‘Morning Hampstead Surprise’

May 2017 Annual Report Vol 48 No 2

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From the Annual Report for the Society for1938: “It was on 7 April 1897, at a publicmeeting in the Drill Hall in Heath Street,that the Hampstead Heath Protection Societywas formed. According to the report whichappeared in The Times, the chairman of thatfirst meeting laid down two principles: thedesirability of interfering as little as possiblewith the natural beauty – the natural growthof plants and shrubs and the natural bird life– on the Heath and secondly, the necessityof working in harmony with the LondonCounty Council.”

Those two principles remain as valid today,when the Society celebrates its 120thanniversary, as they were in 1897. We are veryfortunate that the Heath is now managed bythe City of London Corporation who, it may besaid candidly, are the only municipal authorityin England with the funds, expertise anddedicated staff to be able to keep the Heath inits excellent condition.

Your trustees debated whether to mark thecurrent anniversary with a large celebration, butthey eventually decided to hold that celebrationon the 125th anniversary in 2022. Conceptualplanning and blue sky thinking for that event isalready underway. In the meantime, we hopeyou enjoy this large edition of the Newsletter tomark the current anniversary.

Membership

The Society has made a particular effort overthe last year to increase its paid membership.Not only does this give us increased funds forour activities and campaigns, but it also allowsus to speak for an even larger number of theresidents of Hampstead in our dealings withthe City, Camden Council and Government.

Contents

by Marc Hutchinson

Front cover: ‘Morning Hampstead Surprise’ wastaken by Edward W Wallace III and was winner ofthe Society’s second #myhampsteadheath competition. ∫

Page

Annual Report for the year 2016–2017 . . . . . . . . . 1

Marc Hutchinson

Notice of Annual General Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Invitation to Annual General Meeting . . . . . . . . . 8

Candidates for Election or Appointment . . . . . . . 9

Treasurer’s Report for 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Maureen Clark-Darby

Heath Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

John Beyer and Lynda Cook

Planning Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

David Castle

Town Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Frank Harding

Commemorative Plaques in Hampstead . . . . . . . . 22

Juliette Sonabend

“Croquet is like snooker on a lawn!” . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Sue Kirby

Bond v Goldfinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Robert Sutherland Smith

The restoration of Croome Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Tom Oliver

Organs in Hampstead II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Martin Renshaw and Vicki Harding

Bulletin Board

Heath Walks 2017

Annual Report forthe year 2016–2017

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One of the curiosities of the last 18 monthshas been the relative lack of success inrecruiting members through the presence ofour pavement stalls at local events andfestivals and on occasional weekends withgood weather. We have, on the one hand,distributed a record number of membershipbrochures but, on the other hand, appear tohave received very little new memberresponse. We are pleased therefore that otherinitiatives have produced and continue toproduce an increase in membership.

The first of these has been the advertisementsin Lift No. 4 at Hampstead UndergroundStation. I hope many of you will have seenthese posters. Whilst we only paid for oneposter, there have sometimes been three inplace at the same time. They are changed everyquarter and have produced a very large numberof entries to the related photo competitions,#myhampsteadheath, which we initiated as partof the poster scheme. At the date of writing wehave just completed the second photographiccompetition, and both competitions havetogether produced over 400 entries of anextremely high standard. It is our intention toapproach the contestants with a view toencouraging them to become members of theSociety and offering some of them thepossibility of a discounted membershipsubscription rate for their first year ofmembership – see further below. You can seethe best of the photographs by going to ourInstagram account #myhampsteadheath orviewing them online at our website or onCamden Council’s website (http://lovecamden.org/belsize-park-hampstead/heath-hampstead-society-photo-competition-myhampsteadheath).I want to take this opportunity to thank PaulBrazier, the Chairman and Chief Creative Officer

of AMV BBDO, the UK’s leading creativecommunications agency. Over the years, Paulhas won many awards for his professional workand the Society is very fortunate that he agreedto be the main judge of our photo competitionsand to help direct the promotional campaign.

The second of these initiatives was the maildrop in five streets near East Heath Road at theend of 2016. This produced a significantnumber of new members, more than enoughto justify rolling out a mail drop acrossHampstead in 2017.

You will see, from the Notice of AnnualGeneral Meeting set out on page 6 of thisNewsletter, that we are asking members toamend the Society’s constitution in order toallow trustees to establish one or moreschemes which involve the offering ofdiscounted, or even free, membership to newmembers in their first year. One of theseschemes is to be associated with thephotographic competitions presently scheduledto run until October 2017, and another onepresently involves eight estate agents inHampstead who have agreed to offer free firstyear memberships to clients who purchase aresidence in our area. This latter scheme is inplace and ready to be started with members’approval of the constitutional change.

In essence, the justification for the possibilityof discounted or free memberships for themember’s first year is that the Societyexperiences a very low rate of lapsing annualmembership – as low as 4%. It follows that, ifwe can obtain new members who, forwhatever reason, do not wish to be lifemembers or to sign up to a bank standingorder but are prepared to pay an annualsubscription, there is a very high likelihood of

Annual Report (cont)

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them renewing their annual membership inpractice. Our new Sage-based membershipdatabase allows us to generate simply andcheaply reminders to members who haveinadvertently let their annual membershiplapse, and these reminders generally proveeffective. We believe the offer of an initialdiscounted membership may help us lure in asignificant number of new members.

I shall have more to say about the thinkingbehind free or discounted memberships at theAnnual General Meeting where I will expect toanswer questions from members.

Ponds Project

The Ponds Project is almost complete and,already in April, much of the temporary fencinghas been removed, and the grass which it wasprotecting has in some areas been mown. ThePonds Project Stakeholder Group and thePonds Community Working Group will meettogether for the last time on 8 May when theywill walk the length of both chains of ponds asa prelude to a final discussion and well-earneddrink. In the Heath Report in this Newsletter,John Beyer explains how the Society hasreluctantly come to its exclusionary policydecision on access to the new island on theModel Boating Pond.

Inappropriate developments

First of all the good news. Theowner/developer of Heath House hasabandoned its proposal to turn the Grade 2*Listed House into multiple flats, and weunderstand there will soon be a proposal torestore the House as a single dwelling. Thiscould not be a more welcome result so far asthe House, the War Memorial site andHampstead are concerned. You can read in

previous newsletters about the saga of theoriginally proposed development and our, andour members’, opposition to it.

The other piece of good news is that, after acampaign lasting many years, the owner ofThe Water House in Millfield Lane has sold theproperty to a new owner who does not wishto develop it, but merely to restore it.Although access to the site can only bethrough Millfield Lane, the jeopardy to thattranquil and essentially pedestrian route iseffectively removed.

On the more troubling side, it is, at the time ofwriting, still unclear how serious is the threat toSt Stephen’s Church in Rosslyn Hill posed by theconstruction of the new Pears Building by theRoyal Free Hospital. The experts’ reports oneither side are in serious conflict and it is nowproposed that boreholes be dug on the site ofthe church in order to establish the presence orabsence of a risk from underground water andsoil erosion. In addition, as one would expect,Camden Council has commissioned its ownindependent expert to assess the conflictingreports. The Society is in touch with the Hospital,St Stephen’s, Camden Council and the objectinggroups in order to monitor the situation.

Another disappointment has been the recentsale of the small site, known as the SouthFairground Site, in the Vale of Health. It liesnext to Spencer House and abuts both the Valeof Health Pond and the Heath itself. After manyyears of being left as a piece of open land,albeit squatted upon, the absent owners havenow sold it to a purchaser who wishes to builda house on what is, in legal status, a small pieceof metropolitan open land (“green belt”). Thereis a very heavy presumption against building onthe green belt, but we must assume that the

new owner believes it can persuade CamdenCouncil to declassify the land as green belt. TheSociety, with the support of the City of LondonCorporation, the Vale of Health Society and theHighgate Society, wrote to the vendor toindicate its unconditional opposition to anydevelopment on the site. The Society also madean offer to the vendor to purchase the site for£50,000 in the hope that the site might beacquired and added to the Heath. The offer wasrejected. The Society has alerted CamdenCouncil to the proposal to build on the site.

Open Spaces Bill

This private Bill continues to wend its wayvery slowly through Parliament. Contrary towhat I stated in the last newsletter, theanticipated date for the Royal Assent is nowthe end of 2018. This is not because there areany particular problems with the Bill, butrather because the pressure of otherparliamentary business inevitably and generallyleads to delays in the progress of private bills.The Society has however begun work with theCity to draft the policies which derive theirforce from the Bill relating to the staging of“events” on the Heath and the licensing ofcommercial activities on the Heath.

Licensing

I spoke too soon when, in the last newsletter, Icommented with pleasure on the successes theSociety had been having in preventing theextension of licensing hours for alcohol sales bylocal outlets. At the time of writing this report,the Society is opposing a new proposal byTesco in Heath Street to sell alcohol from 6amuntil 11pm every day of the week, including onChristmas Day and Good Friday. We havesuccessfully opposed attempts by Tesco in the

past to increase its licensing hours and we, withother concerned residents and organisations,will do so in this case.

