Sistine Chapel’

ou June 2021 e F ru h m T B l r a ta n x E t 4 - on rd - Fo Crookham - The newsletter for Ford, Etal, Crookham, Branxton and surrounding areas. Published electronically and conventionally ten times a year. Free entry to Northumberland’s ‘Sistine Chapel’ For the first time ever Britain’s only painted schoolroom, Lady Waterford Hall, will have no admission charge when it opens its doors this season. The Trustees of Lady Waterford Hall felt it was important to give something back to the community after such a challenging year. It was decided that admission charges should be dropped for a short while to allow more people to freely enjoy this local masterpiece. There is no other building in the country quite like it and this humble Victorian schoolroom, adorned with giant Pre-Raphaelite murals that run from shoulder-height to ceiling, deserves national acclaim. Vicky Smith- Lacey, Curator at Ford & Etal Estates, says: “We want as many people as possible to come and be inspired by Lady Waterford’s ‘great experiment”. Lady Waterford Hall has been given something of a facelift out of season. The walls have been painted - a nerve-racking task for the decorators - and Vicky Smith-Lacey is hoping that local people will want to come and see the new look and take the opportunity to refresh their memories of this extraordinary body of work. Lady Waterford Hall does not operate at a profit, it is hoped that those who can afford it will make a donation when they visit to help toward the upkeep of this extraordinary local treasure. Lady Waterford Hall is open daily: 11:00am-5:00pm, last entry at 4.30pm. Free entry to Etal Castle Residents and visitors can enjoy free entry to Etal Castle until further notice. The site is open from 10am to 5pm seven days a week. English Heritage, which manages the historic location, cannot open its ticket office, shop and museum due to continuing works to repair internal structural problems, but it wanted Etal Castle to be available to visitors along the same lines as Norham Castle, which is also unmanned. Charlotte Malthouse, English Heritage Property Manager said: “With the exhibition, shop and visitor centre closed, Etal Castle is now free to visit whilst essential maintenance work is taking place. We hope that visitors come and see what the castle has to offer and understand a bit more about this beautiful property.” Would you like to help get rid of litter in your area? Ford Parish Council are looking for volunteers to get involved with the “Great British Spring Clean” 28th May - 13th June. They hope that volunteers can be active on three days over this period. 28th May, 4th June and 13th June. If you’re willing to offer some time please contact a Parish Councillor or the clerk - [email protected] 01890820566 1 The Centenary of the British Legion. The 1st July 1921 brought into being the British Legion through the amalgamation of the Comrades of the Great War, The Officers Union, The Federation of Soldiers and Sailors and the Demobbed Soldiers and Sailors. The Crookham Branch was one of the first to be formed with a first meeting on 11th July 1921. The Crookham Branch of the Comrades of the Great War was formed in June 1918. It was a very active, highly organised and hard working group which eventually acquired 170 members. Their last meeting was on June 27th 1921. They agreed that:- “This Branch winds up the affairs of the Comrades. That this Branch adopt the constitution of the British Legion as passed by the United Conference and become the Crookham Branch of the British Legion. That all monies and other property become the property of the British Legion.” These resolutions were passed unanimously and the Branch closed. They had 156 paid up members. £47.12.11 was in their General fund and £30.1.3 in the Reserve Fund. It was a seamless transfer. At the inaugural meeting held on 11th July 1921, chaired by Mr T Henry, the committee appointed was the same as that of the Comrades. Treasurer: Mr A Brown, Vice Chairman: Mr R. E. Fairnington, Secretary: Mr W. Patterson. Committee: Robert Brown, Thomas Hall, David Straiton, Victor Johnson, Robert Ainslie, William Slater and Luke Gilhome. The name was formally changed to the British Legion, Crookham Branch under the Charity Commission rules. They accepted the Legion’s model byelaws for the Branch and acquired copies of the Legion constitution. Some things had changed. The Comrades Vow which preceded any meeting was replaced by the Silent Tribute. Addressing each other as “comrade” stopped. Meetings became quarterly rather than monthly. Lt Colonel H.E. Joicey was appointed President with Major Mitchell of Pallinsburn and