Helen is right, as usual ! Unless you have something in writing when you make your donation you have no rights. This is especially upsetting when something is given in memory of someone or because you wanted it to be seen by the public in a certain place. Someone might have given an item of memorabilia to Murray's because they thought that it would be most appreciated on the Isle of Man and where they might also be able to visit it themselves.

I have friends who have a large and historic ship model that they want to donate to a museum near their home. They no longer want the responsibility of it. They also want to be able to take their grandchildren to see it and see that it was a gift of the whole family to the museum. Right now they are negotiating with the museum because the curator wants to keep the right to sell it or trade it for something 'better'.

The larger museums now have contracts which give them the right to sell, trade or otherwise dispose of your gift. But, Murray's was the opposite of large museum. It was the passion of one man who at considerable expense kept it going year after year. I think we need to be understanding of his situation. But, I still wish it had been liquidated in a slower way allowing for the possibility of the collection to have been kept intact - preferably on the Isle of Man.