This is the first in a series giving details of conservation and preservation initiatives in the Notts/Derbyshire area. Rather than providing fully-fledged articles, it will just contain brief details, a bit of background and contact points.
Butterley Iron Works
Stanton Iron works
See my articles `A Tale of Two Ironworks` (this blog, 6 Feb 2010) and `Ironworks Revisited` (this blog, 21 Feb 2010) for background and contact details.
Rushcliffe Greenfields
Signs of life from the strange land of SoRT (South of the River Trent) . They do things differently there, but this is an interesting campaign concerned with plans to build housing and a football stadium on Green Belt land. Numerous community groups are involved in the campaign and member Tony Stace has written three blog articles which address the wider issues - What Use is the Green Belt ? , Where Should Houses Be Built ?, What to do With all the Cars ? His views may not be yours, but at least he`s prepared to get a discussion going.
www.rushcliffegreenfields.co.uk
www.rushcliffegreenfields.co.uk/links.shtml
Save Heanor Town Centre / Say No to Tesco Extension
A fledgling camapign mounted by the owners of independent businesses in this former mining town on the Notts/Derbyshire border. Details from http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/ and http://www.tescopoly.org/.
Tesco will be looking nervously at this one, having recently lost a 14-year long battle with the Save Our Sheringham campaign (see http://tescno.blogspot.com/).
Rufford Incinerator
The proposed Rufford Energy Recovery Facilitator - that`s `incinerator` to you and me - is opposed by Notts Wildlife Trust. A policy briefing is available from them at http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ . The ongoing public inquiry into the matter is due to resume on April 13. Unlike some other campaigners against incinerators, the Wildlife Trust accepts that some use of incineration is necessary, for non-compostible, non-recycleable items, but objects to the proposed siting of the incinerator on the site of the former Rufford Colliery, due to the likely impact on wildlife in the area.
The issue is complicated by the fact that government departmenty DEFRA pays £3m per year towards the County Council`s 26 year waste contract with incinerator operators Veolia (in order to take the pressure off landfill sites) and could potentially claw back some of that funding if planning permission is refused. Obviously that would be less of an issue if a different site was found.
N.B. Another contractor, Waste Recycling Group, has been given permission to expand existing incineration facilities at it`s Eastcroft site, near to Nottingham City Centre, to the point where it will be able to process 430,000 tonnes of waste per year. Some campaigners query whether there is in fact any need for another incinerator under those circumstances.
Other interested parties ; People Against Incineration ( http://www.p-a-in.co.uk/ ) , Friends of the Earth ( www.foe.co.uk ).
Other sources : www.thisisnottinghamshire.co.uk
Derby Incinerator
Another anti-incinerator campaign is expected after council officers recommended approval for Cyclamax`s plans for an incinerator to be sited at Derby Commercial Park, near Raynesway.
It`s too early for campaign details to have emerged , but Derby FoE is affiliated to UK Without Incineration ( http://ukwin.org.uk ).
Other sources - www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk
Mann`s Bridge
The Grantham Canal Society ( http://granthamcanal.com/ ) are currently lobbying the Secratry of State for Transport, claiming that extensive alterations to the A46 Fosse Way will impact on Bridge Number 16 ( `Joshua Mann`s Bridge` ) at Nottingham Road, Stragglethorpe, near Cropwell Lock.
If I understand correctly, planners had an obligation to take the navigability of the canal into consideration but did not take into account the fact that the bridge would need to be heightened or the canal could be impassable at that point. The contractors cannot unilaterally change the plans without the Secretary of State`s consent and the Highways Agency have simply stated that the bridge could always be heightened at a later date. The Society, understandably, believe that if the work is not done now, it will never happen.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Ramblers Revisited
Anyone interested in my earlier article `Rambling Through Adversity` (this blog 10 December 2009). Might be interested to know how The Ramblers are faring.
Sadly, the Scottish and Welsh offices have now been closed with a number of redundancies, leaving only one office, the organisation`s headquarters in London. As predicted, it does seem that suggestions the organisation might move it`s HQ out of London are unfounded (though many members feel such a move would be desireable !) and probably intended to annoy Chief Exec Tom Franklin.
On 24 November last year, Mr Franklin met with a number of members of The Ramblers in Leeds to put his side of the story. As always the case in this kind of situation, various views and concerns were expressed and a number of issues addressed, but a few points stand out as being of particular interest.
