“The Oldest, Biggest and Best”
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Newsletter of the Staffordshire Gardens and Parks Trust. Registered Charity No. 1013862. SUMMER 2013 ISSUE No. 48 News Staffordshire Gardens & Parks Trust Published by the Staffordshire Gardens and Parks Trust. c/o South Staffordshire LETTER Council, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, Staffordshire WV8 1PX. Tel: 01902 696000 “THE OLDEST, BIGGEST AND BEST” a Liberal MP for City and County for Shocked by her experience, the Thus, John Weston twenty-seven years. nurse, Mary Robinson, persuaded described the National William Rathbone to continue He shared the view held by many of and extend his support. He went Gardens Scheme, his class that wealth should be used as further…. established as a charity a means of carrying out philanthropic works. A view which he put into Aware of an acute need for trained since 1980, at the beginning practice, when, following the death nurses, he sought the advice of of his talk to a well- of his first wife after a long illness, he Florence Nightingale, who suggested continued to employ the nurse who that he might set up a nurses’ training supported meeting of the had tended her, he sent her into one school, attached to the local hospital, Trust which took place at of the poorest areas of the city to and this was duly built. relieve the suffering of the destitute Already, an impetus was being the Haling Dene Centre, people living there and teach them created which could only gather in Penkridge, last December. the rudiments of healthy living. strength. What followed next was the organisation of the city into To trace the origins of the Scheme, This was at a time when immigrants districts, each presided over by a which was founded in 1927, one has escaping the Potato Famine in Ireland Lady Superintendent and funded from to go back to mid-Victorian times flocked into Liverpool and were dying the wealth of a local family. Soon, and meet the remarkable William in their thousands as a result of poor Liverpool’s example was followed Rathbone, who belonged to a wealthy housing and sanitation, malnutrition by other industrial cities, such as family of Liverpool merchants and and unclean water. Manchester, Derby and Leicester, and who sat in the House of Commons as thereafter the movement gathered momentum. Then, in 1889, the Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Institute for Nurses was set up by Royal Charter, funded by a grant of £70,000 from the Women’s Jubilee Fund, money contributed by the women of England to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The aim of the Institute was to provide “training, support, maintenance and supply” of nurses for the sick poor as well as to set national standards in training. In 1927 the Institute became known as “The Queen’s Institute of District Nursing”, which, in turn, became “The Queen’s Nursing Institute” (or the “QNI”), the name by which it is now known, and William Rathbone’s pioneering work reached its fulfilment. Birch Trees, Copmere End continued overleaf “Promoting the conservation and understanding of the county’s rich heritage of designed landscapes” about the Trust and how to join, our Brown Tercentenary ‘CB300’ Chairman’s current and future activities, and will initiative. It is planned that future play an increasing role in how we “Features” might highlight sections Report to the communicate with members and the from the current Newsletter or wider public in future years, both from past issues. So watch this 2013 Annual because that is the way of the world space! and because it is a useful way of General Meeting keeping our costs down. The website is still free of charge to the Trust, as it is part of a package held at Wightwick We have been recording statistics on that we have for hosting it. We owe the website’s traffic since September a great debt of gratitude to Richard Manor 2012. This shows that, between and Jackie Moseley, who have put Hamilton House, Little Aston September and December 2012, the website together for us and I am delighted to see you all here the website had 1025 visitors, but manage it impeccably, with Jackie as this evening. We must thank the – straying into this year – to the “mailbox” and Richard as designer It was to raise money for the Queen’s by ten per cent, a reflection of the first stage in enrolling in the Scheme National Trust, who have made it end of April we have had 1124, so and editor. The site address is: Nursing Institute that the National economic times in which we live. will be a visit from John and Sue, possible to hold this AGM in such we are attracting more visitors, www.staffordshiregardensandparks. Gardens Scheme was founded. In its who will come and have a look at special surroundings. an average of 267 per month now org. first year, 609 private gardens “of The charities supported by the NGS your garden; this will be followed by compared to 256 last year. Visitors quality and interest” were open to include Macmillan Cancer Relief, a formal interview which has been I start as I always do by looking for are coming to us from all over the On the planning side, the Trust the public at a charge of a shilling Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help described as “like an oral interview new talent to help us on Council or world – in order, Great Britain, the has continued to be consulted on a (5p) a head, raising over £8000, a the Hospices, Parkinson’s UK and for Oxbridge” and “taking tea with in other ways of running the Trust. USA, Canada, Sweden, the Czech number of draft local development comparatively modest sum, perhaps, Crossroads Caring for Carers. the Queen”! We are a voluntary body and depend Republic, China, Ukraine, France and framework documents by local by modern standards but more Once approved, your garden will on active members to help us carry South Africa! authorities. We have had little to say substantial when viewed against the Have you ever wondered whether join the more-than fifty gardens in out the Trust’s educational, planning on them, as most have had little or average annual income of the time. your garden could be included in Staffordshire that already open yearly and member support activities. if More significantly, the website is no heritage impact. Your Chairman the Scheme? Perhaps you think it to the public; these include such you are interested, please have a starting to generate more Trust- has made contact with the local Until the 1970s, the price of entry might not measure up to the required well-known places as Alton Towers, word with any members of the related email interest, including authority conservation officers and remained at a shilling a head, but, standard? But do you know what that Biddulph Grange, Heath House, Council who are here today or with several enquiries regarding potential reminded them of the expertise eventually, this had to be increased standard is? Size is not an essential Middleton Hall, Sugnall Hall and The myself. I have now been Chairman visits or enquiries concerning in the Trust, but so far there have under pressure of inflation and, as a requirement; the basic criteria are Wombourne Wodehouse. for seven years and, as I say every conservation issues. been few new planning issues consequence, more substantial sums quality, character and interest, all year, if anyone else fancies a shot at affecting parks in the historic county were raised. very subjective judgments. Is your The SGPT is proud to number some chairing the Trust, please don’t be There is still work to do at home, (including the Black Country). Wind garden loved and cared for? Does of its own members amongst the shy and step forward. though. A survey has just been farms were very topical last year In 1980 the National Gardens it have horticultural interest? Is its owners of gardens open under the completed by the web team to and, while schemes are still coming Scheme Charitable Trust was design striking, innovative or original? NGS. On the business front I am pleased generate some ideas for Trust visits forward, none is currently impacting set up as an independent charity These are characteristics that are not to report that the Trust has enjoyed and activities. We took advantage on designed landscapes locally. The with Queen Elizabeth the Queen necessarily recognised by the owner. Members who visit these gardens will another active year in 2011-12. Our of the initiative to try to see if big issues coming forward in the Mother as its Patron and Princess be supporting some noble causes, Treasurer’s report to this meeting anyone was interested in getting future will be the impact of HS2 on Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as its There are also some more practical and, anyway, who could resist visiting has indicated that our finances involved with the publishing of the several parks, including Ingestre and President, and the royal connection considerations; your garden should a garden called “Paul’s Oasis of Calm” remain sound. It is pleasing to note Newsletter. The survey indicated Swynnerton. has remained unbroken ever since, offer forty-five minutes of interest to (a garden “created from nothing into a slight increase in our membership that some Trust members were not the Prince of Wales being its present its visitors (including time for a cup of a little oasis”) or “Small but Beautiful” numbers. Please do encourage your aware that the Trust had a website! Our Archivist reports that the Patron.