Season's Greetings Vortex
Originally uploaded by CopperPhoenix
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
A Sign of the Times
You may have heard on the news this week that the sign from the entrance to Auschwitz "Arbeit macht frei" translated as Work sets you free, was stolen although it has now been recovered. The initial reaction I had was of anger that an historic artifact had been stolen, instantly followed by a pause as to what the sign actually was. It was a cynical and evil lie that those entering the camp would be released through their own endeavours: instead they would simply be worked until dead. However despite the natural revulsion that the sign engenders, it is a tangible link with an abhorrent past that should be remembered for two reasons: firstly to remind us of the evil of Fascism and that it must not rise again, and secondly that it is a memorial to all those who died in the camp, and all the others the Nazis ran.
I've never been to one of the death camps, although I know people who have, including a padre who was at the liberation of one. I feel that I should go to one, not just as an historic site but to remember those who died there and why. The Holocaust is definitely a joint European heritage issue, one that we all need to bear in mind to so as to prevent it from happening again, although we have failed in that when we saw similar camps in the former Yugoslavia spring up for ethnic cleansing.
So I am glad the sign has been recovered and although a representation of pure evil, it should be reinstated for the reasons given above.
On a totally different note, I was in Uxbridge at the weekend, nominally to meet my brother and nephew from Paris and spending a mini-Christmas with my Aunt and family. However the snow and ice in Northern France crippled Eurostar and prevented the visit - our Christmas will have to be rescheduled! But it meant I had longer to talk to my aunt and discuss some of our family heritage and history. I know most of the history on my father's side of the family up until my Great Grandfather, especially as I met him. He died just before his 102nd Birthday when I was about five.
But I didn't know that one of my Welsh relatives in the mid 1800's had been awarded a bardic chair for his poetry at the local Eistedfordd. We have no idea where the chair is now, sadly. I also learned more about the French links we have, with my Great Grandfather on the French side being Harbour Master of Marseille. It is interesting how families seem to genetically migrate salmon like back to their roots. My brother has moved to live in France and while recently looking at houses myself I found that I was looking for properties in an area where my mother's family used to own a great deal of farmland, between Chepstow and Lydney.
Sometimes heritage catches up with you, but it is nice to know one's own roots to appreciate where we came from, and possibly why we ended up where we did. It is also the case that heritage doesn't have to be "good" to be important or necessary to our development, nor should we shy away from the reminders, and warnings, of the past. However, occasionally one comes across a gem of personal history, such as my relative's bardic chair. I suppose I'd better start writing poetry.
"There was a young lady from Stoke....."
Tim Davieswww.copperphoenix.co.uk Heritage to Entertain, Educate & Inspire
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Bridging the Heritage Gap in Bradford on Avon
A friend passed on through Twitter a link about a proposed new pedestrian bridge in historic Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. The Kingston Bridge is at the planning stage and the project is inviting comment from the public. Reading through the various submissions online:
it was interesting to see that many people were very keen to support the new modern look bridge, which will consist of a tall spire like structure radiating cables to form a dramatic crossing in an historic area within sight of the existing ancient stone bridge.
However there were several dissenting letters too, mainly arguing that such a modern structure was out of keeping with the area's older buildings and asking for a more historic looking design to suit the heritage feel of the town.
In my work, heritage needs to be balanced with modern day practicality. We do not necessarily want to destroy the feel of a place which has strong architectural links with the past with modern facilities and buildings, but nor should we wish to create pastiche everywhere and so rob future generations of their own heritage. Should the Kingston Bradford bridge go ahead as a modern design (and I would support the view that it should) it will serve to highlight and compliment the old around it, drawing attention to the past, not detracting from it and in itself become a representation of early 21st Century architecture for future generations. It may sound slightly silly to say that, but how else is heritage created? Heritage is only our common past, represented by actions, thought, and physical manifestation.
If you want to see a fascinating and successful blend of ancient and modern on a larger scale travel to Falaise Castle in Normandy. This castle, the birthplace of William the Conqueror was very damaged during World War 2 by Allied artillery and bombs as it had been occupied by the Germans. Whereas the French Castle in Sisteron, near the Alps was completely rebuilt after its destruction during the war to be as it had been before 1945 (and now looks like a medieval castle that has been there centuries) at Falaise the castle blends Norman stonework with glass and stainless steel. Glass floors allow light and vistas up and down, a steel drawbridge gives entrance to the keep and audio visual installations convey the history: the blend of architecture, 900 years apart, works extremely well. Have a look!
While not on the grand scale of a castle, Kingston Bridge should go ahead as a modern structure in an historic setting. As a heritage fan and business man working in the heritage environment I fully support the need to preserve our history and surroundings but don't let this stop us from occasionally placing new structures amongst the old, otherwise we will deny ourselves the pleasure of tracing the evolution of architectural styles of our own time. It will result in stagnation and a lack of inspiration for the future. So I look forward to seeing the bridge built, complimenting the existing historic buildings in one of Wiltshire's most attractive and interesting towns.
Heritage is what we make of it. So let's occasionally create more!
Tim Davieswww.copperphoenix.co.uk
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Heroes and Heritage
With the recent announcement that actor Richard Todd had died my thoughts instantly went in two directions at once - firstly sorry that one of the great British actors of his time had passed away and secondly that another of the D Day veterans had gone.
As I think most news reports stated, Todd was very believable in his on screen military roles as he had been a fighting man himself in the Paras. His two most iconic roles are probably as Guy Gibson in "The Dam Busters" and playing the role of Major John Howard in the film "The Longest Day". The latter film saw him playing the role of his own commanding officer in an operation he took part in on the night of 6th June 1944, the capture of the bridge over the Orne Canal, one of the first actions of D Day. Amusingly, one scene shows Todd playing Howard talking to another actor playing Todd! The bridge having been successfully captured by a classic coup de main attack was later renamed Pegasus Bridge after the Airborne Division's Pegasus symbol - the bridge still exists although is now in a museum adjacent to the site and a newer though visually similar bridge has taken its place in recent years.
So Richard Todd symbolised a period in British History when Britain was undoubtedly "Great", populated by a patriotic population still hardy from the privations of the war years. Now over 60 years on, we have a new breed of actors who for the main are more celebrated for their celebrity rather than anything else and my thoughts on hearing of Todd's death perhaps tinged with nostalgia immediately thought how much the world had changed. As a nation we are possibly softer but the recent surge in support for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrates a pleasing return to the appreciation of our military services: about time too. I know from my work that when I am promoting heritage in its broadest from that anything large or small, object or person can be an excellent representation of our collective past. Richard Todd could be classed as a heritage item while he was alive for his contribution to the silver screen as well as his contribution to the war effort. With his passing his contributions have now become historic.
Luckily we can still enjoy Richard Todd's films and interviews with great fondness. However take a fresh look at what is going on today around you and see if you can spot potential future or existing heritage items. Take note and beware, as heritage can be lost so easily but just as easily be preserved. That is why I am so passionate about Copper Phoenix, promoting heritage to Entertain, Educate and Inspire: once we have lost our heritage we lose our identity, collectively and individually and what better way is there to entertain, educate and inspire us than our heroes?
Richard Todd, rest in peace but for the rest of us long live the past!
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
An Enjoyable Evening!
Last night I was invited to a businesswoman's group, Business Inspired to give a talk on Marketing. I had a very warm welcome and after initial introductions around the room I was up front to give my talk. Although there were representatives from many different types of business in the room from hoteliers to artists I was (hopefully) able to give a general overview on marketing using heritage examples I have worked with and an overview on the increasing possibilities of social media and new media opportunities.
It was a warm welcome and despite being the only chap there I wasn't too intimidated, the only tricky spot was when I was asked if I'd be interested in going on a flower arrangement design course. Not being able to distinguish much beyond daffodils and poppies I felt this probably wasn't for me.
If you are a businesswomen in the Bristol Area have a look at http://business-inspired-bristol.co.uk/default.aspx and perhaps go along to one of their meetings.
I am now preparing for a talk in January of a different kind, "Berkeley: A Town that Changed the World". See http://www.jennermuseum.com/events.php
If you would like to see what other Talks I can offer see http://www.copperphoenix.co.uk/toursandtalks.html or contact me if there is anything specific you would like!
Friday, 6 November 2009
Crown Jewels story comes to Gloucestershire
*** PRESS RELEASE ***
The Edward Jenner Museum
For Immediate Release
06/11/09
Crown Jewels story comes to Gloucestershire
Keith Hanson, Chief Exhibitor of the Crown Jewels will be giving a talk “The Inside Story” on Thursday 26th November at the Old Cyder House in Berkeley. As part of the continuing series of Talks on interesting and diverse subjects find out what it is like to live in the Tower of London and be responsible for both the display and security of the world famous Crown Jewels and for the iconic White Tower, housing priceless artifacts dating back many centuries.
