May 2010

THE WINDSOR AND ETON SOCIETY

Incorporating Windsor Heritage

NEWSLETTER NO 50 May 2010

How delightful Spring has been, particularly after such a harsh winter. Society activities also blossomed with an innovative reception for new members to meet the Executive Committee in the central hall of the Brigidine School , courtesy of Liz Robinson, before the last of Beryl Hedges’ current season of talks. There are more of Rosemarie Wood's outings to look forward to as well. Joining 'Civic Voice' which has replaced the Civic Trust, though more costly, has been the right and unanimous decision of the Executive Committee. Karin Lohr has stepped down from chairing the Heritage and Environment sub committee and I am grateful for her commitment and devotion to the work of this vital section of the Society.

Thanks to everyone involved, the 5th March Annual Dinner at the Castle Hotel, attended by over 150 members and guests, was considered to have been one of the most successful. Councillor and Mrs Philip Highy needed to withdraw and in their place we welcomed as official guests the Mayor of the Royal Borough, Councillor Jesse Grey and his wife Mrs Christine Grey. In proposing the toast to the Society, the Mayor spoke very positively about the work of the Society which the Chairman then outlined and went on to propose the toast to the guests after which the President gave a witty and entertaining after dinner speech.

The Heritage and Environment Committee continue to monitor the latest planning applications and report on the following;

A new set of plans has been submitted for this development which sees a more ‘in keeping’ river frontage.

The Society is delighted that the Royal Borough have now approved a new strategy which sets out how the Council will protect, manage and enhance the borough's trees and woodland over the next 10 years.

A strategy has been drawn up which aims to:
• safeguard the borough's existing trees and woodlands
• plant new trees in appropriate places and increase woodland coverage
• improve our knowledge of the tree and woodland asset in order to manage it better
• plan for the impacts of climate change
• promote the benefits of trees
• improve access to woodlands
• explore the use of sustainable local wood products.

The strategy will be implemented in a variety of ways including:
• planting at least 40 new standard trees (trees over 2m in height) every year across the borough
• the launch of an "Adopt-a-Tree" scheme in which residents can actively play a part in looking after street trees, such as watering in the summer months and reporting damage or ill-health
• carrying out an audit and condition survey of council trees
• the publication of tree policy and practice guidelines
• improved information on the council's website
• promoting the work of the Tree Wardens and Countryside Rangers.

Further photographic evidence has been taken to see if dilapidated buildings in Windsor town centre can be improved by their owners. To this end the Society has had discussions with the Royal Borough for the implementation of a Facelift and it is hoped that the Society will be able to work with the Council to achieve improvements. The old Chinese restaurant in Eton High Street has also been identified as requiring extensive work to improve it.

The Windsor & Eton Society received confirmation of joining Civic Voice (the chosen name of the successor to the Civic Trust) as a founder member on 23rd March 2010, and was given the membership number CIV0051. Civic Voice is a company limited by guarantee and is registering as a charity. Its logo will be available for use after the launch of Civic Voice on 17th April 2010 .

Membership of Civic Voice includes free membership of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). Also the National Trust has agreed that individual members of the Windsor & Eton Society can receive a free day access pass, which is transferable, to any National Trust property. After 17th April it can be downloaded from the National Trust website www.nationaltrust.org.uk or obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Civic Voice, Unit 101, 82 Wood Street, The Tea Factory, Liverpool, L1 4DG.

Members of Civic Voice were invited to vote for trustees by 7th April 2010 but our chairman agreed with me we should not vote as no names were known to us. Six trustees have been elected to the Board of Civic Voice, Paula Ridley has been co-opted as Chair and Martin Meredith has been co-opted as Treasurer. One hundred civic societies had joined Civic Voice by 31st March 2010 .

· Street Pride, a national campaign, supported by English Heritage, to rid streets of unnecessary clutter (www.streetpride.org.uk)

· Love Local a campaign launched on 17th April 2010 to celebrate what is attractive, enjoyable and distinctive about where we live.

The Conservatives’ Green Paper on the planning system was launched on 22nd February 2010 . It is highly critical of the current top-down planning system and proposes the following:-

2) A stronger role for Local Plans and the removal of the final say from Planning Inspectors

3) Abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission with the final say on major new developments to be with the Secretary of State following public enquiries

A Campaign for Better Transport proposes a 20 mph speed limit in areas where people live and work.

