National Trust Peak District Centre Annual General Meeting Saturday 23Rd March 2019 at 2.00 Pm Lee Wood Hotel, the Park, Buxton, Sk17 6Tq 1
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NATIONAL TRUST PEAK DISTRICT CENTRE An Association of National Trust Members and Volunteers Patrons: Duke and Duchess Devonshire Newsletter July 2019 Shibden Hall – Once the home of “Gentleman Jack” REPORTS OF PREVIOUS EVENTS AND THIS YEAR’S JULY TO DECEMBER PROGRAMME Contents CHAIRMAN’S REPORT ............................................................................ 3 SOCIAL GROUP LEADER’S REPORT ......................................................... 4 PROJECT GROUP REPORT ...................................................................... 5 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS ........................................................................ 6 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MINUTES ................................................. 7 EDITOR’S NOTES .................................................................................... 8 REPORTS OF PAST EVENTS.................................................................................. 9 The Air Ambulance Service .................................................................... 9 Heage Windmill-Past and Present ....................................................... 10 Finding Castleton’s Medieval Hospital ................................................ 11 Visit to Heage Windmill ....................................................................... 13 Footpads, Kings and Highwaymen ...................................................... 14 Visit to Halifax ...................................................................................... 15 Holiday in Dorset ................................................................................. 17 PROGRAMME JULY TO DECEMBER 2019 .......................................................... 19 Wed 10th July: Visit to Liverpool ......................................................... 19 Sat 20th July ***NEW*** Summer garden party. ............................. 20 Tues 10th Sept Talk: The Tudors Royal Blood & its Curse ................... 21 Tues 24th Sept Visit Gainsborough Old Hall & Lincoln ....................... 22 Thurs Oct 17th Visit to Wentworth Woodhouse & Nostell Priory ..... 23 Wed 23rd Oct Talk: From Jungle to Paradise ...................................... 25 Sat 7th Dec Christmas Lunch, Talk & Optional Walk ........................... 26 BOOKING FORMS CAN BE FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES ...................... 26 CONTACT DETAILS OF ORGANISING MEMBERS ............................................... 35 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT At the time of writing this report less than three months have elapsed since our AGM on the 23rd March 2019, and very little has changed since that date; which is both a good and a bad thing. Looked at objectively the N.T. Peak District Centre is in a satisfactory position. Our financial position remains relatively strong, and our membership numbers give no real cause for concern. Since the AGM we have visited Heage Windmill and Pickford House in Derby and Shibden Hall and other locations in Halifax, and reports on both these visits appear later in this newsletter. There has also been a well-attended talk at Buxton Methodist Church on “Footpads, Kings and Highway men”, and a superb holiday in Dorset, and again full reports on both these events appear later in this newsletter. A big thank you must be given to the organisers of all these happenings, and also to every member who helped to ensure that they ran smoothly and not least to everyone who supported one or more of them by their presence. The 2020 social programme is now almost completely planned, and the Projects Group have decided upon the N.T. projects the PDC will support in the next twelve months. All of the above is good news. What is not good news is that nobody has yet come forward to join the main committee as Vice-Chairman which, if that remains the position, will cause major difficulties next Spring when my three year term as Chairman expires. It is also worrying that nobody has so far stepped up to offer help to the Social and Projects Groups and to the main committee. 