Pressed on the reasons for the downturn in the organisation`s finances, Franklin explained that membership, donations and income from appeals were all down, with membership standing at 125,000. Low interest rates also meant that income from assets was low, and there were problems with some legacies, property being harder to sell. Apparently he conceded that income and expenditure had only been monitored quarterly prior to the crisis, but stated that this was now being done on a monthly basis.
Franklin did, naturally, list a number of recent achievements, some of which I mentioned in my earlier article. Whatever criticisms may be levelled at Tom Franklin, there have been a number of positive results during his tenure as I`ve mentioned before.
Faced with comments that the organisation was becoming a `pedestrian` (walking for health) organisation and straying too far from it`s original campaigning role, he disputed this, pointing out that £133,000 was at that time allocated for 8 ongoing cases (Some of these have now been resolved successfully. In at least one case, the Ramblers have been able to claim costs from the other side).
It`s fair to say that not everyone was convinced and doubters are now organised around their own web site , http://concernedramblers.web.officelive.com/ . One great source of annoyance has been the decision to make cuts in the Campaigns Section, rather than one of the other areas. Another is the increasing workload of Group Secretaries etc, who are all volunteers, as The Ramblers increasingly turn their attention to urban issues such as gated alleyways. Many feel insufficient funds have been allocated to campaigns for the comning year, particularly given that many feel the Publications Section is needlessly extravagant ( £540,516.00 has been allocated to Campaigns, as compared to £667,407.00 for Marketing and Communications, £681,091.00 for Publications and £1,216,257.00 for Operations).
It does appear that some of this lobbying is having a result. Tom Franklin appeared on TV`s The One Show recently to talk about the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass (one wonders what Benny Rothman would have made of that !), and the Spring 2010 issue of Walk (http://www.walkmag.co.uk/) has more campaign news than usual.
News of office closures and redundancies sent shock waves through the organisation. Many supporters felt this very deeply, particularly since some had formed close bonds with campaign workers over the years. Poor communication with members exacerbated the problem, but there does seem to have been an issue with insufficient monitoring of income and expenditure, and also of a lack of accountability. One problem with charities, one which I`ve encountered before with another organisation, is that they`re regulated externally by the Charity Commissioners, who often seem somewhat limited in their scope for action, and internally by a Board (sometimes called a Council) of Trustees who, despite having a legal responsibility to ensure that organisations are properly run, often seem to simply rubber-stamp management decisions without subjecting them to too much scrutiny. One wonders whether a similar situation existed with The Ramblers.
Tom Franklin and The Ramblers have ambitious plans for the comming year. Whether there are sufficent funds and manpower (and whether those assets have been sensibly allocated) to deliver on those plans remains to be seen. With a history going back over 75 years, The Ramblers have (quite literally in some cases) weathered a few storms and I feel certain the organisation as a whole will live to fight another day !
MORE INFO / FURTHER READING
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns+policy/campaigns
http://www.walkmag.co.uk/category/news/campaign-news
http://masses2mainstream.blogspot.com/2009/11/kinder-conservation-and-historic-mass.html
http://masses2mainstream.blogspot.com/2010/03/after-kinder.html
Sadly, the Scottish and Welsh offices have now been closed with a number of redundancies, leaving only one office, the organisation`s headquarters in London. As predicted, it does seem that suggestions the organisation might move it`s HQ out of London are unfounded (though many members feel such a move would be desireable !) and probably intended to annoy Chief Exec Tom Franklin.
On 24 November last year, Mr Franklin met with a number of members of The Ramblers in Leeds to put his side of the story. As always the case in this kind of situation, various views and concerns were expressed and a number of issues addressed, but a few points stand out as being of particular interest.
Pressed on the reasons for the downturn in the organisation`s finances, Franklin explained that membership, donations and income from appeals were all down, with membership standing at 125,000. Low interest rates also meant that income from assets was low, and there were problems with some legacies, property being harder to sell. Apparently he conceded that income and expenditure had only been monitored quarterly prior to the crisis, but stated that this was now being done on a monthly basis.
Franklin did, naturally, list a number of recent achievements, some of which I mentioned in my earlier article. Whatever criticisms may be levelled at Tom Franklin, there have been a number of positive results during his tenure as I`ve mentioned before.
