MAKING HISTORY
A community project capturing the history of the Wide Lane production site, where more than two million Ford Transit vans rolled off the production line, saw Philspace’s containers take centre stage.
The ‘Transition: from fields to Ford and beyond’ project was a week-long pop-up museum on the former Ford site in Swaythling last month.
Visitors could learn the story of this historically-significant site including the role it played in manufacturing aircraft in WW2 through to the mass production of the Ford Transit van.
Philspace supplied three 20ft x 8ft shipping containers, one with a side opening, which housed the museum and included photographs and infographics along with the audio visual and multimedia exhibits. The company also provided mobile toilets for the event.
Lee Chamberlain, Philspace’s Health & Safety and Sales Co-ordinator believes that it’s important to get involved with local initiatives.
”This was a significant event for the Southampton community and we were pleased to be able to meet the needs of the pop-up museum by supplying three of our highly versatile shipping containers.
Lee ChamberlainPhilspace’s Health & Safety and Sales Co-ordinator
The Ford Transit factory played a massive part in the local economy for so many years and it had a major impact on local people. This was an impressive event; it captured the history of the site in a creative, imaginative and interactive way, and it was a privilege to play our part.
The pop-up museum also featured the last Transit van to roll off the production line before it closed in 2012, which was signed by those who made it. ‘Transition: from fields to Ford and beyond’ was a community history project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
