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Latest News
Blast from the past! Rare Met Artefacts go on Display to Public Permanently!
The centre includes uniforms from times-gone-by The Met today (22 June) launched 'The Met Collection' heritage centre, a small showcase of historical exhibits, dating from as early as 1829, on permanent display to the public. The 'Met Collection' centre, opposite West Brompton tube station, was officially opened by Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson set against a backdrop of historical theatre which included vintage police cars, motorbikes, uniforms and mounted branch officers. Martin Tiplady, Director of Human of Resources for the Met said: "It's a proud day. The Met has so much history it's great to be able to share that with the people we serve. The Met Collection building will have a dual purpose, mixing old with the new. We will host recruitment events there and have a permanent careers advice area so new staff and officers coming into the Met will be inspired and get a sense of our history and pride." He continued: "A centre celebrating the Met's long and distinguished history has been a long time in coming. The collection may be relatively small but I can see this appealing to Londoners generally, school parties and Met employees past and present. The real people behind this are my team who have created it and I thank them and also the MPA who helped bring this idea to life." "The centre is free admission and will be open 10am to 4pm during weekdays," explains Maggie Bird, Curator of the Met Collection. "It's a small space but we believe we are making the best use of it. We will rotate some of the 15,000 items from the police archives, which include uniforms, old maps of London, police equipment, a World War II display and much, much more… so come and enjoy and be part of London's history." Kit Malthouse, Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), which gave the green light for the venture said: "The Met collection is a fantastic resource that has for too long been hidden from public view. It encapsulates more than just the physical history of the Met - it charts the development of this great city and the changing face of our society. "The MPA and the Mayor share the ambition to create a world class 'blue light' museum in the capital. This will be a valuable teaching resource and a world class tourist attraction. Such a development is long overdue, and this small but fascinating centre should be seen as a first encouraging step towards that goal." The Met Collection centre maybe small, but it's certainly beautifully formed. A light, bright and airy space equipped with the latest technology. Current exhibits include a World War II and Policing display and a celebration of the 90th anniversary of Met women police officers, as well as other iconic items. The Met Collection is free to all and more information can be found by calling 0207 161 1234. Learn about London, come and visit the Met Collection.
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