Faced with comments that the organisation was becoming a `pedestrian` (walking for health) organisation and straying too far from it`s original campaigning role, he disputed this, pointing out that £133,000 was at that time allocated for 8 ongoing cases (Some of these have now been resolved successfully. In at least one case, the Ramblers have been able to claim costs from the other side).
It`s fair to say that not everyone was convinced and doubters are now organised around their own web site , http://concernedramblers.web.officelive.com/ . One great source of annoyance has been the decision to make cuts in the Campaigns Section, rather than one of the other areas. Another is the increasing workload of Group Secretaries etc, who are all volunteers, as The Ramblers increasingly turn their attention to urban issues such as gated alleyways. Many feel insufficient funds have been allocated to campaigns for the comning year, particularly given that many feel the Publications Section is needlessly extravagant ( £540,516.00 has been allocated to Campaigns, as compared to £667,407.00 for Marketing and Communications, £681,091.00 for Publications and £1,216,257.00 for Operations).
It does appear that some of this lobbying is having a result. Tom Franklin appeared on TV`s The One Show recently to talk about the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass (one wonders what Benny Rothman would have made of that !), and the Spring 2010 issue of Walk (http://www.walkmag.co.uk/) has more campaign news than usual.
News of office closures and redundancies sent shock waves through the organisation. Many supporters felt this very deeply, particularly since some had formed close bonds with campaign workers over the years. Poor communication with members exacerbated the problem, but there does seem to have been an issue with insufficient monitoring of income and expenditure, and also of a lack of accountability. One problem with charities, one which I`ve encountered before with another organisation, is that they`re regulated externally by the Charity Commissioners, who often seem somewhat limited in their scope for action, and internally by a Board (sometimes called a Council) of Trustees who, despite having a legal responsibility to ensure that organisations are properly run, often seem to simply rubber-stamp management decisions without subjecting them to too much scrutiny. One wonders whether a similar situation existed with The Ramblers.
Tom Franklin and The Ramblers have ambitious plans for the comming year. Whether there are sufficent funds and manpower (and whether those assets have been sensibly allocated) to deliver on those plans remains to be seen. With a history going back over 75 years, The Ramblers have (quite literally in some cases) weathered a few storms and I feel certain the organisation as a whole will live to fight another day !
MORE INFO / FURTHER READING
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns+policy/campaigns
http://www.walkmag.co.uk/category/news/campaign-news
http://masses2mainstream.blogspot.com/2009/11/kinder-conservation-and-historic-mass.html
http://masses2mainstream.blogspot.com/2010/03/after-kinder.html
Monday, 22 February 2010
Signed Books by Local Authors
I don`t like to use this blog too much to promote our business - we have http://hoonaloon.blogspot.com/ for that - but, having selflessly promoted books which others are offering for sale in the not-too-distant past, I think it`s only fair we give ourselves a plug now and again !
Here are a couple of signed books by local authors which may be of interest to the reading public and which by happy chance we have in stock. As usual, both are currently in stock but we only have one copy of each.
Findern man Richard Papworth has had a full and varied life, working initially as a Military Police Officer, then transferring to the civilian Police. Leaving the Police, he was a store detective for a time and then joined the Prison Service. He now "enjoys his retirement nurturing his garden and keeps up with the latest sports news along with his dear wife Margaret and their daughter Ellen". Our copy of his autobiography is signed on the title page "Best Wishes, Richard Papworth, June 2002." In addition to the expected black and white photos there are excellent cartoon-style drawings by Jayne Brewster-Beard and a cover drawing by Bill May.
This book is £4.44 plus postage. See link below for description etc.
Don Shaw became a full-time writer in the `60s and has written for film, stage, TV and radio. A keen walker and marathon runner he has been a patron of the Derby Heritage Development Trust, though I am unsure if that still exists.
His book The Hike is described as "the first travelogue set in the Peak District since Izaak Walton`s Compleat Angler was published in 1653...Bitingly funny in parts, yet unsentimental."
Our copy is signed on the title page by the author.
This book is £9.44 plus postage. See link below for description etc.
LINK
As these are recent acquisitions, it may be a day or two before they appear online. Richard Papworth`s book is number 2852 in our listings, and Don Shaw`s is 2853.
You can search for both books using this link ;
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/hoonal
Here are a couple of signed books by local authors which may be of interest to the reading public and which by happy chance we have in stock. As usual, both are currently in stock but we only have one copy of each.
