CIVIC NEWS May 2013

Scarborough & District Civic Society CIVIC NEWS May 2013

YHACS WELCOMES GARY VERITY Welcome to Yorkshire have been instrumental in bringing the Tour de France to our county next year, they have a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show and have received international recognition for their work. This recognition eventually extended to Somerset where Gary was asked to comment on a new slogan they had thought up to promote their county. Somerset people were fed up of people passing through Somerset on their way to Devon and Cornwall. Their campaign featured an image of a ruddy faced farmer sitting outside a picturesque thatched cottage, drinking a pint of best Somerset cider. The suggested slogan was, ‘Don’t pass through Somerset, let Somerset pass through you’. On Civic Societies, Gary Verity saw us as the Jiminy Crickets of the region; we should, like Pinocchio’s partner, ‘be the conscience that should always be our guide’. In his spare time Gary Verity is an award winning Dales sheep farmer and lives on a working farm in Coverdale. Since his late wife Helen was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2004 he has raised more than £500,000 for cancer charities in By Peter Cooper Yorkshire; for this work he was awarded the title of Yorkshireman of the Year in 2012. Gary Verity, the Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, was the guest speaker at the latest meeting of the Yorkshire and Humber Association Civic Society with Civic Voice of Civic Societies (YHACS), held in York’s splendid Guildhall on 20 th April. All Scarborough Civic Society members are members of Civic Voice which is offering our In an inspirational and amusing speech, Gary members free admission to English Heritage Verity demonstrated his passion for his home and National Trust properties. county by explaining what Welcome to Yorkshire does and why people should come to Yorkshire. If you would like obtain your free passes They must be getting something right; in two please either email [email protected] years the value of Yorkshire’s tourism economy or phone 01723 379912. has risen from £5.9bn to £7bn. (Of interest is that We can issue a Single Admission Pass per member £2.1bn of visitor expenditure is generated and the pass is subject to certain conditions annually by heritage tourism in the region.) The county's tourism industry employs almost a quarter of a million people with 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year. He explained that Welcome to Yorkshire receives no government funding but uses its influence to promote the county nationally and internationally. Yorkshire’s population is the same as Scotland (about 5.5 million) and much larger than Wales or Northern Ireland, all of which have government ENGLISH HERITAGE funded tourist boards.

Scarborough & District Civic Society Secretary’s Report for plants, shrubs and trees including the ongoing By Adrian Perry maintenance of the Borough’s heritage plants That the Parks Service be encouraged to embrace new ways of working and that these be subject to A new time-piece has appeared monitoring by the “new ways of working” group on the Central Tramway. As a and ongoing review by Scrutiny part of general refurbishment works a cupola, (which includes clocks) has been This report was unanimously approved and should rd installed on the top station building by replacing a have gone to Cabinet on April 23 and then on to redundant flue tower. I think it looks really full council for their approval. However Cllr. Fox splendid and is a useful addition to the street made a statement at the Cabinet meeting stating scene. (Photo page 8). that many issues had not been fully explored and so another team of councillors would be looking at It’s always good to read in The Scarborough News the operation with a broader scope. The future of that a new attraction is planned for the town but Manor Road Nurseries is still in the balance. not so exciting when you realise that the At our Annual General Meeting a number of Waterpark was approved last August and nothing members’ concerns were raised: has yet happened. In the latest article about the 1. The Rock Armour planned for the beach in Waterpark new dates are mentioned but when front of the Spa Complex you read on it is clear that there is still some legal 2. Street Clutter agreement to be discussed. Cllr Fox is quoted as saying “We are going through a legal process 3. Traffic gridlock in Scarborough which should then allow an agreement to be put These are not easy topics but they will be before full council on May 13” Why do we always reviewed by your executive committee and we have to have complex arrangements? The last welcome such input so that we can try to address time there were such discussions our councillors such issues. were ‘forced’ to sell the freehold for the Sands Andrea Smith and Chris Perry have resigned from development. What trap are we heading towards the Executive Committee and were thanked for this time round? Perhaps I shouldn’t be so cynical their valuable contribution. and we really are seeing the much awaited scheme move towards completion. Let’s hope so Planning Report because we really need an all-weather attraction Spring 2013 in Scarborough. By Chris Perry

