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Annual Report May 2011 Vol 41 No. 2
The view of St. Paul’s from Parliament Hill destroyed photo: Miki Yamanouchi
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Destruction of a three-century-old view
Page
Destruction of a three-century-old view . . . . . . . . 1
Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Tony Hillier
Elections to the General Committee 2010 . . . . . . . 6
Annual General Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Treasurer’s report for 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Maureen Clark-Darby
Heath Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Tony Ghilchik
Flood Management works for Heath ponds . . . . . 11
Town Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Frank Harding
Planning Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Douglas Maxwell
Hampstead street tree pollards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Vicki Harding
Project Parakeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mike Doherty
Keats love letter returns to Keats House . . . . . . 23
Bulletin Board:
Festivals, Films & Heath Walks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Contents
Our front page photograph shows how theShard, rising on London Bridge Street, hasdramatically compromised views of London'sgreatest landmark, St Paul's Cathedral, fromParliament Hill. It is one of six viewssupposedly protected by statute but thebuilding was enthusiastically supported by Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor.
The excuse for introducing tall buildings in thecentre of London was the proviso that they aresited at major transport nodes. The thengovernment was warned by English Heritageabout the “unequivocal, major and detrimentalimpact” it would have on protected views andintrusion on two World Heritage sites, the Towerof London and Palace of Westminster, but it wasapproved by John Prescott after a public inquiry.Martin Stancliffe, Surveyor to the Fabric of StPaul's Cathedral, said: “We raised our concernsabout the effect of the scale of the Shard on StPaul's in this iconic view at the public inquirybut our objection was over-ruled.”
With several more towers to come, Londonerswill soon see the extent of the betrayal by thepoliticians tasked with preserving our heritage.As our patron Sir Simon Jenkins wrote last year:“The rules governing city views and open spacesare meant to apply to everyone, not just thosewho cannot afford fancy architects and lawyers.Allow any exception and a planning rule isdefunct. One blot spoils the picture. A new ruleis thus established, that there is no rule”.
The Shard has indeed established a new rulewhich will set the precedent for furtherbreaches until there is nothing left. A cityscapeheld dear by millions is being destroyed.
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by Tony Hillier
Annual Report for the year 2010 - 2011
How Big is our Society?In preparing this year’s annual report I have beenpuzzling how, if at all, we fit into the Big Societydebate about the right and wrong mix of ways tocontribute to community well-being. The answeris that we don’t quite fit any of the stereotypes.The unspoken emphasis is that the debate isprimarily about the well-being of people. TheHeath and Hampstead Society’s concerns are for theprotection and improvement of local amenitiesand by this we mean spaces, buildings, andabstract ideas about how best to enjoy them.While amenity is not excluded from the debate,we haven’t yet followed the example from theRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead,which apparently now looks to platoons ofresidents to pick up street litter.
A second distinction concerns money. Unlikesome local charities which contribute topeople’s welfare, our income is entirelyindependent of state grants or contracts,whether central or local, and this leaves uscrucially free to criticise. This financialdistinction is, however, not so clear-cut whenwe consider how in fact we spend much of ourenergies, and where the majority of the fundingfor carrying out the improvements toHampstead and the Heath comes from. Theyare mostly funded out of “public” budgets.
Influencing How Public Money is spent onLocal AmenitiesA crucial part of the Heath Committee’s work isto influence how the City spends itsconsiderable annual budget to preserve thewild and natural state of the Heath. Our inputis especially important in the current financialyear when 10% cuts have been approved. Wehave contributed to the details of the 10-yearManagement Work Plans so far published for
the Upper Vale of Health, the Viaduct Pond,Seven Sisters ponds on the Extension, Tumulusfields and Springett Wood. It is of course animportant distinction that funds used by theCity on the Heath are “private”, in the sensethat they are charitable assets managed byelected officials from the square mile withneither party political affiliation norDepartmental budget control.
Town Committee successesThe Town Committee succeeded this lastsummer, after many years of lobbying, ininfluencing the City, Camden, English Heritageand TfL to apply their various budgets to suchwonderful effect in the restoration ofWhitestone Pond and its surround. We wishthem the same success in their even longerstanding efforts to work with Barnet andCamden Councils to restore the Toll Houseopposite the Spaniards Inn.
A quicker result was achieved in havingCamden set up the attractive new sign postsdirecting visitors around Hampstead.
The Town Committee continues to work withCamden, schools and residents on the stillchallenging problems of the school run.
The local Group known as Hampstead 2020,who are independent of the Society and whomwe support, continue to work hard to persuadeTfL to fund dramatic improvements to thestreetscape and pedestrian amenity in thecentre of Hampstead.
LibrariesThe above are all examples of very friendly co-operation with the relevant authorities. This is notso with proposed library service cuts and closures.The Society has sent a detailed formalchallenge to the Executive Member for Culture
questioning the lawfulness of the Cabinetdecision in December 2010 on which theLibrary Consultation is based. In summary weargue that it was and is irrational to fixdisproportionate cuts this year amounting to£1.6mn over 2012-4 (cumulatively £2mn), whencentral Government has made it clear that noreliable forecast over the three financial years to2015 can be made in respect of over 80% ofrevenue (grants and Council tax) for theCamden’s Annual General Fund expenditure,which is currently at £868mn. We were alsogranted a deputation to speak at the SpecialCabinet Meeting on 27 April calling for a drasticrethink to keep all libraries open by makingCamden’s service at least measure up to theefficiencies of best practice in other Boroughs.
Direct Amenity FundingObviously the resources at our disposal toimprove local amenities are much more limited.We can however be proud of the benefit thatthe Society’s Hampstead Card scheme, managedby Ann Eastman, has had in the High Street andHeath Street in softening the impact of thegeneral downturn in retail trade, which has hitharder in so many other areas of London. Weurge members to continue to show support forlocal independent traders and service providersby shopping locally and using your HampsteadCard.
Protecting our Built EnvironmentThis is primarily the work of the Society’s PlanningCommittee. It has two strands: trying to thwartor amend what we consider to be damagingdevelopments; and influencing the policies andpractices adopted by Camden in exercising itsduties as the local planning authority. In both theseareas we have been extremely active in tryingto control basement activity.
The Local Development FrameworkIn November 2010 Camden adopted new localplanning policies known as the LocalDevelopment Framework. This contains twodevelopment policies known as DP 27 and DP23, which give local residents important newprotections against unacceptable damage fromexcavation by developers. On April 6 2011Camden adopted Special Planning Guidanceapplicable to basements and light wells, whichincorporates the important technical guidelinesprepared for Camden by Arup. This sets out thedetailed technical data and assessmentprocedures which developers must present toCamden to enable an informed decision to bemade whether or not to grant permission safely.
With the hugely generous financial support fromMembers to the Basement Appeal, we havebeen able to ensure that those new policies arethe most neighbour-friendly in the country.However, the rather obscure geotechnical andstructural engineering knowledge needed tointerpret correctly the impact basements mayhave on neighbouring properties and localflooding risks means that progress still needs tobe made in enabling Camden officers to applythese excellent policies correctly. Bad decisionsare still being made.
