From the Chairman
I hope to see many of you at our next event being held at the cosy Browne’s Hospital (see separate article) where Gwyneth will be giving us an intriguing talk concerning the development of Stamford’s conservation status.
Jim Mason
Forthcoming events
Thursday, 22 November, 7.30pm, Browne’s Hospital (£3.50) — “Did Dr Fennell Save Stamford?”
Gwyneth Gibbs will be talking about Dr Kenneth Fennell, whose reports on Stamford written in the Sixties led to Stamford becoming the first Conservation Area. The talk is illustrated with some wonderful pen and ink drawings of Stamford in the Sixties taken from the reports, so come along and enjoy the nostalgia!
Society news
We said goodbye to Gwyneth at the AGM and thanked her for all the work she has done on the Society’s behalf. Our President, Orlando Rock, paid tribute to her saying that the Society had been extremely lucky that she had taken on the role and much had been achieved during her chairmanship thanks to her quiet persistence and perseverance.
We were sad to lose Martin Lander, our Treasurer for the last 3 years, and Mike Sockett who has been a Committee member for over 11 years—both contributed hugely to the Society.
2018 AWARDS
At the AGM, we also celebrated the commitment, skill and dedication of many people to keep Stamford looking good—as befits the first Conservation Area. The Awards highlight outstanding developments and refurbishments in the town and include impressive craftsmanship, the creation of notable buildings through new builds or conversion, the attractive displays and fittings which shop owners create within the constraints of caring for old buildings and the beautiful green spaces made possible by the many volunteers who spend time and effort on planting and maintaining these areas. See our website for more information on who got awards.
CIVIC VOICE CAMPAIGN TO FIND ENGLAND’S FAVOURITE CONSERVATION AREA
Although Stamford Conservation Area made the shortlist of 18, out of 249 Conservation Areas nominated, sadly we could not command enough votes to win the accolade of “England’s Favourite Conservation Area”. We did pretty well to get 1,232 votes and ended up in 5th place. Swindon Railway Village, with 3,563 votes, was chosen as the favourite. Other runners up were: Port Sunlight – 2,379 votes; Lichfield – 2,077 votes; and Mitcham Green – 1,462 votes. Many thanks to all of you who voted.
STAMFORD IN BLOOM
We were very pleased to see that all the efforts to relaunch Stamford in Bloom after about 30 years paid off. Ann Ellis did a splendid job of galvanising the many volunteers who worked to enhance Stamford’s green spaces. The town received a silver award in the East Midlands in Bloom competition for the Large Town category.
Urban Group
The Group has a wide range of projects on the go, but one has reached a very successful conclusion: double yellow lines are now in place on the east (William Cecil) side of High Street St Martin’s to prevent parking between the hotel and the Bottle Lodges. The damaged verges will be reseeded and restored. Bollards are due to be installed to protect the verges on the other side of the road.
A new project is in the pipeline to enhance the southern paved area of Sheepmarket together with attractive permanent bollards to prevent parking.
Subscriptions are now due
If you have not yet signed a standing order or a Gift Aid form, please consider doing so to reduce administration and enable us to get a significant percentage back from the taxman. Forms are available from the Secretary and on the website.