This book is £4.44 plus postage. See link below for description etc.
Don Shaw became a full-time writer in the `60s and has written for film, stage, TV and radio. A keen walker and marathon runner he has been a patron of the Derby Heritage Development Trust, though I am unsure if that still exists.
His book The Hike is described as "the first travelogue set in the Peak District since Izaak Walton`s Compleat Angler was published in 1653...Bitingly funny in parts, yet unsentimental."
Our copy is signed on the title page by the author.
This book is £9.44 plus postage. See link below for description etc.
LINK
As these are recent acquisitions, it may be a day or two before they appear online. Richard Papworth`s book is number 2852 in our listings, and Don Shaw`s is 2853.
You can search for both books using this link ;
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/hoonal
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Ironworks Revisited
Further to A Tale of Two Ironworks (this blog, 6/2/2010), there is further news from both Butterley and Stanton.
At Butterley, landowners/developers Coast Properties have called a halt to demolition work while Amber Valley Borough Council and English Heritage survey the site. The Friends of Cromford Canal have welcomed this, but point out that only three of the remaining buildings are currently listed, and indicated that they would favour a "sensitive development" that "incorporates the remaining buildings".
At Stanton, French Engineering company Saint Gobain, who own the land, have indicated they no longer plan hold public consultations in March, but have put the proposed date back to May, due to delays in gathering data. The company plan a 4,000 home `super village` and expect to submit a planning application later this year.
Campaigners have raised various objections as already explained.
A local authority spokeswoman stated that the proposal was only at the early stages of what could be a very long process, but indicated that they would want to see "a mixed-use development, housing and jobs", a key demand of the campaigners.
It may be that the developers hope that a delay will cause the campaign to lose momentum, though that seems unlikely.
Subsequently, the firm have indicated that they plan to stage a public exhbition during June, with a planning application shortly afterwards.
At Butterley, landowners/developers Coast Properties have called a halt to demolition work while Amber Valley Borough Council and English Heritage survey the site. The Friends of Cromford Canal have welcomed this, but point out that only three of the remaining buildings are currently listed, and indicated that they would favour a "sensitive development" that "incorporates the remaining buildings".
At Stanton, French Engineering company Saint Gobain, who own the land, have indicated they no longer plan hold public consultations in March, but have put the proposed date back to May, due to delays in gathering data. The company plan a 4,000 home `super village` and expect to submit a planning application later this year.
Campaigners have raised various objections as already explained.
A local authority spokeswoman stated that the proposal was only at the early stages of what could be a very long process, but indicated that they would want to see "a mixed-use development, housing and jobs", a key demand of the campaigners.
It may be that the developers hope that a delay will cause the campaign to lose momentum, though that seems unlikely.
Subsequently, the firm have indicated that they plan to stage a public exhbition during June, with a planning application shortly afterwards.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
A Tale of Two Ironworks
BUTTERLEY
Located in the Amber Valley between Cromford View and Butterley Hill in the Ripley area, Butterley Iron Works was built in 1790 and had a colourful history history including the manufacture of armaments for the Napoleonic Wars and an incident during the 1817 Pentrich revolution when a gathering of around 300 men demanded access to weapons manufactured on the site (in the event, the gates were locked against them and the men eventually dispersed).
In the 20th century, The Butterley Company (originally Benjamin Outram and Company) diversified to become Butterley Engineering, building bridges and structural steelworks. According to Wikipedia, Butterley Engineering went into administration during 2009, but presumably a buyer was found as there is still a website for that company, with a postal address in Ripley, which seems to be current. Certainly, however, the Butterley site is not in use.
The history of the site is very much tied up with the history of Britain`s waterways. Originally, raw materials were delivered to the site by narrowboats using an underground wharf and transported from there to the foundry itself. Finished products were lowered down a shaft and transported along canals all over the UK.
Recently, the Friends of Cromford Canal, part of the recently-formed Cromford Canal Partnership, protested that site owners, London-based developer Coast, were carrying out demolition work on a historic wharf forming part of the site. Amber Valley Brough Council, also part of the CCP, responded that Coast were within their rights to demolish the less historic buildings and that all appeared to be in order. However, the future of the site remains uncertain and local sensitivites continue to be an issue. Noting "increasing concern for the fate of the Butterley Company site and the undoubted historic value of some of its buildings", a representative of the FCC called on the Borough Council "to give clear direction" to demolition contractors Cawarden "as to what remains have to be preserved or inspected by archaeologists".