Gordon Maclean, with support from theCommittee, reviews and where necessarychallenges the 40-50 applications submitted permonth to Camden in NW3. Where acontroversial decision goes before theDevelopment Control Committee, we oftencombine forces with immediate residents to tryto persuade Councillors in a spoken deputationto follow our advice; this is more often than notasking them to vote against the planningofficer’s recommendation. The third leg can be
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The decision, announced while I was writingthis report, has been we are pleased to say inour favour. We wait to see if an appeal islodged. All those who worked so hard toprepare the Society’s case are to becongratulated on this result. Thanks are alsodue to the many Society members who tookthe trouble to write in with letters of objection.
A number of other potentially damagingbasement applications have come forward andbeen sent back for further impact assessment tobe carried out. Regrettably some very damagingexcavations have been allowed to go aheadand neighbours have suffered grievously. Theonly good that comes from the latter is that ourstructural engineering adviser has preparedcogently-argued case histories on three of themost extreme cases, to support the case wemake to Camden for policy changes.
Preventing Public NuisanceIn recent years the Society has been able toassist groups of residents to resist late nightopening for alcohol sales. We did this by usingthe considerable opportunities created underthe Licensing Act 2003 for residents to clubtogether to produce the evidence to persuadeCamden’s Licensing Panels to refuse openingduring anti-social hours. The message hasgenerally registered with intending owners andmanagers of licensed premises in Hampstead.We value genuine traditional local pubs,although many across the country have beenforced to close by the changing economics ofdrinking. We hope for example that the Dukeof Hamilton can remain open. We recentlyworked with local residents to obtain importantchanges to the licence conditions sought bynew owners of premises at the top of PondStreet, which have been re-opened with an
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to join Camden in defending an Appeal, wherewe obtained a favourable decision, but wherethe developer has appealed.
There are two notable examples of the latter.Athlone House and 9 Downshire Hill were bothcases where we, as Rule 6 Parties at a PublicEnquiry, supported Camden, and in the case ofAthlone House, the City of London as well, todefend their decisions. We felt these involvedcrucial issues of policy principle and theprotection of an important landmark and astreet with 48 listed buildings respectively.
Downshire Hill While the Inspector allowed the Downshire Hilldeveloper to proceed, the challenges we hadmounted during a three-year campaign ensuredthat the risks of serious neighbour damage hadbeen significantly reduced and the hurdle levelof technical assessment needed to get approvalwas significantly raised for the benefit of thewider community. This precedent was helpfulin persuading Camden to add neighbour-protecting conditions to the approval eventuallygiven to South Hampstead School for itsunderground sports hall.
Athlone HouseFor Athlone House we joined forces with theHighgate Society. The issues were in part toprevent the unwarranted destruction of theexisting Victorian, slightly eccentric countrymansion so well settled as part of the viewfrom the Heath, and its replacement by a“bombastic Xanadu”, the words of our patronSir Simon Jenkins in the Evening Standard. Inpart we were keen to reinforce the importantjudgement protecting private MetropolitanOpen Land against erosion by “salami cuts”,which the Society established in the Court ofAppeal over the Garden House.
Annual Report for the year 2010 - 2011 (cont)
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Promoting an Appreciation of Hampsteadand its HistoryThe Heath Committee organised a particularlysuccessful and high quality Springett Lecturegiven this year by Professor Oliver Rackhamanalysing the historic impact of becoming whathe called an urban island on the ecology of theHeath. We held this in the Rosslyn Hill Chapel.It was an excellent promotional event for theSociety appreciated by an audience of over 200.
The Town Committee has obtained houseowners’ agreement for us to install Hampsteadplaques to commemorate Sir David Low andDaphne du Maurier.
In addition to our very popular Heath Walks,the Town Committee has now launched twonew programmes: one will take visitors andmembers around the houses with our andEnglish Heritage plaques commemoratingdistinguished earlier occupants; the other hasstarted with a two part-walk to trace the routeof the Fleet River from its source on the Heathdown to the Thames, particularly timely in viewof the current discussion of flood dams at theHeath ponds. (see page 11)
People We have invited Stephen Taylor to join theGeneral Committee. His name will go forwardfor election at the AGM. Stephen has donesterling work in organising the residents on theParliament Hill spur to form an RA group calledHillsiders. He has been a member of our WebCommittee since it was formed and is highlyvalued on that for his technical skills.
The Society AGMNotice of our AGM on June 27th at HampsteadTown Hall is given on page 7. I look forwardto seeing many of you there.
attractive new formula, but which still neededthoughtful controls to make life bearable forclose neighbours.
Lines of Collective CommunicationIn all these activities the Society must be “big”in its communication skills, both listening andputting across a thorough understanding of thelegal and technical knowledge needed. Weneed this to punch above our weight and to bereceptive to current opinions both among andoutside our membership. It also helps to havethe right friends.
Wider representationsWe have joined the Civic Voice, which hasreplaced the defunct Civic Trust as the nationalvoice of civic societies like ours, to lobbycentral government. They have a powerful teamheaded by Tony Burton, who will be our guestspeaker at the AGM. We are delighted thatHelen Marcus became a Trustee.
We remain enthusiastic members of the LondonForum, which does a remarkable job of lobbyingthe GLA on behalf of around 130 Londonamenity societies. Again Helen is a member oftheir executive committee and news editor.
We held our second annual get-together atBurgh House with representatives of localresidents’ associations and trade bodies. Manyof our fifty or so active committee members areof course also members of their local RAs, buttaking time to sit together and talk throughshared issues, problems and solutions on aregular basis is agreed by all to be useful.
Camden Councillors now hold local areaforums covering sets of Wards and attended byCamden officers with expertise on topics on theagenda. These help them to maintain aconstructive dialogue with us their constituents.
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Officers
The following are candidates for electionhaving been duly proposed and seconded.
President: Lord Hoffmann
Vice Presidents: Martin HumpheryHelen Marcus
Chairman: Tony Hillier
Vice Chairmen Tony Ghilchik
Frank Harding
Douglas Maxwell
Hon Treasurer: Maureen Clark-DarbyHon Secretary: Marc Hutchinson
Representatives on other bodies:
The City of London Hampstead HeathManagement Committee: Tony Ghilchik
The City of London Hampstead HeathConsultative Committee: Jeremy Wright
General Committee MembersFrankie de Freitas, Tony Ghilchik, FrankHarding, Robert Linger, Douglas Maxwell,Nigel Steward, and John Weston continue theterms for which they were elected.
Marc Hutchinson has kindly agreed to put hisname forward for election as Hon Secretary.
Elections to the General Committee 2011
The following have been nominated:
Janine Griffis
Having retired in 2009 Janine now offersherself for election having been proposed andseconded.
Stephen Taylor
Stephen Taylor is a computer programmer.Born in 1952, he first came to Hampstead in1970, to study at Westfield College. He hassince lived and worked in Switzerland,Denmark, Australia, Korea and the UnitedStates. In 2001 he returned and settled inHampstead.
Stephen is the editor of his professionalassociation's journal, and the Heath &Hampstead Society’s webmaster. In 2009 hewas the London venue manager for theConvention on Modern Liberty. He is a keenwalker and cyclist.
He and his partner Miki Yamanouchi areactive members of their street association,South Hillsiders, and of the local TransitionTown movement.
Note to members Any other nominations for election as officersor committee members should be notified tothe Hon Secretary in writing not later than 7June.
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Annual General Meeting 2011
Please join us for our
Annual General Meeting and
Reception
Hampstead Town Hall
Monday 27 June 2011
7.00 Wine and light refreshments will be served. Committee members will be on hand to talk about their work.
Come and learn more about the Society’s activities over the past year.