3 We need new people with new ideas to become involved in the running of the Peak District Centre; if we get them our future is assured, if we don’t then there is a danger that we will slowly fade away. Planning and organising events can sometimes be challenging, but is often very rewarding, and along the way I have found I have learned a great deal. Also working with intelligent, personable, highly motivated people is always a joy. Come and be part of the team. Please contact me or any member of the committee if you think that you could help in any way. No prior experience is necessary, just a desire to see the N.T. Peak District Centre continue to flourish. Tony Read June 2019 SOCIAL GROUP LEADER’S REPORT Many thanks to those who have organised and supported events so far in 2019. Particular congratulations to Tony who, from over a year in advance and before the television schedules were announced, managed to arrange a visit to Shibden Hall to coincide with the start of “Gentleman Jack” and also to secure a speaker at the AGM to tell us about the fascinating life of Anne Lister. The outline of the programme for 2020 is already in place with members of the social committee taking responsibility for one talk and one visit allowing us to operate with 3 meetings each year and email communication. One or two new members joining this committee would take away the feeling of operating on a knife edge and allow us to mentor and support new people. Please speak to one of the social group if you are able to help or to provide ideas and suggestions for future excursions or speakers. Judith Aizlewood 4 PROJECT GROUP REPORT As reported at the AGM, in spite of many attempts to stabilise the rope bridge at Ilam , the Trust decided that it was not safe to open to visitors. The bridge was significantly unstable, with considerable bounce, and rotation from side to side. The idea is now to remove the rope bridge and replace it with a fixed bridge, using some of the salvaged materials in an adventure playground. The good news is that we have now received full refund of our contribution of £950. Elsewhere the fence for the native tree nursery at Longshaw is now in place and the raised beds are also set up. We should see some planting later in the year, and eventually the area will be open to the public, particularly for visiting schools. We saw recently the problems of ash die back in the White Peak area and this nursery will be a valuable source of other suitable species. Also at Longshaw the pond dipping platform is in place and proving popular with visiting youngsters. On a recent visit we saw the new reception area and were pleased to 5 see some of our Peak District Centre leaflets available. A number of the Project Group visited Ilam recently and met up with colleagues from other National Trust supporter groups. We were given a tour of the estate and as well as learning about the ash die back were interested to learn of the removal of some of the weirs on the Dove to make the river more amenable for spawning trout. Our next committee meeting is scheduled for the end of May and we have asked a number of local properties for their wish lists, so hope to be able to report some new projects later in the year. Tom Booth MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Welcome to the following members who have joined the NTPDC since our January newsletter: Mr & Mrs Anderson of Buxton Mr & Mrs Evison of Buxton Subscription payment anomalies We send this newsletter to all paid-up member households. A few members on our list have not paid part or all the subscription this year. We do not send the newsletter to those members but we try to contact them to find what has gone wrong. We also receive a small number of standing order payments that we cannot identify. If you know anyone who believes they have paid their NTPDC subscription but has not received the newsletter, please ask them to contact our membership secretary (see inside the back page for contact details). Richard Weedon 6 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MINUTES NATIONAL TRUST PEAK DISTRICT CENTRE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY 23RD MARCH 2019 AT 2.00 PM LEE WOOD HOTEL, THE PARK, BUXTON, SK17 6TQ 1. Welcome Tony Read, Chairman, welcomed members to the meeting. 2. Apologies Apologies were received from 24 members 3. Minutes of the Meeting held on 19th April 2018 Minutes of this Meeting, having been previously circulated, were accepted as a true record. 4. Matters Arising There were no matters arising. 5. Statement of Accounts for the year ending 31st January 2018 The Statement of Account was given to all Members present by the Treasurer, Tom Booth. Mr Booth went through the Accounts, explaining that the rise in subscriptions was in some part due to the Membership Secretary, Richard Weedon, who has cleared up the confusion of Standing Orders, and updated the membership records. The day trips had benefitted from a £500 donation from Andrews Coaches. A small saving was made on the cost of circulating the newsletter, as where possible copies had been hand delivered. Audio / visual equipment had been purchased for use at all meetings. There is £1500 in reserves for any future projects. Thanks were extended to the Auditor, Mr James Milner. The Statement of Accounts was accepted by the Meeting. 7 6. Chairman’s Report The Chairman, Tony Read said he was pleased that the Centre was in such a good position, both financially and in membership numbers and thanked both Tom Booth and Richard Weedon for their work with the financial side and the membership records. Thanks were also extended