ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
7.30pm THURSDAY 20th APRIL 2006
Music Room, The Assembly House, Norwich
In the Chair: the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Mick Banham
AGENDA
1. Welcome to the President by the Chairman, Mrs Janet King2. Apologies
3. Minutes of the 2005 AGM circulated prior to the meeting
4. Chairman’s address. Mrs Janet King
5. Treasurer’s Statement, Mr Nick Cooper
6. Elections of Officers and to the Executive Committee
7. Administrator’s address: Programme for 2006-7
8 . Any Other Business
9. Thanks to the Lord Mayor by the Vice Chairman, Dr Jeremy Taylor
Water fountain, Colegate,
in need of restoration
Edward Skipper 1918-2005
By Michael Innes
Edward Skipper, (1918-2005) was chairman of the Norwich Society 1973-4. Edward Skipper was an architect and a visionary, whose father was George Skipper (1856-1948), one of a number of truly local nineteenth century architects, a founder of the Norwich Society, and a most original mind.
George Skipper worked with a considerable flair producing buildings of great individuality and occasional risk such as the Royal Arcade, Sennowe Park Hall at Guist, Norwich Union’s Surrey House including the Marble Hall, the University Arms Hotel at Cambridge, and the 1902/3 part of Jarrold’s in London Street. Edward grew up with the erroneous legend that he was the little boy on the panel.
Edward had perhaps inherited something of all this. I remember him as always bubbling over with energy, ideas and enthusiasm and getting ahead of many of us, as well as across some of us! His preferred stance was always ambitious and in front.
Desmond Elliott, retired City Planning Officer, remembers his ‘phenomenal ability’ to produce and illustrate options at the drop of a hat – usually after all-night working – and if not acceptable he would be back, again and again...and again! This driving energy was an influence on the Society and in those days he had an ally in Jean Ogden and was full of really positive ideas and concern for Norwich.
In Edward’s portfolio the strongest crossover between what one might term his Norwich interest, Society interest and professional interest, is manifest in the area of St Benedict’s Street.
In 1960 a Skipper face-lift for this street was executed in collaboration with Sheila Gooch. Feilden & Mawson, and David Percival,City Architect, (all Norwich Society members) also contributed buildings.
This exercise was along the lines of the earlier essay in Magdalen Street led by Michael and Sheila Gooch, in which Edward had also played a part.
In St Benedict’s Street he had a lead role, – acting for the St Benedict’s Traders Association. He rescued a number of decaying buildings and places – particularly of upper floors – restoring these from dereliction to useful apartments, when such were scarce. At the west end is his better- known Ten Bell Court, set in a relationship to the surviving Norman tower of St Benedict’s Church.
In its day it was the flagship scheme for the Broadland Housing Association. It is quite a human essay in modern mode and more avant-garde in its day than may be now recognised. It shows an intricate early use of the larger and ‘modular’ metric brick, which still looks good today, despite some early technical drawbacks, since rectified.
His office carried out ingenious renovation and infill schemes in Sussex Street, St Michael at Plea and Surrey Street and then went on to lay out the old City Station site.
The housing effort was recognised as good design by the Department of the Environment, who awarded four bronze medals, no mean feat over such a few years, and we were all a bit jealous! In 1975, Architectural Heritage Year, another housing scheme, the Eaton Hall work, (further out of the city centre) and another housing scheme, received the unique silver medal Award for Good Design in Housing.
Edward was a generation, or should it be a ‘cohort’? ahead of me. Major Feilden RE, Major Hastings RA, Captain Skipper of Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers & Miners, along with Planning Officers from the RAF and others from the Royal Navy, all returned from war to set about renewing and rebuilding much of the structure of Norwich.
Skipper was a founder member of the 33 Club - formed by Alfie Wood for Norwich businessmen and professionals to look at 'good planning' in other cities, particularly related to pedestrianisation proposals for London Street.
Along with many of my contemporaries, I admired the sense of the maturity of purpose and yet fun, of these, our early mentors. We learned from them and accelerated fast.
We shared in their politics and their apparent certainties – they had little time to waste and that world to re-build! In the end, we, of course, grew to form our own views, to diverge and dispute with them and to make our own judgements, such is the stuff of life.
Nonetheless, I remember the path we all trod and remain as grateful to Edward as I do to the rest of his cohort.
If the clouds are to be re-organised, Edward will have an idea!
Chairman’s Message
Jan KingThere was great concern at the beginning of the Market project that the overall refurbishment should not alter the general concept of the Market area or lose its character. I can only hope that there will be no further setbacks and the whole scheme will be finished as soon as possible.
At the end of the Society’s year there are inevitable changes. Nick Cooper, our Treasurer, has decided to stand down after four years. Kate Anetts has been co-opted in his place.