7.30 Annual General Meeting and Elections of President, Officers and Members of the General Committee.
Following the business part of the meeting
the Guest speaker will be
Tony Burton
Geographer, town planner, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Director of
Civic Voice
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Treasurer’s report for 2010
The Society is pleased to present its FinancialReports for 2010.
The loss for the year ended 31 December 2010is £459 (2009: loss £8,373). In 2010 we have apaper profit of £235 on our investment. There istherefore a total loss of for the year of £224.
Membership is down by 9% in 2010 and oursubscription income is down year on year 2010:£18,430 (2009: £19,620). General donations areup in 2010 £3,128 (2009: £886). Interest incomeis also down year on year £644 (2009: £1,359)
During 2010 the Society conducted an appeal tochallenge a series of planning applications andappeals for basement excavations in theHampstead area. This appeal raised fundsduring the year of £33,720, which attracted£7,752 Gift Aid. This gives a total fund for theyear of £41,472.
The total legal, geology and other costsincluding the 9 Downshire Hill Public EnquiryPlanning Appeal for which The Heath &Hampstead Society agreed to pay 50% of thecosts, the balance being met by local residents,was £43,081 for the year.
The Society’s running costs have slightlyreduced in the year £22,732 (2009: £22,740).
In 2010 the Society will continue its work toincrease membership and subscription income.
The Trustees believe that the Society’s capitaland reserves are satisfactory at £75,910.
The Society wishes to thank Mr. Neville Pollard,Mr Vic Dimitri and Mr. Robert Ward of FisherPhillips, Chartered Accountants, for carrying outthe Independent Examination of the Accounts.
by Maureen Clark-Darby
We are delighted that Tony Burton, the Directorof Civic Voice, the new national charity for thecivic movement, is to be our guest speaker atthis year’s AGM.
Tony is a geographer, town planner and anHonorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of BritishArchitects. He worked for the Campaign toProtect Rural England for 13 years, becomingDeputy Director, and then moved to theNational Trust as Executive Board memberresponsible for Strategy and External Affairs
He has a strong track record in nationalcampaigning and lobbying with over 20 yearsexperience in voluntary conservation andenvironmental organisations, and communitycampaigning. Tony has been Chair of Wildlife
and Countryside Link and a founder trustee ofHeritage Link – the two main voluntary sectorliaison bodies – and was a member of RichardRogers’s Urban Task Force. Tony is a memberof the Government’s Planning Sounding Board.
Civic Voice lobbies Government and influencesParliament on changes to the law and policywhich shape decisions. Its high profile on thenational stage raises awareness of the civicmovement for the benefit of everyone. ItsPresident is Griff Rhys Jones.
Civic Voice is organising a week of eventsstarting with Civic Day on 25 June 2011 for civicsocieties across the country to showcase theirwork. The Heath & Hampstead Society AGMon June 27th will be part of this.
Tony Burton of Civic Voice - AGM guest speaker
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Heath Report
Flood defences on the HeathAfter what was probably the driest March sincerecords began, and early glorious weather inApril, it seems strange that one of the keyconcerns at the moment is the need tostrengthen the dams on the Heath Ponds.
Our weather pattern is getting more variableand we do not want a local disaster. But wealso remember the excessive fuss made aboutthe ‘Millennium Bug’ which reminds me of theperson on a train who kept jumping up andthrowing bits of paper out of the window tokeep the wild elephants away. When told therewere no wild elephants rampaging around theEnglish countryside, his response was: ‘effectiveisn’t it’.
The City are under legal constraints to takeaction to improve Flood Risk Management onthe Heath Ponds and Dams. It is important thatwe help probe the issues involved with an openmind. Unfortunately at the moment there issome uncertainty surrounding the proposedaction. On page 11 we give a summary of theissues so far as we know them.
Hedge management at Parliament HillThe City has been steadily working away overthe last year or two on hedge managementaround the Parliament Hill area. They have laida lot of scrub, particularly on the islands abovethe bandstand, and have staked some out asproper hedges. Of particular note are those onthe east side of the First Hedge, from halfwayup Parliament Hill and running down to theHighgate ponds, and also at the eastern end ofthe Third Hedge, near the cycle path. Theseare really thick now, bursting into blossom, andgiving a real country feel.
Champion Wild Service TreeLast year I reported on wild service trees on theHeath. We are delighted to hear that a WildService tree on the West Heath has beendeclared the Champion Wild Service Tree of theBritish Isles.
Budget problems and prioritiesThe cost of managing the Heath comes mostlyfrom the charitable funds the City hasaccumulated over the centuries (the incomefrom the original endowment now covers lessthan a quarter of the net cost) and which is usedfor many other public benefits including otheropen spaces, such as Epping Forest andBurnham Beeches, and the Barbican Centre.Income from these funds has fallen over the pastfew years so the other key issue for the Heath isthe need to achieve a 10% reduction in costs.
Michael Welbank, Chairman of the City ofLondon Corporation’s Hampstead HeathManagement Committee (and a former memberof our Heath Sub-Committee) and Simon Lee,Supervisor of Hampstead Heath, came to hearour priorities for managing the Heath and tolisten to our views on where savings might bestbe achieved – we emphasised the importance ofmaintaining the wild and natural aspect of theHeath, and of increasing income wherepossible, e.g. by increasing the size of the EastHeath Car Park.
They have had similar meetings with manyother local groups and ended up with fourcriteria for developing the proposals, namely:income generation; reversibility; the level ofsubsidy provided, and whether there waspotential for self-help/shared services. The Cityis also seeking external funding to cover theeducational and biodiversity elements of theirannual plans for the Heath.
by Tony Ghilchik
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Heath Report (cont)
Cycling and improving safetyThe search for acceptable improvements to theHighgate Road entrance to the Heath is on holddue to the need for budget cuts and the higherpriority of reinforcing the dams to preventflooding, but the final elements of theGreenways funded work to improve safety onthe existing pedestrian and cycling share routeshas started. This includes two chicanes on theroute from the Viaduct Path across to theHighgate Ponds, and the design for a temporarytrial speed hump/chicane, made frompreformed rubber, has been agreed. If thisdesign proves effective, the trial hump will bereplaced with a more rustic permanent version,a second hump built, plus another three on theViaduct Path.
Camden has erected ‘no cycling’ signs on thesouth ramp of the Savernake Road Bridge, andthe City are now designing a suitable cyclebarrier for the north ramp so that the short pathbelow it can safely become shared use, linkingwith the main shared use path betweenNassington and Highgate Roads. However,there is no funding for anything other than veryminor future changes to the shared routes.
Northern Height Circuit WalksOn the Highgate Society’s website -www.highgatesociety.com - are the excellentNorthern Height Circuit Walks which they haverecently developed, with some input from uson the Heath sections, to encourage morepeople to visit Highgate and the Heath. Thefive walks make a circuit from Highgate Villageto Parliament Hill Fields; on to South EndGreen; up to Golders Hill Park; on to KenwoodHouse, and back to Highgate Village. The fullcircuit of all five walks cover nine miles withover 220 points of interest giving equal balance
to distinguished people, distinctive buildings,the natural environment and social history.Many people know their own corner of theHeath and it is hoped that these walks willencourage them to visit parts of the Heath andits borders that they don’t normally go to, andwould be a useful guide for new visitors.
