday with 2 on Thursdays and Fridays.

Wednesdays are devoted to Schools and private groups.

A new theatrical tour is due to begin in the summer. This experiential tour will be called The Bristol Blitz Experience.

This new tour will involve 3 actors passing the group between themselves bringing live street theatre to Corn Street!

The Bristol Blitz Experience will  begin by running hourly with the goal of  tours starting at 30 min intervals.

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Why G04?

G04 would be the perfect gift shop and ticket office.

Each tour begins in front of G04. Each group pauses outside G04 for safety announcements. Each group finishes outside G04 for a group photograph.

A street level point of contact would increase ticket sales dramatically. The Bristol Blitz Experince actors on Corn Street would direct customers into G04 for more information and tickets.

Tour participants would then be able to exit via the gift shop.

100% of tour participants when asked express that they would visit the gift shop.

The items on sale would reflect he content of the tour and the Bristol 's Blitz history.

These items include books, artworks / prints, artifacts and other WW2 memorabilia. 

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Warden's Desk

A small section of the ticket office would also be used to recreate an air raid warden's desk. Visitors to the ticket office could try on a Brodie helmet and and take a selfie at the desk.

The museum display also includes a large amount of D-Day information. This reflects the fact that the U.S forces planned their D-Day landings from Clifton College.

D-Day  is the number 2 reason for U.S tourists to visit the U.K.

The shop will also sell a high quality selection of D-Day books and artefacts.

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The shop will be decorated in keeping with the 1940's theme now in place in the entrance foyer.

The same green will be brought into the room with the same upper wall colour.

A parquet floor will be layed using solid oak  herringbone laminate.

Tape will be put across windows simulating the 1940's Civil Defense safety requirements.

Signage will be displayed in the window.

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Subterranean Tour!

Subterranean Tour!

Ticket Office / Gift shop diagrams

Floor Plan

View 1.

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View 2 showing taped windows and squadron of 148 German planes.

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View 3 showing Green colour scheme, taped windows and parquet floor.

Materials

All materials and patinas will be carefully considered to create an authentic 1940's impression. The shop counter will be created using reclaimed wood and period corrugated Iron. All furniture and display units will all be of high quality. See images below for examples of furniture and artefacts which are already in the musuem collection and ready to be installed.

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Display units which have already been purchased and could be used in G04..

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Items to be displayed on Wardens Desk.

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Original ARP map of Central Bristol to be displayed above warden's desk.

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Warden's desk which the public can sit at

to take a selfie in warden's uniform.

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Oak Herringbone block laminate flooring.

Stock

Alongside selling tour tickets, the museum gift shop will sell items relating to Bristol's wartime story and WW2 more generally.

These will include books, period poster prints, original artefacts and items relating to the shelter itself such as images of the shelter , Blitz artefacts and Blitz artworks. Items relating to Myrna Loy (the actor who's portrait is drawn on the shelter wall) such as prints of her portrait, film posters and items relating to her work with Cary Grant will be on sale.

Original shards of shrapnel will mounted ontop of an image of wartime Bristol. These will be sold in shadow box frames. Other higher priced versions will include shrapnel, an ARP badge and whistle. Aged posters (such as those on display in the shelter will also be sold framed and unframded. There is also a plethora of WW2 realted items such as reproduction memorabilia, warden's helmets etc. which will be carefully selected.

 

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Books

Books will also be carefully selected from those most relevant to Bristol's wartime history. A small selection of books describing Bristol's general history will also be on sale.

All books will be displayed alongside a brief description of their subject matter and author.'s own story. The majority of titles will produced by local authors; many of whom have already offered to visit for a book signing.

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Lizzie Lane is a Bristolian author and historian. She has created the most wonderful series of novels which follow the lives ofr four girls working in the Bedminster tobacco factories. The research involved is incredibel and  the detail captivating.

Lizzie has offered to visit the shop for a book signing.

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James Holland is a |West Country Historian from Salisbury. He is a prolific writer and host of the very popular 'We Have Ways' podcast which is co-hosted by comedian and historian Al Murray. They are visitng the shelter as part of a D-Day walk in June and have both offered to carry out a book signings. James Holland is also the brother of Tom Holland who hosts the immensely popular 'The Rest is History' podcast.

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Michael Kelly and Kenneth Blackburn have both written extremely funny and touching accounts of being young boys in Bristol during the Blitz.

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The changing role of women in society during WW2 is a central theme in the musuem. This will also be reflected in the books on sale.

The Corn Exchange played a pivotal role in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. This will also be recognised in the books on sale.

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During the 1960's the Exchange had another fascinating period in it's life as a major music venue. A dedicated Rock n Roll tour will start later in the year and books catering for this market will also be on sale.

Prints + Artworks

A range of framed and unframed prints will be on sale alongside orignal stencil artworks.

Orignal pieces of Shrapnel will also be on sale. Thesw will be framed alonside ARP whistles, and badges.

Myrna Loy

One of the highlights of our tour is the wonderful drawing of Myrna Loy which remains on the wall of the shelter having been created during the long fateful nights of the Blitz.

The public are enthralled by her image and the ephemeral beauty of the surving artwork.

Publicity images of Myrna Loy will be on sale along with reprodcutions of the drawing. Reproductions will be in postcard and print form (framed / unframed) and on canvas.

An original contemparary stencil version will also be produced.

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Period publicity images of Myrna Loy which can be reporduced and sold as postcards, framed / unframed prints and canvas'.

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Prints of the original drawings of Myrna Loy will be sold in postcard, print (framed / unframed and canvas form.

Postcards

A selection of postcards will be on sale showing wartime propaganda and iconic 1940s motifs. Postacrds of Myrna Loy, the AIr Raid Sheler and wartime Bristol will also be available.

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Metal Signs

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Replica Items

A selection of replica wartime items including whisltes and helmets will be available.

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Child's replica Warden's helmet.

Archive

An archive of Bristolian wartime memories has been created in the shelter over the past year. Participants on the tour are invited to record their recollections.

So far 12 recordings have been produced which include 7 men in their 90's and 2 women in their 90's. These recordings will be shown in the gift shop / ticket office using a wall mounted monitor and headphones. A QR code will also be displayed enabling the public to view the recordings using their own devices.

Brian Jenkins. Born Bristol 1930.

Partners

List of cultural organisations who are supporting  the museum development, have visited the museum and have offered networking support and assistance with future funding.

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Publicity

The air raid shelter has attracted great press interest over  the past 3 years. This coverage has been in print, online and T.V.  More press attention will be gained as the tours, musuem and gift shop develop.

Commemorative Events

Over the past 3 yeasrs commemorative events have taken place on the 24th of November (the fisrt night of the Bristol Blitz) on the 6th of June (D-Day) and for Battle of We also have the 80 anniversary of V.E day on the 8th of May 2025.

 

These events have al been very successful and will only benefit from the new shop / ticket office. They will draw mosre customers insied and to the market in general. 

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Unique behind the scenes access.

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"Bristol's biggest public Air Raid Shelter hidden beneath the city's most important building."

St. Nicholas Market Bristol tourist alley way pub Rummer Hotel

          Tel: 07909 221 684

Email - info@st-nickstours.com

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