CS11

We have written in previous newsletters aboutthe proposal for this cycle superhighwaybeginning at Swiss Cottage and heading towardsBaker Street. The Mayor of London has nowdecided that the superhighway should proceedand we do not believe that we, as the Society,are in a position, legally or politically, toprevent that. However, by the time you readthis Newsletter, we will have submitted a formaldemand, with the explicit support of localresidents’ associations, to local councillors andthe Mayor of London for steps to be taken torestrict the southbound Finchley Road trafficfrom being diverted into the residential streetsof Hampstead, something which is predicted tooccur by Transport for London as a response tothe anticipated superhighway-induced gridlockat Swiss Cottage.

Lectures

Our thanks go to our two recent distinguishedlecturers whom I hope many of you were ableto hear at Burgh House. Thomas Pakenhamdelivered the Springett Lecture on the subject oftrees and the new worldwide threats to them,and Tom Oliver, one of our patrons, gave a talkabout the restoration of Croome Park, the firstcomplete landscape designed by CapabilityBrown (see page 38 of this Newsletter). Theannual Springett Lecture is a free event, open tothe public, and funded out of the legacy left tothe Society by the late Kate Springett. TomOliver’s lecture was, however, a fundraisingexercise which brought us welcome income ofapproximately £500.

Annual Report (cont)

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Trustees

Before I became Chair of the Society in 2014, Iwas its Secretary. When I became Chair anexisting trustee, Nigel Steward, agreed tobecome Secretary, an office which he has nowheld for three years. Nigel has decided to stepdown as Secretary and as a trustee. On behalfof the Society and its members, I wish toexpress deep gratitude for all the work Nigelhas done as Secretary and trustee for theSociety over many years. The other retiringtrustee is Peter Noble, a local resident whooffered his services to the Society at the heightof the controversy over the Ponds Project. Iam also grateful to Peter for his notableservice at the General Committee level.

I am pleased to advise that Evelyn Ellis, amember of the Society, has agreed to stand forthe position of Secretary and I hope you willsupport her election. Evelyn is well known tomyself and to Maureen Clark-Darby, ourTreasurer, and we believe she will make anexcellent Secretary.

There is one further proposed change to whichI wish to draw your attention. GordonMaclean, presently an elected member of theGeneral Committee and formerly Chair of thePlanning Sub-Committee, has served theSociety for over 25 years. In recognition ofthat, I have invited him to become aVice-President of the Society (an electedposition). This does not affect his status as anactive trustee but reflects our wish to honourhim for his exceptional past and continuingvaluable role.

Sub-Committees

After chairing the Town Sub-Committee sinceit was “re-established” in 2008 (as a separate

sub-committee from the new PlanningSub-Committee), Frank Harding has decided tostep down from that role and to seek electionas an ordinary member of the GeneralCommittee. He will be replaced by MartinThompson. The position of chair of thatSub-Committee is an appointed one andtherefore Martin will not stand for election.His curriculum vitae is it set out in thisNewsletter on page 5 and your trusteesbelieve him to be a most worthy and capablesuccessor to Frank. Frank has been anoutstanding leader of the TownSub-Committee and we are very grateful for allhis work in the many and varied areas whichare its responsibility.

In the course of the year we have welcomedseveral new members to our sub-committees: tothe Town Sub-Committee, Maddy Raman (whohas a particular responsibility in licensingmatters), Jonathan Bergman and Brian Friedmanalong with Andrew Haslam-Jones from theHampstead Neighbourhood Forum (replacingJanine Griffis); and to the HeathSub-Committee, our press officer Mahima Luna.

Conclusion

I am glad that I am able to write, as I did thistime last year, that the Society continues to bewell managed and is, with the help and hardwork of its trustees and sub-committeemembers, and the support of its growingmembership, successfully pursuing thecharitable objects for which it was established.As those of you who have read our constitutionwill know, these include not only theprotection of the Heath as referred to at thebeginning of this report, but also the protectionof the buildings and amenity of uniqueHampstead Village. ∫

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Notice is given that the 120th Annual GeneralMeeting of the Society will be held on Monday19 June 2017 at 7:30pm at St Stephen’s, RosslynHill, London NW3 2PP

The business of the meeting will be as follows:

1. Approval of the minutes of the 119thAnnual General Meeting held on 2 June2016.

2. Election of Lord Hoffmann as President.

3. Chair’s report for 2016-2017.

4. Treasurer’s report on the Society’sexamined financial statements for the 2016financial year and adoption of thosefinancial statements.

5. Appointment of Fisher Phillips LLP,Chartered Accountants, as the Society’sauditors for the current financial year.

6. Determination of membership subscriptionrates for the next financial year. Thetrustees propose that there should be nochange to the rates.

7. Amendment of the Society’s constitution.

It is proposed to ask members, voting bysimple majority in accordance with Rule7(2), to resolve to amend the Society’sconstitution by the addition of thefollowing new Rules 10(3), (4) and (5):

“10(3) Notwithstanding Rules 10(1) and10(2)*, the General Committee maydetermine, with effect from 1 January2017, that the applicable annualsubscription for a new member shall, forthe member’s first year of membershiponly, be less than the applicable annualsubscription determined under Rule 10(1).

10(4) The General Committee may makesuch a determination only as part of aparticular scheme designed to increase the

paid membership of the Society, and sothat the amount of subscription incomethereby foregone in respect of such newmembers does not exceed, in any year, anamount equal to the aggregate ofsubscription income (for a standard annualindividual membership) that would bepayable in that year by, subject to Rule10(5), 200 members.

10(5) The number of members specified inRule 10(4) may be changed by resolution ofthe members of the Society at any generalmeeting of the Society.”

*Rules 10(1) and 10(2) provide as follows:

10(1) The rates of subscription for membership

shall be determined each year by the members

of the Society at the annual general meeting of

the Society and shall apply from the first day of

the next calendar year.

10(2) Each member of the Society, unless an

honorary member, agrees to pay the applicable

subscription when due and payable.

Note: At present the constitution does notauthorise trustees to grant free membershipother than honorary membership under Rule8(5) for outstanding service to the Society.There are at present 16 honorary members.

The proposed amendment is intended toauthorise trustees, for the purposes of amembership promotion scheme, to grantfree or discounted memberships for oneyear to new members, subject to amaximum annual limit determined by howmuch annual subscription income isthereby foregone. The amendment wouldtake effect retrospectively from 1 January2017 and, under proposed Rule 10(5),members will ultimately, and from time totime, determine how many free or

Notice of the Annual General Meeting

discounted memberships can be granted ineach year. The proposed figure of 200memberships is based on the trustees’present estimation of how many newmembers are possibly to be recruitedthrough the operation of the plannedschemes, which will be described tomembers in more detail at the 2017 AnnualGeneral Meeting.

8. Election of Officers and other members ofthe General Committee.

Officers

The following candidates have been dulyproposed for election to the following positions:

Vice-President: Martin HumpheryGordon Maclean

Chair: Marc Hutchinson

Treasurer: Maureen Clark-Darby

Secretary: Evelyn Ellis

General Committee Members

The following have been duly proposed forelection for three year terms: Frank Harding,Robert Linger and John Weston.

Note: Tony Ghilchik, Vicki Harding, JessicaLearmond-Criqui, Douglas Maxwell and PeterTausig continue the terms for which they wereelected. Gordon Maclean retires as a GeneralCommittee member mid-term in order to standfor election as a Vice-President. FrankHarding, now standing for election, retires asChair of the Town Sub-Committee (anappointed position) and will be replaced inthat position by Martin Thompson, a memberof that Sub-Committee. All Chairs of the threeSub-Committees are trustees and members ofthe General Committee, but they areappointed from time to time by the GeneralCommittee, not elected.

9. Any other business

Information about the new Vice-President, thenew Secretary, the three candidates standingfor election to the General Committee for threeyear terms, and Martin Thompson is set out onpages 9–10. ∫

Nigel StewardSecretary

6 May 2017

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8

Annual General Meeting 2017

Please join us for our

Annual General Meeting

and

Reception

St. Stephen’s, Rosslyn Hill

London NW3 2PP

Monday 19 June, 2017 7:00pm

7:00pm Reception – Refreshments will be served. Trustees andSub-Committee members will be present to talk abouttheir work. Come and learn more about that work overthe last year.

7:30pm Annual General Meeting

8:30pm Guest Speaker – Piers Plowright, who will recall his earlylife in a short talk entitled “Adventures on the Hill –Growing up in Hampstead 1937–1967”.

Piers PlowrightPiers Plowright was born in Church Row in 1937 and has lived most of his life inHampstead Village. He was an award-winning BBC radio producer from 1968 to1997. He continues to work in broadcasting, teaching and book reviewing, andhosts events at Burgh House, Keats Community Library and the Hampstead ArtsFestival. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

We are grateful to the St. Stephen’s Trust for hosting and sponsoring this event.