What’s it like to live in the Tower of London and to be responsible for the display and security of the world famous Crown Jewels? Do you lie awake at night?... or is that the fault of the ghosts of those incarcerated long ago? As the Chief Exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, Keith Hanson should know. His main responsibilities are the security and display of the Crown Jewels and the Crowns and Diamonds exhibition. He also looks after the running of the oldest part of the Tower of London, the White Tower, which contains unique artefacts belonging to the Royal Armouries, such as the armour of Henry VIII. Keith is also a member of the Queens Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard, which involves attending many State and Royal events.
Organised by The Edward Jenner Museum, and following on from the success of the University of Bristol’s Dr Alice Roberts talk in Wotton Cinema, the Old Cyder House talks are selling fast, so reserve your tickets now! The Crown Jewels talk will cost £10 per person including a glass of wine.
Sarah Parker, Museum Director said: We obviously can’t bring the Jewels themselves to Gloucestershire but we have done the next best thing in bringing the Chief Exhibitor to talk to us. How often do you get an insight into something so unique and special as the Crown Jewels and the Tower of London?
More information can be found on the new museum website, www.jennermuseum.com where there is also information on hiring The Old Cyder House and about other events at the Museum.
Bookings for all the talks can be made in advance by calling 01453 810631 or emailing info@edwardjenner.co.uk
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
THE OLD CYDER HOUSE, Berkeley, Gloucestershire
1) The Old Cyder House is at Dr Edward Jenner’s former home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dr Jenner lived in the house from 1785-1823, and it was from here that he pioneered the world-changing vaccination against Smallpox.
The Old Cyder House is available for training, conferences, business meetings, product launches and exhibitions throughout the year and is situated in the Old Coach House, where cider was originally brewed, hence the name.
Ticketing details/costs & further information, please see: www.jennermuseum.com
General information and booking: info@edwardjenner.co.uk
For further information, interviews or image requests please contact:
Sarah Parker
Director
Email: director@edwardjenner.co.uk
Tel: 01453 810 631
Fax: 01453 811 690
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Edward Jenner website now live
The new website for The Edward Jenner Museum in Berkeley has gone live. Designed by Eberlin and produced by Copper Phoenix. Tim Davies, Managing Director of Copper Phoenix said "We're very pleased with the new look of the website that will make it much easier for the museum to communicate to thepublic its facilities, including the ability to hire the Old Cyder House venue - plus of course a wealth of information on Dr Jenner and when to visit the museum!"
Friday, 18 September 2009
Old Cyder House Talks, Berkeley 2009/10
1.
Walking on Dinosaurs: Trampling on God?
Rev Richard Avery & Prof Tim Walsh,
Thursday 24 September 2009 7.30pm
Cost: £6 including glass of wine
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
The publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species a hundred and fifty years ago was deeply offensive to many Christians, and yet on his death he was buried with great ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Can Christianity and Evolutionary theory be reconciled? Are Christians bound to follow the lead of many transatlantic brethren and become Creationists?
This promises to be a fascinating evening for believers and unbelievers alike, as we attempt to unravel the history and clear up misconceptions.
Richard Avery is vicar of Berkeley and has been a teacher of secondary school science and a former student of Richard Dawkins at University of Cambridge.
Tim Walsh is the Professor of Medical Microbiology & Antibiotic Resistance at Cardiff University.
Audience members will also have the chance to look round the museum’s temporary exhibition Walking on Dinosaurs, part of the Darwin Bicentenary celebrations.
2.
The Making of Mr Gray’s Anatomy – the story of the ‘Doctor’s Bible’
Dr Ruth Richardson,
Sunday 11 October 2009 3.30pm.
Cost: £10 including tea, cake and free entry to the museum earlier in the afternoon.
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
Gray's Anatomy is to the human body what Mrs Beeton's is to cookery or Roget's is to thesaurus. It started out as a student text in 1858, and became so indispensable that it has been called 'The Doctor's Bible'. The book has never been out of print. This talk tells the story behind the famous medical text, how it was created by two young medical men in mid-Victorian London: Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter.
Ruth Richardson:
The Wall Street Journal described Ruth Richardson's most recent book, The Making of Mr. Gray's Anatomy (Oxford University Press) as 'one of those rarities, history that reads like a novel'. The book has won the 2009 Medical Journalists' Open Book Award.
Ruth Richardson's history of the corpses in UK dissection rooms - Death Dissection and the Destitute - is now a standard work and teaching text. She has also authored Vintage Papers from The Lancet, and co-edited two volumes: Medical Humanities: An Introduction and The Healing Environment for the Royal College of Physicians, London. Her historical introduction to Gray’s Anatomy, has just appeared in the latest 40th edition of the famous textbook itself. Dr Richardson is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
3.
Location: WOTTON ELECTRIC PICTURE HOUSE
The Incredible Human Journey
Dr Alice Roberts
Tuesday 3 November 2009, 7.30pm
Wotton Electric Picture House
18A Market Street, Wotton-Under-Edge
www.wottoneph.co.uk
Cost: £12
Advance booking essential.
Contact the Edward Jenner Museum: info@edwardjenner.co.uk or ring: 01453 810631
Tickets will also be on sale in Clarence’s Gift Shop in Wotton High Street.
Who are we and where do we come from? Genetics, archaeology and fossils come together to provide some answers. Amazingly, we can all trace our ancestry back to Africa, where our species appeared around 200,000 years ago. Dr Alice Roberts, presenter of the BBC series, tracks the ancient migrations that took our ancestors to the corners of Earth: through stones, bones and genes, the story of our incredible human journey unfolds.
Dr Alice Roberts is a biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster. Medically qualified, she taught clinical anatomy to undergraduates on the medical course at Bristol University for over a decade, and continues to teach postgraduate surgical trainees.
She has a PhD in palaeopathology, the study of disease in ancient human remains. She is interested in what old bones can tell us about human evolution, the diversity of the human species, and about diseases that have affected us over time. She is also interested in burial archaeology, and has joined an international research team investigating the archaeology and anthropology in Mongolia.
She is also passionate about public engagement with science, and is involved with planning Cheltenham Festival of Science. On BBC2, she is part of the team presenting the hugely popular Coast series. She wrote and presented two series of Don’t Die Young, exploring anatomy, physiology and health issues, and the 2009 landmark science series, The Incredible Human Journey, about the origin of our species and the ancient colonisation of the world. She also wrote the books to accompany both these series. She has recently ventured into radio, presenting Costing the Earth on Radio 4.
4.
The Crown Jewels – the inside story
Keith Hanson
26 November 2009, 7.30pm
Cost £10 including a glass of wine
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
What’s it like to live in the Tower of London and to be responsible for the display and security of the world famous Crown Jewels? Do you lie awake at night?... or is that the fault of the ghosts of those incarcerated long ago? As the Chief Exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, Keith Hanson should know.
Keith's main responsibilities are towards the security and display of the Crown Jewels, and the Crowns and Diamonds exhibition. He also looks after the running of the oldest part of the Tower of London, the White Tower, which contains unique artefacts belonging to the Royal Armouries, such as the armour of Henry VIII.
Keith is also a member of the Queens Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard, which involves attending many State and Royal events.
Walking on Dinosaurs: Trampling on God?
Rev Richard Avery & Prof Tim Walsh,
Thursday 24 September 2009 7.30pm
Cost: £6 including glass of wine
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
The publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species a hundred and fifty years ago was deeply offensive to many Christians, and yet on his death he was buried with great ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Can Christianity and Evolutionary theory be reconciled? Are Christians bound to follow the lead of many transatlantic brethren and become Creationists?
This promises to be a fascinating evening for believers and unbelievers alike, as we attempt to unravel the history and clear up misconceptions.
Richard Avery is vicar of Berkeley and has been a teacher of secondary school science and a former student of Richard Dawkins at University of Cambridge.
Tim Walsh is the Professor of Medical Microbiology & Antibiotic Resistance at Cardiff University.
Audience members will also have the chance to look round the museum’s temporary exhibition Walking on Dinosaurs, part of the Darwin Bicentenary celebrations.
2.
The Making of Mr Gray’s Anatomy – the story of the ‘Doctor’s Bible’
Dr Ruth Richardson,
Sunday 11 October 2009 3.30pm.
Cost: £10 including tea, cake and free entry to the museum earlier in the afternoon.
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
Gray's Anatomy is to the human body what Mrs Beeton's is to cookery or Roget's is to thesaurus. It started out as a student text in 1858, and became so indispensable that it has been called 'The Doctor's Bible'. The book has never been out of print. This talk tells the story behind the famous medical text, how it was created by two young medical men in mid-Victorian London: Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter.
Ruth Richardson:
The Wall Street Journal described Ruth Richardson's most recent book, The Making of Mr. Gray's Anatomy (Oxford University Press) as 'one of those rarities, history that reads like a novel'. The book has won the 2009 Medical Journalists' Open Book Award.
