If you live in London, you probably take it as read that everyone comes to the capital to see the national treasures.
Of course, there is always the odd Titian, Turner or Rembrandt lurking in someone's private collection in the wilds of North Yorkshire or somewhere equally remote but by and large, if it's rare, valuable and artistic then its proper place is usually deemed to be London.
And those of us "unfortunate" enough to live north of Potters Bar or west of Heathrow have long grown accustomed to having to go to the metropolis to attend the latest "must-see" exhibition.
That's just how it is. Unless, of course, a London gallery or museum can be persuaded to enter into a national-regional partnership. This would enable it to lend elements of its collection to a provincial counterpart, for temporary exhibitions and displays.
National-regional partnerships are a great idea but the problem with them is that they tend to encourage an attitude of benevolent paternalism among the metropolitan curatorial elite. You try getting arts correspondents from a national newspaper to travel outside of London and you'll understand the problem that some of us face.
Which is a shame, since Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs does not distinguish between national and regional taxpayers, who are the people who ultimately pay for the upkeep of our national treasures.
But I am proud to say that last month this cultural flow was reversed. Instead of priceless objects visiting some "poor deprived northern city" to bring culture to the provinces, a not-so-deprived northern city is lending some of its priceless objects for this year's latest blockbuster exhibition in London.
The objects in question belong to the Royal Armouries Museum (the only national museum to have its headquarters outside London). And the blockbuster exhibition is Dressed To Kill, which is being staged at the Tower of London in association with Historic Royal Palaces to mark the 500th anniversary of the accession to the throne of the Royal Armouries' patron - King Henry VIII.
The exhibition chronicles the key events of Henry's reign using today's technology to look at the 500-year old objects in a way that they have never been seen before in one of the world's greatest buildings.
Henry VIII: Dressed To Kill - will run until January 2010 before the objects make the long journey home to Leeds - and if anyone from London or the Home Counties wants to see them again they will have to take a train and travel a whole two hours "up north" to do so. Remember to wrap up warm if you do.
Peter Armstrong is the development director at the Royal Armouries
Of course, there is always the odd Titian, Turner or Rembrandt lurking in someone's private collection in the wilds of North Yorkshire or somewhere equally remote but by and large, if it's rare, valuable and artistic then its proper place is usually deemed to be London.
And those of us "unfortunate" enough to live north of Potters Bar or west of Heathrow have long grown accustomed to having to go to the metropolis to attend the latest "must-see" exhibition.
That's just how it is. Unless, of course, a London gallery or museum can be persuaded to enter into a national-regional partnership. This would enable it to lend elements of its collection to a provincial counterpart, for temporary exhibitions and displays.
National-regional partnerships are a great idea but the problem with them is that they tend to encourage an attitude of benevolent paternalism among the metropolitan curatorial elite. You try getting arts correspondents from a national newspaper to travel outside of London and you'll understand the problem that some of us face.
Which is a shame, since Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs does not distinguish between national and regional taxpayers, who are the people who ultimately pay for the upkeep of our national treasures.
But I am proud to say that last month this cultural flow was reversed. Instead of priceless objects visiting some "poor deprived northern city" to bring culture to the provinces, a not-so-deprived northern city is lending some of its priceless objects for this year's latest blockbuster exhibition in London.
The objects in question belong to the Royal Armouries Museum (the only national museum to have its headquarters outside London). And the blockbuster exhibition is Dressed To Kill, which is being staged at the Tower of London in association with Historic Royal Palaces to mark the 500th anniversary of the accession to the throne of the Royal Armouries' patron - King Henry VIII.
The exhibition chronicles the key events of Henry's reign using today's technology to look at the 500-year old objects in a way that they have never been seen before in one of the world's greatest buildings.
Henry VIII: Dressed To Kill - will run until January 2010 before the objects make the long journey home to Leeds - and if anyone from London or the Home Counties wants to see them again they will have to take a train and travel a whole two hours "up north" to do so. Remember to wrap up warm if you do.
Peter Armstrong is the development director at the Royal Armouries