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Elected

Gordon Maclean studied architecture inJohannesburg in the 1950s, moved to Londonshortly thereafter, and worked with a numberof London architects. Most of his career waswith a major practice, specialising in airportdesign, becoming senior partner beforeretiring in 1998. He has lived in Hampsteadfor 27 years, been a Society member for mostof these, and a member of the Town andPlanning Sub-Committees for 23 years andPlanning Sub-Committee chairman from 2004to 2008. Keenly interested in travel, the artsand philately; also, of course, the characterand architecture of Hampstead.

Born in Dublin, Evelyn Ellis grew up inSouth London, and went to school inWimbledon. She lived in Paris for seven yearsworking and studying French at a branch ofthe Sorbonne. In 1983 she moved toHampstead and has lived there ever since.Most of her career was spent in the wine tradeas head of public relations for Grants of StJames’s and the Victoria Wine Company, andin 1990 she set up her own PR companyspecialising in wine. After retirement shejoined her husband in his enthusiasm forBernard Shaw and became in turnmembership secretary, treasurer and secretaryof the Shaw Society. She instigated theconversion of the Shaw Society to a charityand helped to rewrite its constitution andrestructure its activities in preparation for 2020when George Bernard Shaw comes out ofcopyright. In her spare time Evelyn enjoys thetheatre, music, gardening, birdwatching andwalking on the Heath. She became a memberof The Heath & Hampstead Society in 2011and looks forward to spending more time

exploring the Heath and helping to preserveits unique character and charm.

Frank Harding is a chartered accountant whowas a partner in KMG Thomson McLintockand subsequently KPMG in London from 1967to 1996. He represented the United Kingdomon the Council of the International Federationof Accountants from 1987 to 1997 and servedas its President from 1997 to 2000. Since hisretirement from practice, Frank served as adirector of a number of companies and as atrustee on the boards of a number of charities.He is currently a trustee of the Wiener Libraryand the Association of Jewish Refugees and,for a number of years, was an adviser forPilotlight, the charity that provides advice tosmall and medium-sized charities. Frank hasbeen a Vice-Chair of the Society and Chair ofthe Town Sub-Committee since that committeewas re-established in 2008.

Robert Linger was a chartered accountant byprofession and was an audit partner in ArthurAndersen until his retirement in 1997. Born in1941, he has lived in and around Hampstead allhis life and, accordingly, has accumulated aconsiderable understanding of its ethos, history,architecture, and literary and artistic associations.Since his retirement, Robert has been involved ina number of local community groups. He joinedthe Society’s Town Sub-Committee in 2008(becoming closely involved with the restorationof the Spaniards Tollgate House, and the newheritage signposts in the Village), and theGeneral Committee in 2010, where hisresponsibilities continue to include membershippromotion and have included the staging of theSociety’s current series of art exhibitions atBurgh House. His more general interests includearchitecture, current affairs and most sports,

Candidates for Election or Appointment

10

whilst his collection of local art and antiquarianbooks provides him with a wealth of valuablereference material. His wife, Angela, is also alifelong local resident and their children andgrandchildren live nearby too.

John Weston has lived in Hampstead Villagefor 17 years and is married with twoschool-age children. He is a Creative Director(Advertising) by profession. He served on theSociety’s Planning Sub-Committee 2003–2010,and on the General Committee 2007 topresent. He has been the Society’s websiteeditor since its inception in 2007. He has alsoserved on the Hampstead Conservation AreaAdvisory Committee, the City of London’sHampstead Heath Consultative Committee andthe Kenwood Landscape Forum since 2003.John studied Modern History at OxfordUniversity and is locally interested in history,architecture and birdwatching.

Appointed

Martin Thompson is a retired HumanResources Manager who was educated inZambia and has worked both in the UnitedKingdom and in South Africa. He has a BA(Hons) degree from the University of Natal.He now works part-time for The PressAssociation and for a teaching agency, aswell as assisting in various charities. Hereturned to live in London in 2002 andgravitated back to Hampstead where he hadlived in the early 1970s. He is an amateurhistorian and a founder member of LondonHistorians. He is interested in the history ofthe people who have, at one time or another,lived in Hampstead and is writing a bookabout them. He joined the Society in 2015and became a member of the TownSub-Committee in 2016. ∫

Candidates for Election or Appointment (cont)

Hampstead Food Market

Every Saturday 10:00 – 15:00

inHampstead ParochialSchool playground

(behind the Everyman Cinema)

Award-winning fruit and vegetables fromfamily farms, small-batch artisan producers

and street food traders

Join us for your fresh food shoppingeach Saturday and for breakfast and/or lunch

Hampstead TheatreEton Avenue NW3 3EU

Support your local theatre

Become a Friend of Hampstead Theatre

Avoid disappointment by becoming a Friendand taking advantage of our priority bookingperiod. For just £40 per annum Friendsreceive the following benefits:

• Priority Booking

• Advance notice of forthcoming productions

• Quarterly e-newsletter

• Invitations to exclusive events at the Theatre

• 10% discount at Hampstead Theatre bar

For more details see:www.hampsteadtheatre.com/support-us

Tel: 020 7449 4155

We look forward to welcoming you soonwww.hampsteadtheatre.com

11

The Society is pleased to present itsFinancial Statements for the year ended31 December 2016 (enclosed with thisNewsletter).

The Society reviews its accounting policies eachyear. The trustees are satisfied that the currentpolicies meet the Society’s needs andcircumstances. These policies are disclosed onpage 8 of the Financial Statements.

In 2016 the Society adopted the CharitiesSORP FRS 102, which had become effective on1 January 2015.

The operating surplus for 2016 was £3,804(2015: deficit of £3,967).

The Society made an unrealised gain of £304 onits investments. The resulting total surplus forthe year was £4,108.

Membership subscription income increased by13% year on year – 2016: £23,608 (2015:

£20,958). This percentage increase is dueprincipally to the increased membership ratesapproved at the 2015 AGM.

Dividend income slightly decreased for the yearto £213 (2015: £227). Interest income was up forthe year to £329 (2015: £207).

The Society’s running costs, excludingexceptional costs, were up by 1% in 2016 to£17,062 (2015: £16,817).

During 2016 the Society continued its efforts toincrease membership and subscription income.

The trustees believe that the Society’s Capitaland Reserves are satisfactory at £59,102, ofwhich £26,327 are held in unrestricted reservesand £32,775 in restricted reserves.

The Society wishes to thank Fisher Phillips LLP,Chartered Accountants, for carrying out theIndependent Examination of the FinancialStatements for 2016. ∫

Treasurer’s Report for 2016

by Maureen Clark-Derby

Fisher Phillips LLP, Chartered Accountants

Fisher Phillips LLP is a proactive and forward-thinking UK firm of Chartered Accountants

based in North West London providing accountancy,

taxation and business advisory services to individuals and businesses.

The Society is very grateful to Fisher Phillips LLP for examining the Society’s

annual financial statements each year on a pro bono basis.

Contact: info@fisherphillips.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 7483 6100

Address: Summit House

170 Finchley Road, London NW3 6BP

12

The Springett LectureTo be given by Matthew Maran on Thursday 21 September 2017 at 8:00pm

(doors open 7:30pm for refreshments) at Burgh House, New End, Hampstead

Admission is free and non-members are welcome

From North London To The World’s Great WildernessesAnd Back Again

Matthew Maran’s photographic journey, andwhy you don’t have to travel far to encounter amazing wildlife

Matthew Maran presents aphotographic slideshow of hisbest images over the past 17years. From south-east Asianprimates to Alaskan bears, Matthas travelled the world tocapture unique animal behaviourand stunning scenery. In thispresentation Matt shares intimatestories and behind-the-scenesvideos of his journey tobecoming an award-winningwildlife photographer. He sharesthe highs and lows of getting theperfect shot and whyphotographing close to home can be as excitingas shooting on the east African plains.

Matthew Maran is a London-based photographercurrently focusing on the wildlife and landscapesof east Devon. Working on a collaborativeproject with Clinton Devon Estates, he iscapturing the landscapes and wildlife throughoutthe seasons, which includes images of the coast,pebblebed heaths and the River Otter. Theseimages will be published in September 2017 inan outreach project to showcase a rich mosaic ofhabitats and the role they play in wildlife

conservation. The document,entitled Space for Nature, looksat the challenges facinglandowners and the quest toprotect the remaining plants andanimals with ever increasingdemands on the land for farmingand development.

Matthew has published twobooks. The most recent in June2016 – Hampstead Heath,London’s Countryside – was acollaborative project with TheCity of London Corporation andfocuses on the familiar and

rarely seen animals and habitats of the Heath.

Matthew has extensive experience working withschools and other groups to provideactivity-based photo workshops and lecturesabout his work. He works privately tocommission for individuals, consultancies andNGOs. He campaigns for conservation andanimal rights, and is a committed vegan.

Nature Picture Library, a leading UK specialistin natural history imagery, has representedMatthew since 2005.