Ruth Richardson's history of the corpses in UK dissection rooms - Death Dissection and the Destitute - is now a standard work and teaching text. She has also authored Vintage Papers from The Lancet, and co-edited two volumes: Medical Humanities: An Introduction and The Healing Environment for the Royal College of Physicians, London. Her historical introduction to Gray’s Anatomy, has just appeared in the latest 40th edition of the famous textbook itself. Dr Richardson is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
3.
Location: WOTTON ELECTRIC PICTURE HOUSE
The Incredible Human Journey
Dr Alice Roberts
Tuesday 3 November 2009, 7.30pm
Wotton Electric Picture House
18A Market Street, Wotton-Under-Edge
www.wottoneph.co.uk
Cost: £12
Advance booking essential.
Contact the Edward Jenner Museum: info@edwardjenner.co.uk or ring: 01453 810631
Tickets will also be on sale in Clarence’s Gift Shop in Wotton High Street.
Who are we and where do we come from? Genetics, archaeology and fossils come together to provide some answers. Amazingly, we can all trace our ancestry back to Africa, where our species appeared around 200,000 years ago. Dr Alice Roberts, presenter of the BBC series, tracks the ancient migrations that took our ancestors to the corners of Earth: through stones, bones and genes, the story of our incredible human journey unfolds.
Dr Alice Roberts is a biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster. Medically qualified, she taught clinical anatomy to undergraduates on the medical course at Bristol University for over a decade, and continues to teach postgraduate surgical trainees.
She has a PhD in palaeopathology, the study of disease in ancient human remains. She is interested in what old bones can tell us about human evolution, the diversity of the human species, and about diseases that have affected us over time. She is also interested in burial archaeology, and has joined an international research team investigating the archaeology and anthropology in Mongolia.
She is also passionate about public engagement with science, and is involved with planning Cheltenham Festival of Science. On BBC2, she is part of the team presenting the hugely popular Coast series. She wrote and presented two series of Don’t Die Young, exploring anatomy, physiology and health issues, and the 2009 landmark science series, The Incredible Human Journey, about the origin of our species and the ancient colonisation of the world. She also wrote the books to accompany both these series. She has recently ventured into radio, presenting Costing the Earth on Radio 4.
4.
The Crown Jewels – the inside story
Keith Hanson
26 November 2009, 7.30pm
Cost £10 including a glass of wine
Advanced booking advised, as places are limited.
01453 810631
education@edwardjenner.co.uk
What’s it like to live in the Tower of London and to be responsible for the display and security of the world famous Crown Jewels? Do you lie awake at night?... or is that the fault of the ghosts of those incarcerated long ago? As the Chief Exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, Keith Hanson should know.
Keith's main responsibilities are towards the security and display of the Crown Jewels, and the Crowns and Diamonds exhibition. He also looks after the running of the oldest part of the Tower of London, the White Tower, which contains unique artefacts belonging to the Royal Armouries, such as the armour of Henry VIII.
Keith is also a member of the Queens Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard, which involves attending many State and Royal events.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Heritage: from chocolate box to concrete box
Series 1 Land Rover, Lacock: B&W
Originally uploaded by CopperPhoenix
From The Times
August 19, 2009
Heritage has democratised and rightly even includes pig-ugly buildings, says the man behind Saving Britain’s Past
Tom Dyckhoff
Heritage used to be easy. It was stately homes. It was cathedrals. It was tea towels in the gift shop and buttered crumpets in a National Trust café. It was nostalgia. Not any more. Over the past 50 years, during which British society and our towns and cities have been utterly transformed, ordinary people have fought to save the streets, buildings and landscapes that mean so much to them. In doing so they have completely revolutionised what we mean by heritage.
Heritage has democratised. These days, it can mean pretty much anything: a coalmine, the childhood homes of the Beatles (now owned by the National Trust), that little café down the road with an interior straight out of Expresso Bongo. It can even be a building which to many is pig-ugly.
Take Robin Hood Gardens. For the past year a battle has been raging in East London over plans by Tower Hamlets to demolish and redevelop this 1960s Brutalist housing estate. Passions run high. Architects and preservationists are pitted against council and developer. Yet if, 40 years ago, you’d have said that this slab of concrete was heritage you’d have been laughed out of the planning department.
To understand how heritage went from chocolate box to concrete box, I’ve been filming a seven-part TV series for BBC Two, Saving Britain’s Past. It was the experience of the Second World War that created our basic understanding of heritage. Before the Blitz there were, astonishingly, no proper systems or records for preserving our buildings and landscapes. There had never been any need, because the British landscape, at least the oldest, most cherished parts of it, had changed so slowly.
Admittedly the Industrial Revolution had so transformed much of the country that the glimmers of a conservation movement emerged through campaigners such as William Morris and his Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, aghast at the modern world’s impact on the old. But compared with what was about to happen, the industrial revolution was small fry.
That all changed when Hitler embarked on not only the Blitz, but also the infamous “Baedeker raids”, a bombing campaign targeting not military or industrial sites, but those of cultural value listed in Baedeker’s guide books. Cities such as York, Exeter, Canterbury and Bath were bombed just because they were beautiful. Looking at the archive footage of Bath’s destruction in April 1942 is a grim task. Besides the human suffering, 19,000 of the city’s buildings were wrecked, including such gems as the Royal Crescent and the Circus.
The attack sent the country into panic, triggering a sense of collective ownership of our landscapes, the same drive that brought into being the welfare state and the NHS. John Betjeman proposed a national buildings record, the Ministry of Works began a salvage scheme of historic buildings that needed urgent repair, and the 1944 Town and Country Planning Act gave birth to the lists — Britain’s first inventory of buildings of national or historic importance, graded I, II and III according to their significance, to be protected.
Heritage was born. The Ministry of Works appointed 30 architectural historians to compile the lists. These were traditional, nostalgic, conservative. Things not quite up to scratch included architecture from most of the previous century, certainly all things vulgarly industrial. But at least it meant that what Britain looked like in the future would no longer be left to chance or be so vulnerable to attack.
What is remarkable is not simply the country’s speedy acceptance of the idea of saving heritage, but how enthusiastically we have done so. We are an intensely nostalgic country, especially in our post-imperial decline. Yet conservation is not always conservative. It can be downright radical.
Ever since it was invented, this cosy idea of heritage has been whittled away by those it excluded. Just as our understanding of history has diversified from kings, queens and great men to the social history of ordinary people, so what we choose to feel passionate about has shifted from cathedrals and castles to the 1950s cafés in which our quiffed teenaged mums and dads tried to be cool; to the coalmines some slaved in, and the council estates many lived in. My heritage wasn’t a 14th-century village church or a Georgian mansion but a postwar school built by the Hertfordshire schools building programme, a strikingly modern place jam-packed with welfare-state optimism. Can’t that be preserved alongside the 14th-century village church? Why can’t the everyday landscapes most of us live in be heritage?
These ideas began to arise in the mid-1960s just when British society was loosening up and admitting grammar-school politicians, gay playwrights and working-class pop starlets to its higher echelons. They even came up in Bath. As the council started tearing down Grade III listed Georgian streets — the only grade then not legally protected — not even the nascent heritage bodies noticed. But ordinary people did. In the mid-1960s Peter Coard began drawing the little human quirks of the artisans’ cottages and shopfronts disappearing around him and co-founded the Bath Buildings Record. It took another decade for cultural grandees such as Kenneth Clark to catch up with this battle by the little people. Coard unearthed a brutal fact: there was a class system in heritage.
In London John Betjeman became the first secretary of the Victorian Society in 1958, but it took another decade for the Victorian to be thought of as anything but vulgarly industrial. In early 1970s London an alliance as radical as CND or the antiVietnam rallies, of Marxist activists, gentrifiers, old market porters and West End actors inflicted the first big defeat against the planning establishment, saving Covent Garden from being transformed by the Greater London Council into Alphaville.
Since then, we’ve started listing everything, and Britain has become a museum obsessed with its past. The real turning point came in the 1970s when economic decline slowed the pace of the wrecking ball. “A recession,” Roy Strong whispered to me, “is terribly good for heritage.”
Today a recession is proving good for heritage once more. Cranes have stopped swinging in our cities. Visits to National Trust properties this year are up an incredible 24 per cent. Battles, though, are still raging. The front line these days might be Brutalist bruisers such as Robin Hood Gardens. It might be with the kinds of histories we tell through our buildings. In February, the environmentalist George Monbiot launched an excoriating attack on the cute “tea towel” histories told in too many stately homes, which ignore the hidden tales of land seizure and fortunes made through slavery. One thing’s for certain though. We now know that heritage isn’t so much about what we preserve, but why we preserve it. It isn’t just about architecture. It’s about the people who live in it.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Urban Sunrise
Urban Sunrise
Originally uploaded by CopperPhoenix
An early morning start meant I could catch this lovely sunrise from home.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Scrap to Steam - One Month of Fundraising in Caernarfon
For one month only Caernarfon is hosting a unique fundraising event in its Town Square, where the Welsh Highland Society in association with Brunswick Ironworks will be using a steam locomotive as a centre piece attracting the public to donate towards a restoration project. Scrap to Steam will be opened by the Town Mayor, Councillor Hywel Roberts on August 3rd 2009, when he will make the first donation of this event towards the restoration of the narrow gauge NG 15 Locomotive.
