Dramatic Natural History Collection May Soon Be Revealed

The public may soon be offered the opportunity to view some real hidden gems of the natural world if a plan being discussed at the Newcastle Discovery Museum comes to fruition. With a catalogue ranging from hippo skulls to extinct birds and poison spears, the Natural History Society of Northumbria's collection boasts more than 500,000 items.

Secrets in the cellar at this Museum

They are currently to be found in storage beneath the museum, and date back to the 18th century, with many being considered priceless because of their rarity.
Dan Gordon, Keeper of Biology at Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, said: "The oldest parts of the collection date from the 18th Century and were the private collection of a local aristocrat called Marmaduke Tunstall.

"Over the years it was passed on and came into the possession of a local society and it's important for a number of reasons, one being the very old and valuable items. We have records for half a million objects, but there may well be more, and cataloguing them all is a lifetime's work. We are still discovering new things in the collection."

One of the rarest items and most interesting items is of a genus that is now extinct. The collection boasts a juvenile great auk which was a flightless bird that was once commonplace in Great Britain.
Mr Gordon said: "The great auk is one of the oldest objects and it dates back to the 1750s. There are very few of these still in existence and most of them are adults. Most of the preserved ones out there came from the time when they were already rare, but our one is a juvenile. It's either the only one in the world, or one of two, but it's definitely the youngest."

Prior to considering a full blown exhibition, staff at the museum hope to offer tours to the public so they can be shown around the underground collection.

                                           http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/discovery.html

                                                           http://www.nhsn.ncl.ac.uk/

Titanic Themed Plan For Liverpool’s Albion House

Once the headquarters of the esteemed White Star Line, operators of the cruise liner Titanic which sank in 1912, Albion House in Liverpool, which is currently disused, may be about to enter a new phase of its illustrious life that will lean heavily on its historic connections.

Albion House - part of Liverpool's history

There are plans being discussed that could lead to the Grade II listed building in The Strand being converted into a Titanic themed hotel. Developers Signature Living have acquired the building and hope to develop it as an apartment hotel, with work possibly beginning as early as October if planning permission is granted by the council.

The developer’s plan is to create a 350-bed hotel with a gym, bar and restaurant. It would not be the first hotel in Liverpool to follow this theme as the city already has a floating Titanic-themed hotel moored in Albert Dock.

Lawrence Kenwright of Signature Living said “We have just put in the planning application and the council have been amazing, really dynamic at how they have gone at things. It could take up to 13 weeks (for permission) but we hope to begin work in October and have the first part of the hotel open by April next year.

“I think it was the first steel constructed building in Liverpool. They have amazing steel columns with massive rivets which were done by the same engineers who built the Titanic. It looks like the inside of a ship. We want to expose them and bring them into the apartments. I think a lot of people would like to see that.”

Albion House is constructed from Portland stone and red brick, leading it to be nicknamed the “streaky bacon” building.

It was from this building that the Titanic and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic first came to fruition, where the plans were conceived and they were registered. From the balconies, White Star clerks, who would have been fearful of reprisals, shouted the latest news about the Titanic’s fate after her collision with an iceberg on April 15, 1912, passing news on to her crew’s relatives.

After White Star’s merger with Cunard Line, the building was bought by Pacific Steam Navigation, which installed a fine mosaic foyer floor map of South America.

                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion_House,_Liverpool

Viewing Platform Planned For The Forth Bridge

It remains one of the most iconic sights in Scotland, and has spawned many a joke about the amount of time needed to paint it. Now the general public are likely to have a chance to get “up close and personal” with the Forth Bridge, as plans are afoot to build a viewing platform at the top.

One of Scotland's Most Iconic Sights

With proposals that would lead to the platform being available by 2015, rail chiefs have released early stage plans for a visitor centre linked by a lift to a viewing platform 330ft (100m) above the sea level on the Fife side. There could also be guided walks to the top of the tower on the Edinburgh side.

Built between 1883 and 1890, the rail bridge, which runs across the Forth estuary between South Queensferry and North Queensferry is one and a half miles long. It reaches a height of some 330 feet (100 metres) at the top of its three towers, while the track is about 150ft (45m) above the water level.

The North Queensferry proposals would allow for a visitor centre building underneath the northern Fife Tower. Network Rail, who are behind the proposals, said this was because the north of the bridge was the only place the structure could be reached by land.

With  a "glazed ceiling, the centre would allow visitors to experience the cathedral-like scale of this awe-inspiring structure".

There would be education and exhibition facilities as well as catering and shopping proposals. The visitor centre would be connected by a step-free ramp to two lifts on the eastern side of the bridge. To get to the viewing platform at the top, access would be via a lift.

On the Edinburgh side, Network Rail plans to offer a "more challenging" visitor experience where pre-booked parties using safety equipment would walk along a path under the track and then climb up the south tower.

David Simpson, of Network Rail Scotland, said they had spent 10 years restoring the bridge to its full glory in advance of an application for world heritage site listing. He said he was "excited" by the plans to offer the public the chance to visit the bridge and see it "close-up" for the first time.

Mr Simpson said: "While these plans are still at development stage, we believe that the options we have revealed today can be delivered without impacting the well-loved view of the bridge.  Any infrastructure on the bridge will be less visible than the existing scaffold platform and all buildings designs will be of premium quality."

He added: "It's an ambitious target, but we'd love to see these plans at least partially realised by 2015 to coincide with the bridge's 125th anniversary."