Matt Maran

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Paul Johnson

Teardrop Centre

7 April – 18 June

British artist Paul Johnson’s (b.1972)work is anchored by an enquiry into

the way objects and images can transitionhistorically, mentally and physically when

filtered through the hands of the artist.Gathering images and objects from

diverse sources, he then creates small,labour-intensive sculptures, collages and

large-scale installations that stimulateimaginary associations for the viewerto decode. Notions of the outsider,

rituals and belief systems are often apoint of intrigue in his work.

Throughout history, the space in whichart is made has long fascinated bothcreators and observers. For Johnson,the contemporary studio is a site of

autonomy and production, yet also evokesa sense of uncertainty and anxiety.Examining this hermetic space as a

universe in itself, Johnson dismantles hisentire studio reconstructing fragments inGallery 3, considering it as a sculptural

object and visionary environment. TeardropCentre sees Johnson return to Camden

Arts Centre almost a decade afterundertaking a residency in 2007.

Geta Bratescu

The Studio: A Tireless, Ongoing Space

7 April – 18 June

Romanian artist Geta Bratescu’s (b.1926)vivid practice has comprised performance,textiles, collage, print-making, installationand film. Living and working in Bucharest

throughout Ceaus,escu’s totalitarianregime, Bratescu embraced the studioas an autonomous space, free fromeconomic or political influences.

Concerned with identity anddematerialisation, Bratescu conjuresquestions of ethics and femininity

through her longstanding curiosity inmythical and literary figures, including

Aesop, Faust, Beckett and Medea.These concepts have underlain muchof her work through experiments inmaterial rearrangements, charting the

movement of her hands, thedisappearance or concealment of

her own image, and performing tothe camera through her photographic

series and films.

Her exhibition will focus on this lifelongapproach to the studio as a performative,contemplative and critical space to reflect

on one’s own position in the world.

For further informationon these exhibitions

please visitcamdenartscentre.org

Camden Arts CentreArkwright Road

London NW3 6DG+44 (0)20 7472 5500

14

Model Boating Pond island

The City issued a consultation paper in March2017 to outline options for the future of the“island” at the Model Boating Pond. The“island”, more strictly a peninsula since there isa causeway to it, arose from the landscapingdesign as part of the Ponds Project; the aimwas to provide a new feature in the landscapeand to preserve the trees on what was then alow hillock.

The City proposed a series of options. Option 1proposed that, once the recovery period wascomplete, the whole island would be open forpublic access at all times, including for anglersand people walking their dogs. Recently openedgaps in the aquatic plant fencing would need tobe closed to prevent access to the water bypeople and dogs.

Under Option 2, the island would remaincompletely closed to the public, and wouldbecome a refuge for wildlife. The causewaywould be secured with a locked wooden gateand some additional planting to encouragewildlife could be introduced. Under this option,Heath staff would need to monitor access to theisland to ensure that the public did not climbthe fence and gate and that dogs could notswim across. It would mean no access foranglers or model boaters.

The ecological benefit would be in allowing anundisturbed area for wildlife. The island wouldbe available as a refuge for birds such as swans,geese, ducks, coots and moorhens. If additionalfeatures were added to the island, such as thickshrubs, bird and bat boxes and amphibian andreptile refuges, it could also be of value toadditional wildlife. However, the vegetation onthe island might be heavily grazed by the

wildfowl, especially by geese, reducing theattractiveness of the island’s top and sides. Also,the number of Canada geese on the pond mightincrease, causing problems on adjacent grassyareas with grazing and bird mess.

Option 3a envisaged that, once the recoveryperiod was complete, the island would be opento the public but about a third of it, about 500square metres, would remain fenced off as awildlife refuge. Heath staff would need tomonitor access to ensure that people and dogswere kept out of the refuge area. It would bepartially accessible for anglers and modelboaters. Fencing off a section of the island as anundisturbed area for wildlife would create arefuge for waterfowl including swans; the latterare able to nest relatively close to publiclyaccessible areas, as they do at Hampstead No. 1pond. The disadvantages include a fence acrossthe island which would be visually intrusive, anddogs might disturb wildlife close to the fence.

Under Option 3b the island would be open tothe public but, again, an area of about 500square metres would remain fenced off as awildlife refuge, as for Option 3a. Dogs wouldnot be permitted on to any part of the islandat any time and a gate with clear signagewould be installed. Heath staff would need tomonitor access to ensure dogs were kept offthe island. There would be access for anglersand model boaters. A gate would be requiredat the causeway to prevent dog access andthere would be a fence across the islandwhich would be visually intrusive. This wasthe City’s preferred option in papers sent tothe Heath Consultative Committee for itsmeeting on 13 March.

Option 4 would take a seasonal approach. Theisland would be closed to the public from

Heath Report

by John Beyer and Lynda Cook

15

March to September. A locked wooden gatewith clear signage would be installed. Heathstaff would need to monitor access to ensurethe public did not access the island during theclosed season. There would be a wildliferefuge for seven months of the year,comprising the bird nesting season plus anadditional month for any birds, especiallyswans, which had nested late.

After considerable deliberation, the HeathSub-Committee decided that the best option wasfor the City to adopt Option 2, i.e. an “island”devoted solely to wildlife. This is now theSociety’s policy.

The issues are of course complex; if theywere not, there would not have been such alevel of debate about the island. TheSub-Committee admired the ingenuity andcreativity of Heath staff in formulating theoptions. The Sub-Committee had, until theCity issued its proposals, considered that weshould all wait until we could see how theisland was treated once people had accessbefore taking a view. The City’s consultationpaper crystallized the choices and asked for adecision immediately.

The compromise schemes suggested inOptions 3a/b would mean that neither theinterests of wildlife, nor those of the generalpublic would be well served. Option 3a wouldallow dog access to the non-reserve part ofthe island, so that wildlife would be disturbed,while some members of the public might wantto enter the wildlife area. Options 3a/b wouldalso involve the erection of a fence, which asa principle the Society would prefer not to see(we would not however object to the lesserevil of a gate which would be needed to closeoff the island under Option 2); Options 3a/b

would also require considerable use of thescarce resource of Heath staff, who wouldhave to monitor dogs and humans in asolution which would inevitably cause someconfusion among visitors.

Although there is already the Bird SanctuaryPond as a wildlife island, an archipelago ofreserves would provide more than the sum ofthe parts.

We believe that Option 2 would not beviolating the principle of preserving the wildaspect of the Heath, since it would be creatingadditional wild areas. In any case, closing offthe island would have been balanced by thenew areas opened to the public, such as thedry dam on the Hampstead chain of ponds, aspart of the Ponds Project.

The pond, despite its name, is not used asmuch for model boating as it was in the past.The reed beds around the edge will alreadycause some difficulties for access by modelboaters; sealing off the island will not makethis problem significantly worse.

We felt that Option 4 would require staffmonitoring and would not be asstraightforward as Option 2.

It is not with any enthusiasm that we aretaking this position. During the planning of thePonds Project, we wanted the island to be anattractive feature which would not prevent thehistoric activity of model boating and to whichthe public could have access. But our TreeOfficer, supported by rangers and other Heathstaff, now believes that the heavy footfall fromvisiting members of the public will be so greatas to damage the tree roots and eventually leadto the death of the trees, and so defeat thewhole original purpose of the island.

16

When the public could briefly access itrecently, it was a popular destination, even ona passing walk, and we think that it willbecome an unfortunate victim of its ownattractiveness. In terms of keepingarrangements simple for the public, and moreparticularly the encouragement of wildlife andpreserving the “wild nature” of the Heath, thesimplest solution is the best solution.

The Heath Consultative Committee on 13March deferred a decision until a futuremeeting. In any case, the grass is notexpected to recover sufficiently to allowpublic access until the end of this summer orpossibly next year.

Cycle paths and drones

The City has also agreed to hold discussionswith local interests on possible new cycleroutes on the Heath, and to consider adoptinga policy on drone use. The cycle routes havebeen proposed by Camden Cycling Forumand have been discussed informally with Citystaff. The idea is to have more dual use(bicycle and pedestrian) routes on the Heath,specifically the path from the Lido to theBroadwalk path and a route at North End.The Society has consistently opposedextension of cycling on the Heath in the past(except along the main road boundaries), andhas reaffirmed that this remains the bestpolicy for the Heath, which must not becomepart of the transport infrastructure for London.The proposal is also opposed by thecampaigning group Heath for Feet.

The Society will continue to persuade the Cityto adopt a blanket “no drone” policy for theHeath, on the grounds of safety, noisepollution and disturbance of wildlife.

Public parks inquiry

We are disappointed with the report by theHouse of Commons Communities and LocalGovernment Committee published on11 February 2017. The report noted the declinein funding for parks across the country, butneglected to recommend the kind of actionswhich we urged (see the January 2017Newsletter) and which would have helped toremedy the problem. While the reportrecognises the wide benefits to communitiesof open spaces (for example in promotinggood health), the Committee rejected calls bywitnesses for a statutory duty to fund parks(which would have helped protect parkbudgets) or to establish a government agencyto champion parks.