The unique fundraising method chosen is based on a mathematical formulae "if you saved one penny on day one, doubled it on day two, doubled it again on day three and so on, how long would it take to save a million pounds? The answer is 27days! The aim is to test the theory and see how near to £1 million pounds the fundraisers can get in 27 days, with all proceeds going towards the restoration.
The event is being run by Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri, the Welsh Highland Railway's supporting society and the organisation behind the restoration; however it is also being supported by Brunswick Ironworks Limited, Caernarfon. The NG15 restoration team are holding the month long fund-raising event at Y Maes (Castle Square), Caernarfon from the 3rd to the 29th August 2009. The event's primary aim is to raise funds for the restoration of Locomotive 134, but is being staged in Caernarfon to raise awareness of the Locomotive amongst the local population.
In addition to funds the Welsh Highland Society hopes to inspire more people to take an active interest in working on the restoration project, joining a growing band of local volunteers new to the Welsh Highland Railway, which now runs between Caernarfon and Porthmadog through spectacular Snowdonia Scenery.
The locomotive actually on display will be Number 133, sister to Number 134 (the subject of the restoration project but is currently dismantled while it is being worked on).
Whilst accepting that with the credit crunch and job insecurity, this is not a good time to ask for donations, the organisers feel that by getting the local community involved, and hopefully with many people giving a little, the appeal could yet cause a surprise.
Tim Davies of Copper Phoenix ( http://www.copperphoenix.co.uk/ )helping to promote the event said "This is a fascinating new way to raise money for appeal funds and many fundraisers will watch the event with interest. It will be great to see No 134 eventually getting from Caernarfon to Porthmadog under its own steam!"
You can follow daily progress of the appeal on Twitter, see http://twitter.com/NG15134
Any donations, however small, can be either brought in person to the Square during August, or they can be sent direct to the Brunswick Ironworks, Peblig Mill, Llanbeblig Road, Caernarfon Gwynedd LL55 2SE. Cheques to be made out to "NG 15 Appeal". See also the appeal site http://www.ng15-134.co.uk/ or http://www.brunswickironworks.co.uk/
The unique fundraising method chosen is based on a mathematical formulae "if you saved one penny on day one, doubled it on day two, doubled it again on day three and so on, how long would it take to save a million pounds? The answer is 27days! The aim is to test the theory and see how near to £1 million pounds the fundraisers can get in 27 days, with all proceeds going towards the restoration.
The event is being run by Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri, the Welsh Highland Railway's supporting society and the organisation behind the restoration; however it is also being supported by Brunswick Ironworks Limited, Caernarfon. The NG15 restoration team are holding the month long fund-raising event at Y Maes (Castle Square), Caernarfon from the 3rd to the 29th August 2009. The event's primary aim is to raise funds for the restoration of Locomotive 134, but is being staged in Caernarfon to raise awareness of the Locomotive amongst the local population.
In addition to funds the Welsh Highland Society hopes to inspire more people to take an active interest in working on the restoration project, joining a growing band of local volunteers new to the Welsh Highland Railway, which now runs between Caernarfon and Porthmadog through spectacular Snowdonia Scenery.
The locomotive actually on display will be Number 133, sister to Number 134 (the subject of the restoration project but is currently dismantled while it is being worked on).
Whilst accepting that with the credit crunch and job insecurity, this is not a good time to ask for donations, the organisers feel that by getting the local community involved, and hopefully with many people giving a little, the appeal could yet cause a surprise.
Tim Davies of Copper Phoenix ( http://www.copperphoenix.co.uk/ )helping to promote the event said "This is a fascinating new way to raise money for appeal funds and many fundraisers will watch the event with interest. It will be great to see No 134 eventually getting from Caernarfon to Porthmadog under its own steam!"
You can follow daily progress of the appeal on Twitter, see http://twitter.com/NG15134
Any donations, however small, can be either brought in person to the Square during August, or they can be sent direct to the Brunswick Ironworks, Peblig Mill, Llanbeblig Road, Caernarfon Gwynedd LL55 2SE. Cheques to be made out to "NG 15 Appeal". See also the appeal site http://www.ng15-134.co.uk/ or http://www.brunswickironworks.co.uk/
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Petition to Return Statue to Trafalgar Square Gains Momentum
A campaign to return a statue of Edward Jenner to Trafalgar Square has been re-launched in his 260th Anniversary year. The Statue used to stand on a fifth plinth in Trafalgar Square but was moved to Kensington Gardens in 1862. Next year sees worldwide celebration of the 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox: Edward Jenner discovered the vaccine against smallpox and was the Father of Immunology. It is therefore highly appropriate that this “Great Britain”, should be honoured in 2010 and his statue restored to its original position.
The Gloucestershire country doctor received worldwide recognition after his smallpox discovery on May 14, 1796, receiving various international honours and awards including a letter from United States President Thomas Jefferson.
In his home country it was not until after his death that a statue, with permission from Queen Victoria and support of Prince Albert, the Prince Consort and a keen supporter of vaccination, was erected in Trafalgar Square.
The statue, paid for by world subscription, was unveiled in May 1858 on the anniversary of Jenner’s birthday but sadly in 1862 the statue was removed and taken to Kensington Gardens apparently a non-military statue in Trafalgar Square was inappropriate.
However, with the 30th anniversary of the World Health Organisation announcing world eradication of smallpox, The Edward Jenner Museum wants to honour the doctor’s contribution to saving millions of lives by relocating his statue to its original site.
Sarah Parker, Director of The Edward Jenner Museum in Berkeley, said: We’ve started a petition on the Number 10 Downing Street site and support is growing. It's such a shame that people in the UK don't seem to remember who Jenner was and his significant part in the eradication of smallpox from the world. Sadly we have forgotten what a truly horrible and disfiguring disease it was, killing one in three children.
He gave the world vaccination and was at the forefront of other medical breakthroughs. His statue quite rightly used to be in Trafalgar Square; we need to get Jenner back there and back into the public’s awareness.
There is much discussion at the moment concerning the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square; it would be an ideal setting for Jenner’s statue.
To sign the online petition on the No 10 Downing Street site to return Jenner’s statue to Trafalgar Square go to
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Jenner2010
or visit the museum’s website
http://www.jennermuseum.com/
and follow the link from there.
The Gloucestershire country doctor received worldwide recognition after his smallpox discovery on May 14, 1796, receiving various international honours and awards including a letter from United States President Thomas Jefferson.
In his home country it was not until after his death that a statue, with permission from Queen Victoria and support of Prince Albert, the Prince Consort and a keen supporter of vaccination, was erected in Trafalgar Square.
The statue, paid for by world subscription, was unveiled in May 1858 on the anniversary of Jenner’s birthday but sadly in 1862 the statue was removed and taken to Kensington Gardens apparently a non-military statue in Trafalgar Square was inappropriate.
However, with the 30th anniversary of the World Health Organisation announcing world eradication of smallpox, The Edward Jenner Museum wants to honour the doctor’s contribution to saving millions of lives by relocating his statue to its original site.
Sarah Parker, Director of The Edward Jenner Museum in Berkeley, said: We’ve started a petition on the Number 10 Downing Street site and support is growing. It's such a shame that people in the UK don't seem to remember who Jenner was and his significant part in the eradication of smallpox from the world. Sadly we have forgotten what a truly horrible and disfiguring disease it was, killing one in three children.
He gave the world vaccination and was at the forefront of other medical breakthroughs. His statue quite rightly used to be in Trafalgar Square; we need to get Jenner back there and back into the public’s awareness.
There is much discussion at the moment concerning the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square; it would be an ideal setting for Jenner’s statue.
To sign the online petition on the No 10 Downing Street site to return Jenner’s statue to Trafalgar Square go to
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Jenner2010
or visit the museum’s website
http://www.jennermuseum.com/
and follow the link from there.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Edward Jenner & the Missing (Fifth) Plinth
The national spotlight is currently shining brightly on an empty plinth in Trafalgar Square. Built in 1841 the ‘Fourth plinth’ was intended for an equestrian statue but was recently the subject of a hotly contested competition by artists who desired their own brand of art fill the plinth.
Famous figures in the world of art such as Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, and Tracey Emin battled to have a spot to showcase their art in central London’s most famous of squares.
Today, a moment of fame on the world’s most famous plinth is within reach to anyone who has the inclination to apply.