Mr Simpson said any profits from the planned facilities would be reinvested into the upkeep of the bridge, which remains a key part of Scotland's railway infrastructure and carries more than 200 trains per day.

Network Rail said that there would now be a period to begin the process of developing designs in consultation with the relevant authorities and local communities.

Cambridge Considering A Number Of Top Projects

When you use the phrase “community projects”, you perhaps unfairly think of a small group of locals people getting together to create a garden of remembrance or raising money to paint the community hall.

But not at Cambridge, where we are looking at some £550,000 of Section 106 money. This pot of money, so called as it is named after Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended),  comes from a legal obligation on developers to contribute to community schemes once a council gives planning permission for new developments.

A velodrome, outdoor theatre and Prisoner of War memorial are some of the ideas being considered by Cambridge City Council. A public consultation ends shortly, at which time a short list will be drawn up.

Cambridge sums up project options

With the proviso that approved ideas would need to be "both affordable and achievable within available funding". It has been announced that over 250 ideas were initially put forward following workshops with community groups a year ago. These included, amongst others, an indoor ice rink, a creation of a new nature reserve, and improvements to a number of local sports clubs and grounds.

Andrea Reiner, executive councillor for public places on the Liberal Democrat-led council, said: "We recognise there are a number of very big projects on the list, but it's all part of the process to generate ideas and not stifle residents' wishes."

Lewis Herbert, leader of the council's Labour opposition group, said it was important to draw up a timetable for any approved projects, and "not make promises to communities that the council is unable to keep".

Mrs Reiner added: "The whole system is set up to prioritise the projects and we will do that by limiting the number of those put forward."

Surfers Against Sewage Offer Modern Way To Monitor Beach Pollution

Never ones to shirk cutting edge modern technology, our friends at Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have released an app which will give bathers and surfers real-time warnings about pollution incidents on popular beaches. The alert service is free and has been funded by the Environment Agency, having been released by SAS.

The App Will Help Surfers Like These

Up to 260 beaches around the UK shores will be covered by the app, with warnings about such matters as untreated sewage and storm water problems. Not content with providing that information, the app also has links to surf reports and bathing water profiles. It has been developed in response to concerns about the rising number of sewage spills at UK beaches and surfing spots during the May to September bathing season, which can cause illnesses.

SAS campaign director Andy Cummins, said: "Now surfers and water users are best placed to make informed decisions about how, when and where they use the sea."

Environment minister Richard Benyon said the app would "make it much easier for people to find real-time information on water quality and make well-informed choices about where to swim".

The app has access to real-time data from water companies on combined sewer overflows. The overflows allow untreated sewage and storm water into the sea in periods of heavy rain to prevent sewers backing up. It sends out alerts when pollution reaches "dangerous levels", the charity said.

The information is also posted online, and non-smartphone users can get free text message alerts. The app also allows bathers to interact by sending a "must try harder" message to any relevant water company, as well as report pollution incidents to the Environment Agency.

http://www.sas.org.uk/

Which Of These Two Communities Inspired “The Archers”

Rippingdale in Lincolnshire and Inkberrow in Worcestershire. Two communities in two very different parts of the country, but joined by their reputations of representing the very best of “Middle England” that advertisers love to promote.

But their names are also spoken in the same sentences these days, because of a simmering row over which has the greater claim to being the inspiration behind the world famous BBC radio serial, “The Archers”.

Inkberrow - or is it Ambridge ?

Inkberrow has always maintained that it had a strong case, because not only did the soap opera’s creator live nearby, but the BBC has been so convinced of Inkberrow’s claim that it uses its landmarks for publicity shots for the Radio 4 show.

But there has been a ruffling of rural feathers emanating from the other side of the Midlands in Rippingdale, as a result of statements made by historian Jim Latham who has said that it is his opinion that there is conclusive proof that Godfrey Baseley, who created The Archers, meant for Ambridge to resemble Rippingale.

But what about Inkberrow ? Well, he argues that Inkberrow was chosen for publicity pictures simply because it is close to BBC Birmingham, where the show is recorded.

Needless to say, Inkberrow’s community leaders bat away this argument with the ease of an Andy Murray backhand volley. They have dismissed their rival village’s claim as ‘bonkers’. Both, in particular, assert that their local ale house is the inspiration for the Bull pub in the soap.

Back to Mr. Latham who says that the original idea for the series came from Rippingale farmer Henry Burtt when he met Mr Baseley in 1946 while he was producing a show called Farm Visit.
Two years later when Mr Burtt was invited to a BBC conference in Birmingham, he is alleged to have said it should commission a farming version of Dick Barton, the special agent serial. Mr Latham concludes by claiming that Mr Baseley was so taken up with the proposal that he travelled back to Rippingale to have a proper tour, and would have visited the local pub – The Bull Inn.

‘It does not take any stretch of the imagination to picture them in the Bull in Rippingale talking over their ideas,’ said Mr Latham. ‘He began designing and building the Archers family and Ambridge from that moment.’

For their part, Inkberrow residents point to an investigation by Countryfile Magazine two years ago which found that Ambridge’s Bull pub was based on Inkberrow’s Old Bull and the fictional Brookfield farm was inspired by Summerhill Farm run by Mr Baseley’s sister-in-law in nearby Hanbury.

So Inkberrow continues to beat off the conjecture. Both sides steadfastly defend their respective positions. So perhaps we should try and seek the opinion of someone slightly more impartial.

