The Reigate Society Option Glish-Heritage/English-Heritage-Civic-Voice- from the Drop Down Menu and Print Off the Pass-2012/ Voucher
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
T H E REIGATE SO CIETY The Civic Society for Reigate, Redhill and Merstham Newsletter No. 104 December 2012 CHAIRMAN'S NOTES Firstly I would like to draw your attention to the Also at the recent members’ evening we were appeal that was made in our last newsletter for a able to present Civic Awards to four worthy volunteer to take over from John Angel as our recipients, Gatton Park Parterre, Kidsunlimited Honorary Registrar who is retiring next year. John Nursery, The Assembly and Churchill Close. You admits the job is not too onerous and takes less may have seen the excellent article in the recent than a couple of hours a week. No great Surrey Mirror, many thanks to them for computer skills are needed; just an orderly mind recognising such good examples of local and access to a computer and training could be architecture. More details of the projects and our provided if necessary. If you can help us out, or comments are given in this Newsletter and also would like to discuss this then please contact on our website. John Angel (01737) 242672 [email protected] Over the last few months there has been a lot of discussion about changes in planning The Heritage Open Days issues for the green belt, something we (HODs) have been keeping a close eye on, as was another reported more fully in other sections of successful day this newsletter. As your with lots of local Civil Society we visitors, many from take very seriously all the outside the local area, various pressures on coming to our local visit the You can get your Newsletter by environment, various sites in email – just email both natural and built, the centre of [email protected] and need your Reigate. The and title the email ‘Paperless’. support in Undercroft in these Upper matters. If you West are able and willing to take a Street for example, had more active role in local significant visitor numbers civic issues then please including locals that were contact any officer of the completely unaware of its existence, in Society, or for prospective members particular a resident of Upper West download the membership forms from our Street. It is good to know that such website ( www.reigatesociety.org.uk ). events are bringing the history of Reigate to peoples’ attention. Our thanks go to Michèle Another initiative we are pursuing is with regard to Damer for all her hard work and infectious the long awaited refurbishment and repairs to the enthusiasm that led to this success. Reigate Priory building, in particular the Museum, which has been closed for a considerable period. After a rather slow start I am pleased to report that We have written to Reigate and Banstead Council we have had an excellent response to our request and Surrey County Council expressing our for submissions for a piece of street art to be concern and pointing out their obligations in placed in Priory Park to acknowledge our 60 th maintaining this building. The only response to anniversary. Out of the 50 submissions we are date is a letter from Cllr Joan Spiers indicating able, after much discussion, to produce a short list that the financial problems of Surrey and R&B of 8 that were the subject of a vote at the recent Councils are not so severe as to preclude any members’ evening. Based on this ballot we have necessary repairs and maintenance and that she two options that we will be discussing with the will raise it as an agenda item at the Public Sector Priory Park team. When this has been finalised Board on 19 th November. Let us hope this results we will let you know more details. in some positive action. I have not reminded you for a while but free http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/about/partners vouchers are available for RS members to visit /the-national-trust/national-trust-special-offer- most Nation Trust Properties and English Heritage 2012/ properties on limited dates. To download a voucher please go to the address below and add http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/about/partners/en your details, select the Reigate Society option glish-heritage/english-heritage-civic-voice- from the drop down menu and print off the pass-2012/ voucher. Alan Mortlock 01737 244407 SECRETARY’S NOTES The Members’ Evening was held in the – used extensively at Westminster Abbey and Woodhatch Centre on Monday 8 th October. The Windsor Castle. This talk follows and illustrates venue was again very full with members who had the rise, fall – and in places survival – of Reigate’s secured tickets. Some had waited right up until major contribution to our national heritage. the afternoon of the event to see whether there Cherrill Sands will give a talk on 13 th December were any returns which would mean they could in Priory School, Bell Street at 8.15pm entitled attend. The evening followed more or less the “Twentieth Century Gardens”. Cherrill Sands is a usual pattern with the exception of a vote taken garden & landscape historian and her talk covers for design of the 60 th Anniversary piece of Street the period from 1919. It will show the influence of Art which will be installed in Priory Park. Alan modern architecture, art, space travel and ecology Mortlock welcomed Members and presented the on landscape and formal gardens. four Civic Award winners with their certificates. 