Of course, Trafalgar Square’s most celebrated monument is Nelson’s Column, designed in 1843 by William Railton and erected in 1845.
But did you know that a ‘Fifth plinth’ once existed in Trafalgar Square?
On this plinth sat a statue of Dr Edward Jenner (1749-1823), the father of Immunology and the pioneer of vaccination. His work on the development of the smallpox vaccine has saved millions of lives and led to the development of vaccines that have had a significant and lasting impact on world health.
Smallpox – the ‘speckled monster’ - was greatly feared and accounted for millions of deaths around the world. In London alone, 10% of all deaths in the eighteenth century were as a result of Smallpox. Smallpox was disfiguring and horrific. It infected old and young, rich and poor. Those sufferers who survived were often blind and disfigured by spotty scars. Famous Smallpox sufferers included Queen Elizabeth I, Mozart and Queen Mary II (wife of William III). The latter was not to survive.
On 14 May 1796 Edward Jenner finally made a breakthrough with a cure for Smallpox at his country home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire (now The Edward Jenner Museum). Lymph from a cowpox pustule of dairymaid Sarah Nelmes, caught from a Gloucester cow Blossom, was vaccinated by Jenner into James Phipps aged 8. Later when the boy was inoculated with smallpox, the feared symptoms failed to appear. Jenner called it ‘vaccination’ from the Latin vacca for cow.
This process marked the beginning of a worldwide eradication of a devastating disease. In the late eighteenth century, Jenner predicted: The annihilation of smallpox – the most dreadful scourge of the human species – will be the final result of this practice. The World Health Organization finally declared the world rid of the disease in 1979 following an international eradication programme. The WHO declared Smallpox one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity.
So far, it is the only disease to ever be eradicated from the world.
International Recognition
Jenner’s research was duly acknowledged internationally. Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States was a keen supporter of vaccination. In a letter to Jenner in 1806 he wrote: Yours is the comfortable reflection that mankind can never forget that you have lived. Future nations will know by history only that the loathsome small-pox has existed and by you has been extirpated.
Showered with a variety of international honours, gifts and medals, Jenner was also acknowledged with many statues. The first was erected in 1825 in Gloucester Cathedral, a few miles from his home town of Berkeley inscribed simply ‘Jenner’. Other commissions followed and statues around the world in major cities can be found in Italy, France, and Tokyo - the latter stands in the gardens of the National Museum.
Following permission from Queen Victoria, a statue to Jenner was erected in Trafalgar Square in recognition of his enormous contribution to the welfare of mankind. Top of the list of donors for the statue was America, followed by Russia.
Britain was last.
Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, a keen supporter of vaccination and himself the leading British contributor to the memorial fund, presided over the inaugural occasion on the anniversary of Jenner’s birth in May 1858. According to reports of the occasion anyone who was anyone was there and all agreed it was an excellent likeness to Jenner.
Removal of Statue
However, not long afterwards the statue was removed. A non-military character sitting reflectively but not astride a horse, was thought inappropriate in Trafalgar Square. The Times supported its relocation and Parliament similarly demanded it be removed. The medical profession led by The Lancet and the British Medical Journal were furious and fought vigorously to preserve the statue. Punch naturally joined in the bitter debate getting straight to the point:
England’s ingratitude still blots
The escutcheon of the brave and free;
I saved you many million spots
And now you grudge one spot for me
The Prince Consort, Jenner’s main supporter died in December 1861 and by 1862 Jenner’s statue had been moved to Kensington Gardens, the first to be placed there. It currently still stands in the Italian Gardens. Many however commented that it was entirely out of place.
St George’s Hospital originally sited at Hyde Park Corner, put in a bid for the statue in 1896 on the centennial anniversary of Jenner’s great discoveries. Jenner had been a student there and the illustrious surgeon, John Hunter, Jenner’s mentor and friend, had been a surgeon at the hospital. It is just as well the statue wasn’t moved again as this site is now a hotel.
Jenner continues to sit resplendent in his Kensington surroundings but it is perhaps ironic that they are ‘Italian’ gardens. Shunned by the British establishment, he was forcibly removed from his rightful place in the heart of London’s Trafalgar Square. One can speculate whether these new artworks are worthy of such a place. What would the puritanical Victorian press for instance make of today’s debate?
New Demand to re-instate Jenner Statue
2009 marks 260 years since Jenner’s birth and the 30th anniversary of the eradication of Smallpox. Ironically, it is a disease that has all but been forgotten by the world following Dr Jenner’s pioneering research.
Jenner has been cast into the shade for long enough. It is time for one of the world’s forgotten heroes to have his statue reinstated in Trafalgar Square in its rightful place. This would be a fitting tribute to Jenner and his victory in mankind’s ‘war’ on disease.
Join our campaign to get Dr Jenner’s statue reinstated.
Sign up now:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Jenner2010/
Sarah Parker
Director
The Edward Jenner Museum, Berkeley, Gloucestershire
http://www.jennermuseum.com/ info@edwardjenner.co.uk
Sources: John Empson BSc BLitt – Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, September 1996
Famous figures in the world of art such as Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, and Tracey Emin battled to have a spot to showcase their art in central London’s most famous of squares.
Today, a moment of fame on the world’s most famous plinth is within reach to anyone who has the inclination to apply.
Of course, Trafalgar Square’s most celebrated monument is Nelson’s Column, designed in 1843 by William Railton and erected in 1845.
But did you know that a ‘Fifth plinth’ once existed in Trafalgar Square?
On this plinth sat a statue of Dr Edward Jenner (1749-1823), the father of Immunology and the pioneer of vaccination. His work on the development of the smallpox vaccine has saved millions of lives and led to the development of vaccines that have had a significant and lasting impact on world health.
Smallpox – the ‘speckled monster’ - was greatly feared and accounted for millions of deaths around the world. In London alone, 10% of all deaths in the eighteenth century were as a result of Smallpox. Smallpox was disfiguring and horrific. It infected old and young, rich and poor. Those sufferers who survived were often blind and disfigured by spotty scars. Famous Smallpox sufferers included Queen Elizabeth I, Mozart and Queen Mary II (wife of William III). The latter was not to survive.
On 14 May 1796 Edward Jenner finally made a breakthrough with a cure for Smallpox at his country home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire (now The Edward Jenner Museum). Lymph from a cowpox pustule of dairymaid Sarah Nelmes, caught from a Gloucester cow Blossom, was vaccinated by Jenner into James Phipps aged 8. Later when the boy was inoculated with smallpox, the feared symptoms failed to appear. Jenner called it ‘vaccination’ from the Latin vacca for cow.
This process marked the beginning of a worldwide eradication of a devastating disease. In the late eighteenth century, Jenner predicted: The annihilation of smallpox – the most dreadful scourge of the human species – will be the final result of this practice. The World Health Organization finally declared the world rid of the disease in 1979 following an international eradication programme. The WHO declared Smallpox one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity.
So far, it is the only disease to ever be eradicated from the world.
International Recognition
Jenner’s research was duly acknowledged internationally. Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States was a keen supporter of vaccination. In a letter to Jenner in 1806 he wrote: Yours is the comfortable reflection that mankind can never forget that you have lived. Future nations will know by history only that the loathsome small-pox has existed and by you has been extirpated.
Showered with a variety of international honours, gifts and medals, Jenner was also acknowledged with many statues. The first was erected in 1825 in Gloucester Cathedral, a few miles from his home town of Berkeley inscribed simply ‘Jenner’. Other commissions followed and statues around the world in major cities can be found in Italy, France, and Tokyo - the latter stands in the gardens of the National Museum.
Following permission from Queen Victoria, a statue to Jenner was erected in Trafalgar Square in recognition of his enormous contribution to the welfare of mankind. Top of the list of donors for the statue was America, followed by Russia.
Britain was last.
Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, a keen supporter of vaccination and himself the leading British contributor to the memorial fund, presided over the inaugural occasion on the anniversary of Jenner’s birth in May 1858. According to reports of the occasion anyone who was anyone was there and all agreed it was an excellent likeness to Jenner.
Removal of Statue
However, not long afterwards the statue was removed. A non-military character sitting reflectively but not astride a horse, was thought inappropriate in Trafalgar Square. The Times supported its relocation and Parliament similarly demanded it be removed. The medical profession led by The Lancet and the British Medical Journal were furious and fought vigorously to preserve the statue. Punch naturally joined in the bitter debate getting straight to the point:
England’s ingratitude still blots
The escutcheon of the brave and free;
I saved you many million spots
And now you grudge one spot for me
The Prince Consort, Jenner’s main supporter died in December 1861 and by 1862 Jenner’s statue had been moved to Kensington Gardens, the first to be placed there. It currently still stands in the Italian Gardens. Many however commented that it was entirely out of place.
