The author was invited by the London police to design build operate and finance a popular educational exhibition about policing London to be located at Bow Street Police Station. It was to help young people, ethnic communities and tourists to learn about the British way of policing, past and present. This is his frank and fascinating account of planning and financing the project up until it was brought to an end when the grand historic building, which was to be used, ceased to be available.
Andrew Thorburn tells the history of policing in Bow Street, and sets out how the building was to be adapted and extended. The full designers' brief for the museum is included, and an account of the fund raising and town planning negotiations. The two final chapters set out what happened when the project was ended. It is a story of creativity frustrated. One ends up wondering about the failure of a major public body to deliver.
This book is a major contribution to understanding public/private partnerships for development, and how developers work. It is equally useful in explaining the tasks of a modern police force, and why better policing should come from the public knowing more about these.