PAST PRESENT FUTURE The Newsletter of West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust and Worcestershire Building Preservation Trust ___________________________________________ SPRING 2016 From LYE AND WOLLESCOTE CEMETERY CHAPELS to THE THOMAS ROBINSON BUILDING 2003 to 2016 A SPECIAL EDITION TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THE WEST MIDLANDS HISTORIC BUILDINGS TRUST PROJECT ___ _____________________________________________________________________________ Company Offices: Adam House, Birmingham Road, Kidderminster, Stourbridge DY10 2SH Registered Company No. 1876294 Registered Charity No. 516158 VAT Registration No. 669 8183 73 WMHBT & WBPT SPRING 2016 Page 1 LYE & WOLLESCOTE We were also there to celebrate the CEMETERY CHAPELS: completion of a Community Asset CELEBRATION EVENT: Transfer project, which saw this 3rd MARCH 2016 unused heritage building switched from local authority to community ownership: the building now has a On the 3rd March 2016, around 70 secure future and the West Midlands West Midlands Historic Buildings Historic Buildings Trust has a regular Trust members and invited guests income stream to help make it more gathered at The Thomas Robinson resilient. Building (formerly Lye and Wollescote Cemetery Chapels), in John expressed grateful thanks to the presence of Dudley Metropolitan our funders namely The Heritage Borough Council’s Deputy Mayor, Lottery Fund, The Architectural Mohammed Hanif, to celebrate the Heritage Fund, Dudley Metropolitan completion of the Trust’s latest Borough Council, The William and project. Jane Morris Fund, The Owen Family Trust and The W A Cadbury Charitable Trust, without whom this project would not have happened, and he was delighted to introduce Sue Beardsmore representing the West Midlands Committee of The Heritage Lottery Fund, which had been the principal funder. Sue said: “On behalf of The Heritage Lottery Fund I am thrilled to be here today, Trust Members and guests at the to celebrate with you the completion celebration on the 3rd March 2016 of the Cemetery Chapels restoration work at the fine Thomas Robinson The event was opened by the Trust’s Building. Acting Chairman, John Woodall, who welcomed guests with great pride to “We have been delighted to support the celebration of the completion of the West Midlands Historic Buildings the project. This was a community Trust in their imaginative project that project, involving a wide range of has not only saved these rare Grade partners, as well as a Building II listed Victorian chapels from Preservation Trust project, to which further deterioration but has also Trustees had given their time and breathed new life into them as a expertise freely over a period of 13 community facility, supported by years. Dudley Council”. WMHBT & WBPT SPRING 2016 Page 2 Sue outlined the work of The described the history of the project Heritage Lottery Fund over more over 13 sometimes difficult and than 21 years and the wide variety of frustrating but ultimately triumphant projects which it had supported years. His account is not described during that time and added: in this article but edited versions of his reports from past Newsletters, “The project that we are celebrating together with other related articles today provides a fine example of the which have appeared, set out the breadth of The Heritage Lottery chronology of the project from Fund’s support. Our grants also help inception to completion. people to gain new skills by encouraging volunteers in all age Next, John introduced Adrian groups to come forward. This is true Mathias from Brownhill Hayward of your project with volunteers Brown who had been the project engaged in a variety of tasks and architect. Adrian described the valuable work experience provided various phases of the project starting for local college construction with the detailed surveys of the students”. building, to achieve a full understanding of the asset; the She offered her congratulations to detailing of the repairs and everyone involved in this project, alterations based on the results of and felt sure that “everyone here will the survey; and finally the contract agree that, with the evidence before itself and working with the project you today, their Lottery money is team to realise the shared being very well spent”. objectives. He paid particular compliments to the highly experienced main contractors, Croft Building and Conservation Ltd., with their wide skill base and collaborative approach, and described it as a “wonderful project” and was “very proud” of what had been achieved. P John finally introduced Sue Smith Project Organiser, David Trevis- who is the Secretary of the newly Smith, with Sue Beardsmore formed Friends of Lye and representing The Heritage Lottery Wollescote