St George’s Hospital originally sited at Hyde Park Corner, put in a bid for the statue in 1896 on the centennial anniversary of Jenner’s great discoveries. Jenner had been a student there and the illustrious surgeon, John Hunter, Jenner’s mentor and friend, had been a surgeon at the hospital. It is just as well the statue wasn’t moved again as this site is now a hotel.
Jenner continues to sit resplendent in his Kensington surroundings but it is perhaps ironic that they are ‘Italian’ gardens. Shunned by the British establishment, he was forcibly removed from his rightful place in the heart of London’s Trafalgar Square. One can speculate whether these new artworks are worthy of such a place. What would the puritanical Victorian press for instance make of today’s debate?
New Demand to re-instate Jenner Statue
2009 marks 260 years since Jenner’s birth and the 30th anniversary of the eradication of Smallpox. Ironically, it is a disease that has all but been forgotten by the world following Dr Jenner’s pioneering research.
Jenner has been cast into the shade for long enough. It is time for one of the world’s forgotten heroes to have his statue reinstated in Trafalgar Square in its rightful place. This would be a fitting tribute to Jenner and his victory in mankind’s ‘war’ on disease.
Join our campaign to get Dr Jenner’s statue reinstated.
Sign up now:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Jenner2010/
Sarah Parker
Director
The Edward Jenner Museum, Berkeley, Gloucestershire
http://www.jennermuseum.com/ info@edwardjenner.co.uk
Sources: John Empson BSc BLitt – Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, September 1996
Monday, 20 July 2009
Waterloo Wheat
Waterloo Wheat
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
Wheat on the field of Waterloo. Crops have traditionally grown well on old battlefields.
Scrap to Steam Fundraising Event
Copper Phoenix is assisting in the promotion of and fundraising for:
Scrap to Steam fund-raising event
Y Maes, Caernarfon
August 3rd to 29th 2009
The NG15 restoration team are holding a month long fund-raising event at Y Maes (Castle Square), Caernarfon from the 3rd to the 29th August 2009. The event is being run by Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri, the Welsh Highland Railway's supporting society and the organisation behind the restoration, however it is also being supported by D J Williams & Son, Brunswick Ironworks Limited, Caernarfon.
Scrap to Steam will be opened by the Town Mayor ,Councillor Hywel Roberts on August 3rd 2009, when he will make the first donation of this event towards the restoration of the Loco.
The event's aims are twofold with the primary exercise to raise funds for the restoration of the Loco. However as the event is being staged in Caernarfon it's also aimed at raising awareness of the Locomotive amongst the local population. We hope that this will inspire a few more people to take an active interest in working on the restoration. We are already seeing a number of local volunteers new to the railway attending the working parties and so we hope that the upward trend continues following Scrap to Steam.
The event will be manned from various sources including the society and those restoring the loco, however more help will be always be very welcome. If you can help during any of the period, even if it's only for one day, please contact Peter Randall (details on the Contacts page).
We are very thankful of Brunswick's involvement and help with this event. Brunswick's are already well known to the Welsh Highland Railway through their work during the re-building of the railway itself. They were the main contractor for all the steel based structures such as water towers and bridges. They are also already involved with the restoration of №134 as they are currently overhauling the rear stretcher from the frames.
Central to the event will be sister NG15 №133. This Loco is currently in store at Dinas station and will be moved to Caernarfon for the duration of the event. The Loco will be prepared for it's move during the working party weekend on the 18th & 19th July 2009. For ease and logistical reasons it is planned to detach the tender and only take the Loco unit. Again if anyone can help please contact Andie Shaw on this occasion (details on the Contacts page).
Please make the effort to attend Scrap to Steam and we look forward to meeting you.
Monday, 6 July 2009
From an Edward Jenner Museum Newsletter of 2008
This has proved strangely prophetic as the Attic rooms are now open to the public in 2009.
From the Archives
We asked Tim Davies, Marketing Manager at Berkeley Castle to tell us about his favourite item in the Museum and archive.... but Tim went a little higher than that:
One of the most interesting experiences I have had at the Edward Jenner Museum was a quick tour of the Attic. As I originally trained as a building surveyor I have always been fascinated with old and historic buildings and especially those that have evolved over time, naturally working at Berkeley Castle is therefore very pleasing!
But back at the museum, a “secret” door from the first floor landing takes you to a bare board staircase and after walking up and around following the roof structure you emerge onto a landing with rooms radiating around you. These would have been for maids/staff in years gone by and, like all accommodation for these people, it is fairly Spartan – you don’t waste luxury on the hired helps. But look beyond the apparent emptiness and bare features and you can see the remains of ancient wallpaper, paint and old repairs within the roof structure. My favourite part of all and relating to the evolution of the building was being able to look through an access hatch at the original roof of the house that pre-dated the present building. You understand then what a big change in size and status the current building achieved.
Very simple, very interesting and slightly spooky, it would be great if the roof space could be utilised or shown to more people, but perhaps then it would lose its charm and air of mystery. That’s my favourite part of the Museum, and I apologise if it is not specifically Jenner related!
From the Archives
We asked Tim Davies, Marketing Manager at Berkeley Castle to tell us about his favourite item in the Museum and archive.... but Tim went a little higher than that:
One of the most interesting experiences I have had at the Edward Jenner Museum was a quick tour of the Attic. As I originally trained as a building surveyor I have always been fascinated with old and historic buildings and especially those that have evolved over time, naturally working at Berkeley Castle is therefore very pleasing!
But back at the museum, a “secret” door from the first floor landing takes you to a bare board staircase and after walking up and around following the roof structure you emerge onto a landing with rooms radiating around you. These would have been for maids/staff in years gone by and, like all accommodation for these people, it is fairly Spartan – you don’t waste luxury on the hired helps. But look beyond the apparent emptiness and bare features and you can see the remains of ancient wallpaper, paint and old repairs within the roof structure. My favourite part of all and relating to the evolution of the building was being able to look through an access hatch at the original roof of the house that pre-dated the present building. You understand then what a big change in size and status the current building achieved.
Very simple, very interesting and slightly spooky, it would be great if the roof space could be utilised or shown to more people, but perhaps then it would lose its charm and air of mystery. That’s my favourite part of the Museum, and I apologise if it is not specifically Jenner related!
Edward Jenner Museum Ghost Image
Edward Jenner Museum Ghost Image
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
This was the picture that started the massive media hype for The Edward Jenner Musem. Copper Phoenix has now been asked to develop ghost tourism at the Museum, as a much needed extra income stream. This will be boosted by the recent filming by Living TV's "Most Haunted" at the Museum.
The ghost is seen in the doorway. Who is the ghost? We'll let you know if we find out from any of the groups, who intend to visit the haunted attic!
Getting the Web Bit Right
Websites are so important that it is amazing that so many tourism organisations still get it wrong.
Getting started
Develop your own website including your information in other famous tourism websites.
Do a cost benefit analysis and don’t forget to include the cost of keeping your website up-to-date.
Work with an experienced or professional website developer, it pays to pay for this.
Ensure they deliver an easy to navigate website that is best value for your needs and budget.
Online consumers are reluctant to read large amounts of text but while images can be very effective, too many images will slow down the time it takes for the consumer to see the page on the screen.
Ensure your site is accessible to all types of users – some people have slow computers, slow Internet access, and small monitors or could be visually impaired.
Highlight your contact details and maintain pricing and make sure you reply to any enquiries within 24 hours!
Site Promotion
A majority of website traffic is delivered via search engines. Your site should be built by a reputable developer who can also make it search-engine friendly.
Ensure all literature, emails etc refers to your website address.
Consider expanding the reach of your product online through community, government, and commercial website partners.
You should include your information on other websites such as Local Tourism Associations, regional tourism organisations, etc.
You could consider marketing through advertising on non-travel-specific websites and commercial travel sites. Common social sites like Face Book and Twitter also provide a platform where one can easily reach a big audience with the products on offer.
Post travel happenings and stories to the social media sites. The post will go to all fans and be seen by those who visit your site. Ensure you drop a comment with a link to your website.
Maintain your website
Ensure that technically your site is ‘available’ to Internet users all or close to all of the time.
Your content must be accurate, current, relevant and compelling – this will be a site visitor's initial experience of your busines, your professionalism and your product.
Online bookings and payments if managed effectively can help your business, if they dont work it will reflect badly on you.
Develop arrangements to ensure bookings and payments made online are secure. Decide which payment options will be accepted and illustrate it fully on the website booking form.
Simple steps but so, so importantto getting the right image and utilisation!
For help with your website see www.copperphoenix.co.uk
Friday, 3 July 2009
The Lion, Waterloo
The Lion, Waterloo
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
For some reason, inverting the image of this picture has made the Lion's expression far more superior.
Don't know why!