New swan season

As we noted in previous newsletters, last yearwas a difficult one for the two swan familieson the Heath (one on the Highgate chain,one on the Hampstead chain of ponds). Nowthat the cygnets on both chains have beenremoved to the Swan Sanctuary, we hope thatthe pen on the Highgate chain will find a newmate for this season, perhaps returning to thetraditional nesting site on Highgate No. 1 Pond.On the Hampstead chain, we observe that thecob and pen have recreated their old nest andthat the pen is now sitting on ten eggs.

It is hoped that the coming year will prove tobe more peaceful and successful for theremaining swans on the Heath ponds now thatthe Ponds Project is complete. The City ofLondon rangers remain ever vigilant and we areengaging with them in order to help reduce theattacks by dogs on the swans, and limit theharm caused by fishing lines and tackle. ∫

Heath Report (cont)

17

Planning Report

by David Castle

It does not seem that much time has passedsince the last newsletter – but there is muchto report.

Firstly, the good news. Camden have at lastagreed much more stringent requirements forthe construction of basements in order to limitdamage to neighbouring houses. The engineersresponsible for the basement will now have toshow that damage to an adjoining house orother building is no more than a hairline crack(referred to as Burland Scale 1) – cracks likethis might need cosmetic treatment but arerarely serious. Previously, according toCamden, permitted cracking in walls andceilings could reach 3mm wide (Burland Scale2) – cracks of this size only usually occurwhen serious structural damage is taking place!

This change in requirements is to be welcomed,but any adjoining owner threatened by anadjacent basement construction still needs to beprotected by a party wall surveyor/engineerexperienced in the problem and insisting onBurland Scale 1 as a maximum.

Jack Straw’s Castle

The owners of Jack Straw’s Castle have alreadyconducted a Pre-Application consultation(Pre-App) with Camden planners about addingtwo ‘town houses’ to the small car park to thenorth of this important listed building. Absurdly,as is the rule in Pre-Apps, Camden do not informthose most affected or even the HampsteadConservation Area Consultative Committee(HCAAC) which is a group set up by Camdenspecifically to advise on all developments inHampstead Conservation Areas. You mightwonder why prospective developers pay forPre-App advice but presumably they mustconsider it gives them an advantage in the

subsequent application for planning permission.It can be assumed that, once Camden have madetheir comments during the Pre-App, it is difficultfor them to change their minds when faced withconsiderable objections to the developmentduring the course of the planning application.

In this case, we have been sent Camden’sin-house advice on the development whichraises no objection to the development – verydifferent from the Society’s views. The Heathand Planning Sub-Committees of the Societyhave both concluded that, if the existing carpark is to be retained, there is little chance ofdesigning satisfactory housing on the small site,that the proposed houses are not compatiblewith the noteworthy listed building, and thatwe will campaign vigorously against theapplication when made.

It is difficult to understand why Camden donot gather views from local people andgroups before committing themselves toobservations intended to help satisfactorydevelopment during a Pre-App.

Gayton Crescent

Members and visitors to Hampstead cannothave failed to notice the parlous state of 15Gayton Crescent – a building site since 2008.Under the cover of scaffolding, the ownersbuilt an unauthorised four storey extension onthe rear of the house, overlooking Grade IIlisted Willow Cottages. They lost an appealagainst a refusal of planning permission in2014 and were required to demolish part of theextension. They have just (6 March 2017) lost afurther four appeals, all relating to the sameunauthorised building work. The PlanningInspector also ordered that the owners paymost of Camden’s costs because of the

unreasonable way in which they conducted theappeals. The Society made submissions to theInspector in support of local residents’planning concerns.

The owners, a barrister and his wife, havepleaded not guilty in criminal proceedings inHighbury Magistrates’ Court for failure tocomply with Camden’s enforcement notice toremove part of the unauthorised extension.Those proceedings, which were stayedpending the owners’ last minute appeal to thePlanning Inspectorate, will now continue.Camden are to be congratulated for theirdogged persistence in seeing planning lawupheld. It is to be hoped that the situation ofthis pretty house on a prominent corner cannow be regularised, the hoardings removedand the garden replanted.

Giving ‘teeth’ to Construction ManagementPlans and Section 106s

It has always been the case that there is nocheck onsite of any kind that a building is beingconstructed according to the approved drawingsand conditions of the planning permission.Public vigilance is the only check on a planningtransgression by the builders or the developers.This sad state of affairs is particularly seriouswith Construction Management Plans. There isno penalty for breaking these agreements, nomonitoring, and in many instances – e.g. if morelorry trips or more pollution have occurred – itis too late to enforce even if quick action byCamden was an available course of action.

We intend to persuade Camden to include somespeedily applied penalty for breaching – on and

around sites – the requirements of planningconditions, Basement Impact Assessments(BIAs), Construction Management Plans (CMPs)and Section 106 Agreements. For instance, animmediately applied stop order to constructionsites would force developers to take suchagreements seriously and be a very effectivepenalty brought on by the contractor’s ordeveloper’s own fault.

Subsidence and the loss of trees in streetsand gardens

The mature trees in many of our streets andlanes are an essential part of Hampstead. It is atragedy when they are cut down, particularlywhen such destruction is unnecessary.

When cracks that appear in a building arebrought to the attention of an insurancecompany, our experience is that those employedby them within the ‘subsidence industry’ willalmost inevitably blame nearby trees in bothstreets and gardens, and insist that they areremoved. We have been aware of a ‘scorchedearth policy’ for some time, caused by a verylimited tree-blaming approach. A recent spate ofrequests to fell trees, coupled with threats tomake house-owners or Camden responsible forpaying to rectify the damage*, has occurreddespite no recent significant periods of drought,a pre-requisite of ‘vegetation-related subsidence’.

Evidence is emerging that in Hampstead, becauseof its particular sub-soil and complex watermovement, trees are usually not the primarycause of subsidence damage. More often, thecause is erosion of the silt from within the claysoils by the action of groundwater. This loss of

18

Planning Report (cont)

* The House of Lords has ruled that, if trees under the control of a local authority or a third party are a materialcause of subsidence damage, the local authority or third party is liable for the remedial costs (DelawareMansions v Westminster City Council [2001] UKHL 55.

19

volume reduces the bearing capacity of theground beneath foundations, resulting insubsidence. Recent construction nearby, whichthese days involves much deeper foundationsthan in past times, can, in addition to causingdifferential subsidence, also affect watermovement around or under a building. Blockingthe normal groundwater flow will result in dryingand clay shrinkage; focussing on increasing thegroundwater flow will affect the silt-erodible soilsbelow shallow foundations nearby.

More gradual erosion of silt from beneath ourancient drains and mains waterpipes can have asimilar subsidence-causing effect, when thejoints of these pipes fail or the unsupportedpipes crack. Mains water under pressure willcertainly accelerate the erosion of silt from soilsbelow the foundations of our roadways orbuildings. Leaking drains themselves arebecoming a recognised cause of subsidence (seehttp://www.heathandhampstead.org.uk/planning/trees/what-s-really-causing-your-subsidence).

It takes time to establish the true cause ofsubsidence for each individual case, but thisrecent spate of tree-felling is concerning andthe Society’s Tree Officer is currentlycampaigning to save these trees by persuadingboth Camden and the insurance companiesinvolved that the real cause is not the trees but,more likely, a recent construction built beforethe structural damage occurred, coupled withlocal conditions. Data from Hampstead weathercentres on the south-eastern edge ofHampstead Heath (http://nw3weather.co.uk/)and higher at the Observatory in Upper Terrace(http://www.weather-uk.com/page2.html) areproving invaluable for this, as is the gradualcollection of borehole data from all the manybasement applications made in our area.

If you know of a subsidence claim against treesin your or a neighbour’s garden, do approachthe Tree Officer to see if she is able to help.Assistance in collecting borehole data wouldalso be very welcome. We are graduallybuilding a dossier of case studies beforepublicising our findings. Our aim is to educateinsurance companies, engineers andarboriculturalists in the particular conditionspertinent to Hampstead, and to ensure the trueculprits are held responsible.

And finally – more good news

We have just been informed that the owners ofHeath House (listed II*) have decided to giveup their plans to divide this important buildinginto six flats, some of which were of inferiorquality. They instead will soon be extendingand converting the existing building into a finesingle house as originally approved by theplanning authority some seven years ago.Although changes in market conditions mayhave influenced the decision, the Society isjustified in claiming a considerable victory. ∫

Don’t forget to use the

Hampstead CardThe current list of

businesses taking part in the scheme

can be found on the Society’s website,

and can be downloaded from there:

www.HeathandHampstead.org.uk

Benefits offered are granted at the

traders’ discretion. The Society is not

responsible for changes in terms or

availability of any discounts or offers.

20

This is the last report I shall be writing as Chairof the Town Sub-Committee as I shall bestanding down from that position at theforthcoming Annual General Meeting of theSociety; Martin Thompson will be taking overfrom me. I wish Martin well in what is afascinating role in working for the preservationof what is best in and around the village, indeveloping new amenities, in encouraging theintroduction of new services, and in recordingand publicising its history.