The Zoo at Golders Hill The Zoo at Golders Hill Park is especially wellloved by young children and they can nowadopt an animal, any one of six species from£20 for a White Faced Whistling Duck to £50for a Ring Tailed Lemur or for a Donkey, andreceive a thank-you pack and certificate, aphotograph of their animal and a fact sheetabout it – an ideal gift for a grandchild. TheZoo was created in 1905 and today plays aneducative role in the interpretation of theecology. It is registered with BIAZA (the Britishand Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums)and is free for all visitors to enjoy. Full detailsand an application are on the City website at:www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/goldershillpark
Members' Email addresses
If you have email, please email your nameand street address to the Society at:
This will enable us to update ourMembership Records and simplify our
communications with you.
Thank you.
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Following the Chairman’s Report in our Januaryedition and recent press publicity, members ofthe Society will be aware of proposalsannounced by the City of London for a projectof major engineering works to be carried out onHeath ponds in the next four years. The projectis to ensure that the retaining structures of thelarger ponds are adequate to prevent possiblefatalities from flooding in the event ofexceptionally heavy rain.
Your Committee had hoped to report to you inmore detail in this Newsletter on these proposalsand the reasons for them. We are not, in fact, ina position to do so at the time of going to print,not least because of genuine uncertainty over thestatus of the applicable legislation and the presentunavailability of essential technical detail. Thefacts such as we know them to be are as follows.
Historical backgroundThe Hampstead and Highgate Ponds are artificialman-made reservoirs created in the seventeenthcentury. Against a background of growingproblems surrounding water supply in London,the City Corporation first obtained an Act ofParliament in 1543 - the London Conduit Act -giving them the necessary powers to tap springsoutside the City. However it was another 100years before the springs on the Heath weredeveloped further. In 1692 the Corporation leasedthem to William Paterson and his partners whoformed the Society of Hampstead Aqueducts, laterknown as the Hampstead Water Company.
Two sources of the Fleet River were dammed:the Hampstead brook which rises in the westnear the Vale of Health gave rise to theHampstead Ponds. On the Kenwood side theyacquired Millfield Farm below Parliament Hill ona long lease and made three of the six HighgatePonds by damming the Highgate brook, the
eastern stream, which rises near Kenwood. Thetwo streams merge north of Camden Town toform the Fleet river which joins the Thames atBlackfriars. The only sections which can still beseen above ground today are those on theHeath. The Vale of Health Pond was added in1777. The Hampstead Water Company wastaken over by the New River Company in 1859.
The reservoir legislationSafety legislation for reservoirs was introducedin 1930, after various breaches that resulted inloss of life in other parts of the country.
A new Reservoirs Act was passed in 1975specifying a safety regime for any reservoir witha capacity of over 25,000 cubic metres abovenatural ground level. Only three of the Heathponds are in this category: Hampstead No 1(29,000) Highgate No 2 (36,000), and HighgateNo 3 (46,000). The 1975 Act was amended bythe Water Act 2003 and in 2009 an EU FloodsDirective was introduced requiring PreliminaryFlood Risk Assessments and identification ofFlood Risk Areas.
Following the severe floods in Boscastle,Cornwall in 2004 and in many other areas of theUK in 2007, an urgent review was commissionedas a result of which new legislation, the Floodand Water Management Act 2010, was drawnup. It introduces new arrangements for reservoirsafety based on risk rather than the size of thereservoir. For the first time individual reservoirswith a capacity between 10,000 and 25,000 cubicmetres, and all ponds in a chain with a combinedvolume greater than 10,000 cubic meters will bebrought within the scope of the Reservoir Act1975. All ponds in both the Hampstead andHighgate chains will therefore come under thisAct. In particular it aims to reduce the floodrisk associated with extreme weather.
Flood Management works for Heath ponds
This article has been compiled by the Editor in consultation with the Chairmanand Heath Sub-Committee members
12
Flood Management works for Heath ponds (cont)
An independent ‘Panel Engineer’ has to beappointed (from a panel nominated by theSecretary of State) with powers to ensure thatall necessary work is carried out within areasonable timescale.
Factors that have to be taken into account onthe Heath include compaction due to heavyfootfall by the millions of visitors. This meansthat heavy rainfall cannot be absorbed by theground quickly enough and run-off may be sofast that the ponds overflow. It is thought thatcompacted areas, including the footpaths andeven some "wild and natural" areas, now coverabout 40% of the Heath.
Another issue raised by the inspection of dams isthe vegetation growing on them, which includestrees. These could weaken them, especiallyshould trees fall pulling a section of the damaway in the process. Shrubs and other lowvegetation are not a problem, and trees growingbeside and below the dams also help screenthem safely, but not those on them. A start hasbeen made in removing trees, including thoseon the Highgate No. 1 Pond’s dam.
The Highgate chain of ponds is the mostcritical, but the Hampstead chain is also ofconcern, and current proposals include raisingthe height of the dam at Highgate No 4 (BirdSanctuary Pond) by 12 feet.
The DEFRA website states:“Regulatory and other burdens will beproportionate to the risk; where a reservoirdoes not represent a risk to public safety,routine supervision and inspection requirementsunder that Act will not apply”.
“A reservoir which presents no risk to thepublic (even if very large) would be subject tolighter regulation than a smaller reservoir which
does represent such a risk. While somereservoirs will be regulated for the first time,others will benefit from a lighter form ofregulation than they are currently subject to”.
“Ministers will have the power to amend theproposed 10,000 cubic metres threshold figureupwards or downwards in light of the evidenceto be collected as the first stage in theimplementation of the Act as it affects reservoirs”.
However the 2010 Act has not yet come intoforce and awaits a ministerial order to bring itinto effect. There is no certainty as to when thiswill happen; the latest proposed commencementdate in April has passed and previouslyproposed dates have not been followed forreasons which have not been clearly disclosed.
Importance of the Hampstead Heath ActMembers should be assured that the Societytakes the view that any works on the Heathmust be carried out with due regard to therequirements of the 1871 Hampstead Heath Act,including the requirement that the natural aspectof the Heath be preserved. Your Committeewill, in its dealings with the City, act accordingto this governing principle which in theCommittee’s view must guide the decisions ofthe Panel Engineer and hydrologists in designingchanges to the structure of the safety features ofthe ponds. We will report to members as soonas the current uncertainties have been resolved.
More information, including maps, andphotographs can be found at:
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/damsandponds
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thepittreview/interim_report.aspx
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/flooding/legislation/implementation-approach/
13
As I write this report in mid-April, the weatheris beautiful as is Hampstead – blossom on thetrees, spring flowers in the gardens, deep blueskies above. We are indeed fortunate to live inthis part of the world.
Although this report is somewhat shorter thanusual the committee has had much discussionabout plans and preparation for the future.
Heavy goods (and other) vehiclesWe have become increasingly concerned at thenumber and size of heavy vehicles passing throughHampstead which are doing so only to avoid thevolume of traffic on other routes. These vehiclesshake and no doubt damage the old foundationsof the streets and the buildings. We believe thata weight limit should be put on the roadsapproaching the village and the Whitestone Pondin order to reduce the numbers coming throughHampstead, confining them to buses, taxis,emergency vehicles and those requiring accessto houses, flats, shops and offices in the area.