Christ Church and Downend Cricket Ground: Britannia Crash
Christ Church and Downend Cricket Ground: Brittania Crash
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
I used to think nothing ever important happened where lived, until I heard the story of the Britannia aircraft crash in 1957, the actual crash site is in woods just a few minutes walk from my home. The jet clipped the church pictured above before crashing a few hundred yards away, amazingly not on any houses. It could have been so different. It made world headlines and the event was commemorated by a plinth and small service in 2007.
The picture was taken on a sunny evening with cricket being played. So quiet and peaceful. How many were aware of what had happened here over 50 years ago? Until the crash Downend was best known for being the birthplace of Victorian cricketer W G Grace, who played on this small cricket ground.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Co-Op and Edward Jenner Museum in an English Country Garden
On 30th June 2009, 14 volunteer gardeners are visiting Berkeley for the day to give the Edward Jenner Museum a tidy-up/make-over in Jenner’s former garden. The Museum run by a charitable trust is the Co-Op’s chosen recipient for assistance this year out of the whole Mid-counties region, which has delighted staff at the famous Gloucestershire attraction.
As part of the Co-op ethos staff have to do ‘community hours’ which must go towards a worthwhile project. Museum Director Sarah Parker said: We are very grateful to the Co-op team for their most generous offer to help us in our efforts to improve and renovate our garden. We hope eventually to re-plant Jenner’s garden to as it was in the 18/19th Century. We are working with garden designer, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall on the project but need support, research and as a charity, above all funds.
The Museum currently operates with one part-time Gardener/Maintenance Manager who apart from looking after nearly one acre of garden, also looks after Edward Jenner’s 200 year old vine, planted from cuttings taken from the world’s oldest vine at Hampton Court Palace in 1801. The delicious dessert grapes (Black Hamburg) will be on sale at the museum from August and cuttings are also available.
The assistance the Co-Op volunteers will provide is an immense boost to the Museum’s “outdoor look”. After the Co-Op team has left long-term volunteers in the garden are needed for ongoing assistance and the Museum is looking for an Apprentice Vine-Keeper, to learn the ancient craft of vine-keeping.
Jenner himself apparently experimented with blood as fertilizer and was a keen gardener, along with his world famous medical research activities.
This year celebrates the 260th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and his garden has one noticeable scar on the lawn. The trench left by the University of Bristol’s archeological dig is being left open for visitors to see Saxon Berkeley. Sarah Parker said We doubt that Jenner would have been aware of how much history was under his lawn!
Monday, 22 June 2009
Para Glider over the Severn Vale
Para Glider over the Severn Vale
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
Summer is here and there are all sorts of pursuits one can enjoy. I enjoyed just watching this one!
Thursday, 18 June 2009
American Troops B & W
American Troops B & W
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
We can recreate war torn Europe very easily in Worcestershire!
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Living Memory Passing Into History: Happy Birthday Harry!
Today Harry Patch celebrates his 111th birthday, a special milestone in anyone's book but Harry is the last surviving Tommy who fought in the trenches of World War 1. A very modest man he didn't even start talking about his WW1 experiences until he was over 90. Since then he's achieved celebrity status and been awarded many accolades and medals from admirers.
While not wishing to dwell on the subject of mortality, Harry is at the moment a tangible and living link with the horror of WW1 but in the future there will be no one left who can describe those events first hand. This was reinforced a couple of weeks a go when the last survivor of the Titanic died. Although she was only 6 weeks old on 14th April 1912 she was never the less personally affected by the disaster and again was an actual link with the event and had a story to tell.
Once the "first person" has gone we are left with history or heritage. It is why it is important to glean what we can from the living before they are no longer with us. Once gone only their stories remain, that can be in danger of being amended or suffer from Chinese Whsipers, so losing their validity and reality.
So this is what the title of this post is about, when living memory passes into history.
Let's wish Harry a very Happy Birthday, but not forget that his like will not be seen again. We must honour and remember all our histories and heritage, whether it be personal, regional, national or international.
It's why I do the job I do. It's what makes it so rewarding: and important for future generations who are currently living somebody else's "eventual history".
While not wishing to dwell on the subject of mortality, Harry is at the moment a tangible and living link with the horror of WW1 but in the future there will be no one left who can describe those events first hand. This was reinforced a couple of weeks a go when the last survivor of the Titanic died. Although she was only 6 weeks old on 14th April 1912 she was never the less personally affected by the disaster and again was an actual link with the event and had a story to tell.
Once the "first person" has gone we are left with history or heritage. It is why it is important to glean what we can from the living before they are no longer with us. Once gone only their stories remain, that can be in danger of being amended or suffer from Chinese Whsipers, so losing their validity and reality.
So this is what the title of this post is about, when living memory passes into history.
Let's wish Harry a very Happy Birthday, but not forget that his like will not be seen again. We must honour and remember all our histories and heritage, whether it be personal, regional, national or international.
It's why I do the job I do. It's what makes it so rewarding: and important for future generations who are currently living somebody else's "eventual history".
Monday, 15 June 2009
Human Skull.
Human Skull.
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
A rather moody scene from a very well known murder room in Gloucestershire.
Friday, 12 June 2009
Sherman Memorial, Slapton Sands
Sherman Memorial, Slapton Sands
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
A simple yet moving memorial to all those hundreds of US soldiers who lost their lives when a squadron of German E-Boats got amongst the training exercise for D Day, which due to the wrong radio frequencies could not call for support.
This was a "swimming tank", that sank during training and was raised a few years ago.
Pipped by "more interesting news"
Looks as though the news release that Banksy is exhibiting at Bristol Museum has knocked any BBC coverage of the dig due today at Berkeley on the head.
Although I love art it is only because Banksy is a "mythical" figure that so much coverage has been given to him, whereas here we have a story of international importance with a discovery of a monastery enclosure the size of Winchester in Gloucestershire!
So frustrating.
Although I love art it is only because Banksy is a "mythical" figure that so much coverage has been given to him, whereas here we have a story of international importance with a discovery of a monastery enclosure the size of Winchester in Gloucestershire!
So frustrating.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Gloomy Predictions from South West Tourism
I'm disappointed that we are allowing negative publicity to rule our industry again.
To quote from the BBC website:
A stern warning has been issued about the future of tourism in the West.
In a new booklet, Malcolm Bell, Director of South West Tourism, says optimism the 2009 summer will be a bumper year may be misplaced. Assumptions a good Sterling/Euro exchange rate would favour the region may not materialise, he said.
Mr Bell predicts rising unemployment and ongoing economic uncertainty could see visitor numbers drop between three and eight per cent.
He said: "Even if we do get reasonable numbers of displaced visitors, they may just replace losses from loyal customers who cannot visit due to reduced incomes from savings, or lower earnings because they have lost their jobs."
South West Tourism covers Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth and Poole, Cornwall and Scilly Isles, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Surely it would be better to promote the benefits of the South West's undoubted excellent tourist facilities rather than hint that it will be a bad summer. We are so media driven these days that any bad news means we instantly assume the worst.
Come on South West Tourism, promote us all and be positive! I'm all for being realistic but let's see what happens.
To help make the most of your business in these tricky times see www.copperphoenix.co.uk
To quote from the BBC website:
A stern warning has been issued about the future of tourism in the West.
In a new booklet, Malcolm Bell, Director of South West Tourism, says optimism the 2009 summer will be a bumper year may be misplaced. Assumptions a good Sterling/Euro exchange rate would favour the region may not materialise, he said.
Mr Bell predicts rising unemployment and ongoing economic uncertainty could see visitor numbers drop between three and eight per cent.
He said: "Even if we do get reasonable numbers of displaced visitors, they may just replace losses from loyal customers who cannot visit due to reduced incomes from savings, or lower earnings because they have lost their jobs."
South West Tourism covers Bath, Bristol, Bournemouth and Poole, Cornwall and Scilly Isles, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Surely it would be better to promote the benefits of the South West's undoubted excellent tourist facilities rather than hint that it will be a bad summer. We are so media driven these days that any bad news means we instantly assume the worst.
Come on South West Tourism, promote us all and be positive! I'm all for being realistic but let's see what happens.
To help make the most of your business in these tricky times see www.copperphoenix.co.uk
Talk by Dr Stuart Prior
Just had a long tour of the University of Britstol's dig at Berkeley. Amazing progress made, medieval buildings uncovered, possibly St Michaels Lane, Roman finds, coins, etc and of course evidence of the Anglo Saxon Monastery they were looking for.
Some bits will be covered over for next year's dig but others will be left open for display for the next few months.
All very exciting and hopefully the BBC will give it good coverage on Friday.
Some bits will be covered over for next year's dig but others will be left open for display for the next few months.
All very exciting and hopefully the BBC will give it good coverage on Friday.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
BBC to Film at Jenner Museum
BBC Points West will film the dig by the University of Bristol and the Saxon Nunnery they've found in the Museum's garden on Friday 12th June.
Hpefully this will further increase the awareness of the Museum in Berkeley so we can continue with the necessary fundraising to prevent its closure.
