Chairman's Miscellany - TrustNews September 08
When I wrote for the last TrustNews, the plans for developments at the Cathedral were causing much concern among members though it is perhaps more accurate to say that the lack of information about those plans and the resulting rumours were the cause.
Michael Carden and I attended a lengthy seminar on the subject on 4th June. It was organised for the Dean and Chapter by the Prince's Trust for the Built Environment and conducted by a young and enthusiastic architect called Ben Bolgar, who had been a Chorister in his youth. There were informative presentations by the Receiver-General, the Director of Music, the Director of Children's Education and on the subjects of the Cathedral's context, landscape and archaeology.
Of course, the greatest concern was the suggestion that the Choir School should be relocated on the site of the Dean Garnier Garden. That was one of the options but it gained little support. The surprise was a new possibility - to build the School against the south wall of the Chancel. Just as controversial as the Dean Garnier Garden of course and the Bishop gave it some support.
I hope that the report of the Seminar's deliberations will be published shortly but even then no decisions will have been made.
I am sorry to report that Hugh Thomas RIBA has resigned from the Council of the Trust. Hugh carries a great workload, as we see from his many buildings in the City and he has contributed much to the Council's work. I hope that he may be persuaded to continue to apply lipstick to some of the "gorillas" we live with.
In a complete change of architectural styles, it was a pleasant surprise to receive, in June, a letter from Professor James Stevens Curl, one time resident of Winchester, an authority on Victorian Architecture and now retired to County Down. A life member of the Trust who must be one of the most distant but nevertheless maintains a keen interest in the City. He is the author of the Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape and, most recently, "Victorian Architecture: Diversity and Invention" which was warmly reviewed in the journal of the Victorian Society.
Finally, this season of Summer walks has been a great success. A wide range of subjects and enthusiastic speakers have been well supported. Those who have joined the walks will share my appreciation of the considerable preparation needed by speakers. My thanks to them and to Chris Pile who has delivered an excellent programme again, that requires a great deal of work.