Subsequently, the AVBC announced that as a result of these remarks, council officers would be working with representatives of English Heritage to establish which parts of the site should be preserved.
With proposals being floated for the re-opening of the full length of the Cromford Canal as part of a plan to regenerate the area, the future of the Butterley site remains a key local issue.
STANTON
In nearby Erewash, developments at Stanton Iron Works have also proved controversial. Iron work has very much part of the history of Erewash since Roman times and the remains of medieval furnaces have been found in the area. Located by the Erewash Canal, The Stanton Iron Works was established by a family named Crompton around 1870. At the time, their existing site on Amber Valley`s Nutbrook Canal was not able to cope with an increase in demand arising from the Franco-Prussian War, and new premises were needed. The works produced munitions for both World Wars, but appears to have had a troubled existence after World War Two, being nationalised, privatised and the re-nationalised. Hardky a recipe for stable growth ! During the 1980s, it was bought by a French company, Pont A Mouson, which was apparently acquired by another French group, current owners Saint Gobain. Saint Gobain laid off a number of staff in 2006, but continued to run the business until it`s eventual closure in 2007.
Now Saint Gobain and developer Spring propose to build houses on the redundant Stanton site. The site is large - currently the UK`s largest brownfield site, I understand - and something in the region of 4,000 - 7,000 houses are proposed, which seems rather vague, but there you are. Independent local campaign group Greensqueeze oppose the plans as currently formulated on a number of grounds.
The most contentious issue is the proposed new road cutting straight through the heart of the Derbyshire countryside. Greensqueeze argue against this on environmental grounds and also on the purely practical basis that it would be poorly located to serve residents in the new development and would not be used by them as much as the planners anticipate. Greensqueeze have put forward their own planned access route and I believe now four possible routes are under consideration.
Secondly, the proposed new development is made up disproportionately of housing and rather less provision for commercial units, meaning that residents will largely travel to other areas to work, with the pollution and social costs that entails. It might be added that the Erewash area has greater need for jobs than it does housing. Greensqueeze argue for a sustainable balance between jobs and housing to address this.
Towards the end of last year pictures appeared on the Greensqueeze site showing how wildlife moved in to Stanton as industry moved out. It will be interesting to see if campaigners become split between those who say "yes to development, no to inappropriate development" and others who may simply oppose development. Given the size of the site, I would have thought a mix of commercial and residential properties with a small nature reserve and perhaps a public park or similar would be quite easily achievable. It is worth acknowledging that some species, including some which are rare, gravitate to brownfield sites because they favour an arid environment. There are various ways in which developers can cater for these, particularly by the provision of `green roofs` as advocated by the Wildlife Trusts network.
Lastly, there are also concerns that proposed access points to the development cross green belt land.
Two very similar sites facing broadly similar issues and an uncertain future. On the positive side, the concerns raised have engaged the interest of the local population, causing public participation in the planning process, which can only be a good thing.
ON THE WEB
There are Wikipedia entries for the Butterley Company this blog already provides links to the Greensqueeze and the Friends of Cromford Canal sites. Stanton Iron works has it`s own local history site run by a former employee - http://www.stantonironworks.co.uk/ - an example of living history as a number of former Stanton workers contribute to it`s forum.
A handy source for more information , though the standard or reporting isn`t always great, is http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/.
Located in the Amber Valley between Cromford View and Butterley Hill in the Ripley area, Butterley Iron Works was built in 1790 and had a colourful history history including the manufacture of armaments for the Napoleonic Wars and an incident during the 1817 Pentrich revolution when a gathering of around 300 men demanded access to weapons manufactured on the site (in the event, the gates were locked against them and the men eventually dispersed).
In the 20th century, The Butterley Company (originally Benjamin Outram and Company) diversified to become Butterley Engineering, building bridges and structural steelworks. According to Wikipedia, Butterley Engineering went into administration during 2009, but presumably a buyer was found as there is still a website for that company, with a postal address in Ripley, which seems to be current. Certainly, however, the Butterley site is not in use.
The history of the site is very much tied up with the history of Britain`s waterways. Originally, raw materials were delivered to the site by narrowboats using an underground wharf and transported from there to the foundry itself. Finished products were lowered down a shaft and transported along canals all over the UK.
