Plan to turn HMS Ambuscade into a floating maritime museum

The Save Falls of Clyde International (FOCI) supporters' group have shared their plans to bring back HMS Ambuscade from Pakistan and convert her into a floating maritime museum.

On Facebook, they shared provisional renderings for their planned Clyde Naval & Shipbuilding Heritage site, prepared by Paisley based architects, Framed Estates. The new site will be a Pop-Up visitor site and museum to be located on the banks of the Clyde.

This proposal is inspired by the very successful BOXPARK series of retail sites located across London, offering an instant site solution, without the hassle of a purpose built site and certainly without the same cost.  Using modular buildings or converted containers and a covered site, this offers year round access, this will bring to Glasgow and the West of Scotland a new quality visitor attraction.

The site will tell the story of Naval & Commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde with a section dedicated to HMS Ambuscade's history, including her role in the Falklands Conflict.  This could include a Harrier Jump Jet, a Lynx Helicopter, a selection of UK/Argentine vehicles and other aircraft, with a collection of personal material using digital tech to tell the stories of individual servicemen.  The site will look at the extensive history of the ships and shipbuilding on the Clyde as well as the experience of the workers through the ages and the affect on their lives, that working in a shipyard had on them and their families and the Glasgow economy.  A section on the Clyde's role in the Battle of the Atlantic during WW2 will also be included.  A variety of retailers have already requested information on becoming tenants of the site.  

FOCI are now looking for suitable locations for the vessel and pop-up visitor site to be located.  They are open to suggestions and cooperation from any developers or businesses along the length of the river Clyde.  This will create new jobs while boosting tourism and offering start up opportunities to communities across Glasgow initially.

FOCI are still progressing their other vessel, the tall ship Falls of Clyde, currently in Hawaii, and are optimistic that they can also secure her return to the Clyde in 2023.  The State authorities in Hawaii are now demonstrating a willingness to work together and hopefully to remove the last obstacles remaining there.

Source: FOCI on Facebook