Hedli Niklaus of The Archers Addicts fan club said the rural setting was ‘left to the imagination’ of listeners, but added: ‘I think Godfrey would say it’s set in the West Midlands.’

                                       http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpgr

                                                  http://www.inkberrow.org.uk/

                                               http://www.rippingalevillage.co.uk/

Tickets Selling Slowly For Benjamin Britten Centenary Concert

He is regarded very much as a son of Suffolk, having been born there, and having been responsible for the founding of the popular Aldeburgh Festival. It is disappointing therefore to hear from the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft that only about a fifth of the tickets have currently been sold for a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. With the concert taking place on November 29th, there is still time however for the position to improve.

Benjamin Britten - son of Suffolk

Martin Halliday, the venue's chief executive, said he was "struggling" to understand why. "It is one of our slowest-selling events in the last decade - they just don't seem to like Britten," he said.  "We have a lot of people who are fans of classical music, but we don't know if it's because they don't know [Britten's] music that well or whether they've been brought up to believe they won't like it or won't enjoy it."

In stark contrast to the news from the Marina, Aldeburgh Music, which stages the Aldeburgh Festival, said it had already sold half of the tickets for the Britten opera it is staging in Lowestoft with three months still to go before the performance.

Spokesperson Shoël Stadlen, said: "People have come to associate Britten with Aldeburgh, because that's where he spent the majority of his later life, but he was born in Lowestoft, wrote his first music there as a young boy and it's where he acquired his love of the sea.

"An important part of our Britten Centenary Weekend in November is to raise awareness of Britten's rootedness in Lowestoft as well as Aldeburgh and we intend to hold more projects there beyond this year."

Britten was born in Lowestoft in 1913, but spent some time before and during World War II in the USA before returning to Suffolk to live in Snape and Aldeburgh, where he founded the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948.

                                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Britten

Vale Of Belvoir “Green Plans” Provoke A Storm

In yesterday’s blog, we touched on Surfers Against Sewage keeping a close eye on wind turbine plans that could affect their surfing conditions, and it still remains a conundrum of modern living, how plans that are meant to safeguard our way of life and the environment can have a harmful effect on some of the areas that they are seeking to protect.

The beauty of The Vale of Belvoir

One such battle is developing at Orston a village that is set firmly in the rural idyll that is The Vale of Belvoir in Nottinghamshire. It is turning into the usual story of campaigners opposing controversial plans that at first glance would appear to be for the benefit of the community.

All is not as it appears however, and proposals for two 74m (245ft) wind turbines and a solar farm are being opposed by The Orston and Surrounding Villages against Turbines group (OSVAT) who say that the developments were too much for the village, which has a population of 450.

As a counter argument, Lightsource, which is behind the planned solar farm, said the village would be able to use the renewable energy before it was distributed to other areas. A spokesman for the firm said, "One of the benefits of renewable energy is that it gets distributed at the closest points first, reducing the carbon footprint immensely for the local village or town first before it gets accessed by wider areas.

"This reduces the strain on the National Grid infrastructure and some areas with really aged networks that may experience power cuts will see improvements.”

Over the years we have become used to the sight of wind turbines, but solar farms are a slightly more modern phenomenon., The one that is the subject of debate would contain some 48,000 solar panels.
OSVAT chairman David Morris said: "We are not against green energy but it must be the right thing in the right place. To have two huge wind turbines looming over the village will close businesses and blight the area. We are here to give a voice to the many people living in Orston and across the Vale of Belvoir who are not being listened to."

Hallmark Power, who are in line to build one of the wind turbines near Spa Lane said it acknowledged that the proposed turbine "was considered to be controversial and that there was local opposition".

"However, it is considered that any potential harm will be limited in nature and extent and will be clearly outweighed by the 'green', sustainable benefits of the renewable energy that will be generated," a spokesperson for the firm said.

The Orston village lies within a conservation area which is thought to have been occupied since at least 1000 BC.

Rushcliffe Borough Council said it could not comment on the applications which were ongoing.

                                                            http://orstonparish.co.uk/

                                                       http://www.valeofbelvoir.co.uk/

Surfing Enthusiasts Express Concerns Over Dorset Wind Farm

Whichever side of the debate your opinion lies when it comes to the question of wind farms, there is no doubt that they would never win a beauty competition. The effect on our fragile environment is often the key factor when objections are raised to another planned development.

Wind Turbines - Always A Contentious Issue

Advocates of wind farms often try and negate these arguments by seeking consents for off shore proposals, but with another grouping of turbines now on the drawing board off the coast of Dorset, an active pressure group for surfers is pressing for reassurances on the question of surfing conditions.
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) who campaign vigorously on issues affecting the coastal environment and surfing in general are expressing concerns about wave conditions around the planned Navitus Bay wind farm off the coast of Dorset.

The chief executive of SAS said the charity was not interested in the aesthetic impact of the proposals, but more how the farm could affect surfing conditions. There will be consultations with the developers in the hope of  mitigating any possible negative effects from the turbines ahead of construction.

Hugo Tagholm said: "Wind turbines are solid structures, we could be talking about hundreds of them anchored to the sea bed, and that can affect the swell."

If the Navitus Bay wind park goes ahead, it will be located off the Dorset and Hampshire coasts, 12.2 miles (19.6km) from Bournemouth, and will have up to 218 turbines that will cover about 67 square miles of seabed. It is said that to could provide power for up to 790,000 homes.