The Londesborough Lodge saga continues; it now Update of previous report: seems that we cannot find a buyer for the Bramcote Pavilion (at the corner of Belvedere property without including part of Valley Gardens Road and Holbeck Hill) the applications for in the sale. The council issued a legal notice Conservation Area consent to demolish the advising the public to contact them if they had pavilion 11/02355/CA and to build four flats on any comment about the sale of this part of our the site 11/02248/FL have been withdrawn. park, so on behalf of the Civic Society I wrote Construction of one 3 bedroomed house at 10 objecting to the sale of this public open space and Weaponness Park 12/01028/FL. The society has received no reply. This is another case of objected strongly to this garden-grabbing proposal Scarborough sleep walking into an impossible in the Weaponness Conservation Area. situation. If we planned to sell Londesborough Application refused . Lodge we should have been aware that the lack of Proposed extra care facility of 60 flats and land around the property would be a major communal facilities at Middle Deepdale 12/02023/ stumbling block. Perhaps the real reason why a FL for Sanctuary Housing. The Society has made buyer cannot be found is the condition of the negative comments about the 3 storey height of building! We suggested a long time ago that we these elderly persons flats, their institutional should have temporary residents in the building to design and the impact on neighbouring single and guard against its decline. We even provided two storey properties. Application permitted. details to SBC of “Property Guardians” an organisation specialising in the protection of Proposal to site one 77.9 metre (tip height) wind empty buildings but SBC preferred to leave the turbine at Willerby Wold Pig Farm, Old Malton building empty. Road, Staxton 12/01026/FUL. This application refers to land in Ryedale District Council area. The Manor Road Nurseries Task Group reported to The Society has objected. Application refused. SBC’s Resources Scrutiny Committee and Proposal to install curfew gates at The Bolts recommended the following along with many between 78 Eastborough and The Golden Grid, other excellent ideas: Sandside 12/02476/FL. The Society has made That the Nursery and in-house service be retained negative comments about this application, which and be responsible for all of the Council’s needs has now been withdrawn. 2