HS2

On 23 February 2017, Royal Assent was given tothe legislation for the building of Phase 1 of thehigh-speed rail line between London andBirmingham. Work on this major project isexpected to start this year – or may, by the timeyou are reading this report, already have started.

The main effect of the project on Hampsteadremains, of course, increased traffic, pollution,etc. Whilst changes were made to the originallydesignated routes for the removal from anddelivery of materials to the development siteclosest to Hampstead, there remains thepossibility that some vehicles will, because ofcongestion elsewhere, pass through Hampsteadand/or its residential streets. As I said in myreport in the January 2017 issue of theNewsletter, we seem to be dependent on HS2’sassurances that construction traffic will be keptoff roads as far as possible, waiting indesignated compounds until needed, andmeasures taken to prevent contractorsdeviating from the designated routes by meansof GPS vehicle tracking and fines fornon-compliance. However, the effectiveness ofthese measures is likely only to be proved ordisproved when put into action, and Camdenhas limited powers to ensure that works are

carried out legally and safely. In the end, wemay have to rely on local vigilance andresidents immediately reporting any issues totheir councillors and to Camden.

CS11

Concern as to the effects of CS11 (the proposedcycling superhighway initially from SwissCottage to Baker Street) continues undiminished.That of the Society relates in the main to theeffect on traffic flows, congestion and theresulting actions of drivers. They are likely totake to “rat runs” on residential streets andthrough the village, leading to further congestionand added pollution close to homes andschools. The modelling by TfL of theimplications of such changes in route still doesnot take into account the impact of developmentwork on HS2 over many years, even though thatdevelopment will definitely go ahead as reportedabove. Many groups continue to raise theseissues; the Society is doing so with the residents’associations in view of its concern as to theimpact on local residents and the village.

Oriel Place

Juliette Sonabend, a member of the TownSub-Committee, is in advanced discussions withCamden and landscape architects with a view tothe refurbishment of Oriel Place and opening upthe space opposite Oriel Court presently closedto the public. Camden has given the go-ahead tocommission a survey of the area which, oncecompleted, will, we hope, lead to proposals forthe refurbishment. It will be great to be able tobring that space back into public use.

Plaques

Whilst it is some months since we last erected anew Hampstead plaque to commemorate a

Town Report

by Frank Harding

21

former well-known resident, we now haveagreement for the erection of three additionalplaques over the coming months. We shall beputting up a plaque to commemorate the livesof Sarah Siddons, the actress, Lord Clark, the arthistorian, and Marghanita Laski, the author andbroadcaster, on Capo di Monte, Upper Terrace,a second on 28 Willoughby Road forChristopher Wade, the recently deceased“historian of Hampstead”, and a third on 1B

Downshire Hill, the building where Jim Hensoncreated and made “the Muppets”.

Old Hampstead Rediscovered VI

The sixth, and probably final, exhibition of asample of Hampstead paintings held inCamden’s collection will take place from14 June to 3 September 2017 at Burgh House.Knight Frank has once again kindly agreed tosponsor the exhibition. ∫

Oriel Place

Photo

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Hampstead has been home to many famous andinfluential people, from those who havechanged the way we think, to those who havechanged the way we shop. These great peoplehave distinguished themselves in the world ofpolitics, business, science, literature, art, music,theatre and film. From Sir Henry Vane, theParliamentarian beheaded in 1662, to Sir HenryCole, the Victorian postal reformer whooriginated the custom of sending Christmascards, and from John Constable, the artist, toJohn Lewis the draper, Hampstead provided thehome they sought.

Commemorative plaques form a tangible linkbetween these illustrious earlierresidents and the buildings ofHampstead. Their enticingpresence fascinatespeople of all ages andbackgrounds, residentsand visitors alike. Theyinstruct and entertain, theybring the past into the present,and they perpetuate their memory,making buildings their own biographers, and area source of local pride. Plaques also markbuildings of significant historical or architecturalnote, informing us of their history or contributionto the built environment.

There are over 75 such plaques in Hampsteadaround half of which are the blue (formerlybrown) round plaques erected by EnglishHeritage or its forebears, the Society of Arts,London County Council and Greater LondonCouncil. The other half are the distinctive blackoval Hampstead plaques of The Heath &Hampstead Society.

It is now over 10 years since Frank Hardinginvited me to join him on a new panel to focus

on the Society’s historical interests and toadminister and perpetuate the Hampsteadplaque scheme. So, after a decade ofcommemorating Hampstead and on this theSociety’s 120th anniversary I am happy to take amoment to reflect upon our work.

The Hampstead Plaque Fund was established inthe 1980s by Ralph Wade to commemorateformer residents of Hampstead who, for variousreasons, did not qualify for an English Heritageblue plaque and also to commemorate buildingsof architectural interest or those whichcontributed to the history of Hampstead.

In 1994, the Heath & HampsteadSociety took over the running

of the scheme and addedfour new plaques to the25 existing ones. Ourfirst task in 2006 was tosurvey each of the 29

plaques that we inherited.We located, catalogued and

photographed each plaque; weidentified 10 plaques requiring significantrestoration (completed in 2007). We replacedtwo plaques where the condition was too poorto be saved. That project took three years tocomplete! Our next and on-going task remainsthe selection and installation of new plaques.We have installed six new plaques since takingover the scheme.

The Society’s black plaque scheme is totallyindependent of the English Heritage scheme.However, we collaborate with them to ensurethat we do not duplicate our efforts.

Plaque selection criteria

The Society broadly follows the sameguidelines as those established by English

Commemorative Plaques in Hampstead

by Juliette Sonabend

23

Heritage. The person under consideration needsto meet the following criteria:

• to have been dead for 20 years or to havereached the age of 100, thus allowingsufficient time for the candidate’s reputationto mature and to have proved to beenduring

• to have lived in the actual building beingcommemorated, not in a later propertyconstructed on the site

• to have made a significant contribution intheir field

• to be recognisable to a well-informedpasser-by

• to have lived inHampstead for ameaningful amountof time

• if a foreigner,to have aninternational reputation

• where a building is tobe commemorated, to be ofarchitectural significance or of relevance tothe history of Hampstead.

Selection process

We encourage our membership, as well as thegeneral public, to make suggestions. Thesecome from Hampstead residents, as well asfrom those further afield with a particularinterest in the person proposed, from laterresidents of the same house, or from relatives.

A list of proposals is collated throughout theyear and each suggestion is submitted forconsideration at our semi-annual panelmeetings. Proposals are considered on theirmerits. Usually no more than four are selected

by the panel for further research andconsideration. Research is then undertaken toconfirm proof of residence and corroboratehistorical details. The list of approvedrecommendations is put forward to the GeneralCommittee of the Society for approval. Consentfor the erection of a plaque is then sought fromthe property owner. Whilst planning permissionis not required, if a building is listed, buildingconsent from Camden is obligatory. After theagreement of the design, content and locationwith all parties involved, the plaque ismanufactured, erected and, where appropriate,an unveiling ceremony is held. This process can

take anything from four months tofour years!

Design, manufactureand fixing

Our plaque designshave remained virtually

unchanged. They are stilloval in shape and measure

750mm by 385mm. The materialshave of course evolved. The original plaqueswere cast in aluminium, etch-primed andpowder coated, with the letteringhand-painted in gold. Now they are fabricatedfrom 3mm thick solid sheet aluminium andrelief-etched with a raised border and text.The plaques are stove-enamelled, with anantique black background and ivory lettering,which has been found to be more durable.The plaques are surface-mounted by adelightful gentleman whose family has lived inHampstead for generations.

The Society places upon the home owner noobligation or responsibility for the plaque. Theplaque remains the property of the Societywhich is liable for its maintenance. As I noted

24

above, we have installed six new plaques sincetaking over the scheme. Whilst this figuresounds small, one has to factor in the humanelement: not all property owners wish to drawattention to their homes, sometimes thepolitical leanings or morals of the candidateupset a current owner and sometimes residentsjust cannot decide or agree on what they want.And often the candidate’s tenure of theproperty is too short to justify a plaque. So,this work often requires patience, perseveranceand sometimes great charm!

Commemorative plaques and theirrelevance in 2017

So, what does the future hold?What relevance does a solidmessage placed on abuilding hold in thisworld of ephemeralpleasures, instant accessto information, andendless streams of news?The answer is that theirrelevance is increasingly important andunderstanding their contribution to our daily liveshas never been easier. Combining these solidcommemorations with the ability to research thehistory of the site on our smartphones meansthat the plaques can serve as a springboard forour curiosity and add relevance and context toour historically rich neighbourhood.

If we take three of our more celebrated plaquerecipients, it is clear that their contribution isas relevant today as ever and, as such, they areenduring aids for teachers, historians and thepublic at large.

George Orwell (77 Parliament Hill) – hisdystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm are

rarely out of the bestseller list, with the formertopping the list after the inauguration ofDonald Trump. His observations are universaland as relevant as the day he wrote them.

Sir Edward Elgar (44 Netherhall Gardens) –Land of Hope and Glory is an annual fixture atthe Last Night of the Proms. His sentimentsecho the post-Brexit referendum zeitgeist.

