We love the NRM and came for a visit before a large part is closed for refurbishment of the roof. Even now the museum is as fab as ever.

I'm not a fan of the booking a free ticket idea with two toddlers on public transport hitting even a 30 min slot can be challenging so I end up booking a few slots and wasting some so the museum potentially loses out on that.

Equally most turn up and enter people without tickets seem to be admitted - but that's not something you know of until you get there. Just seems pointless stress and a waste of money and resources for the musuem. That said there seems to be plenty of staff including someone stood outside telling people to go inside. I think a few could be more gainfully employed with a duster or air duster.

Wandering around the museum is great, you can get up close with most things. Some platforms would be nice in the main hall. With children in particular it would be good if we could have more open cabs and coaches. Why not put a few cabs from scrapped engines and units along the wall like the class 800 mock up which seems to have been shoved out of the way and hidden at the moment. Make one of them a driving SIM or just play a cab ride video over some of the more interesting places and charge £3 for a go. Like the Mallard experience.

The perennial let down at the NRM is the cafe/food, the food is grim and daft prices... £4.60 for a naff cheap sausage roll, £6.40 for a ham and cheese toastie. The quality is poor and we ended up leaving a bit earlier and going into York, a missed opportunity for the NRM. Kill off some of the horrible items add in stuff like jacket potatoes with a choice of salad and fillings £5. Freshly made sandwiches on decent bread with a few crisps and a bit of salad again £5 and so on. The numbers of cafe staff certainly already exist largely inefficiently standing about or faffing.

Seriously NRM Have a look at Eureka's kids meal offers for sensible kids meals with a nod to being healthy.

Sometimes, The NRM seems to forget what it is at heart and some precious space has been consumed with stuff like the Bramhall Gallery. While excellent it's should be at a branch of the science museum or Eureka. Seems to be used as a play centre by locals.

The model railway section is perennially hugely popular, with young and old... Why not expand this? Off some exhibitions? Educational activities, model making for kids even if it is at an extra charge?