Heritage

A Piece of History in Scarborough THE SITWELL LIBRARY A section of William Holman Hunt's painting of By Chris Perry London Bridge shows one of the 100 incense This specialised library is found in Woodend burners filled by Perfumer Eugene Rimmel that Creative Workspace, located in The Crescent, lined the bridge to disguise the less than fragrant Scarborough. aroma of the Thames on the evening of 10 March Wood End was built as a private house in 1835. It 1863, when Prince Edward (1901 became King was purchased in 1870 by Lady Louisa Sitwell, Edward VII) married Princess Alexandra of who lived there with her children, George and Denmark. Eugene Rimmel's perfume was a Florence. Lady Louisa was a young widow; her novelty in public festivals, having usually been son, George, had succeeded to his father’s used to purify and perfume the air in ball rooms, baronetcy at the age of two. Lady Louisa theatres, Windsor Castle etc. On this special extended Wood End by adding a spacious double- occasion Rimmel's perfumed oils were burnt in height conservatory. tripods and lasted for three or four hours through In 1882 Sir George Sitwell (1860 – 1943) further wind and rain. The streams of incense floated extended Wood End by building the library wing through the air, pleasing and quietening the beyond the conservatory. The library is eagerness of the jostling crowd and calming their Elizabethan in style and the ceiling is a copy of soaring spirits. that in the library at Renishaw Hall, the ancestral William Holman Hunt's wonderful painting was home of the Sitwells in Derbyshire. In 1886 Sir shown to members of Scarborough Decorative George married Lady Ida Denison whose parents and Fine Arts Society by speaker, William owned Londesborough Lodge, also located on The Forrester of Guildford, who gave a talk on Crescent. Sir George and Lady Ida had three Victorian London and informed the members that children, Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell, who all he believed none of the burners was known to became writers. Their eldest son, Osbert, wrote have survived. The President Laila Bradley in “Four Continents” a striking comment about his remembered seeing one of the burners as a father’s Gothic Library at the Sitwell castle in centrepiece in Scarborough's Valley Gardens Lily Tuscany: “It was, of course, a library without Pond, where it had been for over 100 years. John books – I say, of course, for it could always be Sharpin, the first lessee of the Crown Hotel noticed that, though he loved books and lived between 1844 and 1857 and twice Mayor of surrounded by them, none the less in any room which he called a library no single volume was Scarborough, purchased the burner on one of his ever to be found. At Scarborough, similarly, his trips to London and presented it to the town to library had been bookless, though each of his mark his mayoralty in 1873. several sitting-rooms had books piled up all over Laila Bradley and the Scarborough DFAS the floor.” Committee enthusiastically tracked down the The library at Wood End is reputed to have been missing burner in Scarborough Borough Council's used to display porcelain during Sir George’s storage area, where it had been since 1984, in a residence there. The Sitwells sold Wood End to state of disrepair. For their Millennium Project the Scarborough Corporation in 1934. The house was Committee began fundraising to pay for the remodelled in 1951 to become a Natural History burner's restoration. Conservator Alison Walster Museum. from Sheffield spent over a month working on the burner to return it to its former glory in the When the Museum closed in 2006 Wood End was reborn as Woodend Creative Workspace. year 2000. Alison's research revealed that the burners were made by William Addis, Within the building, the Sitwell Library is now used Ironmongers of Leicester Square. as a meeting-room. The bookshelves, which supposedly once held porcelain, hold a When the 19 th century perfume burner, with its considerable collection of Sitwell-related books. 5 ft iron bowl on an ornate tripod, was finally Many of the books are written by the Sitwells; the beautifully restored it took pride of place in The remainder are books about the Sitwells or closely- Crown Hotel's reception area for many years. The related topics. The provenance of these books is perfume burner is now beautifully displayed in an varied; some were donated by Osbert Sitwell, ideal alcove in Scarborough Town Hall reception some were purchased by Scarborough Council. area. Photographs of the Holman Hunt painting and the restored Burner appear on page 5, one The Sitwell Library is neither a lending library nor of our colour pages. a reference library. The public can view the room whenever it is not in use. (continued on Page 5)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THE For details of YHACS Publications go to the NEWSLETTER FOR A FRIEND PLEASE ASK AT ANY download page on our website: MEETING AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO JOIN THE CIVIC SOCIETY www.scarboroughcivicsociety.org.uk

Scarborough and District Civic Society Mark Senior (1862 – 1927) a Yorkshire Artist

Andrew Clay the Director of Woodend Creative was the guest speaker at the members Annual Lunch at the Park Manor Hotel on the 12th February. His presentation featured an insight into the life and career of his great great grandfather the well known Yorkshire artist Mark Senior and through his family connections Andrew was well placed to entertain us with informed stories of his illustrious ancestor. Mark Senior is often referred to as a post – impressionist artist who was born in Hanging Heaton near Batley in 1862, he lived for most of his life in Ossett having moved there in 1892, the same year that his picture “ Eventide” was exhibited at the R o y a l Academy. T h i s painting w h i c h depicted an elderly couple sitting by a fire in a candle lit room was the first he had accepted by the Academy and from this date onwards he exhibited regularly until 1924. The Yorkshire connection and perhaps the more particular connection with the Yorkshire coast was emphasised by his vividly coloured views of Runswick Bay, by the 1890’s he had established a routine whereby around Easter the whole family would pack and remove itself from the West “Eventide” by Mark Senior exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1892. Riding to the North Yorkshire coast until October. They initially rented a small cottage at Runswick Bay but later in 1919 Senior built a larger cottage called “Hillside” His children would go to local schools until the family’s return to Ossett and in the winter he would occasionally return to Runswick Bay to paint winter landscapes. With the coming of the railway the area around Staithes became a magnet for artists like Mark Senior and the unique beauty of the area attracted numerous artists who became known as the Staithes Group of artists. Whilst Senior is well known for painting dramatic and wonderful views of the coastal scenery he also included local Runswick Bay people in many scenes. They were happy to sit for a farthing an hour to eke out a meagre income, the same people can be clearly picked out in several of his paintings. Mark Senior died at his house “Hillside” in Runswick Bay on New Year’s Day, 1927 at the age of sixty four and was buried at St. Hilda’s Parish Church, Hinderwell. Several of his paintings can be seen at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Hepworth Wakefield and more locally at the Pannett Gallery Whitby. “Away to the Sea” by Mark Senior exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1911 Jackie Roberts 4