Barry Howell, chairman of our Transport Committee, has also decided that because he has held this position for some seven years it is time for a change. I hope my husband, Geoff, in taking over as chairman, will manage to keep up Barry’s high standard
The Environment Committee’s Annual Audit this year concentrated on the “spine” through the city centre, St. Stephen’s, Castle Meadow and Prince of Wales Road. It makes interesting reading and I was glad that it was given a reasonable airing in the local press, covering, as it did, an important part of the city and, surely, of interest to the citizens of Norwich.
We still seem to be riding high on the continued success of the Planning Appraisal Committee’s Design Awards; many good things have come from this and the concept of the awards was viewed as very positive.
It has proved to be a great success for the Society and will, we hope, be repeated in the future.
In August the Photographic Competition was another triumph. The Membership and Publicity Committee are aiming to increase our membership and, once again, the press coverage received certainly helps the Society attract the limelight. Heritage Open Days also brought us to the attention of the wider general public . Finally I would like to thank everyone connected with committees and groups for their continual support of the Society. Without you we could not continue.
Jeremy Taylor has been not only a loyal Vice Chairman but a good friend these past two years and I wish him every success as he takes over as Chairman. I know the Society will be in good hands
NEW CHAIRMAN
Dr Jeremy Taylor
Dr Jeremy Taylor studied architecture at the University of Cambridge. After working in professional practice he became Research Director, Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, University of York, from 1971- 1986. Subsequently he undertook studies for the DHSS and PSA establishing databases of their historic and listed properties, and has researched and written about nineteenth-century hospital architecture. Following a move from York to Norwich in 1997, he has been a member of the Norwich Society’s M&P and Planning Committees.
Norwich Preservation Trust
Malcolm CrowderChairman Councillor J Lubbock (until 8 November 2005 when Mrs S Kefford was elected Chairman at the Annual General Meeting)
Directors Councillor R Gledhill, Mrs S Kefford, Mrs J King, Councillor J Lubbock, Mr R Quinn, Councillor J Rooza, Mr R Rose, Miss C Tuddenham and Councillor I R Williams.
During the year the Trust had most of its properties fully let. Currently the first floor is vacant at Augustine Steward House and being offered for letting by Arnolds of Prince of Wales Road and 2 St Andrews Hill also is vacant but with a new lease likely to be in place shortly. The Trust continues to maintain a positive cash flow from its rental income.
The Trust’s interest in the Grade I listed Guildhall continues but its potential involvement in a project to improve access and increase use of the building is still clouded by the creation of the Norwich Heritage and Regeneration Trust, now fully established as a company and a registered charity. However, discussions are taking place between the interested parties.
Apart from the Guildhall the Trust has no other potential projects in view; it did have some discussions with the Council’s Conservation Office about a property in St Augustines Street but this was sold on by the owner before the Trust could become involved.
The Trust has always had a good relationship with the City Council’s officers and would like to record its thanks for this and also its best wishes to Phil Insley and Prue Smith, longstanding members of its Conservation Office, who have now left the employ of the City Council.
Finally, it will be seen from the head of this note that Councillor Judith Lubbock has resigned as Chairman and Sheila Kefford elected – this to my knowledge is the first time the Chair of the Trust has been occupied by other than City Councillors (including three Lord Mayors!).
The Now And Again Group
Vicky ManthorpeThe Now And Again group met for coffee at the home of Mrs Lotte Cooper last January to discuss ideas for helping out in the coming year.
Members of the Group regularly provide help with the stuffing of envelopes for the Newsletters and the Annual Review. This year they baked and served a scrumptious tea at the Carrow House conservatory which was much appreciated on a very hot afternoon.
They also manned the exhibition and stewarded the lecture for the Heritage Open Days and sold raffle tickets at the Christmas party at Blackfriars, for all of which I am most grateful.
Please do enrol with the Now and Again Group if you feel you could offer any particular service or just provide a willing pair of hands; the group is just what it says – Now and Again – so you won’t be overwhelmed.The Now And Again Group ] Vicky Manthorpe
The Now And Again group met for coffee at the home of Mrs Lotte Cooper last January to discuss ideas for helping out in the coming year. Members of the Group regularly provide help with the stuffing of envelopes for the Newsletters and the Annual Review. This year they baked and served a scrumptious tea at the Carrow House conservatory which was much appreciated on a very hot afternoon. They also manned the exhibition and stewarded the lecture for the Heritage Open Days and sold raffle tickets at the Christmas party at Blackfriars, for all of which I am most grateful. Please do enrol with the Now and Again Group if you feel you could offer any particular service or just provide a willing pair of hands; the group is just what it says – Now and Again – so you won’t be overwhelmed.