Independent studies have been undertaken into the affect of wind turbines on Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight's surfing beaches and waves as part of its Environmental Impact Assessment, and the developers are agreeable to surfers having access to the data and also have the chance to offer input into possible mitigation measures.

SAS has form in this respect as it has previously campaigned for changes to the design of Rampion offshore wind farm near Brighton. Following that, the local surfing community persuaded the developers to use fewer, larger wind turbines, which meant the maximum impact of the wind farm on waves was a 3% reduction in height rather than a 22% reduction.

                                                     http://www.navitusbaywindpark.co.uk/

Swanage Pier Repairs Get The Green Light

The year March 2012 to March 2013 proved to be a real up and down period of time for Swanage Pier in Dorset. Having been awarded the Pier of The Year Award by the National Piers Society in March 2012, it then suffered badly during the storms of March 2013, when a substantial amount of damage was done.

Swanage Pier - repairs on the way

Now due to a mixture of help from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which contributed £39,900, and the sterling efforts of local fund raisers, including local schools, who raised around £20,000, the Swanage Pier Trust are in funds to commence the repair works.

The damage resulted from strong winds and rough seas on 11 March and affected the mid-section of the pier so badly it was near collapse.

Mr Derek Tarrant, chairman of the Swanage Pier Trust said: "'The Pier has received an unprecedented level of support since the appeal began in March and we have been overwhelmed by public generosity."

The works to the mid-section of the pier will include sending divers down to replace a 14-ft (4.5-metre) long stump in the sea bed.  As well as the repairs, the funds will be used to finance educational exhibitions, trips to schools and training for volunteers to help with the restoration work.

Originally built at a cost of £10,000 and officially opened in 1896, the 642ft (195m) Grade II listed pier was fully restored after falling into disrepair in the 1960s. The HLF were again involved in this  £1m revamp, with the pier reopening in 1998. It now attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year.

In winning last year’s award, it beat 21 other entrants. At the time, Anthony Wills, of the National Piers Society, said: "It has been chosen in recognition of the efforts of the Swanage Pier Trust who own and operate it without subsidy, providing an excellent visitor experience, maintaining it in as good a condition as possible - subject to financial resources."

                                                      http://www.swanagepiertrust.com/

                                                               http://www.piers.org.uk/

Too Many Bodies Causing Instability At Bath Abbey

With a past history dating back to Norman times, and a more recent history counting from 1499, Bath Abbey is facing a battle to counteract instability due to  the lifting and collapsing of the floor.

The reason for the problem is easily identifiable, resulting from the number of bodies that have buried during the Abbey’s long and colourful history. It is estimated that up to 6,000 bodies have been "jammed in" to shallow graves under the church's grave ledger stones, and the Abbey has discovered "huge great voids everywhere" beneath its flooring.

Bath Abbey's History Is Catching Up On It

"It's where previous burials and graves have settled down and left voids," said Charles Curnook, from the abbey. "We were quite surprised the floor hadn't collapsed already on us."

With three different buildings having occupied the site since the early 1500’s alone, the number of people buried under the building can be counted in thousands.

"There were burials here all the way through to about 1840," said Mr Curnook. "But at that point the place was full and they opened the Victorian cemetery at Ralph Allen Drive and stopped burying people here.

"I've had lots of estimates of how many bodies are buried here, but somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000, but they just jammed them in and jammed them in - it would have been very unpleasant to put it mildly."

Investigative works undertaken at the beginning of 2011 and 2012 uncovered the effect the bodies were having on the long-term stability of the building.

"We were looking for the foundation walls of the Norman cathedral on which we could lay a new floor," said Mr Curnook. "But we didn't find any - what we found instead were huge great voids underground in every place. “When we went in underneath one of the medieval pillars there was fresh air underneath it, at which point we stopped work."

The Victorian history of the Abbey, particularly the period under the stewardship of Sir George Scott’s transformation of the interior of the building in 1864 to 1874, revealed that our Victorian ancestors were aware of the problem, but appeared to try and resolve it in the "most shocking" way, according to Mr Curnook.

"They basically churned up the graves that were there and broke them up to try and consolidate the floor," he said. "They were very much more robust than we are - the burials had not been in the ground for more than 30 or 40 years."

Now, the lifting every bit of furniture in the place as well as its huge grave ledger stones is part of the ambitious £18m Footprint project, which includes the  installation of new under-floor heating which taps into the city's hot springs.

"We're going through the earth where there are burials but we're not going anywhere near any intact burials but obviously we are finding human remains," said Mr Curnook. "Wherever there are voids found we'll be pouring grouting into them to fill the floor up to stabilise it. We'll then bring the same earth back in again and any human remains we've found we'll carefully reinter those bones and say a prayer over them."

Already more than 10 cardboard boxes of human remains have been carefully put to one side, ready to be returned along with bits of coffin handles, inscribed plaques and lead-coffin lining.  But, according to Kim Watkins, the archaeological consultant on the project, it is only disturbed graves that they are uncovering, with mainly adult bones dating from the early 1800s.

"The conditions here aren't good for the preservation of anything but there's no jewellery or coins unless they removed them in the 19th Century," she said. "But it's the extent of the disturbance by the Victorians that more than anything has surprised me and unfortunately it's more the destruction that's a surprise than what has actually survived."