Scarborough and District Civic Society

Remediation of the Drinking Trough Michael Wainwright

Picture and Oil Burner referred to on page 3

Progress Report The trough has been emptied of standing water. The granite has been pressure jetted clean. The joint cleaning and sealing will be the next job. Quotations are being sought for the stainless steel plates and the engraving. All work is planned to be complete by the end of May.

WILLIAM SITWELL AND THE SITWELL LIBRARY AT WOODEND

(The Sitwell Library - from page 3) Wood End is listed Grade II*. The Sitwell Society is based at Wood End and organises occasional events in the Sitwell Library. The website is: www.sitwellsociety.com or write to Karen Snowden at Woodend Creative Workspace, The Crescent, Scarborough YO11 2PW. Sources: “Streets of Scarborough” published by Scarborough & District Civic Society and “The Scarborough Heritage Trail” part 2 published by Scarborough Borough Council and Scarborough & District Civic Society.

Scarborough and District Civic Society

Conservation Officer Retires: Sea Defences Talk It was quite a squeeze to get everyone into the An appreciation of Chris Hall small lecture room at the by Adrian Perry Library on Tuesday 8 When I became Chairman of the Civic Society I January for the talk by was told that Chris Hall is the man to ask about Freddie Drabble. He is a Scarborough heritage matters. I only now realise well-known figure in what good advice that was. Working with Chris Scarborough, having been on Heritage Open Days also made me aware that a part of the Sons of Chris liked a bit of fun which often takes the Neptune Group since its form of dressing up! At the castle he was King earliest days 26 years ago. Henry the second and lately he was William He has lived and worked in “Strata” Smith at the Rotunda. the town for a long time and has a tremendous love Chris has helped the Civic Society with many of the town and its projects and as the representative of heritage. His particular Scarborough Borough Council has helped at concerns were with regard to the plans for coastal unveiling ceremonies over the years. One year defences in the area of the Spa and the possible he appeared in our Newsletter at four events. destruction of Children’s Corner. This has long been a favourite place enjoyed by summer visitors and Scarborough people too. He was also greatly concerned by the visual impact on the Grade II* listed Spa buildings. He expressed the opinion that some upgrading of the wall and maintenance of the existing sea wall was all that was required. He felt that not enough was being done to preserve the coastal scenery and historic features of the area. Freddie Drabble was at great pains to state that unless representation was made to the Environment Agency and other national bodies the situation would be considered acceptable to the town and the impact on the area would be devastating. Explaining the Model of Medieval Scarborough. Chris helped with the research which made the model so He quoted Whitby as a good example of what was authentic. possible saying that ‘Whitby has been careful to nurture its own heritage and is reaping the Chris had a very difficult job trying to ensure that economic benefits.’ Scarborough heritage was conserved but he Christine Hepworth managed to steer a steady course which has earned him the respect of people who come into Executive Committee contact with him and Scarborough is all the better for having had such a person at the helm. If you think you might be interested in joining the Committee do come along and see how we Much of what he did was behind the scenes and work. All members are welcome to attend the unsung. Peter Cooper remembers attending an meetings, but please contact the Secretary first, English Heritage event where Chris gave a to help us know how many may be there. We presentation. It concerned matters in meet at the Red Lea Hotel, on the evening of the Scarborough and his love of the town's heritage second Wednesday in each month. and history shone through 'because we have the real thing'. Next year, 2014, marks the 50th Scarborough Civic Society is very glad that the Anniversary of the founding of the Civic town had an officer who took a common sense Society. It was formed at a meeting in the and practical view on conservation matters, we Library on 24th February 1964. know that not all civic societies have this sort of help and support. The Executive Committee will welcome all ideas for a suitable means of commemorating this Chris will be missed but I’m pleased to say that event, and if you have any suggestions you will Derek Green has been appointed as the new be made welcome at the Committee to help put Conservation Officer for Scarborough and his them into practice. It is your Society, and this is experience as a planner here in Scarborough will something to celebrate - come and help us! stand him in good stead.