We have spoken to Councillors and hope thatsome progress can be made. Meanwhile,following a discussion with Brian Coleman, GLAmember for Barnet and Camden, he met theChief Executive of National Express who agreedto instruct the company’s coach drivers not topass through Hampstead. Should anyone see aNational Express coach in the village, pleasecontact National Express to report that sighting.
Hampstead artCamden has in its archives a large number ofpaintings, watercolours, prints and oldphotographs of Hampstead and the Heath. Weare proposing that some of these works be puton show at Burgh House and it is possible, ifthe exhibition proves popular, as we think itwill, that we shall organise more than oneshow; the first is scheduled for November 2011.
It is surely appropriate with the coming ofsummer after a cold winter that we have acompanion article on trees in this issue by ourhonorary tree officer, Vicki Harding. Too often,trees are cited as the cause of problems withbuildings or structures that are poorlyunderstood and may have quite different causes.Moreover removing the tree that is the allegedcause of the trouble may actually make thingsworse. There is room here for a greater level ofunderstanding of the actual structural andgeotechnical effects that are at work beforerushing into precipitate complaints or action.
Athlone HouseAs I was writing this report the news came thatthe appeal on Athlone House had beendismissed. The decision document is a long oneand will repay study as we consider what mayfollow. But for now, a great triumph for theAthlone House Working Group and JeremyWright and Martin Humphery of the Society.Congratulations to them all.
I accompanied Jeremy Wright, the inspector andthe appellant’s advisers on the site visit at theconclusion of the inquiry. This was my first visitand I found the house in better condition than Iexpected, with – on the face of it – fewproblems that could not be put right.
Some More Good NewsWe have recently reviewed the first three draftvolumes of the new Camden Planning Guidancewhich accompanies the Local DevelopmentFramework. These are more detailed than thesupplementary guidance they replace, andinclude improved treatment of basements andconstruction management plans.
We have also been encouraged by a well-reasoned refusal by Camden for an applicationin Pilgrims Lane which included a basement.
by Frank Harding
Town Report Planning Reportby Douglas Maxwell
The Localism AgendaWe’ve all heard of it by now, but no-one quiteknows yet what it means for them. The societyhas met with Camden council to explore how itmight apply to the society’s work. One themewhich has started to emerge is that localism isabout facilitating development in rural areas,rather than controlling it in towns and cities. Soperhaps not for Hampstead, then!
The decision was taken with Camden not toseek pathfinder status but to keep the situationunder review as the bill passes through thelegislative process. Since then, the governmenthas announced 17 initial schemes, of whichonly one is in London. We have also looked atone or two individual planning andconservation matters for consideration underthe new powers – when they are enacted.
14
Planning Report (cont)
The refusal included specific reference topolicies on sustainability, water and the impacton adjoining properties and the neighbourhoodgenerally.
This new guidance, and the precedents set bythis and other decisions, will assist us in thefuture when objecting to inappropriate planningapplications. Camden too deserve recognition fortheir significant policy-making work in this area.
BT Telecommunications CabinetsFollowing the appearance of several of thesecabinets on our streets, we have now been ableto obtain some guidance from Camden on theplanning position, thanks to Martin Humpherywho took the matter up with the council. Inessence, the installation of cabinets inconservation areas is subject to a modifiedplanning process under which the council cancontrol or influence the sitingand appearance but not thedevelopment itself.
A few cabinets were installedwithout BT going through thisprocess with the council. Theseare supposed to be removed,including the one illustratedhere, which was erected in frontof a listed house on DownshireHill. Committee member NigelSteward, who is standing next toit, is 5’9” tall.
The Society was recentlycontacted by property journalistMira Bar-Hillel who has taken upthe issue – which has parallels inother conservation areas acrossLondon – and we provided apiece for publication.
15
Membership and PlanningIf you are reading this in the Newsletter you areprobably already a member of the Society, andwe thank you again for your support. If not, wehope you will consider joining. We receive anumber of requests for information from thosewho are not yet members, and hence we arestarting to ask for membership details withenquiries.
Occasionally the Society is asked to advise inspecific cases. Unfortunately this is somethingwe are not able to do, as formal advice is quiteproperly the sole preserve of professionals inthe respective fields; law, surveying, architectureor whatever. We may be able to suggest firmswho can provide such advice, and of course inmost cases they will charge a fee.
We are looking at the possibility of providingfactsheets with information on the morecommonly encountered issues in planning andconservation. If this project goes ahead it willbe announced here, and the factsheets will thenbe available to our members on request.
New Planning Committee MembersWe welcome two newcomers to the planningcommittee. Gesine Junker is an urban designerand planner who works for a firm ofconsultants in central London; Stephen Stark is achartered structural engineer in private practicein Hampstead. The society is very fortunate tohave qualified and experienced people who arewilling and able to help in its work.
The Daily RoundIn the last three months, the planning committeehas reviewed some 125 planning applicationsand objected on the Society’s behalf – that is, onyour behalf – to around 40. These range frommulti-million pound developments to relatively
small proposals which nevertheless have thepotential to harm our conservation area and –this is the important bit – can have a cumulativeeffect just as great as the headline making cases.We are indebted to Gordon Maclean whocontinues to lead on this important work, and toVicki Harding who does the same for treeapplications.
Don’t forget to use
the
Hampstead Card
The current list of businesses taking part in thescheme is enclosed with this Newsletter
and can be found on the Society’s website
www.heathandhampsteadsociety.org.uk
Benefits offered are granted at the traders’ discretion.The Society cannot be held responsible for changes interms or availability of any discounts or offers
A London Forum Event of interest
Tony TraversExpert on local government; Director of the GreaterLondon Group at the London School of Economics;visiting professor at LSE’s Government Department
will speak at a
London Forum Open Meeting
5th July 6.30 pmThe Gallery
70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ
To book a place tel: 020 8450 8864
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by Vicki Harding
At the Society’s Springett Lecture last year, (reportedin our last newsletter), Professor Oliver Rackhamdiscussed historic forms of woodland management,in particular, coppicing. Here Vicki Harding discussesthe history and use of another ancient treemanagement technique with reference to themanagement of street trees.
Many people in Hampstead are concernedabout Camden Council’s practice of regularlyremoving all young growth from the tall treesthat line our streets and avenues. Calledpollarding, this is done on a 2- or 3-yearlycycle. These tall forest trees - the limes, Londonplanes and robinias - are reduced frombeautiful lush green canopies to just barebranches. They look awful when first cut andseveral choice descriptions have been appliedto them: “lavatory brushes”, “stunted amputees”,“skeletons”.
There are reasons for this management practicehowever, and for the moment, we have totolerate this ghastly but temporary andnecessary situation to keep our trees at all.
Historical methods of pollardingPollarding is an ancient tree managementtechnique that starts early in a tree’s life andinvolves two different contexts. Traditionally itinvolved pruning back all branches to the samepoint on a regular basis, once the younggrowing tree had reached the desired height, toform ‘pollard heads’ which store energy. Thispollarding method went out of use at the turnof the last century, resulting in growth from thelapsed pollards maturing into what areessentially trees themselves, growing from theoriginal pollard point atop the existing trunk.
Another method is the regular (annual orbiannual) pruning back of small branches tothe same point forming a ‘pollard head’. This
method of cutting trees occurs annually overmuch of the continent.