Marie Stopes (14 Well Walk) – her work, aspioneer of the Family Planning Movement,remains vitally important, especially in thecurrent heated climate of the worldwide debateover a woman’s control of her body.

People are passionate aboutplaques, they connect

people with place andthey bring our streets tolife. They fascinate,beguile and charm. Iam thrilled to be

running the HampsteadPlaque Scheme together with

Frank Harding. I would now liketo consider how we update our informationand put pertinent biographies on our website,enabling the siting of a plaque to be thebeginning of a journey which continues viathe palm of our hand and extends through theinternet as far we wish to go.

We run Hampstead plaque tours during thespring and summer months – the next toursare scheduled for 13 and 20 May (if you wishto join one of these walks, contact FrankHarding at frankaharding@btinternet.com) andof course we always welcome suggestions fornew plaques.

We have already been granted consent forthree new plaques in 2017 and we are

Commemorative Plaques in Hampstead (cont)

delighted to be able to continue sharing thestory of Hampstead’s former residents andtheir sustained contribution to ourever-changing world.

For further information, please feel free tocontact us at juliette@sonabend.co.uk orfrankaharding@btinternet.com ∫

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Plaque Walks in HampsteadJulia Male, an authorised London guide,

will be leading two walks pointing out theEnglish Heritage blue plaques, the

Society’s black plaques and the otherplaques on buildings in Hampstead

on Saturday 13 and/or 20 May.Please email Frank Harding on

frankaharding@btinternet.com if you wouldlike to make a reservation for the walks.

Members’ email addresses –Are you missing out?

Keeping you informed of the latestnews and events.

The Society is increasingly using email, to let members know of vital issues that crop up between Newsletters.

It is also an invaluable way to bring youother useful information, such as walks,

talks and events that do not fit in with the Newsletter timetable.

If we do not have your email addressyou may be missing out on importantlocal and Society news and initiatives.So, if you have not already done so, please

do send your email address to the Society at:info@HeathandHampstead.org.uk

Make sure that you include your name andstreet address so that we can identify you.

This will also enable us to update ourmembership records and simplify our

communications with you.

Delivering the Newsletter by email

Would you prefer to receive your Newsletterby email in the form of a Acrobat PDF file

so that you can read it on screen ? It is environmentally more friendly, saving

paper, unnecessary waste and cost.With postage charges increasing enormouslythis is now becoming a major consideration.

The occasional extra flyers could also besent via email, if wished.

PDFs of the Newsletter can be seen onthe website. If you would like to try this

please let us know at: info@HeathandHampstead.org.uk

26

The game

Croquet can be played by two or four players.The object of the game is to hit your ball(s)through the course of six hoops in the rightsequence in each direction and finish by hittingthem against the centre peg. The game isplayed as singles or doubles but in either casethe blue and black balls always play against thered and yellow balls. The side which completesthe course first with both balls wins.

There are several forms of the game, the mainones being garden croquet, golf croquet andAssociation croquet. The last allows a numberof ‘continuation’ strokes. When a ball ‘runs thehoop’ it earns another shot. When a ball hits or‘roquets’ one of the other balls, it earns anothertwo shots. The first of these is the ‘croquet’stroke in which you place your ball in contactwith the ball you have just hit and play a shotso that both balls move. The second extra shot,the ‘continuation’ stroke, is a normal one. Theplayer can try to make another roquet or run ahoop. Expert players can put together ‘breaks’by strategically positioning the balls and scoringmany hoops in a single turn.

Players start by learning the basic rules andmallet strokes and developing the accuracy oftheir shots, but it is the opportunity to developstrategic play that makes the game so fascinatingto its enthusiasts. A handicap system allowsnovices and champions to meet on equal terms.

History of croquet

The noted croquet historian, Dr. Prior, in hisbook of 1872, makes the categorical statement‘One thing only is certain: it is from Ireland thatcroquet came to England and it was on the

lawn of the late Lord Lonsdale that it was firstplayed in this country.’

The origins of the game are not clear but thereis evidence of games played with balls, hoopsand sticks from the 12th century. The Dutchgame of beugelen goes back at least to themid-17th century. Originating in the same partof northern Europe, the related game of pallmall was adopted by the French royal court.The game had spread to London by 1661 whenSamuel Pepys noted that he had been ‘to StJames’s Park, where I saw the Duke of Yorkplaying at Pelemele, the first time that I eversaw the sport.’ The playing area was a strip ofland a thousand yards long called ‘The Mall’and shopkeepers lined the route, an earlyexample of a shopping mall!

Enthusiasm for pall mall waned but about acentury later a new game using mallets to hitballs through hoops known as Crookey wasbrought to England from its birthplace inIreland by John Jaques II of the successfulsports goods retailer. He saw the game beingplayed during a visit to the Emerald Isle in1852, brought it home and promoted it to thegrowing Victorian middle classes. Croquetbecame the latest craze. The rules of the gameand a guide to tactics were developed by writerWalter Jones Whitmore and published in TheField magazine in 1866.

The earliest croquet club was founded inWorthing, West Sussex in 1860. Others wereestablished along the south coast and in thesouth west of England. Whitmore and otherplayers formed a London-based club, the ‘AllEngland Croquet Club’ in Wimbledon. But inthe 1870s, croquet’s popularity was challenged

“Croquet is like snooker on a lawn!”

Heath & Hampstead Society life member Sue Kirby explains the basic characteristicsand origins of the game of croquet and invites you to join the Hampstead HeathCroquet Club.

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by Lawn Tennis. The London Club rebrandeditself the ‘All England Croquet and Lawn TennisClub’. By 1882 croquet at Wimbledon had avery low profile and today only one croquetlawn remains. However, a new national body,the Croquet Association, was set up in 1897 andfound a permanent base, first at the HurlinghamClub in south west London, and, from 2002, atCheltenham Croquet Club.

Expansion of the game was halted by the FirstWorld War and the game was almostextinguished by the Second World War.However, in the second half of the 20th centurythere was a revival. The World CroquetFederation was founded in 1986. There is aWorld Singles Championship and the prestigious

MacRobertson Shield is awarded for the maininternational team event. Croquet has featuredonce in the Olympics, in Paris in 1900. It wasthe first Olympic sport to include women andeven now is one of the few to feature men andwomen competing alongside one another.

Croquet in Hampstead

A chance meeting between two croquetenthusiasts led to the formation of HampsteadHeath Croquet Club (HHCC) in 2008. The aimof the Club is to enable players of all ages andabilities to enjoy a challenging and relaxinggame in pleasant surroundings. The Club has 35members whose handicaps range from theworld-class-1 to the beginners’ handicap (+)26.

A novel type of engagement celebration, one of many private croquet parties held at Golders Hill

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The Club runs a number of tournamentsincluding a singles knockout competition andsome members play in inter-club matches andnational and international competitions. One ofthe most attractive features of the Club is thewillingness of the more experienced membersto coach beginners and improvers, bothformally and informally.

The Club initially had just one half-size lawnbut high demand in the first season led to theCity of London Corporation upgrading this totwo half-size, better quality lawns. The lawnsare situated immediately below the hard tenniscourts in Golders Hill Park, a short walk fromGolders Green underground station. Buses 268and 210 stop at the gates to the park on North

End Road (the A502). The lawns are open toanyone, making them the only fully publiclawns in North London. From 2011 (andcontinuing for the 2017 season), Clubmembers who are also experienced croquetplayers have the opportunity to play on afull-size lawn shared with the Bowls Club atParliament Hill.

All specialised equipment needed to play thegame is provided on site, in respect of which a£20 returnable deposit is also payable. Clubmembers may apply for a key to theequipment box so that they can gain accessdirectly. Players need to wear flat-soled shoeswhilst on the lawns; otherwise we have noformal dress code.

“Croquet is like snooker on a lawn!” (cont)

Soldiers at Rosslyn Lodge Military Auxiliary Hospital, Lyndhurst Road, Hampstead 1917

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The provisional dates for the 2017 season areSaturday 15 April to Saturday 16 September.There are regular open Club sessions at GoldersHill Park lawns, generally on the first and thirdSunday of the month from 2 until 4pm. The Clubalso participates in the Golders Hill Open Day,this year on Sunday 14 May, and the Golders Hill‘Give it a go’ day on Sunday 16 July.

Please just come along to one of thecomplimentary Sunday sessions if you wouldlike to try the game. New members are alwayswelcome. Basic membership costs just £25.00.Or you might like to hire the lawn for a privateparty, with an HHCC member to coach you inthe basics included in the fee.

For further information please contactenquiries@hampsteadheathcroquetclub.org.uk orwww.hampsteadheathcroquetclub.org.uk

The author has sourced information on thehistory of the game from Complete Croquet: AGuide to Skills, Tactics and Strategy by JamesHawkins (The Crowood Press Ltd 2010). ∫

One of the club’s most experienced membersdemonstrates how to run a hoop at a club session atGolders Hill

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Hampstead Summer Festival brings people together to celebrateour wonderfully vibrant, culturally diverse and historiccommunity.

