WatSoc News April 2020 Welcome to the second edition of the newsletter of the Watkin Society. Spreading the news about Absalom and Edward Watkin. Such a lot has happened since our first newsletter just before Christmas. The spread of the awful coronavirus is of course dominating our lives, either directly (some of us come in the High Risk grouping!) or indirectly through concerns about our family, friends and neighbours. Even the most committed Watkin enthusiast has had to put Edward and Absalom to the back of the queue so it might seem strange to be sending out the second edition of our newsletter at this time of crisis. But even in a war ordinary life goes on and we all need something to take our minds off the serious stuff. And anyway, even wars end. We have to be ready for the future, when hopefully we can 'resume trading'. So we wish you well and hope you will be interested to read what has being going on in the World of Watkin in the last three months and our plans for the future - whenever that arrives. The Watkin Society Committee & Looking to the Future The WatSoc committee has been meeting without losing the enthusiasm which has regularly (until recently) and doing the achieved so much. spadework for the next steps. The plan will be ready in the next few We want to meet the requests of weeks and will then be discussed by the supporters who would like to follow their committee, even though face-to-face interest in a particular side of the Watkin meetings are out at the time of writing. Story. We can do a lot by email and snail mail post but we are also exploring video and We are going national! At the same time phone conferencing. (Edward, who was as we are keeping up our interest in always excited by new ideas, would have Absalom and Edward's local activities, we loved that, though Absalom would have intend to publicise to a wider audience worried about the cost and the possibility the amazing range of Edward's work in of failure.) Britain and abroad – particularly Canada. When we have agreed on the final details We recognise that if we want to make an we will email these to you in full. We hope impact we have to take a more you will be interested and that you will professional approach. We have give us your reactions, including your commissioned a business plan to set out own suggestions. the guidelines for 'where we go from here'. We think that we can do this One feature will definitely be to set up a being chaired by Andrew Bradley, the number of study groups. The first of rector of St Wilfrid's Church, where these had just met for the first time, when Edward and Absalom are buried and all meetings ceased. It is exploring 'The which contains several beautiful stained Northenden Connection' of the Watkin glass windows commissioned by Edward Story for both Absalom and Edward. It is and two family memorials. Reaching Out The past three months have seen some very promising links with other groups, though these are all now on hold for the present. Photo credit: Great Central Railway/AJM Andrew Morley The Great Central Railway written: "Personally, the more I (www.gcrailway.co.uk) operates a have learned about Watkin I have tourist attraction (with steam!) in become increasingly interested in the East Midlands, using what him, the breadth of his interests remains of Edward's mainline GCR, beyond railways and his which was chopped by the involvement with prominent Beeching Axe in 1968. (see photo) reformers of the mid Victorian After a very positive meeting with period." The GCR plan to open an the chair of the company, Richard Education and Heritage Centre for Patching, we have been asked to displays. Ian wants one to be on contribute a series of articles about 'Who made the Great Central Edward as a railwayman for their Railway?', comparing the lives of quarterly magazine, which has a Sir Edward and one of the navvies circulation of 5000. Ian Wilson, the who built the line. Richard would leader of the education team at the like to explore the possibility of a railway, is particularly interested in Victorian Open Day involving EW. working with us on a project (Opportunity to dress up?) involving young people. He has The GCR Historical Society Quintain, a major property (www.gcrsociety.co.uk) is a investment and development separate group, though it has links business, to develop Wembley with the railway. They are Park. Investment in the project has interested in setting up a meeting already been £1 billion. Quintain's with us as soon as possible to website states: "Our vision for explore 'ideas of mutual interest'. Wembley Park is founded on a deep respect for the site’s rich heritage" The north west secretary of the and goes on to describe Sir Edward Railway and Canal Historical Watkin as the pioneer who saw the Society came to one of our potential in the park. His vision in presentations on EW and is 1894 was "To create a parkland with considering organising a study day a dedicated station on London at the Central Reference Library. Underground’s Metropolitan Line, an The morning session would be a inspirational destination for London presentation by us on Watkin, not workers that can be enjoyed every just as a railwayman, then after day." After a meeting at Wembley lunch two of the Society's members with us and James Moher, the chair would speak about aspects of of the Wembley Historical Society, Watkin's railway work in the area. Julian Tollast, Quintain's Head of The north west secretary is also the Masterplanning and Design is national secretary of the Society, looking at the possibility of which has over 500 members. promoting a Watkin day conference Brent Council, whose area includes about EW's work at Wembley Park. Wembley, have joined with The proposed Wembley Park with Watkin’s Tower at full height! Based on our experience as from Ringway to Northenden, and members of the Friends of Rose read the following communication: Hill with schoolchildren in Large Boulder near Ringway. This Northenden we are preparing a boulder lies at the margin of a field schools package designed to close to the road from Northenden to interest schools outside the Ringway, about half a mile from immediate area. The Principal and Ringway Church. It is at the present senior staff of one of Manchester's time being cleared from the high schools, the Manchester surrounding soil, previous to Health Academy, are very conveyance to Sir Edward Watkin’s enthusiastic about the Watkin grounds at Northenden. The boulder Story. As soon as schools reopen …is a hard volcanic rock….and has they have asked us to meet them to probably come from the Lake District, help plan how Edward and borne to its present place by ice.”. Absalom's achievements can best The boulder is now known as The be introduced into the school's Sharstone and is still in place in curriculum. front of what remains of Rose Hill House. The rumour at the time was On 9 December 1890 the that EW had buried a time capsule Transactions of the Manchester under its stem. The staff and Geological Society contained a students of the Archaeology report on what they called ‘The Department of Manchester Cheshire Boulder’: “Mr. Stirrup University are interested in finding (Honorary Secretary) exhibited a if the rumour is true. Their portable photograph of the large boulder now X-ray equipment may help! lying in a field near the road leading The Sharstone in the 1950’s and 2019 (top) with a panorama of the rear of Rose Hill House and the entrance to the Woods to the right (bottom). Damian O'Doherty, a professor Manchester's parks, was made at from Manchester University, and a the Gorton Monastery just before Northenden resident is particularly the coronavirus axe fell. It went to interested in Absalom's cultivation Lyn Blinkhorn from The Friends of of the land at Rose Hill. Clayton Park/Hall, shown here at the ceremony in the Monastery with The first presentation of the annual Ann Taylor, the chair of the Friends Manchester City Council's Edward of the Rose Hill Woods. Watkin Award, to the volunteer who has done most to support community involvement in one of The Society has been contacted by the amazing story of Manchester's David McKie, former deputy editor forgotten star'. The publishers say and leader writer of The Guardian. that 'forgotten' is an off-putting David is researching for a book on word and since nobody has heard Herbert Ingram, who was the first of Nimble Ned casual browsers in editor of The Illustrated London bookshops wouldn’t be attracted to News, the most successful national buying the book. They will choose 'picture' magazine in nineteenth their own title. The book should be century Britain. Ingram was a a publicity boost for the Society, personal friend of EW. Four years which will receive all proceeds from after the death of his first wife, sales. The Landmark, one of Mary, Edward married Ingram's London's biggest hotels, are widow, Ann. We were able to fascinated by EW (he built supply David with new information Marylebone Station and the hotel about the Ingram-Watkin next to it). Andrew Batchelor, the connection and are looking forward General Manager of the hotel, to the publication of his book.