Friends of Morwellham
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Chairman’s Report Spring 2013 The thing the British do best is to complain about the weather but on the Friends of the whole, in our part of the country, we’ve fared better than most. To look on the bright side, the evenings are drawing out and we have the Spring to look forward to. I’m sure it will stop raining soon. Tamar Valley 2012 was not the happiest of years when it came to members of the Committee, with the loss of David Hodgkinson in July and then the very sudden loss of Brian Spencer in October. We shall miss them both. On a lighter note, I am pleased to say that interest in the Friends of the Tamar Valley remains fairly constant. Some people leave, of course, for all sorts of reasons but, more importantly, we have a lot of new faces and they are very welcome. The attraction, I believe, is the promotion of everything about the Valley and local Devon and Cornwall areas that encourages an interest in their richness, whether that’s in their history, the archaeology, the geology, the environment or their many other aspects. You will see from the programme in this Newsletter what a magnificent job Jane has done in giving us a wide and varied programme, fulfilling the ideals of the “Friends” to touch on as many aspects as possible concerning the Valley and its surrounding areas. The 34th edition of Tamar was issued just in time to meet the 2012 deadline and, as always, it is packed full of fascinating articles about those different aspects of the Tamar Valley and gives a much wider platform to the information that could be provided in a newsletter. I’m sure you found this edition as interesting as ever. It was only made possible by Clive Charlton stepping in as Editor at very short notice following the death of David Hodgkinson. What a fine job he made of it too. If you have article within you that you feel might be suitable for inclusion in Tamar then please contact Clive, the Editor. His contact information, as with all the Committee, is included within this Newsletter. As we did last year, some of us will be showcasing the Friends at various local shows during the summer. One such event will be the open day at Churchtown Farm at Saltash in July. This site was wonderfully described by Peter Kent in his February talk to the Friends on East Cornwall Wildlife Reserves. If you have never been to Churchdown Farm Nature Reserve I can thoroughly recommend it for its stunning views over the River Lyner. Running an organisation such as the Friends takes quite a bit of work and a lot of commitment from the Committee. There will, however, be some Newsletter Front cover: Weir Head from the Duke’s Drive along the River Tamar. The front cover of the Autumn 2012 Newsletter showed the dovecote at Antony House. Spring 2013 2 changes this year when I step down as Chairman and Jane Kiely will be In Memoriam seeking election to that position. Clive, our Editor, will need to be elected to Brian Spencer died at the end of October 2012, suddenly and without the Committee as he was co-opted at short notice. Peter Hunkin has kindly warning. A member of the Friends of the Tamar Valley from its inception, offered himself for election to the Committee to replace Brian. The election th Brian had also previously been a long term member of the Friends of process will take place at the AGM on 5 April commencing at 7:00 p.m. Morwellham. He served on the committee of both those organisations and his You can probably appreciate that the programme, the accounts, managing help over the years has been immeasurable. Anyone who knew him knew of the membership renewals and applications, editing and organising the his abiding interest and in-depth knowledge of the Tamar Valley, especially printing of Tamar and the production of the Newsletter, all take considerable the Calstock and Gunnislake areas. voluntary effort. We do need more help keep up with these activities. If you Born and bred in Devon, he managed to slip into Cornwall in 1982. As he was think you can lend a hand then, prior to the AGM, this is your opportunity to prone to say, that was whilst nobody was looking. After 30 years living in his put yourself forward or nominate someone who is willing to stand. Nomination small cottage in Gunnislake he thought of the Tamar Valley as his true home. forms, which require a proposer and a seconder, are included with this Newsletter or will be available from me at the March meeting. No particular Out of many occupations, he regarded his years at the Land Registry in experience is necessary as we will ease you in gently. Plymouth as the most interesting. Working with old deeds and plans fed his interest in geography and history. It was by living in the Tamar Valley, Funding the Friends organisation is always a problem, which we have however, that he was able to explore the landscape to fully understand how managed to overcome in previous years through your subscriptions and by the two subjects came together and this gave him an abiding interest in the the AONB covering the cost of producing Tamar. The cost of speakers for local wildlife and mining history of the area. monthly meetings has been increasing slowly over recent years and the AONB is no longer in a position to meet the full cost of Tamar. Regretfully, the A quiet man who could get on with everybody he met, he will be sadly Committee will be proposing at the AGM to increase the annual subscription missed. to £12 per person or £20 per couple with effect from 2014. th The Newsletter welcomes contributions from any ‘Friend’. If you have a short AGM 5 April 2013 and pithy snippet of local information that you would like to share and which Election of Officers and Proposals: would be suitable for future issues of the Newsletter then please contact 1. To elect Jane Kiely to the position of Chair of the Friends of the Tamar Anthony Lewis or myself. Valley. Your continued support of the Friends is welcomed. It really does make a 2. To elect Clive Charlton to the Committee and to the position of Editor of difference. the Tamar. Best regards 3. To elect Peter Hunkin to the Committee. John Chilvers Chairman Reports of Meetings and Events Committee 2012-2013 Following on from the format used in recent Newsletters we include reports of Chairman John Chilvers 01752 339637 [email protected] our monthly meetings up to and including February 2013. Tamar Editor Clive Charlton 01822 840497 [email protected] Dr Patrick O’Sullivan – Devon Great Consols and William Morris (7 Hon Secretary Cliff Lambert 01822 834964 [email protected] September 2012) by Jane Kiely Hon Treasurer Anthony Lewis 01752 671356 [email protected] Membership Secretary Anthony Lewis 01752 671356 [email protected] What an interesting evening we had with Patrick O’Sullivan! Having been an Programme Secretary Jane Kiely 01822 834964 [email protected] admirer of William Morris and ‘The Firm’ for so long, it was strange to hear of Newsletter Editor Anthony Lewis 01752 671356 [email protected] another side of him – and where his money came from, especially as it was Committee Members Glyn Berrington 01822 840418 [email protected] linked so closely with Devon Great Consols, and therefore very much in the Peter Hunkin 01752 844993 [email protected] Tamar Valley. This is not a full report on the talk as Patrick has written the 3 4 first of two articles in the current edition of Tamar, and has argued the case defences merely shift the problem elsewhere and the NT would prefer to far more eloquently than I ever could. So do read his article: Environmentalist engage in a more holistic approach to the problem. There are problems along or Hypocrite? William Morris and Arsenic – Guilty or not proven? Part 1: the the river with increased sediment entering the water, and the lack of case for the prosecution, on page 49… enjoy! maintenance of river edges, with trees and other debris causing a build-up of water. In the future there Two Walks as Part of the Tamar Valley Spring Trails Festival could be a greater problem of trees falling Thursday 28 March 2013 at 10:00 am into the river because of Meet at Bedford Sawmills visitor centre for a 6 mile walk on the new footpath erosion. One possible below Bedford Sawmills, walking on both sides to visit Clitters and Skinners solution in the long term industrial areas. One steep path up the incline plane. is to remove the existing defence banks upstream Thursday 4 April 2013 at 10:00 am of the Quay, so that the Meet at Bedford Sawmills visitor centre for a 9 mile walk to Morwellham river can expand into Quay using the new Canal Tunnel Trail and Sheepridge Trail. what were natural floodplains. Please bring picnic lunch and drinks for both walks and well behaved dogs are welcome. Contact Jane Kiely on 01822 834964. There was some discussion of dredging around the Quay but Joe River Tamar Downstream from Cotehele Amy Netley – Projected Flooding in the Tamar Valley (5 October 2012) explained that what can by Helen Wilson be done on the Quay itself is very limited and that, in the event of a serious flood, only the Edgcumbe Arms would be protected.