Make a difference

Yet, if the Science Museum Group is to be compelled to think again after announcing its intention to close one of its Yorkshire attractions, or the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester which is also under threat, it is encouraging that the leaders of the three councils concerned are already working together to prevent this act of cultural vandalism from taking place.

The political and economic case is a strong one: visitors to these three attractions, which employ the equivalent of 250 full-time staff, spend around £500m a year – money which is crucial to the York, Bradford and Manchester economies. They also play an invaluable role from an education perspective.

Politics and education aside, the biggest difference can be made by all those families across Yorkshire who value the county’s diverse range of museums. Rather than talking about visiting these world-class attractions, they should make a determined effort to do so this summer and, at the same time, give constructive feedback on how these facilities can move with the times.

If they do so in sufficient numbers, it will make it even more difficult for the Science Museum Group to justify any closure plan – and for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to sanction any such decision.

As such, the message could not be simpler: use these museums or risk losing them at a time when some are openly questioning the free admission policy that was introduced by New Labour at the height of the economic boom.