But we do have Melbourne

Since his return to Melbourne in early July, the director has been engaged for much of the time in the relocation of the Museum - a dismal but necessary chore made necessary by unpleasant external forces which have been alluded to elsewhere.

Unfortunately the move has meant the Museum has had to suspend its popular display programme. Fortunately most of the completed works have been successfully relocated to temporary premises courtesy of the Kitchener Institute. Despite the current inconvenience there is nevertheless a small benefit to be found among all the disruption, in that the enforced furlough now provides an opportunity for maintenance and repairs which had been a tad neglected. There has also been a necessary culling of the museum's research material.

We no longer have Paris

Paris is still there of course but we - the Director and staff - aren't. News since the previous posting has been scarce for many reasons, mostly unconvincing. We could blame the limited computer facilities in Paris, or the limited spare time, or the limited subject matter, but it would all be somewhat specious and irrelevant.

As a postscript to the previous post it cannot go unremarked that M Gramme stands in bronze in the forecourt of the much-admired Musée des Arts et Metiers which the Director visited on several occasions during his research trip.

And there is much one could (and possibly will) say about le Musée des Arts et Metiers. For now we will merely record the satisfaction of seeing there a model of Henry Maudslay's steam table engine