GENERAL
Brougham Hall is beginning to be a “dream come true”. To over 50 very talented souls, it is now the focal point of their existence. This talent is highly individualistic and stretches from the Arts to the purveying of fine foods. But there is an unspoken thread. Each of these self-motivators is a member of a mutually supportive team. A community has grown up and with it a community spirit. That spirit cannot be ordained nor created. It evolves like civilisation itself. It either exists or it doesn’t. We are indeed fortunate in our sixteen very special enterprises, five of which are Charities, devoted to helping the young, elderly, sick or under privileged. In the worst year for Tourism in twenty years, the BHCT has recorded its best year ever, by a colossal margin over any previous year.
We are now satisfying all the local and central Government criteria. We provide employment where none existed hitherto; we are contributing to the local economy; we are educational and open to the public as part of a rich local tourist synergy. During the year, our seventeen year cumulative income surpassed £1/2m.
While this is equivalent to just 6 month’s income for the likes of Sir Trevor McDonald, it still represents a significant milestone for our little Charity. NEW TENANTS
Since this time last year, we have completed the renovation of four new units. “The housekeeper’s room” has gone to the Eden Youth Work Partnership, “The Servant’s hall and brewery” to the Tirril Brewery, “The back kitchen” to Annie Mawson’s expanding Sunbeams Empire and “the main kitchen” to Mark Huit, a talented silkscreen printer. In addition, we have recently welcomed the remarkably gifted Oxford Concert Party, a unique group, consisting of two violins, viola, cello, double bass and harpsichord, described by The Daily Telegraph as “a bunch of superb musicians.” We are particularly sorry to be losing our horologist, Duncan Larkyn-Jones, on account of his having moved to the wilds of Crosby Garrett. However, there has been a flood of interest in the unit, which he is shortly to vacate, so we will sustain sixteen tenancies – an all time record. CONGRATULATIONS Jonathan Terry, a founder Trustee, married Karen Quatermass, at Tylney Hall, Hook, Hampshire on Easter Sunday, 31st March. We wish them both every happiness. On 27th May, Nicola Carter, the Cumbrian Scouts Regional Development
Officer, was elected by her many admirers, to go the Queen’s Jubilee garden party at Carlisle Castle. In August, The Old Smokehouse won two silver medals and three bronze medals in The Great British Taste Awards, which were held in Portland Place.
The silver medals were for smoked ham and farmed Scottish salmon. The bronze medals were for pepperpot sausage, smoked chicken and wild Cumberland salmon. On 22nd October, The Queens Head in Tirril, birthplace of The Tirril Brewery, won The Pub of the Year Award 2003. On 7th November, Annie Mawson went off to play her harp in the Painted Hall at Greenwich Palace. A few days later, it was announced that her Sunbeams Trust had secured a further £300,000.00 of core funding, from the Lotteries Community Fund, to enable her to carry on her admirable work, with disabled people, of all ages, for a further three years. In the same month, the BHCT were invited to submit applications for the First European Union Architectural Heritage Award and for the Cumbria Rural Architecture Award. We believe we may have passed the preliminary selection in Europe. The Jury sits in February 2003. EVENTS On Easter Sunday, 31st March, Eden Animal Rescue organised a well attended Eggstravaganza opened by the Rt Hon David Maclean MP. On 5th May, Radio 4 transmitted a Jubilee broadcast from St Wilfred’s Chapel, Brougham, conducted by Dr Ian Brady, reader in practical theology
at the University of St Andrews. Dr Brady has just published his 26th book, entitled “God save the Queen” - a spiritual dimension of monarchy. Dr Brady chose Brougham because, as the Saxon Chronicles tell us, the United Kingdom was founded on 12th July 927AD and Christianity was adopted as the established religion, immediately to the west of the Hall, in the Treaty of Eamont Bridge, which established King Athelstan as Rex Totius Britanniae.