As with coppicing, the pollards were used in avariety of ways from livestock feed to fencing,posts, and boat construction. Pruning intervalsfor fodder pollards were 2-6 years; larger woodpollards were pruned at longer intervals of 8-15years.
Pollarded trees (pollards) tend to grow slowly,with narrower growth rings in the yearsimmediately after cutting. They may attain agreater age than normal, because the canopy ismaintained in a partially juvenile state. Beech treesfor example survive up to about 120 years, buta beech pollard can live for 300 years or more.
Pollards have less weight and sail-effect(windage) in the canopy, and older pollardsoften become hollow making them much moreflexible. During the severe storm of 1987 it wasthe mature but younger trees on Hampstead
Hampstead street tree pollards
LapsedHampsteadHeath oak pollard
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Heath that mainly fell. The much older, hollowand more supple pollards with smaller crownssurvived. We still have several hundred veteranpollards that are 300-500+ years old. The oldesttrees are the boundary trees such as those aroundHampstead Gate by the old ‘Saxon ditch’. They goback to medieval times before maps could bedrawn accurately or man-made structures survivefor a significant time, being the most stable andlasting way of marking a spot or boundary.
Pollards are identified by the numerous branches,originating at the same point on the tree in a ‘starburst’. These shoots emerge from dormant buds,the new branches initially held weakly in place asthey grow from under the bark rather than fromwithin the tree. As annual rings are laid down theunion strengthens often forming a thickened basewhere the shoot meets the trunk. Over time anoticeably swollen 'pollard head' forms wherenew shoots spring up each year. Shoots growingfrom pollard heads are removed while the woodis young close to the base of the new growth.
Large tree species in urban areas were oftenplanted by the Victorians due to their pollutiontolerance. With the coming of double-deckerbuses and lorries, tall trees were also requiredadjacent to main roads to provide a tall cleartrunk for their passage. Pollarding preventedthese tall trees outgrowing their allotted space.
Pollarding went out of favour in the 1970s and80s. Street trees formed huge crowns obstructingtelephone wires and streetlights or blockinggutters, and were sometimes damaged bypassing tall traffic, until it was once againaccepted that pollarded trees are a traditionalpart of the townscape.
Subsidence risk and the insurance industryThe Council runs a 3-year cyclical maintenanceprogramme whereby each year one third of itsstreet trees are either re-reduced in size, or receivegeneral maintenance such as removal of lowbranches, pruning back from property and publiclighting. However, a more radical pollardingregime has been prompted by the need to reduce
Looking up into the canopy of a London plane to showthe ‘star-burst’ effect
Ferncroft Avenue trees
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subsidence risk. The insurance industry looks forthe nearest tree to blame for cracks in buildingssituated on London clay. Trees certainly usewater, and desiccated (dried out) clay shrinksquite considerably, just as it swells even more sowhen wet. If the soil is drier, tree roots are foundunder or near the subsiding wall and the buildingmovement is seasonal, this is deemed sufficientevidence that the tree is to blame. By warningtree owners (Camden where street trees areconcerned) and demanding tree removal, actionhas to be taken or the underpinning bill ispassed to the tree owner.
Legal precedentsThe case of Delaware Mansions v WestminsterCouncil (2001) highlighted the problem fortrees and council coffers. Westminster Councilhad refused to remove a mature plane street treethat was said to be causing subsidence. Theclaimant spent over £570,000 carrying outunderpinning works and claimed the cost fromthe council. The House of Lords held the councilliable for that sum. It was argued that if the treehad been removed the need to underpin wouldhave been avoided and the total building repaircosts would have been only about £14,000.
The consequence of the Delaware Mansions rulinghas been that all London Councils, includingCamden, maintain regular pollarding regimes tolessen the risk of insurance companies blamingcouncil-owned trees for causing subsidence.
Camden has a biennial tree re-reduction regimeto more rigorously pollard those tall treesgrowing close to buildings on shrinkable claysoils, considered at issue for subsidence,reducing their canopies to reduce water demand.
The Hipps, Atkinson & Griffiths (East MallingResearch and University of Cambridge) study
underlined this by recommending:
• For consistent soil moisture conservation,severe reduction 70–90% of crown volume.
• Reduction up to 50% crown volume is notalways effective for decreasing soil drying.
• Crown reductions should be repeated on aregular managed cycle with intervals basedon monitored re-growth.
Challenging the received wisdomSeveral individuals and organisations however,including some members of the London TreeOffices Association and the Heath & HampsteadSociety, query the role of trees as the primarycause of building subsidence. We acknowledgethat trees do take moisture out of clay, but askseveral questions:
• Why would tree roots want to go under adry house?
• Why in a terrace of identical houses withstreet trees at frequent and regular intervalsare not ALL houses having a problem?
•Why after many decades of houses and treesliving happily together through dry and wetyears, do significant cracks suddenly appear?
We believe the answer can be found in leakingdrains or swimming pools, and in differentialsubsidence where extensions were built deeperinto stiffer clay than the houses they wereattached to.
The Heath & Hampstead Society also believesthat Hampstead’s particular hydrogeology alsoplays a part. Digging basements and deepfoundations can divert ground water under otherbuildings and services, causing subsidence asfoundations are washed away or heave as theclay swells. We believe that trees actually stabilisethe ground by limiting heave until the real cause
Hampstead street tree pollards (cont)
19
is found. Taking trees out neither helps nor solvesthe problem. More details on our argument can befound on the Heath & Hampstead Society website.
The subsidence industry however is not of thismind, and to reduce the risk for now, Camdenmust be seen to follow accepted practice untilfirmer evidence is available. One thing we can bethankful for is that while reducing canopies,London Tree Officers (Camden’s included) ensuretree heights are maintained. We should alsoremember that the trees recover very quickly.
Advantages of tall trees in citiesAn important advantage of tall trees in cities isthe shade they provide. Dr Roland Ennos’s teamat Manchester University calculate there is likelyto be a temperature rise of 3-4°C in the next 30years. Maximums will be even higher, with drier
summers, wetter winters and larger storms.Currently, the maximum surface temperature ofwoodlands is 18°-13°C cooler than towncentres, which can reach 31°C in summer.
A 10% increase in tree canopy can reduce surfacetemperature by 3-4°C. This could effectivelyclimate-proof cities until the 2080s. Large treecanopies also hold massive quantities of water,slow run-off and reduce flooding. The Hampsteadarea has had 2 significant floods (1975 and 2002),with one drowning in a south Hampsteadbasement. We cannot however grow tall treesquickly. By retaining pollard tree height now,then when subsidence is better understood by theinsurance industry, pollard canopies can quicklygrow out, providing us with the shade andwater holding capacity we need for the future.
Before andafter -
Gayton Roadtree atpollarding timeand 2 yearslater
20
Project Parakeet by Mike Doherty
The office at Imperial College’s research facilityat Silwood Park in Berkshire is an unusualoffice. On the linoleum floor and on top of thelong white desks are boxes, files, reports andoccasional stationary – which is normal, if a bituntidy. What is unusual are the discarded birdfeeders, the bags of bird food - some sealed,some half empty - and the crunch of sunflowerseeds underfoot as you walk in. On one deskthere is a computer. On its screen is a portraitof a lime-green parakeet with a shimmer of arose-pink ring around its neck. It is glaring outwith its black button eyes and its scaly dark-redhook of a beak is snarling open in mid-squawk.It‘s also alarmingly cute in a bolshie andchipper sort of way.
