A Reason to Celebrate the Museum
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The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 History Essay Planning Local History Society Members Environment Around and About competition 3 Committee 4-5 pages 6-7 pages 8-9 pages 10-11 page 12 A REASON TO CELEBRATE THE MUSEUM As the Museum prepares to celebrate trumpet and the official coat of the its centenary with a special exhibition Wimbledon beadle plus, frankly, opening on 16 January, CASSANDRA a load of old rubbish. There was, TAYLOR, chairman of the however, enough suitable material to Museum Committee, create the bare bones of a museum. explains how the In the previous century Joseph Museum came Toynbee, the distinguished into being and anaesthetist and a founder of The the people who Village Club, had been keen to made it happen develop “not the exhibition of rare and so-called curious objects, but THE MUSEUM to develop and foster in the minds was officially of all classes of people an interest opened on 19 October in the common objects of Nature 1916 during the closing days of Founding father: Dr Francis Bather (above, which surround them”. He even the terrible Battle of the Somme courtesy of the Royal Society) ran the produced a small book called Hints for which soldiers had only Museum from 1916 to 1934; his secretary for the Formation of a Local Museum recently been training on the and later Museum curator Margaret Grant but unfortunately died in 1866 Common (see page 6). That a group (above left); a 1911 Coronation mug (below) before plans had reached the of philanthropic burghers should donated by Miss Bather to the Museum drawing board. have decided to pool their private The collection of items deemed collections and form a museum appealed for pictures, prints and suitable for display were examined at such a time is less incongruous objects of antiquarian value. on 3 March 1916 by Colonel than it might appear to us during The response was excellent though Plunkett, Dr Francis Bather and W this present WWI the results were Druce and subsequently displayed commemorative period. mixed. It produced in the Reading Room of the Club. In fact the idea of a an eclectic trove Because of wartime shortages museum had first been of watercolours, there was no money available for mooted in 1904, when maps, portraits and fixtures and fittings. The collection a sub-committee of interesting artefacts could be viewed by anyone let in The John Evelyn Club but also a miscellany by the Club’s caretaker, whose (later The Wimbledon of unsuitable items lack of supervision meant that Society) chaired by including a falcon’s some items ‘walked’ out with the Richardson Evans bell, a wooden ear odd visitor. (continued on p3) For the latest information, go to www.wimbledonsociety.org.uk, www.wimbledonmuseum.org.uk or the Facebook page. EDITOR’S NOTE Wimbledon Society contacts President Norman Plastow Chairman’s report Chairman/Website Asif Malik WE ARE approaching a milestone in the affairs of the Society. It was at our AGM in May 2014 that members present gave approval to the Executive Committee to investigate changing the status of Hon Secretary Sue Lang the Society from an unincorporated body to that of a company limited by guarantee. A group of EC members looked into this proposal with care, and recommended to the AGM earlier this year Hon Treasurer Corinna Edge that we should proceed with the change – the recommendation was accepted nem con. After much work by the EC group, with pro bono legal advice and consultation with our accountants, Planning Chairman John Mays we have reached the stage of incorporating a new limited company. Our name does not change and we are still The Wimbledon Society. The Charity Commission has accepted our application Museum Chairman Cassandra for registration. We now have a new company Taylor registration number and a new charity number. The final stage will entail the transfer of assets to the new company, and we plan to complete the process Local History Chairman Charles Toase by 31 December 2015. This is indeed a major step for the Society and will put us on a firm footing to face the future with confidence. The public consultation process for Crossrail 2 is Membership Secretary now in progress. If it does go ahead, the impact on Jennifer Newman Wimbledon will be hugely significant, and much of the current townscape in the central area will be transformed. We have been following the proposals with great interest, and you will see an explanatory Activities/Newsletter Distribution article on page 4, where we set out the Society’s Linda Defriez view. It is worth looking at the Crossrail website – www.crossrail2.co.uk, to find out more. We would encourage all members to send replies/comments by email to crossrail2@tfl.gov.uk