Recently, the Friends of Cromford Canal, part of the recently-formed Cromford Canal Partnership, protested that site owners, London-based developer Coast, were carrying out demolition work on a historic wharf forming part of the site. Amber Valley Brough Council, also part of the CCP, responded that Coast were within their rights to demolish the less historic buildings and that all appeared to be in order. However, the future of the site remains uncertain and local sensitivites continue to be an issue. Noting "increasing concern for the fate of the Butterley Company site and the undoubted historic value of some of its buildings", a representative of the FCC called on the Borough Council "to give clear direction" to demolition contractors Cawarden "as to what remains have to be preserved or inspected by archaeologists".
Subsequently, the AVBC announced that as a result of these remarks, council officers would be working with representatives of English Heritage to establish which parts of the site should be preserved.
With proposals being floated for the re-opening of the full length of the Cromford Canal as part of a plan to regenerate the area, the future of the Butterley site remains a key local issue.
STANTON
In nearby Erewash, developments at Stanton Iron Works have also proved controversial. Iron work has very much part of the history of Erewash since Roman times and the remains of medieval furnaces have been found in the area. Located by the Erewash Canal, The Stanton Iron Works was established by a family named Crompton around 1870. At the time, their existing site on Amber Valley`s Nutbrook Canal was not able to cope with an increase in demand arising from the Franco-Prussian War, and new premises were needed. The works produced munitions for both World Wars, but appears to have had a troubled existence after World War Two, being nationalised, privatised and the re-nationalised. Hardky a recipe for stable growth ! During the 1980s, it was bought by a French company, Pont A Mouson, which was apparently acquired by another French group, current owners Saint Gobain. Saint Gobain laid off a number of staff in 2006, but continued to run the business until it`s eventual closure in 2007.
Now Saint Gobain and developer Spring propose to build houses on the redundant Stanton site. The site is large - currently the UK`s largest brownfield site, I understand - and something in the region of 4,000 - 7,000 houses are proposed, which seems rather vague, but there you are. Independent local campaign group Greensqueeze oppose the plans as currently formulated on a number of grounds.
The most contentious issue is the proposed new road cutting straight through the heart of the Derbyshire countryside. Greensqueeze argue against this on environmental grounds and also on the purely practical basis that it would be poorly located to serve residents in the new development and would not be used by them as much as the planners anticipate. Greensqueeze have put forward their own planned access route and I believe now four possible routes are under consideration.
Secondly, the proposed new development is made up disproportionately of housing and rather less provision for commercial units, meaning that residents will largely travel to other areas to work, with the pollution and social costs that entails. It might be added that the Erewash area has greater need for jobs than it does housing. Greensqueeze argue for a sustainable balance between jobs and housing to address this.
Towards the end of last year pictures appeared on the Greensqueeze site showing how wildlife moved in to Stanton as industry moved out. It will be interesting to see if campaigners become split between those who say "yes to development, no to inappropriate development" and others who may simply oppose development. Given the size of the site, I would have thought a mix of commercial and residential properties with a small nature reserve and perhaps a public park or similar would be quite easily achievable. It is worth acknowledging that some species, including some which are rare, gravitate to brownfield sites because they favour an arid environment. There are various ways in which developers can cater for these, particularly by the provision of `green roofs` as advocated by the Wildlife Trusts network.
Lastly, there are also concerns that proposed access points to the development cross green belt land.
Two very similar sites facing broadly similar issues and an uncertain future. On the positive side, the concerns raised have engaged the interest of the local population, causing public participation in the planning process, which can only be a good thing.
ON THE WEB
There are Wikipedia entries for the Butterley Company this blog already provides links to the Greensqueeze and the Friends of Cromford Canal sites. Stanton Iron works has it`s own local history site run by a former employee - http://www.stantonironworks.co.uk/ - an example of living history as a number of former Stanton workers contribute to it`s forum.
A handy source for more information , though the standard or reporting isn`t always great, is http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Mr Peckham`s Pit Pony Petition
Visiting the Healey Hero website (http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/) recently, I was surprised to see a new entry, a petition from Roy Peckham, proprietor of a Pony Sanctuary/Visitor Centre in Wales concerning the treatment of pit ponies.
I must admit, I had no idea pit ponies were still in use, but apparently Wales is home to a number of small collieries and ponies are still to found working in these. Sadly, they are not always well-treated in return for their labours.