Mr Goodson of Kilham Vice Presidents. A representative went to Newcastle to the regular Area Conferences. At the first one, Mr L. Gilhome was given the sum of 5 shillings by the committee as a “subsistence allowance”. He presumably went by bike or had a lift to either Akeld or Cornhill to catch the train to Newcastle. Of interest is the fact that they requested the views of election candidates concerning the cause of ex- service men. Of the two candidates it was decided that Sir Walter Runciman dissented from some of the Legion’s “Constructive Programme” but that Mr Hilton Philipson “expressed sympathy with all our aims and objects”. The British Legion (no “Royal” until 1971) continued the work of the Comrades. They helped servicemen, ex-servicemen and their dependants. They gave valuable advice to people regarding pensions etc. They even agreed to a small business loan for an applicant from Milfield, “having investigated the matter fully”. They raised funds by having regular dances, whist drives and prize draws in Village Halls throughout the area. In 2016 the Crookham Branch and the Berwick Branch became the North Northumberland Branch. Sadly, even after 100 years there are still ex-servicemen and their dependants in need or who require advice. The present Royal British Legion continues this essential, excellent work. Heather Pentland. Sources: The minute book of the Crookham Branch of the British Legion. NRO 2085/55. The minute book of the Crookham Post of the Comrades of the Great War. NRO 2085/54. The Branxton and Crookham Village Atlas. With thanks to the staff at Berwick Archives. Hugh Joicey C of E First School, Ford. Ford PTFA is looking for donations for a cake sale on the 6th July 2021 to coincide with the sports day and Annual General Meeting. The AGM will take place between 12 and 1 followed by sports day, tea and coffees, and cake sale. If you can help please get in touch by email - [email protected] or call Jenny on 07470365401. 2 Ford Parish Council Annual meeting. Ford Parish Council held their Annual Parish Council meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 18th May 2021 at 7pm in Etal Village Hall. This was the first physical meeting the PC has held since January 2020. Present at the meeting was the newly elected representative on Northumberland County Council for Norham and Islandshires ward - Cllr. Colin Hardy. He was welcomed by the chairman. Six councillors had been elected unopposed at the recent local elections and at the meeting two councillors were co-opted. Councillors heard the annual report from the chairman, Cllr. Baker, and also a short report from the Headteacher of Hugh Joicey C of E Aided First School, Ford. Much of the meeting was taken up with the business of approving all the documents which are part of the requirements of the audit procedure. Councillors also discussed the repairs, or lack of them, to the lower section of the Letham Hill road, the idea of a pedestrian lane on Ford Bridge, and maintenance required to a section of footpath in Crookham Village. The PC is trying to encourage locals to get involved in The Great British Spring Clean this year (see front page) It was also reported that as English heritage do not intend to open the museum and shop at Etal Castle this year, the gate into the grounds of the castle will be open for visitors to enjoy the grounds free of charge between 10am and 5pm. Full minutes can be found on the council’s website - https://northumberlandparishes.uk/ford The Mystery of the “Green Man” On the wall of a cottage in one of our four villages, I spotted a curious representation of a man’s face, appearing to be set into the boughs of a tree, with foliage growing out of his cheeks and forehead. This example was well-weathered and there was no vestige of green colour on the foliage. The image was a commonplace theme in medieval times, but it was only in the early 1900s that one such face was named as “The Green Man” by Julia Somerset, Lady Raglan, after she saw a carving in a Welsh church of a man’s face with oak leaves growing out of his mouth and ears. Before that, the name “foliate heads” seems to have been used for the many carvings of all shapes and sizes in wood or stone to be found in medieval churches. The faces were seen staring out from pillars or gazing down as ceiling bosses with an entanglement of leaves sprouting from their mouths, ears and cheeks, or even eyes and noses. Rather like gargoyles and other church carvings, they were just there and there is no mention in church records or in architect’s descriptions, as to what these faces represented.

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