During the service, Dr Brady explained the significance of this treaty. The choir of Carlisle Cathedral and Annie and Rachel Mawson sang beautifully. The whole proceedings were directed by Steven Shipley, head of BBC Religious Broadcasting, who has had a particularly busy year, with the Jubilee and two royal funerals. On 22nd May,
we entertained the Morcombe Ramblers and the Penrith Mothers Union. On 3rd June, we had six or seven cloudless hours, in a fortnight of continuous rain, during which we enjoyed a splendid Jubilee barbeque, for eighty people, laid on by James and Wendy Darlow. The 18th August was car owner’s day. While the SAAB Owners Club was visiting Brougham Hall, Christies were auctioning the forth Lord Brougham’s eight litre Bentley, in California, for $575,000 (the car cost £1,850.00 in 1931 but was withdrawn from auction). During August,
Simon Jenkins, senior correspondent of “The Times” visited Brougham, while researching his new book on country houses. After his visit he sent us a highly complimentary letter, calling the BHCT the “Saints” of restoration. On 29th August, Peter Brougham Wyly turned up with a photograph, taken in about 1859, of Margaret Lyndesay
Brougham (1855-1942). On a lovely evening, on 2nd September, the Eden Youth Work Partnership staged their formal opening, in a marquee, with barbeque, attended by youth workers, the Police and Eden and Cumbria Councillors. Between 6th and 9th September, we enjoyed a visit from our Patron, the Rt. Hon Lord Brougham and Vaux CBE. On 7th September Elena Bain was married to her soldier husband, whose fellow servicemen provided a traditional guard of honour. The following week, Vanessa, daughter of Ken and
Edna Sharp, was also married in what might be described as a textbook wedding. Ken is the local churchwarden and had planned everything to the last detail. On 15th October, James Cropper FCA, the Lord Lieutenant, paid a short private visit to Brougham. On 19th October, Jasmine Darlow celebrated her 11th birthday party at Brougham. On Saturday and Sunday 26th/27th October Sue Terry, the widow of the late Tony Terry, a founder Trustee of the BHCT, arrived all the way from Perth, Western Australia. Sue was last here, with
Tony, in 1996. On 17th November, we hosted a very interesting historical society, known as the Keswick Flock. Among their number were a Mr and Mrs Shepherd who live in John Brougham’s house in Cockermouth. A few days later, the Shepherd’s returned, armed with the original title deeds. On the weekend on 23rd/24th November, all the tenants clubbed together to stage the second annual Brougham Christmas Craft Fayre, which was held in two marquees and a yurt. Excellent weather ensured a good turn out on both days.
THANKS In a year of such outstanding progress, there are a lot of people to thank. There were four essential ingredients to our project: cash, materials, labour and intellect. Let us take them in that order. Cash The Trustees are deeply indebted to the following for cash donations during the year. Kerry Brougham (Kerry is the Vice Consul in the US Embassy in Tunis) Christopher Brougham Richard Boddy FCA Mrs Sandra Buck Doug Chappels Contd./… Field Marshal Sir John Chapple GCB,CBE,DL Drummonds Bank (3rd year in succession) Dr A W Galer, of Tasmania (2nd year in succession) The Gladstone Trust Miss Stephanie Lawton Mr and Mrs John Livsey P B Wyly MIIE The Trustees would be highly delighted if other people would care to join this august group of cash givers because, without cash, we can do nothing. Materials Our thanks go to Askins & Little for miscellaneous building materials. On 20th June, Ray and Beryl Chappels gave us a useful selection of tools and a large John Deere mower. Doug and Elaine Chappels gave us a gas heater. For the umpteenth year running, Paul Grundy, who is engaged on the restoration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York, has taken time to teach our staff, help install a huge fireplace, give advice and to be incredibly generous with carved and uncarved stone. On 30th October, Ray Hancock, a sidesman at Carlisle Cathedral, and an authority on the Brougham tryptyche, generously gave us a number of colour photographs and a great deal of archive material, which was hitherto unknown, on the fascinating subject of the Brougham tryptyche. Don Mawdsley was forever turning up with material from his personal Aladdin’s Cave. Don’s wife, Yolanda, gave us a lovely watercolour which she’d painted and framed, as a raffle prize for our Fayre. Syd Monk gave us some useful limestone sub base. Ken and Edna Sharp gave us a large St George’s flag, which we fly proudly all the time. Labour First prize has to go to Don Mawdsley, who has the mental and physical agility of a man half his years and an impish sense of humour to go with it. Don strongly believes that life begins at 80 and, if he takes care when operating more than 40’ above ground level, he may soon get there. Don has worked most days this year at Brougham. He has also made it a bit of a family affair with Kevin and Billy Tanner and Mike Jackson, all of whom are related and all of whom have done great things. Second prize, hot on the heels of Don, goes to Connie Kingston, who will try her best with anything, except when it’s hot. Connie is a heliophobe. We are so lucky that she chose to look after our garden rather than one of the other beautiful gardens in Cumbria. Connie is a true volunteer. She won’t take a penny piece for any of her work and spoils us from time to time with little gifts such as plants and cookies. Mike Jackson introduced Jim Lockhart to our little family. This popular man has won a great deal of respect with his hard work and his intelligent, modest and meticulous approach to everything he does. Wendy and James Darlow have once again contributed well beyond the call of duty, clearing the woodland walk, organising the Jubilee barbeque, providing prizes for the Christmas raffle etc. It is all done with their own money, equipment and materials and they never ask for anything in return. Our thanks also go to Jeremy Stamper for delivering a large amount of stone, from Lazonby Quarry, without charge. This year we must not forget the children who seem to have founded a junior
Supporters’ Club of their own. Nathan Darlow helped his father in the woods and cut the grass, which was rather like painting the Forth Bridge, in this particular year, which was one of the wettest on record and the warmest, by a clear degree Celsius, since records began 143 years ago.