A new website – www.lovecleanstreets.org.uk - has been launched to help people take action against graffiti, overflowing rubbish bins and skips and litter.

The Government’s Policy Statement and Practice Guide on the historic environment was made on 23rd March 2010 providing the framework within which all planning decisions will be made. They will remain in force even after the General Election. The headings of the six strategic aims are Strategic Leadership, Protective Framework, Local Capacity, Public Involvement, Direct Ownership and Sustainable Future.

March meeting – Janet Kennish, a previous Datchet resident and historian came from Hove to speak to members about Datchet Bridges and village life. Her talk was very well illustrated and she responded to many questions.

April meeting – The last time Hugh Granger arranged to visit us it was on an extremely cold and frosty evening when he didn’t arrive until 11.00pm and the members had all left! However he agreed to visit us again and came to speak about ‘The World of Advertising’. His talk was enjoyed by all and prompted several questions.

At the Brigidine School Martin Sands from Kew Gardens will talk about the gardens

Many members will remember the excellent December meeting when John Lloyd spoke about the history of The Guards and their traditions. A visit to the Combermere Barracks Museum has now been arranged in August. Also if any members would like to support this museum there is a form attached with information.

Tuesday 20th April 2010 - Gilbert White’s House and The Oates Museum, Selborne, Hampshire

We left Windsor on a chilly but sunny morning and after an excellent journey arrived at Selborne at 11 o’clock . Our visit to Gilbert White’s House commenced with a talk and the all important morning coffee and biscuits. After this, members were left to spend the rest of the day doing their own thing. The House has been restored following descriptions in the Rev Gilbert White’s own correspondence and includes items of his furniture, family portraits and beautiful bed hangings embroidered for White by family members. We were able to see on display in the Library, White’s original handwritten manuscript of the Natural History of Selborne. There are over 20 acres of garden and parkland surrounding the house and the garden has been largely restored to its 18th century form with lovely displays of spring flowers everywhere. In addition, we were able to enjoy the Oates Collection which commemorates Captain Lawrence Oates who accompanied Scott to the South Pole in 1911. Finally, mention must be made of the Gilbert White’s House Tea Parlour of which most of us made good use during our day in Selborne. I think everyone agreed that we had had a most enjoyable and relaxing day with the added bonus of sunshine. 44 members took part in this visit.

Wednesday 9th June 2010 - Woodstock and Rousham House & gardens, Oxfordshire

There are still 2 places available for this visit should anybody be interested. Please contact Rosemarie Wood, 32, Osborne Court , Osborne Rd , Windsor SL4 3EP

Tuesday 10 August 2010 – Combermere Barracks and Household Cavalry Museum , Windsor

The Household Cavalry Museum , Windsor , is the keeper of the artefacts of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals who between them have 350 years of history and over 60 battle honours. It displays as much memorabilia as possible outlining the history of the regiments from their early days. The visit takes between 2-3 hours. This visit is limited to a maximum of 20 Members. (The booking form accompanies this Newsletter).

Tuesday 19th October 2010 – The Drapers’ Hall and The Bank of England Museum , London

Our visit to the above livery company will start at 11.00 am when we will be given a talk and a tour of the Hall. In the afternoon we will visit the Bank of England Museum.

Unfortunately the event due be held on 27th May 2010 had to be cancelled because of building works at the proposed venue.

The current membership of the society stands at 477 of which 335 members pay by standing order. 305 members have signed a gift aid form which helps the society financially by claiming back the tax element on your subscriptions from the government.

The following are new members whom we welcome and hope to see in the near future at our social events.

Recent new members were welcomed to the Society by the Executive Committee with an informal gathering prior to the April talk. This was a very successful and enjoyable occasion.

When the January meeting had to be cancelled at short notice it was difficult to notify members of this. The Executive Committee have decided that it would be useful to have email addresses of members. This list will be kept by the Membership Secretary. Addresses will not be given to any other organisation. If you are happy for this will you please send your full name with an email to Colin Meads at meads@dsl.pipex.com

Friends of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum

26^th May – 7.30pm Windsor Library, AGM, report on progress of Guildhall Exhibition project and business meeting attended by the Mayor; followed by a talk ‘Gone with the Wind’ – the story of Windsor Cinemas.

Mondays - 17^th May, 21^st June, 19^th July at 7.45pm at Combermere Barracks (Bring ID)

Saturday 26^th June 10.00 – 12.00am Sea, Army and Air cadets at The Royal Station Shopping Area.

For people interested in local issues these can be informative meetings and are worth attending. Minutes can be found on www.rbwm.gov.uk

The Windsor Branch has announced its programme of adult education for 2010-2011. This includes courses on literature, art history, astronomy, the story of London , walking tours of London , cathedral architecture, the New Testament, the history of the piano and its music, the history of food, practical gardening, the story of the genome and the art of photography. There will also be practical drawing and watercolour painting.

Of particular interest to members of the Windsor & Eton Society is the course ‘Local History: Landmarks in Windsor's History’, which is being organised by Hester Davenport to celebrate the opening of the Windsor Museum, in association with the Windsor Local History Group and the Friends of Windsor Museum. There will be nine evening classes starting on 26th January 2011 .

Also of interest will be the day on ‘Artists of the Thames Valley ’ to be given by Professor William Prescott on 16 October 2010 at St George's School .

This is a series of classical music concerts held on Wednesday lunchtimes until Wednesday 30^th June. A regular source of performers is the Royal Academy of Music and the standard is usually very high.

The concerts begin at 1.10 p.m. and usually last about 45 minutes. Entry is £5 (concessions £4).For more details contact Graham Brown 01753 868720

You may have noticed that the standard of St George did not fly over the Parish Church on St George’s Day. In addition, you will have seen that high-level scaffolding now surrounds the top of the tower. Recent inspections of the tower have indicated some movement of the parapets and the Parochial Church Council (PCC) have decided that it would be prudent to carry out a full survey of the tower and of some other areas of the structure.

The contractor, Cliveden Conservation Workshop Ltd has said that the natural movement of the flagpole over the years has probably caused movement of the parapet brickwork and therefore it would be sensible not to fly the flag until the full survey has been completed. The survey began on 12th April and a full report is expected in early May. Cllr Jessie Grey became the first Borough Mayor to take a look at his mayoral realm from the top of the 100ft high tower and subsequently pledged his support for the church's fundraising efforts.

The PCC will consider the report on receipt. However, if it is found that additional work needs to be done, it would of course be sensible to do this work whilst the scaffolding is still in place. Therein lies the rub! Whether such work is done immediately will depend on the urgency and more importantly, the available funds.

The scope and cost of any such additional work is as yet unknown, although CCW Ltd has provided an “order of magnitude” estimate of nearly £40,000. The PCC will launch a fund raising campaign shortly. In the meantime, they would like to bring the situation to the attention of members of the Society. It is fully understood that we are not a grant-awarding organisation, but members may feel that they could either bring their influence to bear on other organisations or even offer any guidance or assistance for the campaign. In the meantime, any personal donations would be gratefully appreciated. Donations would be gratefully accepted by either the church warden, Mr Michael Harding, 1 Errington Drive, Windsor, SL4 5EG - 01753 857109 - or the Chairman of the Parish Church Management Group, Mr David Shaw, 153 Clarence Road, Windsor, SL4 5AP - 01753 855073. Cheques should be made payable to PCC Windsor Parish Church and All Saints.

Garry was born in Windsor in 1933 while his father managed Wentworth and St George’s Hill Estates. He has early memories of Lady Savill, of rhododendron fame, and Major Savill at Ranger’s Lodge and his father signing on for WW2 at Windsor Castle . His great grandmother belonged to a Staines Quaker family which owned the ‘Carpenters’ Arms’ and ‘Criterion’ pubs in Windsor . After going to Cheltenham as a school boy and serving as a Gloucestershire Regiment cadet he went to Exeter College , Oxford . In his career he has always had ‘one foot in farming’. He served in the Cheshire and Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Regiments and the 5^th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (now RDG). He worked as a Prep School school master, then headmaster. For some years he was chair of the charity supporting the Neurosciences and Developmental Paediatrics Departments at GOSH/UCL Institute of Child Health. In his retirement Garry is particularly concerned with local ‘disability’ issues, St George’s and with the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust. He is married to Philippa and they have one son and two daughters.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited by Anne Taylor, Canon Cottage, Bishop’s Farm Close, Oakley Green, Windsor SL4 5UN 01753 866873