or by post to Freepost, Crossrail 2 Consultations. Wimbledon Society Newsletter In the last Newsletter, we mentioned our search Editorial team for new members for the Executive Committee of John Stern the Society. There was a strong response and we are Nigel Davies Asif Malik, in discussion with some very promising candidates. Iain Simpson The door is still open, and we are inviting expressions of interest for this key role. If you would like to join us in ensuring that the Society is properly run, we are keen to hear from you. Please Printing: The Wimbledon Print Company, 257 have a look at the note on the back page. Haydons Road, SW19 8TY ASIF MALIK 2 RICHARD MILWARD ESSAY CHALLENGE The Great History Throw Down MONICA ELLISON on the renewed topic or even an idea for one, that rewarding. Do not be daunted by the search for Wimbledon historians the competition will take place next idea of research, I found that most of year. This biennial award is for an the resources I needed were available THE RICHARD MILWARD Essay Award original article (between 1,000 and at the Museum of Wimbledon or will be made in Autumn 2016. Small 2,000 words) on a local history subject Morden Library.” stirrings have been noted and we submitted by 19 October 2016. It is useful to bear in mind that with can assure anyone toying with a The prize commemorates the work every year that passes, another drops of Richard Milward (1924-2006), the into the history remit box, so that the brilliant master, lecturer, and prolifc story of more people, organisations, historian who, apart from his life as an societies, schools, churches, houses, undergraduate at Oxford, spent all his roads etc, become available as subjects years in Wimbledon, many of them in for a great essay. Email milwardprize@ the service of the Society. wimbledonsociety.org.uk for advice. Kirk Bannister, our winner in 2014, says: “If you have a love for our history Entry Forms and Terms & Conditions here in Wimbledon this essay contest is are available from the Museum of for you. Whether it’s an interest in some Wimbledon, 22 Ridgway, Wimbledon of the more notable past residents, or SW19 4QN, or online at: Inspiration: Richard Milward, who taught any aspect of Wimbledon’s past, then www.wimbledonsociety.org.uk and www.wimbledonmuseum.org.uk history at Wimbledon College for 40 years writing an essay about it is incredibly The Museum (continued from p1) develop it by the Council into a SOCIETY NEWS municipal Museum and Art Gallery A large audience attended a fell through because the annual Society incorporation conversazione in the Lecture Hall running cost of £1,650 was thought status where speeches were given by the exorbitant. GOOD progress has been made since President, Sir Thomas Jackson, the Thanks to the hard work of the AGM. The new company, called well-known architect who lived in successive Museum Committees ‘The Wimbledon Society’, has been Wimbledon, and Richardson Evans, the Museum is now established incorporated, and our application a local philanthropist. on a sound basis. A team of for registration with the Charity Just as the war ended, the Club volunteers oversees visitors during Commission has been accepted. This building was requisitioned for the weekend opening times and means we are on target to complete the process by the fnancial year end military use and the collection under Dr Pamela Greenwood, Head 31 December. was moved to Eagle House, apart of Collections, the curators of the All members will receive a letter from the stuffed birds which were various sections (archaeology, explaining the changes and setting sent to the Library. archives, books, manuscripts, out the details of the Society’s new The Museum did not reopen maps, natural history, portraits and bank account with the Charities Aid until 1920 when Margaret Grant, prints, watercolours and drawings) Foundation (CAF). The letter will ask who was secretary to Dr Bather and work on conserving and recording you to cancel your existing standing Almoner at the Cottage Hospital, was the items in their care. order and set up a new one in favour appointed curator. At the request of The special exhibition ‘The of the new CAF account. the village Club in 1924 the Museum Museum of Wimbledon – a In order to facilitate the transfer of was moved from the Reading Room Centenary Celebration’ will be members to the new company, the existing Society will be kept in being to the disused classrooms upstairs open from 16 January to mid-April. for at least two years. where it remains today. In addition to the normal opening In due course, the company’s It was closed during World War hours of 2.30–5pm on Saturdays articles and the rules will be II after which attempts to rehouse and Sundays the Museum will also published on the Society website.