The avian accessories and the parakeet on thecomputer screen reveal that this is theheadquarters for Project Parakeet. HannahPeck, the PhD student who leads ProjectParakeet, is studying the noisy, screeching flocksof Rose Ringed Parakeets that are incongruously
colonising the parks, woods and heaths inLondon and the Home Counties. “I should beneutral but I’ve got two which I use in gardenfeeder experiments and they are so lovely towatch. The way they use their hands is incredible– and the way they play - I’ve grown quite fondof them,” says Ms Peck. It is that reaction to thecharismatic birds that could well be a headachefor the Department for Environment, Food andRural Affairs (Defra) if the numbers of wildparakeets keep rising and the scientific evidencepoints to a clear threat to British wildlife, plantsand crops – and they decide to sanction a cull.
Parakeets on Hampstead HeathObservant visitors to Hampstead Heath willhave noticed the parakeets and be aware of theincreasing numbers of them. “It’s a controversialissue, they are quite in your face birds,” saysDavid Bentley from the City of London, themunicipal authority that manages HampsteadHeath. He adds that the Hampstead Heath teamwill not act unless there is clear evidence thatthe parakeets are causing problems to localwildlife and plants – such as competing fornesting sites and food with native birds.
These concernshave beengrowing alongsidethe obvious risein numbers.Originally escapedpets that havebeen breeding inthe wild since the1960’s, theparakeets haveestablished aseries ofenormous roosts
21
where they sleep and from which they fly up to25km to forage for buds, nuts and other plantmaterial. During the day the birds – beingcreatures of habit – tend to gather in flocks,choosing parks and heaths because of the old-established trees and abundance of food.
Although the parakeets visit the Heath to forageand play, Ms Peck says that they do not roostthere, although some females do nest on theHeath during breeding season. She adds thatthe parakeets are either returning at night to aroost in Wormwood Scrubs or to a mysteryroost to the north, possibly around the M25.This would then account for the flocks ofparakeets that regularly visit parks as far out asSt Albans. “I have tried to find a roost there andI haven’t had any luck, but that doesn’t meanthere isn’t one,” she says.
The packed sleeping roosts - incredibly noisyas dawn breaks and the thousands ofinhabitants wake up - are quite impressive. AtHersham gravel pits in Surrey there is a roostwith 15,000 birds, another in Stanwell, also inSurrey, has 5,000 birds and there is a 6,000birds roost at Hither Green Cemetery in southLondon. “Those are the three biggest roosts andthey are all pretty spectacular when you visitthem,” says Ms Peck.
Defra risk assessmentIt was the obvious rise in numbers thatprompted Defra to commission a riskassessment in the summer of 2009. The riskassessment predicts that the population ofparakeets will continue to grow. It alsodescribes the damage to crops that theparakeets cause in Sub-Saharan Africa and inIndia – their country of origin, and says that theparakeets could cause similar damage here.Finally the report recommends looking at
population management by “gassing, shootingor netting” and states that further research isunnecessary.
Ms Peck questions that last point. “I think theymade the best assessment they could with theavailable academic literature but I do not agreewith the conclusion. It is clear that furtherresearch is needed as so little is currentlyknown,” she says. “Defra are receiving copiesof our reports,” says Dr Alex Lord, Ms Peck’ssupervisor, “I am sure Defra would not actwithout clear scientific evidence,” she says.
2222
Project Parakeet (cont)
Defra itself seems to have backtracked from theconclusion of the risk assessment itself and hascommissioned further research by the BritishTrust of Ornithologists into nest competition, theresults of which are still being analysed.
Ms Peck is keen to emphasise that ProjectParakeet is independently funded and not guidedby Defra. “The decision to start the research wasmade in June 2009. I had funding for a PhD and Ihad grown up in Richmond where there are loadsof parakeets and I was really intrigued by them. Idiscussed this with my supervisors and werealized that there had been very little research inthe UK.” says Ms Peck. “We were unaware of theongoing risk assessment by Defra or the plans forthe BTO research project,” she says.
So are the parakeets a pest? – or will theybecome one? Volunteer roost counts organizedby Project Parakeet have found that thepopulation is rising by 25% a year. Already thenumber of birds has grown from 5,000 in 2002 to32,000 at the last count in 2010. The current rateof population growth means that the number ofparakeets will treble in less than five years.
Project Parakeet is also looking at whether theparakeets compete for food with native birdsusing experiments with garden feeders. “We arelooking at whether the other birds stop feedingbecause of the parakeets or whether they arejust not bothered by them,” says Ms Peck. Thestudy is ongoing but Ms Peck says thatpreliminary results suggest that feedingparakeets do drive off some native birds.
An area of research that Project Parakeet hascompleted is a survey of the public reaction tothe parakeets. “The results were pretty polarized,with some people hating them and some peopleliking them. But what was clear was that peoplewanted more education. The majority was not
happy with the idea of killing them. They allwanted to know more facts,” says Ms Peck.
Hard evidence of the parakeets causing significantharm to native birds and plants is lacking, andonly the tiny proportion of the public who livenear the enormous roosts experience the noiseand the mess of thousands of boisterous parakeetsin one small space. However the evidence is clearthat the numbers will continue to rise. “There willcome a point – we don’t know when yet - wherethe rise in the population of feral parakeets levelsoff. This is where they become food-limited ornest site-limited and that would be the point atwhich you would have the greatest concern aboutcompetition with native species,” says Dr Lord.
The story may well develop. The results of theresearch will be madepublic in the summerand Defra has justsanctionedpopulationmanagement for theMonk Parakeet, whichis far less numerousthan the Rose RingedParakeet described inthe feature. I will bein the area for awhile and I willkeep tabs on whathappens next.
Mike Doherty is a mature student studying for anMA in Investigative Journalism at City University. Hewas given Highgate and Hampstead as his 'patch' toresearch, and write stories on, for the journalismpractice module. He contacted the Society’s JeremyWright to discuss his research for this article andJeremy encouraged him to submit it for publication.
23
Keats love letter returns to Keats House
23
home to the place where it was written nearly200 years ago.
It was thought that, although they wereengaged, he kept Fanny at arm’s length becauseof his condition, knowing her life would be atrisk if he was too close to her. This fragile andbrown-stained letter provides the evidence forthat, poignantly revealing how Keatsdeliberately separated himself from Fanny as helay dying, a “prisoner” of tuberculosis:
"I shall Kiss your name and mine where yourLips have been - Lips! why should a poorprisoner as I am talk about such things." He saidhis "consolation" was "in the certainty of youraffection". "You had better not come today,"was scribbled on the outside of the letter.
Chairman of the Keats House ManagementCommittee at the City of London CorporationMichael Welbank said: ‘We are absolutelydelighted that our bid was successful. Keats is ahugely important part of our cultural landscape,and it is thrilling to know that we will now beable to display the letter where it was written.’It joins the twelve already held in the KeatsHouse archive
The City of London Corporation, supported bythe Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has bought alove letter written by the poet John Keats toFanny Brawne at Wentworth Place (KeatsHouse) in 1820. The letter was bought atauction in London in March for £80,000. Withfees the amount paid was £96,000.