                                                            http://www.bathabbey.org/

                                                      http://www.bathabbey.org/footprint

Big Hurdle Cleared By Circuit Of Wales

News that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are not asking ministers to investigate the proposed Circuit of Wales motor racing circuit development at Ebbw Vale is being viewed as a big hurdle cleared.

What The Circuit Of Wales Could Look Like

Had NRW been concerned about the visual impact on the nearby Brecon Beacons National Park, it could have recommended a so-called "call in" by ministers which would have delayed the scheme by up to a year.

Campaigners in favour of the development declared the news to be  "a big boost" for the plans - and said it was "heartening" that NRW had worked with the developers to secure the agreement.
The Welsh government said it would consider responses from other people affected by the plans before deciding whether or not the application should be called in. But the okay from NRW is deemed significant.

Developers want the 830 acres (335 hectares) site to host all motor racing championships - except Formula One. The plans would also include a hotel with conference facilities along with a business and leisure complex. The outline planning consent for the race track was granted unanimously by Blaenau Gwent council on 10 July.

But NRW had been asked by the Welsh government to advise it on whether the scheme should be called in for further investigations. Graham Hillier from NRW said the body had recognised the importance of the development for the local community.

"Equally, we would have failed in our statutory duties if we had not raised the concerns about the impact this proposed development could have on the environment," he said. “Following lengthy discussion with the developers, we have agreed how the potential impacts of this development could be mitigated and the scheme can progress."

The MP for Blaenau Gwent, Nick Smith, warned that there was still a long way to go before the plans became reality but welcomed the decision by NRW. He said the venture would bring thousands of jobs to the area. "It would be a real turning point in Blaenau Gwent's history," he said. "We have been bereft of a big development for a generation, and our community has suffered as a result.

"It is heartening to see the NRW using their remit to work with the developers for the benefit of everyone concerned. There is still a long way to go but a big hurdle has been overcome."
NRW had in the first instance raised several concerns about the plans for the race track, which included loss of habitat and visual effect on the nearby Brecon Beacons national park. Gwent Wildlife Trust also said it was concerned about the environmental impact of the development on land next to the Rassau industrial estate.

Michael Carrick, chief executive of Heads of the Valleys Development Company which is behind the project, pointed out that it had worked with interested parties all the way through  the planning process to make sure that all concerns were addressed.

"After ongoing discussions with Natural Resources Wales we are pleased to have reached a positive outcome and await further news once the Welsh government has had sufficient time to consider the responses from stakeholders," he added.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We have received a letter from NRW indicating their view that the planning application need not be called in on issues within their remit. Officials will now consider the responses of other consultees and all other information before them and prepare advice for the minister on whether or not the application should be called in.  This will be done as soon as possible."

                                                                  http://circuitofwales.com/

Historic Scotland Celebrates Its Centenary

Although it has only been known in its current form since 1991, Historic Scotland can trace its roots back to the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act which received the Royal Assent in August 1913.

Historic Scotland At Its Best

In keeping with its raison d’etre as an  organisation set up to safeguard Scotland's heritage, it is fitting that the first structures taken into "the care of the state" were prehistoric remains and early Christian architecture. This altered as time passed as castles and battle sites had been included in the portfolio which now extends to  include such luminaries as the Victorian town gas works in Biggar, Lanarkshire.

Adrian Cox, who is an archaeologist for Historic Scotland, said the real importance of the Act was that it allowed people to visit them. “It introduced the concept of public access really for the first time," he said.

"For the first time it made that a proper tenet of the legislation. It also introduced the idea of national importance, so that a site had to be shown to be nationally important before it could be taken into care as a justification."

Some of the background facts and figures are quite illuminating. Slightly over half the annual £80 million budget comes from the Scottish government, and Historic Scotland cares for 345 properties. In doing so, it attracted 3.4m visitors in 2012.

Admission charges apply to only 78 of the properties, which include Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's most popular paid-for attraction.

Not so well known is its involvement in preservation, because in 2011-12 it handled 137 listed building applications – deciding that and 20% should be successfully granted.
It is also working closely with the National Lottery heritage fund and local authorities on the question of the regeneration of town centres.

As an example, East Ayrshire Council is involved in an ongoing programme of renewal in Kilmarnock town centre, to bring old, derelict buildings back to life.  Councillor Jim Buchanan, the authority's spokesman for community regeneration, said the partnership was working well. "We have received £1m for Kilmarnock town centre alone. But the council committed £16m into the project," he said.

"Historic Scotland do a really worthwhile job, but it's not just about stately homes and castles.  It's about the wonderful buildings we have in the town centre."

The town's John Finnie Street, which has a reputation as the best example of Victorian town centre architecture, is currently a sea of  scaffolding as work progresses to renovate the old red sandstone buildings.

With 300 council workers are attached to the old Johnnie Walker whisky bond, council officials point out there is no canteen there, so staff spend their cash in local shops at lunchtimes.
The twin returns of historic buildings being preserved, and the wider economy benefiting were pointed out by Peter Drummonds, chairman of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland.

He said: "Scottish ministers have already announced seven rounds of conservation area regeneration funding. I'd like to think we could get another two or three out of it, because the bangs for buck that we get on town centre money arguably far outweighs many hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on a remote castle or country house."

He said preserving modest examples of architectural heritage in towns has a greater impact on the lives of ordinary people.

