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Michael Buchanan will report for PM today from a museum devoted to the history of brewing and beer, ahead of its closure on Monday.

Michael writes...

In this era of concern over alcohol misuse, it's often overlooked that Britain has a very proud brewing heritage. Ales from these shores have been quenching thirsts for centuries and nowhere is more associated with that tradition that Burton-on-Trent. But a gem of a museum in the town devoted to brewing (with a strong emphasis, it's fair to say, on the Bass brewery) is to close at the end of the month.

The museum gives visitors a thorough understanding of the brewing process

and how it developed as well as containing archives going back to the 1740s.

These labels

are all rip-offs of the famous red Bass triangle which brewers across the world produced in an attempt to be associated with the good name of the Bass ales.

The museum also gives an insight into how pubs in Britain developed.

The reason for the closure is falling visitor numbers but supporters such as Adrian Wedgewood are engaged in an enthusiastic campaign to keep the collection together and re-open the place as a national brewing museum.

He says that an important part of Britain's industrial heritage is in danger of being lost, and is looking for benefactors to come forward with the more than £300,000 per annum they reckon they'll need to keep the museum open. The owners of the museum have given them until the end of the year to put together a rescue package. If this was a collection of artwork, says Adrian, there would undoubtedly be a national campaign to keep it.

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