Tim Harris, Head of Access and Buildings atKeats House said: “Everyone connected withKeats House was excited when this letter cameup unexpectedly at auction. We knew we hadto put together a strong bid as it was a once ina generation opportunity. In addition tosupport from the Heritage Lottery Fund, theCity also received support from the Victoria andAlbert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, theFriends of the National Libraries, and theFriends of Keats House, in the joint effort tosave this important literary treasure for futuregenerations to enjoy. It brings the letter back
Keats died inFebruary 1821;Fanny’s lastletters to himwere buriedwith him.
24
Hampstead & Highgate Festival
Sir Georg Solti 100th Birthday
Anniversary Concertlaunching a year of celebrations of Sir
Georg Solti’s birth
hosted by Lady Solti
Tuesday June 21st 2011 at 7.30pm
Hampstead Parish ChurchChurch Row
A unique concert bringing together giftedmusicians who are recent Solti Foundation
award winners
Artists include
Sam Armstrong piano,
Alicja Smietana, violin
Works for violin, viola, flute, voice & piano
A vibrant showcase of extraordinaryyoung musical virtuosity.
Tickets £15 New End Theatre Box OfficeTel: 0870 033 2733 (Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun12-6pm)
or online at www.newendtheatre.co.uk
Further exciting events this year include aconcert with Stephen Kovacevich onNovember 2nd and a literary series.
If you would like to support the Festivalplease contact Sue Broomhead [email protected].
To be kept informed about the Festival,please email your email address to EmsMagnus (Trustee) (and H&HS member) [email protected]
Proms at St. JudesSummer Programme 18th-26th June 2011
This year’s nine-day midsummer festivaloffers a wide range of music, from classicalto jazz, with international artists and risingyoung professionals.
Saturday 18 Opera Gala Sunday 19 Jazz with Stacey Kent Monday 20 Felicity Lott & Thomas Allen
Tuesday 21 Alessandro Taverna pianorecital
Wednesday 22 The Greenwich TrioThursday 23 The Wihan String Quartet Friday 24 Maria Friedman Saturday 25 Carmina BuranaSunday 26 Last night of the Proms
Free lunchtime concerts every day
Guided Heritage Walks including:
Friday 24th June 10am 'Appy 'AmpsteadLondon's Northern Heights
led by Simon Lee, the Heath Superintendentstarting at the flag pole, next to Whitestone Pondtaking in Lord Leverhulme's garden and pergola,Golders Hill Park, Anna Pavlova's house, Wyldes
Farm and the Heath Extension, ending at the FreeChurch in time for the lunchtime organ recital. Advance booking necessary see Festival website
for details:
For more information about programmesand booking: Tel: 020 8455 8687 or see website: www.promsatstjudes.org.uk
The Festival gives all its surplus to charity: 75% goes to Toynbee Hall
and 25% to the North London Hospice.
Bulletin Board
Local arts events
25
Hampstead Film Society Hampstead Town Hall,
Interchange Trust, 213 Haverstock Hill.
Tuesday evenings @ 7pm:
A wide range of world cinema,documentaries and must-see movies
throughout the year.
The Summer season continues with
Ace in the Hole (1951) Billy Wilder, 7thJune @ 7pm
Magnificent Obsession (1954) DouglasSirk, 21st June @ 7pm
Membership fee: £15.00 Adults £10.00 Concessions/ Students/ Over 60£6.00 for one day membership
Admission fee: £3.00 per film formembers/ £5.00 for their guests.
For more information: Tel: 020 7692 5811Email: [email protected]/moviesHampstead Town Hall Centre, 213 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 4QP
Burgh House Museum, Buttery, Bookstall
Exhibitions, talks, concerts and classes Burgh House, New End Square NW3
www.burghhouse.org.uk Tel: 020 7431 0144
Open Wed - Fri, & Sun, 12 - 5.00pm(Saturdays by appointment)
Support the Friends of Burgh House
Honorary President Piers Plowright
For more information or to join the Friendstel: Burgh House on 020 7431 0144
or contact Dawn Somper [email protected]
Christopher Kellerman
We are deeply saddened to report thedeath in January, aged 66, of ChrisKellerman, manager of the HampsteadGarden Suburb Trust for many years.
Educated at King Alfred’s School and LSEhe started his career in banking and thenworked for Tate and Lyle.
He served as Vice-Chairman of the HGSResidents Association and then became theTrust’s first full time manager in 1984. He was instrumental in arranging thetransfer in 1989 of leases held by AshdaleLand and Property Company, which hadbeen sold off decades before by theChurch Commissioners, to the Trust, givingit unified control over all the Suburb’sleasehold and freehold properties. Theseincluded allotments, tennis courts andother communal spaces.
An enthusiastic supporter of community lifeand local causes, he was also a governor oflocal schools and a Council member of theInstitute. He will be greatly missed.
2626
Walks are normally held on the first Sunday ofevery month except January. Most start fromBurgh House, New End Square. London NW31LT – 10 minutes walk from Hampstead TubeStation (for map see www.burghhouse.org.uk
NB: parking is extremely difficult, especially inspring and summer. West Heath car park(behind Jack Straw’s Castle) is more likely tohave spaces than the East Heath car park.
Starting times are either 2.30pm or 10.30 am(9.30 for birds), depending on season andsubject matter.
Walks last approximately two hours. They donot necessarily follow made-up paths; you arerecommended to wear suitable footwear asconditions may be rough or muddy.
You will be invited to make a minimumdonation of £3.00 per adult, to be collected atthe beginning of each walk, to help supportfuture development of the walks programmeand to promote the Society's activities generally.
Children are always welcome so long as theyare suitably shod, can walk reasonabledistances and are accompanied by an adulttaking full responsibility for them.
Please note starting times and meeting points
Further information from walks organiser,Thomas Radice, Tel: 020 8455 1025; mobile: 07941 528 034 or email: [email protected]
5 June 2.30pm (meet at BurghHouse) Flora of the Heath led byDavid Bevan, Conservation Officer,Past President, London Natural HistorySociety, and Fellow of the LinneanSociety, London
3 July 2.30pm (meet at Burgh House) Caringfor the Heath: the work of the City of Londonled by Richard Payne and Meg Game
7 August 2.30pm (meet at the cattle trough inSpaniards Road, near the Spaniards Inn) TheHeath Extension led by Tony Ghilchik, Vice-Chairman of the Heath & Hampstead Societyand Chairman of the Heath Sub-Committee;represents the Society on the City of LondonHeath Management Committee
4 September: two walks (morning andafternoon) – NB: different start points
9.30am (meet at Burgh House) Birds of theHeath in Autumn led by John Hunt and SashTusa, members of the H&HS Heath Sub-Committee.
2.30pm (meet at the Kenwood Kitchen Gardenentrance, Hampstead Lane) Fungus foray ledby Andy Overall, Group Leader, LondonFungus Group, and founder of ‘Fungi to bewith’. NB: limited numbers: booking open from 1 July(priority to H&HS members). £4.00 per head.
2 October 2.30pm (meet at Burgh House)Spider foray led by Edward Milner, formerBBC producer and National Spider Recorderfor Middlesex and London; Member of theInstitute of Ecology and EnvironmentalManagement
6 November 10.30am (meet at the KenwoodKitchen Garden entrance, Hampstead Lane)Habitats of the Heath led by Linda Dolata,
official volunteer guide, Kew Gardens
4 December 10.30am (meet at BurghHouse) Houses and Landscapes of theNorthern Heights led by ThomasRadice, member of the H&HS HeathSub-Committee
Heath Walks 2011