                                                     http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/

Bumper Fruit Crop Expected In The Countryside

The recent combination of a late spring and a warm summer is laying the foundations for a better than expected crop of fruits and berries for wildlife in the UK countryside, experts say. It is expected that fruiting will be delayed after a late spring but the recent warm weather should see flourishing berry crops, according to the Woodland Trust. Trust volunteers are running a Nature’s Calendar Project,  and it is the raw data that they have gathered that is laying the foundations for this forecast.

Bumper blackberry crop this year?

All in all, wildlife took a bit of a battering  last year after a wet summer resulted in exceptionally poor crops of fruit from trees and shrubs.  The trust underlined this by saying that last year 14 out of the 16 species of trees and shrubs collected since 2001 saw their worst season for fruiting since the turn of the century.

Top of  the “suffering” list were beech, holly and brambles. Birds and mammals were also hit by a cold snap this spring. Adding insult to injury, after the summer of 2012, which had been the second-wettest on record, the spring of this year was the coldest since 1962.

Dr Kate Lewthwaite, the Nature's Calendar project manager, said: "Although our records suggest that autumn fruiting will be late this year due to the delayed onset of spring flowering, if the warm weather interspersed with occasional wet spells continues, this should mean the fruiting of shrubs like bramble, rowan and blackthorn is abundant.

"Wildlife species will no doubt benefit from a bumper crop, and finally fruit-eating birds and mammals will be able to enjoy an autumn feast."

The Nature's Calendar project has possession of records going back to the 17th Century. Volunteers record the signs of the seasons in their areas, helping scientists understand how wildlife is adapting to the changing environment. But the numbers of volunteers taking part has been falling and the Woodland Trust is appealing for more contributors.

                     http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx#.Ugind20odwE

                                                   http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/

Big Cash Injection For English Cycling

The coalition government has responded to Labour digs that cycling has become more dangerous since they have been in power by announcing a huge £94 million cash injection to promote cycling.
The sport is experiencing something of a renaissance as a result of Olympic and Paralympic medal success, and the two British triumphs in the prestigious Tour De France. This resurgence in interest is not just confined to those taking up the sport seriously, but also an increasing number of pleasure riders.

Young cyclists of the future

Now this splendid sum of money is to be distributed between Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich who will share £77m, with four national parks getting a further £17m.

The money is to be used to improve existing routes and provide funding for new ones. The government says it also wants to cut down on the red tape in order to facilitate easier cyclist-friendly planning.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is a driving force behind this initiative, wanting to kick start “a cycling revolution”. "Following our success in the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Tour de France, British cycling is riding high - now we want to see cycling soar," he said.

"This government wants to make it easier and safer for people who already cycle as well as encouraging far more people to take it up and business, local government, developers, road users and the transport sector all have a role to play in helping to achieve this."

At £20 million, Manchester will receive the lion’s share, so that it can build or improve some 30 miles of cycle paths and create new 20mph speed limit zones around the city.

The four national parks that will receive funds are the New Forest, Peak District, South Downs and Dartmoor.  Major improvements to 93 miles of cycle routes on Dartmoor are anticipated. The government has also announced a feasibility study to look at creating a new national cycleway broadly following the route of the HS2 rail line from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.
Experts are concerned that it may be difficult to emulate the success story of cycling in London, where the number of cyclists has doubled over the past 10 years, according to one estimate. They say that if you move outside the city, things look a lot different, with only about 2% of journeys throughout the country as a whole being by bike.

Malcolm Shepherd, chief executive of sustainable transport charity Sustrans, however was upbeat, and welcomed the initiative. He said: "This is fantastic news for those living in the successful cities.
"Getting about by bike for everyday journeys could become a reality for people of all ages and abilities in those areas. We welcome the recognition that for the cycling revolution to become a way of life for us all this level of investment must be maintained and extended to all parts of the UK, including rural areas."

But shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "No amount of cynical spin from David Cameron will make up for the fact that, immediately on taking office, he axed Cycle England, the Cycle Demonstration Towns scheme and the annual £60m budget to support cycling that he inherited. Since then he has axed targets to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, reduced traffic enforcement, cut the THINK! awareness campaign and allowed longer HGVs.

"Only last month the prime minister set out plans for Britain's roads that failed to include a single commitment to the investment in separated cycling infrastructure that is the best way to boost cycling and make it safer."

She said Labour would, using the existing roads budget, deliver "long-term support for separated safe cycling routes and safer junctions".  Tragically the number of cyclist deaths are now at a five-year high, reversing the progress that was starting to be made, and reports of new casualties are becoming a weekly occurrence," she said.

Lost And Now Found – Medieval Manor House Resurfaces In Leicestershire

You may well ask yourself how it is possible to lose a whole house, but a local community archaeological group have solved that problem by finding it again. Confused? You’re not the only one, but with the help of the Framland Local Archaeology Group in Leicestershire  perhaps the position will be made a lot clearer.

Getting down and dirty!

Close to the Lincolnshire border is a village called Croxton Kerrial, and records show that the house in question which probably dates from the twelfth century, was given to Croxton Abbey in the fourteenth century, but was deemed to be uninhabitable by the sixteenth century.

Tony Connolly, who lives in the village, and is the chairman of the Framland Local Archaeology Group takes up the story. "The house was given to Croxton Abbey in the 14th Century but our records show it was uninhabitable by the 16th Century.

"After that, it disappeared. A lot of people in the village had heard about it but nobody knew where it was. By the 1800s the site was just a field with sheep in it, which is what it is today."

