Jonathan Griffin News

A black tie fundraising gala dinner event at National Maritime Museum Cornwall, in the company of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, raised over £80,000 for the Museum last week. The event called a Night at the Museum, celebrated the Museum’s 10th birthday and launched a new 10-year campaign to raise £4 million over the next decade. More than 120 guests enjoyed a champagne reception overlooking Falmouth’s harbor in the Museum’s Waterside café followed by a candlelit five course meal in the Museum’s Main Hall.

National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) has appointed Jonathan Griffin as the new Director. He has held a number of commercial senior management roles during his career including: Marketing Services Director for the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and the English Tourist Board, Marketing Director of English Heritage and Commercial Manager of London Zoo and Whipsnade Park. For the past four years, he has been based in London working on the country’s public presentation overseas. As Director of the Britain Abroad Task Force he drew on his marketing background to help develop and co-ordinate a strategy for the public-facing work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office…

He continues: “The news of the damage to the Cutty Sark this morning is obviously tragic. She is an iconic symbol of our great maritime trading past. From what we hear, it seems that a large part of the famous ship has been destroyed by fire although we hear encouraging news that around 50% of the fabric was off site at the time. The Cutty Sark was moored in Falmouth between 1922 and 1938 and was restored here by Captain Dowman, becoming a well-known local landmark. She then became a sail-training ship, coming and going from the port, until in 1954 she made her last voyage to dry dock in Greenwich. The condition of her ironwork and woodwork had been deteriorating in recent years and a major conservation program was under way. It was for this reason that much of the fabric was off site.