Hazel Bailey Has Been Appointed As the New Crispin Hall and Crispin Community Centre Manager

Crispin Hall Your Contributions Spring 2013 Hazel Bailey has been appointed Items for the newsletter are as the new Crispin Hall and always welcome, as are Crispin Community Centre suggestions for articles. Manager so we can look forward Please email them to: to seeing some very positive [email protected] CHAIRMAN’S LETTER changes in the near future. or post them to: items along with our facsimile Street Society Newsletter Editor, Dear Members One of the initial ideas has been 12 Green Lane, Street, BA16 edition for posterity. to set up a Facebook page for 0QL. We have already enjoyed some Thanks to all involved in helping Crispin Hall Trust and Hazel is very diverse and interesting very keen to put any photos and to keep the society running, speaker meetings and there are from the refreshment volunteers reminiscences about the hall still two more to go before we onto it. Flower Festival and the events co-ordinator start our Summer programme of through to the newsletter trips. If you have anything you think A Flower Festival is being held editors. Please keep any items might be of interest please at Leigh Road Methodist Church for inclusion coming. st It was pleasing to find that the contact Hazel on 07549 693489 over the weekend Friday 21 to rd society was directly contacted to and she can arrange to get the Sunday 23 June. The theme is “Wedding respond to the planned Nina Swift pictures scanned at the centre Sainsbury’s extension and I hope while you are there. Anniversaries” If anyone would like to provide a you agree to at least some of the floral display for one of the points of our response, which Church windows please contact included the aspiration for Behind the Scenes Viv Squire at the church or on another fine piece to be 01458 443013. produced by Philippa Threlfall, since a piece of public art is Anyone wishing to get a little usually included in any large more involved with the Society project deal. is welcome to attend the committee that meets monthly. Contact Details On behalf of the Society I would We aim to keep on top of issues like to acknowledge the donation and enable meetings to be kept Chairman Nina Swift 01458 443881 of a first edition of the book short and concise. Secretary Hilary Napper 01458 445648 "Reminiscences of Life in the Treasurer/Membership Catherine Atkins 01458 443055 Parish of Street" which we have Our next meeting is Wednesday morning – 17th April. Please Event Co-ordinator Barbara Cowell 01458 443397 reproduced and also the original handwritten manuscript. We will contact Nina for details. Email: [email protected] be asking the Alfred Gillett Website: www.streetsociety.org Trust Archive to store these PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS Tuesday 21st May Our evening talks take place on Tuesdays at 7.30pm in the Visit to and talk about the Alfred Gillett Trust Archive Methodist Church Hall, Leigh Road Meet at 2.00pm at the Grange, Street Duration 1 hour 30 minutes March 26th My Varied Career from the Theatre to No charge Nurseryman in Ashcott A talk by Gilly Hayward formerly Senior Gardener at Wednesday 26th June Highgrove Visit to Ashton Windmill, Chapel Allerton Situated between Wedmore and Chapel Allerton past the Golf Club April 23rd The Clarks of Street and the Alfred Gillett Trust Meet at 2.00pm in the car park at the Windmill A talk by Charlotte Berry who is the Archivist of the Bring a picnic to enjoy after the visit Trust No charge

September 24th AGM followed by Peter Cabble relating his story of Wednesday 24th July being an Olympic Torch Bearer Visit to Wells Museum and the Deanery Gardens Meet at 2.00pm at the museum in Cathedral Green, Wells October 22nd Sharpham Moor – a talk by Graham Rix Cost £3.00 per head and pay on the day

November 26th Village Classrooms – a talk by Sarah Villiers Please put down your name for these trips at either the March or April meeting so that we know how many will be going and to arrange car EVENTS AND OUTINGS sharing

May 21st Visit to and talk about the Alfred Gillett Trust For further information please contact Hilary Napper on 01458 445648 Archive at 2.00pm Help Please! June 26th Visit to Ashton Windmill, Chapel Allerton at 2.00pm with a picnic after We have heard from a Lesley Mitchell whose late mother worked at a sweet shop in Street in the late 1950's before she married and moved th July 24 Visit to Wells Museum and the Deanery Gardens at away. Her name was Margaret Stone. 2.00pm She hopes that someone from the Society would remember what the shop was called or if the building is still there and what it's being used for now. th th September Over the weekend 13 to 15 Heritage Open Please contact Lesley on: [email protected] or contact a Weekend. There will be talks on Quaker Women committee member. and Quakers in Industry and tours of local places of interest Does anyone know why Elmhurst was so called? If so please contact the Alfred Gilleet Trust Archivist, Charlotte Berry. On FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OUTINGS SEE PAGE 7 01458 842557 or [email protected]