The group have worked with an archaeologist from the Leicestershire County Council, and had access to electrical probes which sent currents into Pinfold Field, near the village church, which they believed was a probable site. As a result, they were able to generate computer images of what lay beneath the ground.

"We have now been able to expose the great hall and the garderobe - that's the medieval toilet - and we are excavating the kitchen at the moment," said Mr Connolly. We understand that there may be stables and a tithe barn still to excavate. We have found lots of medieval property and two pieces of Roman pottery."

Once the work is completed, the group will backfill the site and the records will go into the council archives.

                                                           http://framlandarchaeology.co.uk/

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Returns to Londonderry

The Clipper Race, the world's longest ocean race at 40,000 miles and with visits to 15 ports in six continents, is returning to Londonderry – not once but twice. The races will take place in 2013-14 and 2015-16, with Derry festivals planned for July 2014 and 2016.

The Derry-Londonderry yacht took part for the first time in the 2011-12 edition of the race and on that occasion, its visit attracted over 120,000 spectators. The exciting announcement was made last Monday by the Mayor of Derry, Martin Reilly.

"I am delighted that Derry City Council has continued to work in partnership with Clipper Ventures to have a Derry-Londonderry yacht in the 2013-14 and 2015-16 edition of the race," he said.  "July 2012 was a phenomenal experience for everyone and was the stepping stone to the city's UK City of Culture 2013 celebrations.

Seaborne entertainment at Derry

"The Clipper showcased the city and achieved a PR value of £104m in media coverage as well as generating almost 8,000 bed nights and achieving 98% positive comments in relation to civic pride. This further commitment with Clipper Ventures will form an integral part of the city's international campaign to market the city's business, tourism and cultural offering as well as forming a key element of the legacy of City of Culture and help us further develop the city's international profile."

The founder and chairman of the Clipper Race, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, said: "I am extremely pleased to be here to welcome Derry to the next two editions of the Clipper Race. This will enable the city to capitalise on its many achievements during the last Clipper Race. With our brand new fleet of 12 matched 70-foot ocean-racing yachts the 2013-14 edition of the Clipper Race will be the largest we have ever produced."

Sharon O'Connor, town clerk and chief executive of Derry City Council, said the partnership with Clipper Ventures will provide a unique platform.  Following the success of Clipper 2011-12 we have continued to work closely with Clipper Ventures and build a positive legacy for the city.
"We know that the Clipper Race provides us with a unique opportunity to profile the city and region and showcase its potential as a location for hosting international events, trade and visitors. 

Participation will also assist us in further developing our maritime offering and confirms an international event for summer 2014, helping the city sustain legacy from the 2013 cultural year."

Sean McCarter, 31, and originally from Derry, is the lucky matelot who has been chosen as the skipper of the new yacht.  "In my career I have had the privilege of achieving so many of my personal goals, but to be named as skipper of my home entry in the Clipper Race is one of the greatest honours I have ever received," he said.

"I'm looking forward to leading my team around the world while helping to place Derry-Londonderry firmly on the global map."

                                                https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/

Olympic Legacy Lives On At The National Sailing Academy

As befits a sport that was responsible for providing Britain with five Olympic medals, and is the chosen sport of one of the greatest ever Olympians, Sir Ben Ainslie, the sailing community has come up with a tasteful and very appropriate way to remember the great days that were enjoyed down on the south coast this time last year.

Five Medal Haul From Our Olympians

It is taking the form of  the installation of  a set of Olympic rings to commemorate hosting the London 2012 sailing events, and will stand at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).It is hoped  the sea-facing rings  will be in place by the autumn.
Continuing the dignity of the project, the academy will also feature the Paralympic Agitos symbol and a carved Portland stone listing the Team GB and Paralympics GB sailors who took part.

The Olympic rings, which will be seen from the English Channel waters that were home to the events will be made out of aluminium with vinyl colouring.

John Tweed, WPNSA chief executive, has been one of the driving forces behind the project, and said “The Academy has entered a new phase in its evolution post Games, but as a 2012 venue the Olympics and Paralympics are still very much part of this sporting facility’s DNA.

“It has been a long term vision of ours to ensure an onsite legacy at Weymouth and Portland. The world renowned rings offer such a strong visual representation of the Games, they will bring back wonderful memories from the summer of sport to both the local community and visitors”.

                                                                 http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/

Voting For Britain’s Best Heritage Attraction Will Go Down To The Wire

Undeterred by the fact that it is up against some meaty opposition, the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth is pulling out all the stops to achieve success in the finals of the British Travel Awards (BTA). It has made the final short list, where it will find itself going head to head with such “Premier Division” attractions such as Titanic Belfast and Edinburgh Castle.

National Maritime Museum Falmouth

Jonathan Griffin, director of the Maritime Museum, said: “As an independent museum which receives no regular government funding it is wonderful to get national recognition such as this. There is no denying the competition is tough but with the backing of the whole of Cornwall we hope we can bring home the top prize.”

BTA’s chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton added: “National Maritime Museum Cornwall is to be congratulated on reaching the finals of the prestigious British Travel Awards. The largest consumer voted awards programme in the UK, the BTAs are designed to reward the best companies in travel, and the winning accolade is the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the business of travel for the UK consumer.”

It is the public’s votes that count.  The British Travel Awards web site (see below) gives full details. Voting closes at the end of September and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on October 31 at the Battersea Evolution in Battersea Park, London.