24 th January sees the first Open meeting of 2013 . These awards are detailed in Gwyther Joyce’s St. Mark’s Hall, Alma Road is the venue for the Architectural and Planning Committee’s Report talk “Taking on the Climate Challenge”. A look at elsewhere in this Newsletter. how global warming affects us and at some Following the Civic Award presentation, possible solutions in the little time we have refreshments and the 60 th Anniversary vote Bruce available. Scientist Dr. Rob Basto has been Healey, a member, gave an interesting and campaigning on climate change issues for the last entertaining illustrated talk on the Croydon, ten years and has been involved in direct action Merstham, and Godstone Railway. The Croydon, campaigns, most recently against ‘fracking’ – the Merstham and Godstone Railway (1805 – 1938) controversial exploitation of shale gas. was an extension of the Surrey Iron Railway (the Emma Sheridan-Smith is giving a talk on “Local World's first public railway). The CM&G never Mills and the SPAB Mills Section” on February reached Godstone owing to a lack of funds. 21 st . This talk in the Tanners and Woolsack Looking little like present day railways, the horse Rooms of The Harlequin will cover the Society for drawn CM&G was not a total success and was the Protection of Ancient Buildings involvement in purchased and superseded by the London & all aspects of the survival of buildings which are Brighton Railway. There are some remains of the old or interesting. Emma Sheridan- Smith is line alongside the A23 north of Merstham. administrator of the Mills Section dealing with Questions and Answers followed and the evening traditional windmills and watermills. The drew to a close shortly before 10pm. penultimate meeting on the 2012/2013 We are beginning to search for a larger venue Programme will take place on 18 th March at the which may be difficult to find. The Woodhatch usual time of 8.15pm in the Reigate Methodist Centre is the ideal venue apart from its size. Community Centre. Rob Davies , Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Ancient Woodlands Officer, will give a talk The new season of Open Meetings starts on 7th “Surrey’s Ancient Woodland”. Woodland that has November at Reigate Baptist Church at 8.15pm existed since at least 1600 AD is termed ancient with Lester Hicks’ talk on “Reigate Stone and its and all the areas in Surrey have recently been re- History”. Lester Hicks is a planning consultant mapped. This will enable the sites to be and from 1997 to 2007 was Deputy Director of sympathetically managed for both biodiversity and Planning in the Department for Communities and sustainable economic development . We then Local Government. He is now Chairman of the finish the season with the AGM in the Woodhatch UK Minerals Forum. From the 11 th to the 16 th Centre at 8.15pm on 1 st July. Claudia Payne who centuries Reigate Stone was the principal English organises the Programme of Open Meeting Talks source of masonry for prestigious church and so well, booking venues and speakers, is keeping state buildings in London and the Thames Valley us guessing about the Talk which will follow the 2 AGM, so lookout for an announcement in We look forward to seeing you at the Open following Newsletters. Meetings; you can also bring friends! Do take a look at the Society’s website Speaking of Newsletters you can receive your www.reigatesociety.org.uk . which is regularly newsletter by email if you send John Angel updated with what is going on in the Society. ([email protected] ) your email address. You will be one of the first people to Mrs Michèle Damer (01737 243513) Email: receive the Newsletter hot off the press! [email protected] TREASURER’S NOTES ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS were due from the 1 st Those of you who pay by bankers order should April 2012 and the current MINIMUM RATES are ensure that your Bank has the correct instructions as follows: for your subscription payment. Individual Members £8 There is a payment form on page 7. Family Members £12 Corporate Members £25 Charles Wragg (01737) 210640 . REGISTRAR’S NOTES WHERE IS MY REPLACEMENT? Now for the normal report and the good news is WHERE IS THAT VOLUNTEER? that we have enrolled 11 new members since the last Newsletter.