I`m providing a link that gives you access to a report detailing instances of ill-treatment, a petition you can download and circulate if you have a mind to, and a link to the Welsh Assembly allowing you to sign the petition online (closes 31/5/10).
I chose the latter option, should you wish to know, but I thought I`d also add this link to my blog so others can show their support if they wish to.
Here`s the link ;
www.visitpitponies.co.uk/petition
While you`re there, you might like to look at the rest of Mr Peckham`s site, handy if you`re considering a holiday in Wales.
I must admit, I had no idea pit ponies were still in use, but apparently Wales is home to a number of small collieries and ponies are still to found working in these. Sadly, they are not always well-treated in return for their labours.
I`m providing a link that gives you access to a report detailing instances of ill-treatment, a petition you can download and circulate if you have a mind to, and a link to the Welsh Assembly allowing you to sign the petition online (closes 31/5/10).
I chose the latter option, should you wish to know, but I thought I`d also add this link to my blog so others can show their support if they wish to.
Here`s the link ;
www.visitpitponies.co.uk/petition
While you`re there, you might like to look at the rest of Mr Peckham`s site, handy if you`re considering a holiday in Wales.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Book Review #2 ; A A Milne - The Red House Mystery
A A Milne`s The Red House Mystery was first published in 1922, by Methuen in the UK and Dutton in the US. In 1926 the author added an introduction, which normally appears in editions produced after that date. My copy (pictured) was published by a company called The Library Press Ltd in their Minerva Editions series. It is undated but contains the 1926 introduction and I would guess that it dates from the `20s/`30s.
The book was ( is ?) hugely popular and is held by many to be a classic of `Golden Age` detective fiction. At the time Milne was a successful novelist, playwright and occasional writer of non-fiction who had been both a columnist and assistant editor for Punch magazine and was credited with having rescued that periodical from a period of decline. His career as a poet and writer of children`s stories had not yet begun.
Although I`ve owned a copy for many years, I read it for the first time only recently. The reason is that in those pre-internet days I ordered the book from a booksellers` mail order catalogue, paying by cheque. Knowing that it would probably take two-three weeks to arrive, I started reading some Raymend Chandler, a volume including his essay The Simple Art of Murder. I like Chandler, but I`ve never quite forgiven the bugger for giving away the plot of The Red House Mystery in that essay, so that I knew the solution to the case before my copy even arrived !
The story itself is a variation on the `locked room mystery` very popular at the time. A shot rings out in an English country house. A man is found dead in a locked room used by the householder as an office and is identified by a member of staff as Robert Ablett, brother of the householder, Mark Ablett. Mark Ablett
himself is nowhere to be found and is presumed to have absconded. As the Police begin their investigation two chance acquaintances, visitors to the house,decide to mount their own separate inquiry.The book will appear to some to be very dated. The style of writing is deceptively light and our two unlikely heroes, the naive and boyishly enthusiastic Bill and the more worldly and astute Antony, converse in the witty banter often encountered in the literature of the period. Generally, the effect is quite agreeable, though now and again the dialogue can set your teeth on edge. The author avoids the lack of tension that could result from an excess of frothiness by having Antony troubled by a sense of foreboding as the case draws towards its` conclusion.
What is very noticeable to the modern reader is that after the initial murder, not much actually happens. The murderer is completely unaware of the efforts of our amateur sleuths for most of the book, so the author relies entirely on Bill and Antony`s attempts to unravel the puzzle to keep the readers` interest. A dangerous strategy, but for me it works.
A purist might argue that the author does not obey the `Fair Play` rule. Lovers of the Golden Age whodunnit sometimes argue that the eventual solution to the case should rest on facts available to the reader before the case is solved. In this case, the eventual solution rests on facts not known to the reader, the two amateur detectives or the Police. Generally, this introduction of new facts after the event can be annoying, but in this particular instance I don`t feel it harms the story too much.
Overall, if you like an intelligently written, well plotted English country house mystery written in an engaging stlye by a writer noted for his wit and versatility and can overlook the implausibility inherent in the genre, you should find this book contains enough red herrings to make a satisfying literary meal !
Footnote - at time of writing we don`t have a copy of this book to sell, I`m just reviewing it for recreational purposes and in case anyone`s interested. You should easily find an affordable copy online. I`d suggest checking out http://www.abebooks.co.uk/ and http://www.marelibri.com/ to give yourself the widest choice of editions and compare prices.
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