Lectures - Trust Annual Report 1983
A packed Annual General Meeting in Abbey House heard our new Vice President, Sir Peter Ramsbotham, GCMG, GCVO, give a fascinating talk on the various British embassies in which he and Lady Ramsbotham had served, and the problems of living in residences built for more luxurious times.
The main season of lectures, ably organised by Nick Roe (who left Winchester for Wrexham during the late summer), started with Arthur Percival, MBE, of the Civic Trust, describing the work of Heritage Centres: this aroused great interest from members engaged in the Upper Brook Street cottages alterations. As part of a policy to broaden the Trust's lectures, David Cowan, Chief Executive of Winchester City Council, gave an enlightening talk on the role of the Chief Executive in local government. December saw Colin Stansfield Smith, County Architect of Hampshire, give an illustrated talk on design, with slides of work done by his department.
In mid-January Gilbert Williams, Chairman of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' Technical Panel, described the society's work, and in February audience participation was encouraged by Chris Wright, former Chairman of the Winchester Branch of the National Federation of Self-Employed. In March Austin Whitaker and Miss Rosemary Dunhill kindly conducted a limited number of members over the Hampshire Record Office, and in July the architect to the Dean and Chapter, Mrs. Corinne Bennett, had members breathless after her tour of the roofs, tower and stair turrets of the Cathedral.
The 1983/4 season begins on 13th October with a talk by Bernard Kaukas on British Rail's historic buildings; the AGM on the following Monday will be followed by our President on 'Excellence in a Cathedral City'. John Maunder of The Victorian Society, celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year, will talk in November about the problems of converting St. Agatha's Church in Ports mouth into a Heritage Centre; he will be joined by the Trust members involved in the Upper Brook Street cottages describing their experiences. January will see the return of an old friend, George Perkin, editor of Concrete Quarterly, to talk about 'Building in Harmony'.
In February the talk given by Josephine lye, President of Winchester Incorporated Chamber of Commerce, will be about 'Making a Living in Winchester', and the main series of lectures will finish in March with a unique display of turn-of-the-century glass slides requiring a special projector, when Dennis Offer, Master Plumber, recounts the anecdotes of a Winchester master craftsman.