The Information Page - Who’s Who and What’s On

Society Events 2013 Scarborough & District Civic Society P O Box No. 151, Scarborough, YO12 4YJ Civic Society Meetings are

in the small meeting room at Registered Charity No. 260615 the Library on Vernon Road at 2.30 p.m. KEEP IN TOUCH with the Society by (unless otherwise indicated) watching our Website There is a charge of £2 per head www.scarboroughcivicsociety.org.uk

Tuesday 14th May Officers & Executive Committee ‘War Memorials in the Scarborough area’

a talk by Keith Johnston CHAIRMAN VICE-CHAIRMAN RICHARD FLOWITT 500303

Tuesday 11th June Acting SECRETARY ADRIAN PERRY 379912 A WALK TREASURER MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT 363291 through South Cliff Gardens SOCIAL SECRETARY CHRISTINE HEPWORTH 368913 Starting from the Holbeck Clock Tower SHELTERS GROUP CHRIS PERRY 379912 at 6.30 p.m. NEWSLETTER:

Tuesday 9th July EDITOR ROGER FOSTER 364796 Two former Mayors of Scarborough PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN PARNABY 353846 Hazel Lynskey and Sheila Kettlewell Distribution ANDREA SMITH 341699 will talk about ‘The Mayoral Year’ COMMITTEE JACKIE ROBERTS 379360 MEMBERS: JOHN POPPLETON 373143

MARY BLADES 362564 Tuesday 13th August BARBARA BUNFIELD 363233 A WALK in Falsgrave Starting from Falsgrave Clock Tower The Newsletter at 2.00 p.m. Feedback on the Newsletter, and letters and other contributions, including photographs, are always Tuesday 10 September welcome, and should please be sent to the Editor Stephen Middleton will talk about ‘The restoration of a Petro Electric Railcar’. [email protected] In the early 1900s these were in use in the Scarborough area. A new Treasurer for the Society Michael Wainwright, who has been a member of Tuesday 8 October the Executive for some time, has agreed to Sarah Stokes become Treasurer on the retirement of Barbara ‘Protection of Historic Buildings Bunfield who has done the job for many years. using Property Guardians’ Michael has lived in Scarborough for 3 years. He shares the values and objectives of the Civic Afternoon Tea Society in seeking to maintain and enhance the to be arranged for late October heritage and character of our town, its buildings details will be available later in the year. and infrastructure.

He is recently retired having had an Tuesday 12 November extremely interesting career working in North Yorkshire Police Commissioner commercial management for national Julia Mulligan civil engineering contractors on many about her first year in this newly created post. infrastructure landmark projects involving highways bridges motorways railways pipelines Tuesday 17 December marine works and harbours. (Photo Page 8) Christmas Coffee Morning Red Lea Hotel Coffee The Executive thanked Barbara warmly for all she and mince pies, a raffle and a quiz. has done, and unanimously confirmed the new

appointment.

Scarborough & District Civic Society

Chris Hall looking forward to his retirement.

There is a full appreciation of his years as Conservation Officer for the Borough on Page 6

Michael Wainwright the new Treasurer (Page 7)

The Crowning Glory (Page 2)

THE NEXT SOCIETY EVENT is on Tuesday 14th May when Keith Johnston will be talking about ‘War Memorials in the Scarborough area’ in the usual place, the Library, at the usual time, 2.30 p.m.

On the right, just a few of the many Civic Society Members who seem to be enjoying the Annual Lunch at Park Manor. On page 4 there is an interesting report on Andrew Clay’s talk about Mark Senior.