                                                       http://britishtravelawards.com/

Scotland’s Proposed National Conservation Centre Gets £6.5 million Boost

Plans for a National Conservation Centre (NCC) for Scotland have taken a major leap forward with news that they have received financial backing to the tune of £6.5 million, £3.5 million from the ubiquitous Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and a further £3 million from the Scottish government's Young Scots Fund.

Historic Scotland has also applied for a further £1.9 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund. It hopes that the centre will be used for training and research to develop the specialist skills required for preserving historic buildings.

Passing on conservation skills

There appears no doubt about one thing however, and that it will be housed in a former railway engine shed, in Forthside, from 2014.

The announcement was made by culture secretary Fiona Hyslop, who was visiting the area to inspect plans of the proposed refurbishment.  Ms Hyslop said: "Conserving our heritage for future generations, and developing the skills in our young people to do so, is a key focus for Scotland.
"This initial approval from the Heritage Lottery Fund is a huge boost for this important project.  Scotland has long championed the value of nurturing traditional skills and technical expertise so I am delighted that the HLF is backing our plan to help establish a world-leading centre for conservation."

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, described it as a "visionary project" that would "transform the skills available" for ensuring the future of Scotland's traditional buildings.
"The National Conservation Centre will become a centre of excellence for the hundreds of thousands of historic buildings which form part of our everyday lives as shops, banks and homes," he said.

Councillor Johanna Boyd, Leader of Stirling Council, said: "Not only will the centre help develop the specialist skills necessary to preserve and protect our outstanding heritage for future generations, but it will also play a major part in the ongoing regeneration of Stirling's Forthside, and create great job opportunities for local young people."

Plans To Create An Artificial Reef Receive Financial Setback

The community group, Wreck To Reef, which has far reaching plans to sink two warships off the Dorset coast to create an artificial reef has heard that their application for £2.1 million worth of government funding has been unsuccessful.

Divers would benefit from the reef

You may recall that in February this year, we reported that they were making an application based on an idea dating back some four years to create the reef, off Ringstead Bay.  HMS Scylla became Europe's first artificial diving reef when it was scuttled off Whitsand Bay in Cornwall in 2004.

Neville Copperthwaite, project co-ordinator of Wreck to Reef, is of the opinion that an artificial diving reef off Dorset could generate millions of pounds for the local economy and attract divers from far and wide. "What we want is for the government to gift us a ship," he said.  But we keep coming up against a brick wall - no-one is listening."

The unsuccessful application was put in to the government's Coastal Communities Fund in April. This fund makes awards to projects with a view to rejuvenating seaside assets or help emerging industries.

During the last year, it handed out £24m to projects, including £2m, over two years, to create the National Coastal Tourism Academy in Bournemouth. This year's pot has been boosted to £28m but, although some unsuccessful bids have already been notified,  the  successful bids will not be announced until later this year.

Pointing out the pressures on the fund, HM Treasury said that they had received 541 expressions of interest at a total value of about £245m making it "oversubscribed by nearly 10 times".
South Dorset MP Richard Drax said he had investigated the matter with the government, on behalf of the group, "on several occasions". He said: "I have been told emphatically by the government that it does not gift ships for this purpose."

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We always aim to achieve the best possible return for the taxpayer when disposing of surplus assets, and interested parties are invited to formally submit proposals as part of an open competition."

Not to be deterred, Wreck To Reef are now making a £2.5m bid for the project to the Local Enterprise Partnership  (LEP), a voluntary partnership between local authorities and businesses which promotes an area's economy and jobs.

It is hoped that this money could also help to fund a separate scheme to restock the group's artificial lobster reef, off Weymouth, where 1,750 tonnes of Portland stone were sunk off Weymouth in May last year. The project, which would give a  boost to lobster stocks to help the fishing industry, has only recently received £17,300 from Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) to provide funds for a trial lobster tagging and restocking scheme for three years from 2014.

                                                      http://www.wrecktoreef.co.uk/

Herefordshire Excavations Hailed “The Discovery Of A Lifetime"

Archaeologists tend not to indulge in hyperbole, and so when they hail something as “the discovery of a lifetime”, then it probably is something special. The words were uttered by the combined teams of the University of Manchester and Herefordshire Council who have been working on a site on Dorstone Hill, near Peterchurch.

Site At Dorstone Hill

The find takes the form of a 6,000 year old Neolithic “halls of the dead”, and the experts think that they are similar to others found throughout Europe. There may also be connections with fellow Neolithic communities in Herefordshire and Yorkshire.

Bodies may have been placed in the halls before being moved to nearby chambered tombs. There are burial mounds in the vicinity, with expert opinion suggesting that the “halls” were deliberately burnt down after they were constructed and their remains incorporated into two burial mounds. The halls are thought to be have been built between 4000 and 3600 BC.

Professor Julian Thomas said the "very rare" find was of "huge significance to our understanding of prehistoric life" He added:  "These early Neolithic halls are already extremely rare, but to find them within a long barrow is the discovery of a lifetime."

Dr Keith Ray, Herefordshire Council's county archaeologist, said the axe and knife may not have been traded, but placed there as part of a ceremony or an ancestral pilgrimage.
He said: "These subsequent finds show that 1,000 years after the hall burial mounds were made, the site is still important to later generations living 200 miles away - a vast distance in Neolithic terms."