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+--- Thread: Launch of MetroMOLA (/showthread.php?tid=3781)
Launch of MetroMOLA - Unitof1 - 4th March 2011
From http://www.metromola.com/
"MetroMOLA Ltd registered in England no.7245967. Reg. office: 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. As part of Museum of London Archaeology, MetroMOLA is a Registered Archaeological Organisation with the Institute for Archaeologists"
http://www.archaeologists.net/ROsearch
but no listing for metromola there..........thats a sweet a sentance or is it,,,
so metromola is either the Museum of London Archaeology or its the Museum of London Archaeology which must mean that its the Museum of London Archaeology -but its a Private Limited Company so who owns it and is it a RAO?
Launch of MetroMOLA - Madweasels - 4th March 2011
But I would have thought that Metromola could make claim to RAO status because the parent company already is. I don't see any problem with that - any else know differently?
Launch of MetroMOLA - Wax - 5th March 2011
So what do the local units feel about these mega units moving in? In my neck of the woods there is more and more of this happening. And fair business practice or not, they have the ability to undercut and take a loss if it gets them more business in the long run (allegedly). It would not be so bad if they used local staff but they need to protect the jobs of their permanent staff who are drafted in.
So the medium units go to the wall and the only locals surviving are one man bands or those who have a reputation for quality or special relationships with clients
The mega units often do not have the local knowledge and are not embedded enough in the area do be truly involved in community archaeology.
I often feel like a small fish in a small pond surrounded by sharks who are getting very very hungry:face-crying:
Launch of MetroMOLA - Dinosaur - 6th March 2011
From some jobs I've seen the standard of the work done suffers too, quite apart the local knowledge issue, little things like not being able to recognise 1.5m of stratified Roman settlement from natural (with footprints at the bottom)....errrrr :face-crying:
Launch of MetroMOLA - kevin wooldridge - 7th March 2011
Wax Wrote:So what do the local units feel about these mega units moving in?
Can't comment on the local units concerned, but notice from the website that at least 2 of the proposed local office locations for MetroMoLA (Birmingham and Manchester) are places where the 'established' local unit has closed in the past year and a third (Pompey) has never to my local knowledge hosted a commercial archeological unit, although of course Eastney is the home of the English Heritage team in that city. I would imagine that many of the folk who lost their jobs as a result of the closure of the Birmingham and Manchester units would be welcoming the 'return' of a large commercial archaeology business to their area.
...as for Pompey.....I am guessing that the attractions were....er....nice city, a great football team, some nice pubs......and lets hope they never visit Emsworth!!
Launch of MetroMOLA - Wax - 7th March 2011
Cannot speak for Birmingham but know that in Manchester there is no shortage of large commercial archaeology businesses. Some would say far too many competing for too little work but few originating in the city most being subsidiary offices for the mega units.
And what's wrong with Emsworth? Didnt Roger Daltry hang glide off the top of Emsworth Castle in Tommy?
or have things changed drasticaly in the thirty years since I left t'South
Launch of MetroMOLA - kevin wooldridge - 8th March 2011
Wax Wrote:And what's wrong with Emsworth? Didnt Roger Daltry hang glide off the top of Emsworth Castle in Tommy? or have things changed drasticaly in the thirty years since I left t'South
One of my favourite country songs of all time USED to be 'All my exes live in Texas', til on a visit back to Pompey (City of my youth) I walked into a pub and heard a singer/guitarist playing a local version 'All my exes live in Emsworth' I thought 'yup'....and laughed like a drain!!
Launch of MetroMOLA - Optimus Trowel - 14th March 2011
God that metro-sexual mola thing was funny!
My understanding is that metro-mola is currently more consultancy than fieldwork, but what do I know eh?
With regards to MoLA, plans have been drawn up to move them out from under the wings of the museum of london. The irony being that a museum that was established with the goal of displaying archaeological finds from London now feels that having it's own unit is not a 'good fit' with those goals...
Still, fair play to them, having the balls to go it alone in the current incredibly healthy economic environment, I'm sure its been really well planned out and that they won't fail abysmally at all...
Launch of MetroMOLA - monty - 15th March 2011
...................Another uber-unit cutting into an already crowded market ................
You got it !!!
Launch of MetroMOLA - monty - 15th March 2011
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Dinosaur Wrote:From some jobs I've seen the standard of the work done suffers too, quite apart the local knowledge issue, little things like not being able to recognise 1.5m of stratified Roman settlement from natural (with footprints at the bottom)....errrrr :face-crying:
[/I]
Loads of this happening all over...and they know who they are............:face-stir: