CIRENCESTER CIVIC SOCIETY
Registered Charity number 251381 (affiliated to the Civic Voice)
Newsletter, January 2012
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Dear Member,
Cirencester Market Place
It is interesting to speculate how Cirencester has changed in the last thirty years. In 1980, Dyer Street was always very busy, especially around Waitrose (now occupied by Blockbusters). Since then there has been a general migration of activity to the west of the town; the ‘new’ Waitrose, St James Place Head Office, the pedestrian priority public realm space in Cricklade Street and Black Jack Street and the opening of new independent shops in the Old Post Office and Swan Yard. At the same time, all the significant residential development has taken place to the east, in and beyond Kingshill. While the Market Place sits between these two ‘poles’, David Verey’s comment in 1970 that the Market Place is the “hub of Cirencester”, but that “its spaciousness is now compromised by its use as a car park” remain equally valid today.
To that end, it is very heartening that Cirencester Town Council, with support at both District and County level, have been working diligently to finally give the Church a setting equal to its grandeur and at the same time regenerate the Market Place as the dynamic hub of our historic market town. Pertinent to this, Mary Portas has also now published her long awaited high street review which recognises that high streets are about civic life and community and not just about shopping. Introducing the review Mary Portas says:
“I believe that our high streets can be lively, dynamic, exciting and social places that give a sense of belonging and trust to a community….once we invest in and create social capital in the heart of our communities, the economic capital will follow.”
Cirencester Civic Society has long supported the initiative to improve the Market Place, not just the built environment but to allow the Market Place to be, once again, the natural centre of the town. With my consultant’s hat on, I have been employed as the urban designer as part of the team that are now designing and costing a scheme that will reduce through traffic and increase the quality and extent of the public realm in front of the Church. It is important that the Civic Society remains part of the consultation process and to that end and to avoid any conflict of interest, one of our new executive members John Tiffney is acting as the Society’s representative on the project. I am confident that something will happen in the near future so please ‘watch this space!
Talks
2011 was the last of the talks arranged by Florence Beetlestone. Jacqueline Mitchell has now taken on this role and the new programme for 2012 is attached. Jacqueline has asked that if any members have ideas for the 2013 programme please do let her know – her contact details are on the front of the Programme or you can email me on chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk .
The first talk is this Monday 16th January, and the subject is Gloucestershire Follies by Gwyn Headley, co-author of Follies, Grottoes and Garden Buildings
Please also remember that if you are sometimes in need of a lift or are able to offer a lift to someone, then please call Sue Gillett on 01285 656713 who is happy to act as a ‘transport co- ordinator’ and put members in touch with each other.
Heritage Open Days
Last year’s event in September included many new properties and performances. Florence Beetlestone has been the principal organiser and the growth in the duration and range of venues and events has been considerable. This has resulted in a very significant input of time for her and understandably, Florence has decided to step back for 2012. When much of the nation’s attention will be on the Queens Diamond Jubilee, this seems appropriate. Other members are looking at a smaller scale event.
Town Walks
At the start of the year, I listened in at the first meeting of the town guides. They are a well informed and highly motivated group of volunteers who do much to promote Cirencester. Although it is generally for visitors to the town, these walks are very informative about its history and if you live in Cirencester, it is certainly time well spent.. William’s Coopers email address is coordinator@cirencestertownwalks.co.uk.
Planning
Two important historic Villas have been the subject of planning applications for proposed housing;
Civic Day
We were one of over 200 groups who participated in 2011. There were over 350 events nationwide and we set up a stall in the south porch of the Church. . For 2012, Civic Day 2012 is set on Saturday June 23 rd and the intention once again will be to publicise ourselves and the work we do.
The Town Hall Project
Cirencester Parish Church
This is a project we have always supported and the guided tour of the works in progress are excellent. Please consider a visit before the scaffolding starts to come down – the last tours will probably be at the end of February!!
Open: Wednesdays & Fridays 10am – 3pm
Second Saturday of the month 10am – 3pm
Admission free but donations welcome. Sensible footwear essential. Minimum age 11.
For more information, please call 01285 656206 or email cirencestercampaign@tiscali.co.uk
Membership, Subscriptions and Reminders
Carole Hudson has agreed to be our new membership secretary and, notwithstanding my tardiness at converting our membership details into a digital spread sheet, Carol will take over the reins in 2012. By email, I have enclosed an application form which will allow existing members to set up standing orders and, with your assistance, help encourage new members
The current Subscription Rates are as follows:
Single £15.00* Family £20.00*
Under 25 £10.00*
Corporate £40*
(*£14, £19, £9, £35 if paid by standing order)
If you have an email address to which we can send future newsletters and mailings, please do let me
know. This saves us costs on printing, postage as well as precious time. chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk .
Thank you in anticipation
And finally....
Many thanks to Derek Barnard who has now retired from the Committee. We all appreciated his common sense and pragmatic thinking over the years.
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Thank you for your continuing support and all the best for 2012
Martin Portus
Chair
1285 644335
Dear Member Happy New Year!
As a result of The Civic Trust going into administration, this newsletter is a little longer to in order to explain how things may change in the future.
C IVIC S OCIETY I NITIATIVE
With the closure of The Civic Trust early in 2009, the year did not start particularly well. Nevertheless, since its demise there has been a huge amount of work to re-establish a new national organisation and it has created the opportunity for Civic Societies to look objectively at their role, how they might operate collectively and what the central purpose of the movement might be in the future. For the interim, a new organisation has been created, called the ‘Civic Society Initiative’. This has been achieved with considerable help from other organisations, principally The National Trust, the North of England Civic Trust, CPRE and the RIBA. They have worked very hard indeed to establish the form and remit that a new organisation might have to represent Civic Societies across the country (and there are currently over 1000 societies and 250,000 members nationwide)! They have held many meetings and workshops and the principles proposed for a new national body are now widely supported. A summary of current sentiment is as follows
In essence, the new organisation will need more money and the feeling is that this would best be achieved by making a small increase in membership subscriptions with perhaps £3.00 p.a. going to the new organisation from each member. This is something that I propose is discussed at the AGM in March. There is much more information available and you can keep up to date with events at www.civicsocietyinitiative.org.uk. I am sure there will be some strongly held views!
However, I would stress that each Society will remain very much with a local focus. To that end please find enclosed our new social programme for 2010.
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
Once again thanks go to Florence Beetlestone for organising another season of stimulating talks and to Colin Burden who continues to support the talks in various unseen but much appreciated ways. This year we have decided to have a Chairs evening. Other Societies include these in their programme, where the chairman has the opportunity to talk to members and discuss any issues affecting the town. It might be interesting to hold a debate about a local or more national issue, so if there is anything that you would like to see robustly debated, please let me know!
Some members who live outside the town would appreciate a lift in for the talks. One of our members Sue Gillett has kindly offered to act as a ‘transport co-ordinator’ to put members in touch with each other. If you are sometimes in need of a lift or are able to offer a lift to someone, then please call Sue on 01285 656713. She will be happy to act as a go-between’.
Walks
William Cooper is taking over the reins from Jenny Witt as the Town Walks Organiser. Jenny has undertaken this task for many years and we would all like to thank her very much for her efforts. William has a new email address for co-ordinating the walks so should you want to
contact him, the email address is coordinator@cirencestertownwalks.co.uk.
Cirencester Campaign support for The South Porch
The South Porch is of course one of the principal architectural treasures of Cirencester. It is however under threat and needs money to fund its restoration. If you are able to make a donation to help pay for this, then now is an excellent time because St. James' Place have made a very generous commitment to match any donation, so doubling the value of any contribution. Please do consider this.
To help the fund raising, Rory Young is presenting a series of lectures at the Parkinson Lecture Theatre at the Royal Agricultural College. I have included the dates at the end of this letter but for further information please telephone the Campaign Office on 01285 656206.
Blue plaques
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There have been many requests for Rory Young’s work ‘A Celebration of Hands’ to have its own plaque and now we have it, sitting in my office waiting to be fitted. It has been designed to fit with the other plaques that we have located around the town and it will be placed below the carving at about eye height. |
Wall to Spitalgate
Several years ago, the Civic Society organised the repair of part of the stone wall at Spitalgate. However, a further section subsequently collapsed. Thankfully Cirencester Town Council has now organised its repair. The wall was completed in November, with a financial contribution from Gloucestershire County Council.
Membership and Subscriptions
The annual subscription is now due and a reminder of the current rates is as follows:
Single £8.00 (£7 by standing order) Family £10.00 (£9 by standing order)
Under 25 £5.00 (£4 by standing order) Corporate £30.00
Many thanks in anticipation .
Reminders
If you have an email address to which we can send future newsletters and mailings, please do let us know. This saves us costs on printing, postage and shoe leather.
chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk.
And finally....
You may be interested to know that BBC Gloucestershire have recently uploaded a film from the BBC archives to the BBC Gloucestershire website. It features architectural historian Alec Clifton-Taylors visit to Cirencester in 1984 as part of the ‘Another Six English Towns’ series. If you are receiving this newsletter by email, you can click on the link below...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people and places/history/newsid 8352000/8352 71 4.stm
Martin Portus Chairman
Living Stones:
A Celebration of the Building Arts Worldwide
A series of lectures by Rory Young in aid of Cirencester’s historic Town Hall
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It has been a busy few months for several members of the Civic Society who have been working very hard to assist the Town Council with the Community Plan called ‘Our Future Cirencester’. We have given as much support as we can to this initiative because so many of the aspirations and concerns in the Plan are entirely in accord with those of the Civic Society.
We were particularly involved with two events, which I think it is fair to say were a great success. The first was a “Planning for Real” event. Five tables were set up with large scale maps of Cirencester and each was annotated to show key features - street scene, heritage, play, routes and nature. Each table had a flip chart marked out in a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Unfortunately, the first session on the morning of 6 February was cancelled due to very heavy snow. However, on the second day, despite the cold weather, over 220 people came into the theatre to give their views. Most people enjoyed discussing their ideas with the facilitators and wrote their ideas on post-it notes, some people made small flags to make comments about specific sites. People also discussed their ideas with each other, and often made comments on other people’s post-it suggestions. Many participants stayed for over half an hour, some for over an hour. The mood was energetic and many people commented that it was good to be able to give their views in this way.
A second event was held on 21 February 2009 in the Bingham Gallery for members of the Cirencester Archaeological and Historic Society and the Civic Society. Again, it was a very busy day. We received more good ideas and it was very helpful to be able to meet members and talk about the town. Some of the ideas that came out of this include
Thanks to everyone who attended, I genuinely believe that our efforts will be rewarded in the future.
TREES
One thing that came particularly from the exercise was the controversial loss of trees in the town, especially the Indian Bean trees in Catalpa Square and the walnut in the Abbey Grounds. We are challenging the decision by English Heritage not to allow replacement planting.
TWO OTHER INITIATIVES
The Town Hall (or South Porch) is undoubtedly one of Cirencester’s most important buildings. The Civic Society has written to support the Campaign for Cirencester Church in their bid to secure grant aid to conserve and repair this fine building. It is also important that it should be accessible to as many people as possible, enabling them to learn about its history and our heritage. Although it now adjoins the Church, it has never been consecrated and was used for town meetings, as a legal court and as monastic lodgings.
Ailsa O'Connor, their campaign administrator, has been in regular touch regarding their plans. These ideas fit happily with Cirencester's parish church which the Rev Leonard Doolan wants to see used more as a centre for community events ranging from exhibitions to concerts and school productions. This will be made possible by the new floor and seating arrangements. If any members of the Society are interested in training as volunteer guides, please let me know or contact Ailsa O'Connor on 656206.
Also worthy of our support is The Living Memory Historical Association, which was founded in Cirencester the early 1980s. In 1989-90 the LMHA, together with the Corinium Museum, presented an exhibition to mark the 50th Anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two. Taking advantage of the recently closed Memorial Hospital in Sheep Street they were able to use the original hospital air raid shelter as the venue for the 1990 exhibition. The success of this led to the LMHA, with help from the Imperial War Museum, successfully lobbying the local authority to save the shelter when a major part of the main building was demolished. For over 20 years they have presented an exhibition in the shelter, with over 40,000 visitors during that time from all over the world. In August 2007 extra space was leased in the former hospital annexe from the Cotswold District Council to accommodate a larger exhibition, increase facilities for school parties and other visiting groups and attract more tourists to the Cotswolds. However with a lease set at £3,500 per annum plus 20% of the rates the new project is fast using up the LMHA’s financial reserves that have all been raised by the voluntary work of the members and supporters. CDC are unable to offer a grant towards this cost. The Trustees therefore would be most grateful for any support, either practical or financial. Further information can be found on line at www.livingmemory.btik.com or contact The LMHA, 23 Sperringate, Cirencester, GL7 1NA Tel. 01285-655650
MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
New members continue to join, not least as a result of consultations such as those discussed above and the continuing popularity of the monthly talks.
Some members have still not increased their standing orders for their annual subscription due on 1st January. The current rates are as follows:
If you pay by standing order, please can you notify your bank of the change so that your next subscription due on 1 st January 2010 will be for the correct amount. Cheques for the higher amount should be sent to the treasurer:
Martin Hockey, 20 Somerford Road, Cirencester GL7 1TW
This is an excellent new publication which has been published by the Gloucestershire Geology Trust. It lists 23 sites of historical and archaeological interest, and shows how the wider geology of the area is so important to the form of the historic town centre. It should be available from local retailers and from
Gloucestershire Geology Trust
Geological Records Centre
The Tithe Barn Centre
Brockworth
Gloucestershire
GL3 4QU Tel: (01452) 864438
And finally....
Contributions and suggestions from members are always welcome, particularly those which might stimulate debate and discussion on issues of interest to members. Please feel free to write to me at:
Martin Portus , Chairman, Cirencester Civic Society
58 Ashcroft Road, Cirencester. GL7 1QX
or send an email to: chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk
Many thanks.
CHRISTMAS GATHERING
On Monday, 15 th December at 7.30pm , you are invited to the Bingham Gallery in Dyer Street to hear an illustrated talk by David Viner on ‘Bingham’s Art Gallery: a wish fulfilled’, You will be able to view and enjoy a selection of works of art owned by the Trustees of the Bingham Library, with special reference to historic Cirencester.SOCIAL PROGRAMME
Enclosed with this newsletter is your programme of social events for 2009. As you will see, it is the usual mixture of talks and tours, with something of interest for all our members. If you have any ideas for future events – speakers or tours – that you would like included in the following year’s programme, do please contact Florence Beetlestone, our programme secretary. Her contact details are on the front of the 2009 programme.
Florence is also organising next years Heritage Open Day event. This was a popular event this year and it would be good to extend the range of buildings and events in 2009. If you have any thoughts about other properties that might be included, then please do let Florence or me know.
LOCAL NEWS
The community planning exercise for Cirencester called ‘Our Future Cirencester’ continues to gather momentum. More people are becoming involved all the time and it really is a case of ‘the more the better’. If you want to be involved in any way, Cirencester Town Council would be very pleased to hear from you. The ambition is to improve the town in terms of its culture, as a place to grow up, its business and its sustainability. The Civic Society is supporting the Town Council in their aims and we will be helping particularly in a ‘Planning for Real’ event early in the New Year. This exercise will help to set out how all initiatives can work together to produce tangible improvements. I am hopeful that here will be some coverage in the local press that will give the date and venue, probably in February.
On a much smaller scale, Derek Waring has been investigating the possibility of repairing the plaque at the entrance to Abbey grounds. This was unveiled in 1975 to celebrate the towns 1900 th anniversary! After 33 years the plaque is now losing some of its definition so with the help of Cirencester Town Council, we hope to be able to restore it to its former glory in the new year.
NEWS FROM THE CIVIC TRUST
I am sure that anything that raises the profile of the Civic Trust will help all Civic Societies. I think every one must know of Griff Rhys Jones and so it is great news that he has become President of The Civic Trust, which is the umbrella organization for all the Civic Societies. Philip Kolvin, Chairman of the Civic Trust, said:
“In Griff, we have a passionate, articulate advocate for our towns and cities whose architectural heritage, modern design and green space are hallmarks of our civilisation and integral to our national identity. For 50 years, the Civic Trust has celebrated and defended the public realm, and Griff is a natural figurehead for what we do and spokesperson for the quarter of a million local people we represent”.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!
Martin Portus, Chairman
It is now approaching a year since I took over the Chairmanship and I have to say it has been a busy one for the Civic Society. We have continued to be involved in a broad range of local issues and developments which have been both interesting and worthwhile.
Perhaps the most demanding project has been the completion of the Rory Young Commission called ‘A Celebration of Hands’. This elegant piece is located at the end of The New Brewery Arts Building and has been well received by all. Martin Read, the previous Civic Society Chairman, was much involved with commissioning this work and it was Martin who thought of producing some postcards of the sculpture. We have included two for you with this newsletter and should you want more, you can buy them at the New Brewery Arts shop. Please do use them to send to friends and family - the more we are known for our work the better.
Sometimes we get invited to events that may seem slightly more peripheral to the concerns of the town and, on first reading, of less obvious interest! How Gloucestershire might deal with its residual waste in five or more years’ time is of immediate concern. Residual waste is that which cannot be recycled. There are various methods of disposal including high tech composting and incineration. The buildings that would be required to achieve any of the possible solutions are fairly large and industrial looking. They would have to be located within the county and could either constitute one large development or several smaller ones distributed throughout Gloucestershire. The consultation process will continue for some time but, for me, environmental issues such as these are a real dilemma. Like wind farms, what is good for the carbon footprint is not necessarily pleasing to look at and their future location, whether urban or rural, will be a very sensitive issue.
On a smaller scale but very relevant to us all is the Community Plan called “Our Future Cirencester. This is a significant and very worthwhile initiative led by Andrew Tubb, the Town Clerk, Dr Andrea Pellagram and a Civic Society executive committee member - and Town Councillor - Andy Lichnowski.” In short, it is a community plan for the town that sets out a unified and co-ordinated action plan to benefit all those who visit, live, work or are students in the town. The Plan is broken down into four themes:
I am involved in chairing one of the sub-committees that deals with infrastructure. This includes the all-important Market Place and I will of course continue to champion its improvement. There will also be a ‘planning for real’ exercise (do you remember the last one in the town in 1997?) and the intention for this is to involve townspeople, traders and visitors to comment and help shape how the town might look in 10 - 20 years. I will write again before the event takes place, so if you are interested please let me know. As always you can contact me by email through the Civic Society website. New updates on the Community Plan can always be viewed on the Town Council website.
PARISH CHURCH
Alison Giles, campaign director for the parish church, has asked for views on what the old Town Hall, above the church porch, could be used for. They hope to make a bid for Heritage Lottery funding but in order to do so, they need some suggestions for possible uses – given that access is currently a little awkward does anyone have any clever ideas?
HERITAGE OPEN DAY
Many thousands of people took advantage of Heritage Open Days – access to a record 3,717 places and events across the country were included. Cirencester had twenty properties and events organised and these were well attended and much enjoyed. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped and of course to Cirencester Archaeological and History Society.
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
This is a very popular activity and many thanks for volunteers who are helping to produce next year’s programme. Florence Beetlestone, who led the committee organising the Heritage Open Days locally, is helping to produce the 2009 social programme but further volunteers are always welcome! Some of the lectures or tours arranged for next year include the Croome Lecture, given by Mark Horton on the excavation of Jenner’s Garden at Berkeley Minster, a talk on Gloucester Docks and a guided tour of Tetbury.
MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Mark Harris is our new membership secretary. Some members have still not increased their standing orders for their annual subscription due on 1 st January. The current rates are as follows:
Single £8.00 (£7 by standing order) Family £10.00 (£9 by standing order)
Under 25 £5.00 (£4 by standing order) Corporate £30.00
If you pay by standing order, please can you notify your bank of the change as soon as possible, if you have not already done so, to ensure that next year’s subscription is correct.
REMINDERS
If you have an email address to which we can send future newsletters and mailings, please do let us know. This saves us costs on printing, postage, bike tyres and shoe leather. If you have already given us email details, many thanks. This is being hand-delivered or posted because of the enclosures.
AND FINALLY….
Thanks to all the committee members who actively support the Civic Society. It would be invidious to select any individual for mention but without them, nothing would happen.
Martin Portus
Chairman
On 28 th April 2008 Cirencester Civic Society members gathered at the newly refurbished Brewery Arts Centre in the town to witness the unveiling of a beautiful stone relief sculpture, commissioned by the Society last year from local artist and stonemason Rory Young. The piece is entitled ‘A Celebration of Hands’ and depicts the hands of many of the craftspeople working at New Brewery Arts. Intricate tracery links a hand working with a shuttle, to someone sewing, a potter’s hand turning a bowl and a furniture-maker planing. At the time the work was commissioned some rather vocal members considered it to be a risky venture, given that it would deplete the Society’s funds dramatically. However, no one seeing it now questions the members’ decision to proceed. 
The artist, who has lived and worked locally for many years, gave a talk to the Society following the unveiling by Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust. Rory explained the various stages of the work, which included numerous sketches and time spent with all the various craftspeople temporarily displaced from their workshops by the renovations to the building. He showed slides of the clay maquette - the initial small-scale model - and then of the full-size carved polystyrene model made prior to the final carving of the stone in three separate pieces.
Over the course of a week, a team of workers finally assembled and installed the sculpture, having carved a slight recess in the bulging wall to receive it. The following week Rory completed the fine detail in situ. The whole relief sculpture rests on a carved stone hand, modelled on that of the resident jeweller, and is held in place by four large concealed bolts.
Rory said he agreed with Hardy Amies who once said that his craft was “greater than trade, lesser than art”. Everyone who saw the sculpture high on the west wall of Brewery Arts, thrown into relief by the setting sun, would agree that it is indeed an evocative work of art that will continue to be enjoyed by future generations in this historic Roman town.
Chairman’s Newsletter, March 2008
I am no fan of business jargon, but with reference to the common thinking expressed by Cirencester Town Council and Cotswold District Council, ‘getting your ducks in a line’ does seem appropriate! Essentially, CDC has now issued in draft form their Supplementary Planning Document. In broad terms, it sets out many environmental improvements for the town centre for which the Civic Society has been campaigning for a very long time. Additionally, Cirencester Town Council has appointed Dr.Andrea Pellagram to establish the feasibility and the mechanisms available to achieve them. In addition to this, we and other local groups, such as Action Cirencester – chaired by Cirencester College Principal Nigel Robbins - are actively supporting the initiatives. From the Civic Society, Geoffrey Adams, Martin Read and I also sit on the committee, which includes architects, business owners, councillors and local organisations. Nigel has continued to champion successfully the re-development of the Market Place and we have given him our full support. The umbrella organisation for Civic Societies - The Civic Trust - in their recent newsletter had an interesting article on social problems in town centres. Their opinion is that if urban spaces are friendly, well-designed and attractive to a broad range of users, this would be as effective as legislation to curb binge drinking and minor vandalism. To that end, I believe this to be yet another reason to address the layout of the Market Place and the setting of the Church.
ACTIVITIES
Norman Arch – With project planning funds granted by The Architectural Heritage Fund and The Pilgrim Trust, the Vivat Trust has now completed its option appraisal. This a lengthy and thoroughly researched document and concludes with the following:
‘...(Cirencester Norman Arch) is an important and valuable piece of the historic fabric of the town and as such public interest and access to the building is important. In light of the report the trustees conclude that the project is both viable and will offer an attractive addition to the portfolio of the Vivat Trust. To this end, the Trust will pursue the funding to undertake the adaptation and improvement work....
So far so good, and the Civic Society can be proud of its valuable contribution to the Norman Arch Group that helped achieve this.
St James’s Place . - Architectural style is a very subjective issue and my own opinion is that there is a place for contemporary architecture within historic settings. However, I do believe that in terms of scale, location and use of materials, it is critical that a new building should both respect and respond to its setting. To that end, it is of value to reflect on a speech made in January of this year by The Prince of Wales at the ‘New Buildings in Old Places’ conference at St James's Palace.
‘….it is worth understanding the purpose of a building, or group of buildings, within the hierarchy of the buildings around it and responding with an appropriate building type and design. Doing this often implies the composition of a harmonious whole, rather than the erection of singular objects of architectural or corporate will….’
I do not think it has achieved ‘a harmonious whole’. In terms of quality of materials and having any kind of legible public presence, The Leisure Centre now looks impoverished and overwhelmed by its new neighbour. In summary, perhaps one could describe the debate in terms of ‘ St James Place’ v ‘St James Palace’. I would be very interested to know how members felt about this. Please email me on:
chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk
Brewery Arts – Rory Young Project – this is being installed at the beginning of March, so by the time this newsletter is issued, it should be in place on the south elevation of the Brewery Arts building, and clearly visible from the rear entrance to W.H. Smiths and beyond. I think it is a beautiful piece that articulates elegantly the skills of the crafts people that work within the Centre. A small detail from the earlier clay model is shown.
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
Colin Burden has organised the 2008 and is running the current social programme and it is once again proving to be very popular. As in recent years, Colin has put this programme together by himself and after so much good work has stood down for 2009. We can all be extremely grateful for his efforts and must now look for volunteers to replace him. If you are able to help, please call or email me or return the form enclosed with the AGM mailing.
MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Membership is up. We now have over three hundred members, but please can we draw attention to the new subscription rates:
Single £8.00* Family £10.00* Under 25 £5.00* Corporate £30.00
If you pay by standing order, please can you notify your bank of the change as soon as possible
HERITAGE OPEN DAY
This is an annual event, co-ordinated nationally by The Civic Trust and English Heritage, and should really be a Civic Society responsibility locally. A small committee is required to organise it this year. It need not be an onerous task and I have one or two ideas that I would be very happy to discuss. Please volunteer to help us! A form will be enclosed with the AGM mailing.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Little change except that we are still working hard and would be grateful for those with a little spare time to join us. I would also like to put on record that I now fully appreciate the excellent job that Lyn Longridge our secretary does in organising us and keeping everything working efficiently - many thanks.
REMINDERS
If you have an email address for us to issue future newsletters, please do let us know. This saves us costs on printing, on postage or our secretary’s shoe leather. Also please don’t forget the AGM and talk on the 17 th March at 7.00 p.m.
Finally –If you can help with any of the above, be it the Social Programme, the Heritage or Towns walks please do give me a call -my telephone number is 01285 644335.
Martin Portus
Chairman
_______________________________________________________________________________________________This is my first newsletter as Chairman. Before I set out our current position, let me express our gratitude to the outgoing Chairman, Martin Read. Martin has worked long and hard for the Civic Society and so, on behalf of everyone, let me say a big thank you. Martin was responsible for me joining the Society some 11 years ago, similarly the Vice Chairman Geoffrey Adams and probably many others too. It is vitally important that we have as many members as possible and I think if Martin could spare the time, he could now go on to be an excellent recruitment officer!
In terms of the future, we can expect to see over the next three or four years, several major development proposals that, if built, will change both the size and character of Cirencester. As one of the first stages of this process, Wildmoor Properties have now unveiled their proposals to the public for the new development at Brewery Court. This area offers one of the few opportunities to produce a fresh approach to building and urban design and, in contrast to some of the other recent developments in this area, the drawings that have been presented express a confident and contemporary response. Although the Civic Society is broadly supportive of this part of the scheme, there are several aspects of the proposals that the Civic Society will challenge. These relate to concerns over its size, location, relationship to the existing Brewery Arts Centre and its impact on parking and pedestrian circulation. It is also disappointing that this presentation has been made before the Vision for Cirencester has been published, the all-embracing document that should put this and other emerging town centre proposals into some context.
Away from the centre, other major developments already have outline Planning Consent. The proposal for Kingshill North is just one example that has the potential to alter significantly the setting of the town from the Burford Road and the London Road. As these applications are developed in more detail, we will continue to scrutinise these to help protect some of the important rural qualities of these approaches to the town.
If this is all beginning to sound a little reactionary, there are various very positive initiatives that we are hoping to bring about. One in particular that we could help with relates to City Bank fields. There is great potential to develop this space as a community-managed area of open space, perhaps with an emphasis on bio-diversity rather than simple open grassland. We would also like to begin an appraisal of the current stock of trees in the town including those in streets and public parks. The intention would be to instigate a single strategy for new tree planting to replace the continual loss of trees from disease and old age.
If you have any particular concerns about the way the town is beginning to change or if you have any ideas about how it can be improved, please do send me an email at the following address:
chairman@cirencestercivicsociety.org.ukThis and other information can also easily be found at our web address:
www.cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk.
Even though our subscriptions have just been raised (please note it now costs £8.00 a year for single members and £10 for a family, with £1 discount for paying by Standing Order (please contact your bank to make the change) I do think we provide exceptional value for money. To that end, please do encourage other friends, family and colleagues to have a look at the web site and perhaps join us in the near future and help us to protect the qualities that make Cirencester special.
The 2008 Programme card is enclosed with this newsletter. I feel sure you will find plenty to interest you in our planned programme of talks and tours for the coming year.
As you will know, Colin Burden has undertaken the planning of our programme of lectures, village tours and social gatherings over recent years. He now wishes to stand down and hand this task on to a small committee of members who will carry on our tradition of organising interesting activities throughout the year. The commitment required will not be onerous if shared between three or four members of the Society. It will entail thinking up ideas, contacting possible speakers and arranging dates and times for the various events and then bringing them together into a small calendar that will be printed and sent out to members in December
If you know of anyone who might be interested, or if you would be happy to help yourself please contact Colin Burden in the first instance. He will be able to offer advice where necessary. 01285 655240.
As you will probably know, Bill Cotton was unwell and unable to give his planned talk on Monday, 19 November. We telephoned and emailed as many members as we could at such short notice before the event. On the evening only five people turned up on a very wet evening, unaware of the cancellation. Our apologies to them but we were pleased that we were able to alert so many others given that we were anticipating an audience of about 100.
Our Christmas Gathering (our last joint party with the Archaeological and Historical Society) will be in the Daniel Bingham Suite at the Bingham Hall on Monday, 10 December at 7.30pm. Rory Young will be giving an illustrated talk on ‘Limewash in Park Street, repairing a house, reviving a tradition’. This will be accompanied by light refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you to those of you who have expressed a readiness to receive future mailings via email. Again this greatly helps us to keep in touch with you simply and cost-effectively – and proved its worth when we needed to inform you at short notice of the cancellation of the talk on Monday. If you have an email address, and are prepared to receive future mailings in this way, please email the secretary at
secretary@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk
Martin Portus
Chairman
Chairman’s Newsletter, October 2007
Executive Committee
As you know, our chairman Martin Read stood down at the AGM last April. Martin Portus, despite a heavy work schedule, has agreed to be nominated to replace him as chairman. He will be formally nominated – together with any other nominations - at a Special General Meeting that will be held briefly before the talk on 15 October, and you will then have the opportunity to vote. We apologise for the short notice of this important appointment but the prolonged postal strike has caused an unexpected delay in mailing this newsletter. Martin will introduce himself at the meeting and will talk briefly about the challenges that face Cirencester over the next year and how the Civic Society can play a part in responding to these.
Geoffrey Adams - Vice Chairman
From the new acting Chairman
It is certain Cirencester will be changing over the next 2 -3 years. Large scale developments are proposed at important new sites both close to the centre and on the outskirts of the town. The Civic Society has a role to play in responding to these proposals in order to protect and enhance the special qualities that make Cirencester what it is. When these development proposals appear in the local press, please let us know what you think about them. We always want to hear from members if there are proposals that affect the character of the town, even if they are very small-scale. It is essential for the Society’s membership to grow. So, if you meet others with similar concerns, please put them in touch with us.
Membership and Subscriptions
The subscriptions will be as follows from January 2008.
These increases are as agreed at the last AGM. Please ensure you inform your bank of the change in the amount of your standing order, which is the preferred method of payment. If for any reason you are unable to pay by standing orderyou should send a cheque by the end of December for the full amount to the treasurer:
Martin Hockey, 20 Somerford Road, Cirencester GL7 1TW.
Changes to Social Programme 2007
I have postponed my talk planned for 15 th October until a later date and instead will be speaking about the Jefferies family who played such a large part in the life of Cirencester. John Jefferies and Sons, the Royal Nurseries, had a large presence in Cirencester and the villages of Somerford Keynes and Siddington. In the latter years, the company was run by the four Jefferies brothers and they were all heavily involved with Cirencester in various civic roles. The venue and date of the talk remain the same.
Dr Bill Cotton’s talk on ‘Beatrix Potter and her love of Lakeland Furniture’ on 19 th November is certain to attract a capacity audience. We therefore felt it wise to change the venue from the Parish Room to The Ashcroft Centre to ensure sufficient seating. Bill, as many of you will know, is an acknowledged expert on vernacular furniture, a past president of the Regional Furniture Society and author of several books on country furniture.
Activities
We have had several interesting guided tours this year including a tour of Northleach town and the church of St Peter and St Paul. This was not spoilt by a persistent local heckler who thought he knew better than the guide on certain historical points! A tour in July round Gloucester Street by Jim Thompson was particularly well attended. Cars attempting to drive down the street in the early evening were met with a wall of about 50 members trying to get close enough to the guide to hear his comments on the various buildings of interest.
Kingshill Project – this development, planned for the Kingshill area north of the town is now moving to the detailed design stage. We will be monitoring the development of the designs to see how they comply with planning policy and will make representations when any applications are made. These developments sit in prominent locations and good design will be essential if they are not to impact negatively upon this important approach to the town.
Brewery Arts – Rory Young Project – members of the committee viewed the preliminary sketches for the sculpture that the Society has commissioned Rory Young to produce for installation on the wall of the renovated Brewery Arts building. The building project is on schedule to be completed in November and fitting out the interior should be finished in the new year when it is hoped the artwork will be formally installed.
Heritage Open Day
This annual event, co-ordinated nationally by The Civic Trust and English Heritage, should be a Civic Society responsibility. Last year a small committee led by members of the Society of Friends, produced a dynamic and successful programme to which the Civic Society contributed. Several buildings of historic interest were made accessible to the public. This year the number of buildings open over two days increased and the number of visits likewise. A small committee is being formed to carry it forward and it would seem appropriate for volunteers from the Civic Society (which is affiliated to The Civic Trust) to join this group in 2008. The hard work has been done over previous years to establish a framework for publicity and it would be a shame if Cirencester did not continue to add to the number of interesting historical buildings that are accessible to the general public on this one weekend. If you are new to the town, it would give you a great opportunity to meet local people who know and care about the history of the town. Please contact Geoffrey Adams on 01285 651729 if you are interested in becoming involved. (See separate note enclosed.)
Town Walks
At the time of writing, the number of those taking up the walk this year is not known, but I feel that numbers have been on the low side. Does this reflect fewer tourists to the town I wonder? Last year I blamed the exceptionally hot summer for low numbers: this year it has to be the very wet summer. The early part of the season saw rainy Sunday after rainy Sunday, not to mention the late Spring Bank Holiday – very wet indeed. However, a number of booked walks took place – some in the rain! The walks are always well received and the sale of brochures steady. We will soon have to consider the next edition of the brochure – do we revise the route of the walk? All suggestions will be gratefully received and may be acted upon.
My thanks as usual go to all town guides and we hope to add some new volunteers for next year. Meanwhile walks can still be booked by ringing me – Jenny Witt – on 01285 657782 or email t.j.witt@btinternet.com.
Contact details
We would like to make staying in touch easier. If you have an email address, please email the secretary at secretary@cirencestercivicsociety.org.uk so that we can send you future mailings via email. This will also help the Society to cut costs.
Martin Portus
Acting Chairman
Executive Committee
It is with some regret that we say good bye to Harold Jones whose wit and wisdom has been highly valued in the years he has been with us. We are happy, however, to welcome two new members to the Committee. Tom Kolb recently delivered such a well-researched and interesting talk on Cirencester Abbey and Roy Turner, whose technical experience as an architect will no doubt be of great value. We are also grateful to have the services of Lyn Longridge as our secretary.
Colin Burden has expressed a wish to relinquish responsibility for planning the social programme, although he will continue to give advice as required.
Membership and Subscriptions
The Committee has given much thought to the matter of subscriptions and has decided to recommend the following:
Single £8.00* Family £10.00* Under 25 £5.00* Corporate £30.00
* £7, £9 and £4 respectively if paid by standing order.
These increases are very much in line with the majority view resulting from the poll taken last summer.
Town Walks
See Jenny Witt’s report.
Social Programme
Such has been the success of Colin’s social programme that we are now close to breeching Health and Safety regulations at The Parish Centre and therefore we need to look for larger premises. We did at one time meet at The Baptist Church in Coxwell Street and might consider this again, together with other possible venues such as St Peter’s Hall, Watermoor Hall and the Ashcroft Centre. There will be an opportunity for members to give their views at the AGM.
Activities
St John’s Hospice - members will recollect that the Society contributed funds towards the restoration of St John’s. This task has now been completed and the building is now much to be admired once again.
Riverside Walk -the Committee has offered Powell’s Education Trust £400 towards the cost of repairing the two unsightly gaps in the wall.
Norman Arch - the Committee paid for the initial architectural survey that contributed substantially to the decision processes about the long-term future of the Arch. Committee members - in particular Geoffrey Adams and Martin Portus - have been deeply involved in the subsequent discussion and negotiations that resulted in a valuable plan to keep the Arch in public ownership. Watch this space.
St James’s Place – the horrendous edifice now being built on the site of the old swimming pool is not what anyone hoped for when planning permission was granted. It seems a pity that the Society has not been able to find a way to monitor changes in planning approval more closely. This is a task the Committee needs to address in greater depth in the future.
Kingshill Project – this project we are in touch with at a meaningful level. However, there is a danger that what was proposed in tidy sketches initially, may not be realised in the final development. Again vigilance is key.
Brewery Arts – Rory Young Project – some time ago the Committee agreed that it should take the opportunity of the rebuilding of the Brewery Arts Centre to commission a piece of work by Rory Young. He is, as many of you will know, a local stonemason of considerable national and international renown.
Heritage Open Day
This annual event, co-ordinated nationally by The Civic Trust and English Heritage, should really be a Civic Society responsibility locally. Last year a small committee led by members of the Society of Friends, produced a dynamic and successful programme to which the Civic Society contributed. Several buildings of historic interest were made accessible to the public. It is hoped to build on this in 2007 and a small committee is being formed to carry it forward. It would seem appropriate for volunteers from the Civic Society (which is affiliated to The Civic Trust) to join this group.
Action Cirencester
Readers of The Standard will be aware of the project put forward by Action Cirencester to re-order the Market Place. This has stimulated the local authorities involved at least to give it some serious thought. Dr Andrea Pellegram, the newly-appointed Director of Development at the CDC, has a wider plan to consult Corinians on the long-term future. In a recent article in The Standard, her reference to parking is the first admission by any of the planners of this particular ‘elephant in the room’.
The Civic Trust
As members will know, The Civic Trust is the national body to which we are affiliated. Sad to relate however, The Trust does not seem to be offering the same level of advice and support that we enjoyed some years ago. This is a sad state of affairs as it is important that the guardians of the built environment should have a powerful central voice with which to lobby appropriately. CPRE (The Council for the Protection of Rural England) is well-known, and a fine example to follow.
ASHTAV (Association of Small Historic Towns and Villages)
This small umbrella group, with more enthusiasm than finance, has suddenly been substantially enriched by a legacy from its founder. This has enabled it to offer legal services on planning matters on a low/no cost basis to its Members, of which we are one. This will be a useful facility particularly where the Civic Society might wish to check its facts or the legal position in order to challenge planning decisions.
FINALLY - I have decided that I would like to stand down as your chairman at this year’s AGM but I will be happy to continue as a member of the Executive Committee at least until a successor as chairman can be found. I would be happy to discuss privately any suitable nominations you might have. My telephone number is 01285 643101.
Martin Read
Chairman