Cemetery. Sue Fund described how the Friends had been involved in clearing the Cemetery in order to improve its image and the John then introduced Project setting of the building and outlined Organiser, David Trevis-Smith, who some of the other works which the WMHBT & WBPT SPRING 2016 Page 3 Friends would like to achieve, ordinating our social media tweets; including the provision of benches Rufford Primary School; Thorns and bulb planting. Primary School; Redhill School; Old Swinford Hospital; Birmingham John concluded by expressing his Metropolitan (Stourbridge) College; grateful thanks to everyone who had Dudley Council; Stourbridge Area been involved in the project including Committee of Dudley Council; the Trustees; the funders as Dudley Council for Voluntary previously mentioned; Project Service; The new Friends of Lye & Organiser David Trevis-Smith and Wollescote Cemetery; and other his Associate, Tarnia McAlester, who neighbours and friends who have assisted David in the final delivery attended open days, taken part in stage; Croft Building and consultation events, and generally Conservation Ltd., the principal given us all encouragement to keep contractors; Nick Beacham, stained going for 13 years! glass window specialist; Paul Ashmore, metalworker; Brownhill He also thanked Danielle Saxon Hayward Brown, architects, and Reeves - local resident and particularly Project Architect, Adrian professional musician - for providing Mathias, assisted by Lauren Mintoft the music during the first part of the in the final delivery stage; Graham event, as a free of charge Hale & Company, quantity expression of support for the project surveyors; Hancock Wheeldon & on behalf of our neighbours. Ascough, structural engineers; Robertson Cartwright Design, mechanical and electrical engineers; BCA Project Services, health and safety consultants; Ian Parkin and Andrew Meredith, the overall coordinators of The Activity Plan; Jean Weston and Marlene Price, authors of two history books, two heritage trails, and two travelling exhibitions; Sue Pope, author of the new educational resources; Carolyn Healy, community facilitator; Nathaniel Healy, author of the cemetery maintenance plan; Paul Floyd, glass artist; David (Dj) Johnson, community artist; Michael Glass Artist, Paul Floyd, with one of Foster, graphic designer; MX the new windows created in Display, manufacturer of the association with local schools interpretation panels; Shirley Ochi, web master; Lizey Thomson, co- WMHBT & WBPT SPRING 2016 Page 4 John then invited guests to help themselves to the finger buffet lunch: VIEW FROM THE CHAIR to pick up the 2 heritage trail leaflets; to take a walk along the heritage trail It is a privilege to be providing this in the cemetery and the separate View from the Chair in this trail around the town; and to commemorative edition of “Past consider purchasing one or both of Present Future”. It has been a great the history books produced as part joy being involved in the of the project. He thanked everyone conservation and restoration to full for attending and hoped that they use of what was two cemetery enjoyed the rest of the celebration. chapels into what is now a very appealing venue for weddings, and civil and citizenship ceremonies. Guests try out the new mezzanine floor and enjoy a close-up view of On 2nd April 2016 I was able to the roof structure and one of the congratulate and give the Trust’s restored original windows best wishes to the very first groom twenty minutes before the first ever My only disappointment is that our wedding was due to take place in late Chairman and President, Alan what is now known as the Thomas Trevis Smith, was not with us to Robinson Building. I sincerely hope enjoy the fruits of his success in that Christopher Williams and his guiding the project through its earlier bride, Natalie, are enjoying their stages. The Trust is, however, married life together. (Front cover delighted that Alan’s widow, Sheila, picture by kind permission of maintains her links with the Trust Midland Photographic.) and that we were able to secure the services, as Project Organiser, of Alan’s son, David, whose I think Mr Robinson, the architect, contribution to the project has been would still be very proud of his wide-ranging and fundamental to its creation nearly a hundred and forty success. years after it was opened for its original purpose. Adrian Mathias, Nick Hogben. who was the architect overseeing WMHBT & WBPT SPRING 2016 Page 5 the conservation of the building, course, building conservation complemented Thomas Robinson’s contractors have worked over a long skills to oversee the metamorphosis period to deliver the result we have of the building from its former today. distressed and threatened state to this tribute to the original creativity We