Copper Phoenix is applying for restoration grants but the Museum will need more assistance from the general public too.
Watch this space.
Hpefully this will further increase the awareness of the Museum in Berkeley so we can continue with the necessary fundraising to prevent its closure.
Copper Phoenix is applying for restoration grants but the Museum will need more assistance from the general public too.
Watch this space.
Monday, 8 June 2009
The Main Line at Boston Lodge
The Main Line at Boston Lodge
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
A wet day at Boston Lodge. A timeless shot, unless you know where to look....
Friday, 5 June 2009
Ex-GWR Pannier Takes On Water
Ex-GWR Pannier Takes On Water
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
I have to say I really am proud of this picture. There's just something about it that evokes all kinds of (false) nostalgia. Of course sepia treatment is not historically accurate for a loco liveried post 1948 but there you are....
Just Jane
Just Jane
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
A sepia version of me in a Lancaster cockpit. One of the many ambitions on my list fulfilled.
Half a William the Conqueror coin
Half a William the Conqueror coin
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
From the dig at Berkeley in the garden of The Edward Jenner Museum. Half a coin from 1067, cut in half for payment before lower denomination copins were "invented"
Dr Stuart Prior Explains
Dr Stuart Prior Explains
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
Dr Stuart Prior explaining one of the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical buildings (7th - 9th Century) found in the garden of the Edward Jenner Museum. This was likley to have been accomodation for the nuns on this site, and several oyster shells were found here too, as oysters were the staple diet of the time.
Saxon Nunnery in Museum Garden
The annual archaeological dig in Berkeley, Gloucestershire by University of Bristol believes that it has found the first ever excavated Saxon Nunnery which was part of a Mynster (Monastery), with domestic buildings in the garden of The Edward Jenner Museum and the remains of the Nun’s Church by the tower in the churchyard at the end of the Museum’s garden.
The Berkeley Project to find Saxon Berkeley and the missing nunnery has been going for five years. This year the Saxon Church has been found at the foot of the Edward Jenner Museum’s garden, by the church tower. The current tower dates from 1753 replacing an earlier tower damaged during the Civil War. The original Saxon Church that was part of the Mynster was recorded as far back as 1541 but had by then fallen into disrepair.
Of great interest to the Edward Jenner Museum was a rubbish pit found at the site of the church dating to the time of Dr Jenner: three broken snuff bottles were found amongst broken chinaware and other domestic waste, which is contemporary with the date that Edward Jenner lived in The Chantry. Sarah Parker (Museum Director) said: In the 260th Anniversary year of Jenner’s birth to find such a personal tangible link with him is a huge bonus on top of the other exciting but much earlier discoveries in our garden.
The remains of a high status Saxon building have been found underneath the Museum’s lawn, complete with a cobbled entrance and a refuse pit with oyster shells, staple food in the medieval period.
Other small finds in this area have included a William the Conqueror coin, a coin from the reign Henry I, and various medieval items from horse bridle furnishings and buckles to clothing pins. Some Roman coins and materials have also been discovered
Dr Stuart Prior of University of Bristol said that if the church was associated to the buildings and they do turn out to be part of the Anglo-Saxon nunnery it will be the first time that a nunnery of this date (7th - 9th Century) has ever been excavated and all the evidence to date including the Anglo-Saxon records support this Hypothesis! Which is very exciting.
With one more week to go it is hoped that there will be more finds and further developments of this fascinating story.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
1) The Edward Jenner Museum & Conference Centre is based in Dr Jenner’s former home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dr Jenner lived in the house from 1785-1823. It was from this (Grade II* Listed) house that he pioneered world-changing vaccination against Smallpox. Joint tickets with Berkeley Castle can be bought at either venue.
2) 2009 is the 260th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and a series of events throughout the year are marking the occasion. See www.jennermuseum.com for more details
The Berkeley Project to find Saxon Berkeley and the missing nunnery has been going for five years. This year the Saxon Church has been found at the foot of the Edward Jenner Museum’s garden, by the church tower. The current tower dates from 1753 replacing an earlier tower damaged during the Civil War. The original Saxon Church that was part of the Mynster was recorded as far back as 1541 but had by then fallen into disrepair.
Of great interest to the Edward Jenner Museum was a rubbish pit found at the site of the church dating to the time of Dr Jenner: three broken snuff bottles were found amongst broken chinaware and other domestic waste, which is contemporary with the date that Edward Jenner lived in The Chantry. Sarah Parker (Museum Director) said: In the 260th Anniversary year of Jenner’s birth to find such a personal tangible link with him is a huge bonus on top of the other exciting but much earlier discoveries in our garden.
The remains of a high status Saxon building have been found underneath the Museum’s lawn, complete with a cobbled entrance and a refuse pit with oyster shells, staple food in the medieval period.
Other small finds in this area have included a William the Conqueror coin, a coin from the reign Henry I, and various medieval items from horse bridle furnishings and buckles to clothing pins. Some Roman coins and materials have also been discovered
Dr Stuart Prior of University of Bristol said that if the church was associated to the buildings and they do turn out to be part of the Anglo-Saxon nunnery it will be the first time that a nunnery of this date (7th - 9th Century) has ever been excavated and all the evidence to date including the Anglo-Saxon records support this Hypothesis! Which is very exciting.
With one more week to go it is hoped that there will be more finds and further developments of this fascinating story.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
1) The Edward Jenner Museum & Conference Centre is based in Dr Jenner’s former home, The Chantry, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dr Jenner lived in the house from 1785-1823. It was from this (Grade II* Listed) house that he pioneered world-changing vaccination against Smallpox. Joint tickets with Berkeley Castle can be bought at either venue.
2) 2009 is the 260th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and a series of events throughout the year are marking the occasion. See www.jennermuseum.com for more details
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Old Cyder House
Old Cyder House
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
A Sunny day to show off The Old Cyder House conference centre at Berkeley, which Copper Phoenix is currently promoting for The Edward Jenner Museum.
A Lack of Tourism Support
I've just returned from a meeting of the Cotswold Attractions Group and was horrified to hear the apparent lack of support tourism has in these difficult times.
The Tourism Officer for the Cotswolds has been made redundant, there are funding cuts and the Tourist Information Office in Stow has been closed - mad! How are we supposed to capitalise on what is supposed to be a real chance of attracting more home visitors to our industry if we get no support from the existing infrastructure?
We can see from reports that the hotels and guest houses are suffering from a lack of bookings so the day trip market is up, as well as camping of course! But what good is this increase in potential business if there is no support network for tourists visiting the area, or the attractions and businesses relying on the extra promotion?
Anyway, it just shows how important it is to promote tourist attractions and heritage in general - especially now.
Guess what? We can help! See www.copperphoenix.co.uk and get in touch. Take advantage of this time, protect and build your business.
The Tourism Officer for the Cotswolds has been made redundant, there are funding cuts and the Tourist Information Office in Stow has been closed - mad! How are we supposed to capitalise on what is supposed to be a real chance of attracting more home visitors to our industry if we get no support from the existing infrastructure?
We can see from reports that the hotels and guest houses are suffering from a lack of bookings so the day trip market is up, as well as camping of course! But what good is this increase in potential business if there is no support network for tourists visiting the area, or the attractions and businesses relying on the extra promotion?
Anyway, it just shows how important it is to promote tourist attractions and heritage in general - especially now.
Guess what? We can help! See www.copperphoenix.co.uk and get in touch. Take advantage of this time, protect and build your business.
Monday, 1 June 2009
Cheltenham Racecourse Station: Postcard
Cheltenham Racecourse Station: Postcard
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies
I like this picture too. Copper Phoenix was carrying out a "Mystery Shopper" assignment for the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway and I took some pictures for the report.
In colour the shadow was in the wrong place but now looks very dramatic.
A good day out too, especially on a sunny day.
Driving a Double Fairlie
I've sepiad this picture, I like the effect and I suppose gives a heritage sort of feel. Of course there's no need to prove the heritage credentials of the subject. The Ffestiniog Railway has been a world leader in technology and innovation since its inception in 1832.
Well worth a visit.
Friday, 29 May 2009
Château de Tonquédec: Double Drawbridge
I loved this double drawbridge at this castle, it was one of teh best defences I'd seen in any castle anywhere. This place in Brittany is well worth a visit, tucked down in a beutiful valley.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Ghostly Writing on the Wall
This little gem shows how given time even grafitti can become "heritage" in its own right!
Glass Bottle Remains from Edward Jenner's Rubbish Pit
It seems as though Dr Jenner's rubbish pit has been found and it is possible these broken bottles/phials belonged to him. Further investigation is needed though during the Bristol University annual dig at Berkeley.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Unusual Pub View!
I had a great visit with friends to rural Herefordshire, and when we visited a small cosy pub, I was struck by the view through the lounge window!
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