Summer Outings Sainsbury’s Consultation contd… Our Chairman Nina Swift remarked “Following the society's statement November Meeting regarding the plans Tom Selway from Sainsbury’s rang me to thank us for Sarah Hare gave a talk on Somerset Almshouses, their gardens and people our response and he went through each discussion point with me showing at the November meeting. an encouraging attitude to our proposals.” Almshouses were originally intended for the deserving poor who were able to look after themselves and had local connections. Subsequently he sent the following comments: Sarah took members on an illustrated tour of a number of almshouses including Wells, Bruton, Cannington, Goathurst, Bath, West Coker, “ We are really grateful to Street Society for their comprehensive Frome, Stogursey, Chard, Street and Langford. feedback, it really is useful. What happens now is the feedback is all carefully considered and decisions will be made on what can and can't be Christmas Lunch used. We hope to be submitting an application over the next five weeks The Society’s Christmas Lunch was held in the Gaskell Room, Millfield and will update you on the proposals and changes at this time. I also hope School on Monday 10th December. to be able to update you on the work the store is doing with the High Over fifty members enjoyed an excellent traditional Christmas meal in Street.” very comfortable surroundings. ______After the meal there was a most interesting visit to Millfield House conducted by the Archivist from Millfield School, Dick Shilton. Street Pride Street Through Time Street’s first civic pride day on 13th January saw more than 50 residents don hi-vis jackets, gloves and warm clothing for a community litter pick. Street Society member and local historian Muriel Mudie is producing a The event showed a sense of community and willingness to improve new book with the support of the Society. The book entitled ‘Street Street and was so successful that the next session will tackle green Through Time’ will be part of a national series by Amberley Books. It will spaces on Sunday 24th March meeting at the Parish Rooms at 9.30am. contain 90 old photographs of Street each with a short history and an up January Meeting to date photograph from the same spot. Society member Michael Goddard gave a talk on the Quaker influence on These up to date photographs have been taken by member Neil Clarke. Street at the January meeting. The book will be published in early May at a cost of £14.99 and will be The talk was a comparison of Street's relationship with and influence of available through the Society. Quakers with that of William Penn and the creation of Pennsylvania. The key focus of the Quakers was on the community and the provision of Other Publications accommodation such as the Crispin Hall and Wilfrid Road. At the end of his talk there was a question and answer session with much The Society has reprinted a 1909 booklet of the reminiscences of the discussion and exchange of experiences. village of Street from 1844 by W Pursey. It is available at £3.50 a copy. February Meeting Philippa Threlfall's talk on 50 years of Mural Making made special Muriel Mudie’s booklet “Looking Back at Street” is also available at £3.50 reference to the newly refurbished Mid-Somerset Mural in the Crispin a copy. Centre Street. Philippa gave a "potted" history with plenty of photographs of the murals To purchase copies please contact Catherine Atkins on 01458 443055 or with which she has been involved during her life. This included details of [email protected]. the changing methods of how they were made. WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING Sainsbury’s Consultation The Street Society was approached by Sainsbury’s to be involved in an > Seek to provide and promote safe weatherproof bicycle storage, again initial consultation about their plans to extend their current store. to encourage reduced car use The extension would allow Sainsbury’s to update and improve the store, > Seek to offer a bike trailer hire scheme as promoted by Waitrose stores, widen the isles and broaden the range of both food and non-food items. It again to encourage reduced car use would include a new first floor restaurant, new hot ‘food-to-go’ counters > Seek to provide a high quality display board at the entrance to and an extended range of TU clothing as well as Sainsbury’s home Sainsbury’s, to draw shoppers’ attention (particularly those from outside delivery service, which currently comes from Taunton. It would also this area) to their proximity to the nearby excellent facilities and create around 170 new full and part time job opportunities in addition to attractions of Street village, with specific references to the history of more than 200 positions already at the store. Street. Including information about The Street Society would also help to To enable the proposed extension to be built, Sainsbury’s would purchase improve community cohesion and understanding land from the Street Business Park development, which currently has > Seek to provide a machine to dispense pictorial maps of the village (as outline planning permission. This purchase would then provide the presently exists outside Crispin Hall) to encourage shoppers to continue funding to build the infrastructure needed to start work on the business their shopping in the High Street. This is of obvious benefit to Sainsbury’s park. as it will encourage non residents to return after benefitting from an The individual opinions of our members on the development extend enhanced visit to the area. widely, from approval to rejection. The Society asked its members to > Seek to offer direct car access into the development from the Portland discuss the development proposal within the context of its civic role and Estate, which obviates driving onto and then off the by-pass. This would as a result of this the following statement represents the Street Society’s improve the facility for people living on the estate who need to use their formal response. cars to visit the supermarkets, and would address needs of the proposed new developments in Walton. “ The Street Society recommends that any further development at > Seek to ensure all signage is sympathetic and tasteful and only Sainsbury’s in Street should: illuminated as and when essential > Seek, as a priority, to mitigate any potential detrimental effect to > Seek to ensure that a worthwhile piece of public art is commissioned to trading in Street High Street, complementing rather than damaging represent Street as part of any Community Infrastructure Levy or Section existing businesses 106 agreements made. The Somerset mural situated at the entrance to > Seek to promote and improve physical links for pedestrians and cyclists The Crispin Centre in Street is a fine and lasting example of the style of between Sainsbury’s and the village of Street (south and north of the artwork the society envisages. As such the society is recommending that A39), by enhancing the existing dedicated walkways and cycle ways as the artist for that piece Philippa Threlfall be approached as a first required. This to be achieved by adding new routes where appropriate, contact for this. and introducing clear signage where necessary. This needs to include The society applauds all measures planned to improve sustainability, to improving cycle and pedestrian access between the existing businesses, ie reduce the carbon footprint of the store and to address reducing any Lidl and Sainsbury’s and those businesses coming on stream on the Street negative impacts the extension may have. The society hopes that the Business Park. The society hopes that finance for increased cycle proposed developments of both the store and Street Business Park will provision can be used to fund a wider programme of improved safe offer Street residents a facility worth visiting. Attention to details will pathways particularly for local school children and to include the people mean that rather than competing with Street High Street shops this of Walton, from all directions. This will help to reduce the negative improved commercial area will support and enhance the facilities that impact of increasing the number of parking spaces since the increase Street already offers.” encourages car use. Continued over….

> Seek to remove or alter the speed bumps into the store to allow safer access for cyclists, as these bumps at present are dangerous to negotiate