(Average 16C; 61F). Jonathan Terry Jnr also did a lot of grass cutting. Jasmine Darlow and Harriet Palmer provided a medley of Christmas carols, on recorder and clarinet, for our Christmas fayre and Jasmine, Harriet and little William Palmer worked extraordinarily hard selling raffle tickets, very successfully. Thank you all. Intellect Intellectual assistance is as important as any other because, without a plan, one gets absolutely nowhere. In this regard, we are particularly grateful to Michael Berry OBE, FCA, one of our senior Trustees, who is unstinting with his wise advice whenever it is called upon. Over and over again, Jon Boston gives his great PR mind to furthering the interests of the Hall and its tenants. He manages to fit this into a very busy work schedule and has generously excused all fees. He was particularly helpful, with the submission to the European Union and to the Cumbria Rural Architectural Award. Another person who is always coming up with clever and constructive ideas, which she willingly shares with us, is Elaine Griffiths, who must be unique in the Country since she has her own World Heritage site in Manchester (a Pugin Monastery in Gorton) and has just procured £3.6m of core funding with which to restore it. Nearer home, Michael Lawson-Johnson provides invaluable support and advice to Sunbeams and to the BHCT, all the time. It is very much hoped that, in the New Year, Stephen Lane, who has had a hand in all of Sunbeams’ £564,000 worth
of Lottery Funding, will be able to apply his mind to a plan for the future for the BHCT. To this end, we have applied to Awards for All, for funding to defray Stephen’s costs. Julia Churchill is now firmly established as the Trust’s new secretary. She has been doing this job now for well over a year, since Clare’s tragic
death and we would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all the work that she does for us with such a good grace. She has been known to burn the midnight oil to achieve tight deadlines and in so doing has also gone beyond the call of duty. Our thanks also go to Mrs Potter who is congratulated every year, by the Independent
Verifier, for having got our accounts penny perfect and in a very neat and intelligible format. THE OKTOBER PROTEST
For seventeen years, the Trust has cultivated close and friendly relations with the local residents. That fact was evident as recently as June 3rd, when 80 locals attended a Jubilee barbeque in the Hall. Shortly thereafter, all the good will evaporated instantly and an iron curtain came down between the Hall and its neighbours over the question of the Microbrewery. We bought this situation upon ourselves by a total lack of PR. We should have mounted a charm offensive, inviting the locals in to see what we were doing and giving them a few samples. They would then have gone away happy or even very happy. As it was, the locals commandeered the Chapel, as if it were a Temperance Hall, for a protest meeting and lobbied every public authority from the Police to the Health and Safety Executive. This well co-ordinated expression of local democracy was tarnished by opportunistic vandalism aimed at our drains, flags, notice boards and mowers. In our view, this hysteria was born of crass ignorance. Real ale is as far removed from larger (and louts) in brewing terms as Beethoven is from Gary Glitter in musical terms. The fault for failing to educate our neighbours is ours not theirs, and has given us a great deal of extra work with six public authorities. Elderly residents of Penrith will remember a similar campaign against the Rugby Club. On that occasion, the bungalow dwellers of Winters Park, who thought they’d bought an exclusive view of Skiddaw, found that, on a Saturday afternoon in winter, the middle distance was taken up by 30 barbarians wrestling in mud.
Feelings ran high and one Penrith solicitor was found, under cover of darkness, scattering buckets of broken glass on the playing area; an effective deterrent. Middle-aged residents of Penrith will remember the campaign against the Brougham Smokehouse, in 1987. The Cumberland and Westmorland Herald, of 20th June that year, reminds us
that ten of the fourteen houses in Brougham Avenue, the entire Parish Council and the local Eden District Councillor all stated that the Smokehouse would smell, attract vermin, reduce the value of their houses and go bankrupt in weeks.
It was inappropriate to the area and should be moved elsewhere. In the fifteen intervening years, the value of the Avenue has tripled, no vermin or nasty smells have been reported, the Smokehouse has flourished and the local residents have patronised it as enthusiastically as have Fortnum and Masons, Harrods, Conrans, the Connaught and Downing Street. On 24th/25th October, our bronze sanctuary doorknocker was badly damaged during a failed attempt to steal it. Loutishness; it seems, is not the exclusive preserve of the beer drinker, and is not necessarily imported from any great distance. WEBSITE
The BHCT is grateful to Dave Gaskell for constantly maintaining and updating our website on; www.broughamhall.co.uk This year, for the first time ever, we are saving postage on our overseas Christmas cards, by putting this entire
annual report on to our website. Anyone wanting to read it, or wishing to have an extra copy, should click on to “Annual Report 2001/2”. VICTOR THE VOLVO
This car has now done 255,000 miles in the service of the BHCT and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust. It has passed its MOT and is good for another year. Like its driver, its heart is sound but the bodywork is becoming a trifle distressed. BOOKS
We still have limited stocks of Mark Thomas’s hardback “A History of Brougham Hall and Highhead Castle” @ £30 plus £2.50 p&p; and Ben Furnival’s “Windsor of the North” @ £9 plus £1.50 p&p. Cheques should be made payable to the Brougham Hall Charitable Trust, and sent to Brougham Hall, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2DE. Please Click here to purchase books online |
