PRESS RELEASE: PAXMAN DIGGING THE DIRT AT THE TANK MUSEUM

He’s famed for digging for answers – but Jeremy Paxman found himself digging the dirt during a visit to The Tank Museum.

Jeremy Paxman hard at work, (from left) watched by Museum Director Richard Smith, Facilities Manager Roy Hicks and Dawnus Construction Project Manager Stewart Spearman.
Jeremy Paxman hard at work, (from left) watched by Museum Director Richard Smith, Facilities Manager Roy Hicks and Dawnus Construction Project Manager Stewart Spearman.

The host of BBC 1’s Newsnight, renowned for calling a spade a spade, volunteered to `break the earth` on The Tank Museum’s latest building project whilst filming a documentary about the First World War.   In July, The Tank Museum learned that it had been awarded £2.5m towards a series of developments including a new 40,000 sq ft building titled The Vehicle Conservation Centre.

Capable of housing 120 vehicles in stable environmental conditions, it will be first time many of them will be on display.  The building will include an exhibition explaining how the Museum maintains and cares for its unique collection of armoured fighting vehicles and provide the facilities to allow simultaneous volunteer led conservation projects.  Building work has now begun on the Vehicle Conservation Centre, which will be open to the public in autumn 2013.  The work is being carried out by Dawnus Construction LTD of Exeter.

Tank Museum