Art Fair Day, Whitestone Pond 25 June 12–5pm

12 o’clock celebrity opening. Open art exhibition and artcompetitions; try your hand at our community canvas, ceramicsor silk painting. Adults and children can learn new skills andthe whole family can enjoy the delicious food and drink onoffer, and browse the craft designer stalls. Free entry.

JB Priestley: A Celebration of his Life 29 June 7:30–9pm

At Keats Community Library. A celebration of this popularnovelist, one of Britain’s most performed playwrights,performed by Ann and Christopher Benjamin and Ruth andLee Montague. Tickets £10 from the library.

Keats Community Library Garden Party 1 July 2–4pm

For the children: rhyme-time, storytelling, crafts, a treasurehunt with prizes, bargain books stall, and face painting. For allthe family: scrumptious cakes, tea and soft drinks on the lovelylawn of Keats House. £5 per child /adults free.

Big Fair Day, Heath Street 2 July 11–5pm

The ultimate day out. Circus school, traditional funfair, donkeyrides, birds of prey, chess café, sportszone, live music stages anddance from hip-hop to traditional. Browse from over 100 stallsof handcrafted, unique and locally sourced producers. Deliciousfood and drink and a fabulous carnival atmosphere. Free entry.

Proceeds from the Festival support three popular local charities:Age UK Camden’s Henderson Court Resource Centre, KeatsCommunity Library and Hampstead School of Art. The moneyraised is vital to keep them open for our community.

www.hampsteadsummerfestival.org.uk

When invited to pen a personal thought or twoon the building of Nos 1–3 Willow Road NW3in 1939 – No 2 now being in the safekeeping ofthe National Trust – and the planning appealthat preceded it, I was struck by the notion thatHampstead may be the natural home ofacrimonious building and planning applicationdisputes for a good reason!

That is to say, because of something called the‘the spirit of the place’: that scientificallyunproven but observed fact that places (orperhaps our subjective perception of them)garner a distinct ethos, good or ill, because ofsome event or events that have occurred therein earlier times. It is an appealing notion, orsuperstition! Is it because Hampstead Heathitself, as we now know it, arose from such adispute, one so significant and monumental thatit was resolved, of course, by an Act ofParliament, the Hampstead Heath Act of 1871?

That dispute, in the abbreviated terms oflong-founded, popular sentiment, emerged froma struggle between the “good” and the “bad”. Inother words, between the public interest on theone hand (supported by morally-improvingQuaker banking influence and money) acting topreserve a stretch of old Middlesex countryside(which, thanks be, we still have to enjoy)against the private interest of a Victorian ‘Lordof the Manor of Hampstead’, Sir ThomasMaryon Wilson Bt. He fits the bill as a Victorianpantomime villain very well, with his vision toturn the ancient Heath of Hampstead into pilesof depreciating cash by transforming it intosomething complementary to the acres of brickand mortar to be built on nearby Muswell Hilland the old Finchley Common.

Down the years, Hampstead life has beenpunctuated by many planning disputes andstruggles. Of these, arguably the most celebratedwas over the building of Nos 1–3 Willow RoadNW3, the cause célebre that almost careered intoan action for defamation. That was because it wasdramatised by the personalities of two individualcombatants projecting larger than normalsilhouettes against the nation’s changing culturallandscape. In short, one that almost unavoidablyincludes a parallel token struggle between thefictional, ‘true blue’ Commander James Bond RNand the villainous Auric ‘Goldfinger’ of IanFleming’s patriotic imagination.

In reality, on the one side, Ian Fleming, thedebonair Old Etonian author and begetter ofJames Bond, representing tradition, conservatismand conservation; on the other, the (to somepeople) notorious “Modernist”, radical, Marxistarchitect Erno Goldfinger: two men who couldnot have been more different anduncomprehending of each other if they tried.Moreover, reputation became an aggravatingfactor in this dispute, transforming a dryHampstead planning application into the bitterwine of mutual animosity. More than usually so,when mixed with the aforementioned spirit of theplace. As a portent of that, I observe that it wasin a small garden of those Willow Road cottagesthat the last of the once common, fierce anddestructive neighbourhood polecats (Putoriusputorius) was recorded to have been killed.

One asks, why were Fleming and Goldfingerdrawn to Hampstead in the first place and why,on the very eve of the Second World War, werethey in dispute over the building of houses –when the Luftwaffe was about to destroy as

Bond v Goldfinger

Robert Sutherland Smith, a long-time resident of Hampstead Garden Suburb andChairman of the United Swimmers’ Association of Hampstead Heath, gives hispersonal interpretation of the famous dispute concerning the building of the ErnoGoldfinger houses at Nos 1–3 Willow Road NW3.

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many of them as they could? Was it fate? Anunseen hand which drew the twosimultaneously to the otherwise tranquil WillowRoad, on the brink of untranquil war? God, theysay, works in mysterious ways!

Adding to this mystery is the incompleteness ofpublic records at the time, including localnewspaper reports, thanks to the destruction ofthe building that housed them during theLondon Blitz. So, one does not have chapterand verse on what occurred. However,contemporary accounts of hearsay observationsand anecdotal evidence have survived. Thereare also the more solid annual Reports of theHampstead Heath and Old Hampstead

Protection Society (to which the current Heath& Hampstead Society is successor) whichsoundly confirm the essential facts.

The first thing to note is that the struggle, overthe demolition of the old Willow Road cottagesand what was to be built on the site, was actedout over several years. Mention of it firstappears in the Society’s Annual Report for 1936as an application to the London CountyCouncil (the LCC) to build a block of flats onthe site. The 1937 Annual Report instead refersto an alternative application to build threeflat-roofed houses of modern design inreinforced concrete (do I hear you draw in agasp of incredulity at that fact?).

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1–3 Willow Road

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What must have alarmed contemporaryobservers most particularly was that the LCChad astonishingly given initial agreement to theblock of flats proposal, contrary to its previousand reasonable policy of not allowing theconstruction of blocks of flats on sitesoverlooking Hampstead Heath. Was that changeof policy, impossible to justify rationally, nodoubt prompted by the arrival of its influentialarchitect? No personal mention is made of ErnoGoldfinger in relation to the proposal to buildflats in the Society’s Annual Report. However,other sources link him with the proposal bothprofessionally, as the architect, andphilosophically, as a Marxist. It seems that hewas attracted to the collective nature of flats.Flats, after all, are more communistic thanindividual bourgeois houses.

There ensued much opposition to the idea offlats and the use of concrete for both structuraland aesthetic purposes. The leading figure inopposition to the proposed flats and theirdesign was in truth Henry Brooke, Secretary ofthe then Heath and Old Hampstead ProtectionSociety. (He was, incidentally, the politicianwho established the Conservative Party ResearchDepartment in 1929.) In 1951, he became MPfor Hampstead and later Home Secretary, whenhe proved highly conservative in criminalsentencing policy, supporting deportation forpetty theft: surprising, given the liberalreputation of his new constituency.

The planning tussle of the Willow Road siteattracted the interest of the national press. IanFleming as a local resident joined the fray as anopponent of the proposal. Eventually, the LCCwas persuaded to reject the concrete apartmentblock idea (made easier in light of the earlierLCC policy on blocks of flats) but it did agree to

the erection of the concrete-framed,brick-fronted houses, which stand there to thisday. (It seems that Erno Goldfinger had to haveconcrete, just as an alcoholic requires drink;even if, thankfully, it was hidden as thedisguised structural frame.)

One would have thought that for Fleming, anoutwardly urbane, sardonic, establishmentfigure, life in Hampstead would have had lessappeal than life in fashionable Mayfair (wherehe was reportedly born), Kensington or Chelsea.He was part of the successful merchant bankingfamily that owned and ran the merchant bankRobert Fleming, until it vanished into the vortexof the City’s ‘Big Bang’ of the 1980s.Neighbourhoods such as these were, after all,within the socially desirable ‘pink’ champagneand regimental ethos of Her Majesty’s regimentsof Foot Guards. (Fleming had held a pre-warcommission in the Grenadiers.) There is apossible clue of wider, more unexpected,personal interests that link him to a place likeHampstead Heath; that is, the report thatFleming named his 007 hero, James Bond, aftera known ornithologist. However, the birds inwhich the ornithological Bond was expert werein the Caribbean, not Hampstead. Moreover, itmay simply have been that the original,ornithological Bond was also a member of thePitt Club at Cambridge University. Similarly,Fleming unflatteringly named his small, five-foottall, cold-hearted (‘Coldfinger’) fictional villain,Auric Goldfinger, after the actual, six-foottwo-inches tall Hungarian architect, ErnoGoldfinger, who designed Nos 1–3 WillowRoad. However, I like to think that aThames-side, Eton-educated man like Flemingwould have been attracted to the Hampsteadswimming ponds and would almost certainlyhave swum them.

Bond v Goldfinger (cont)

Correspondingly, what was the attraction ofHampstead Heath for Erno Goldfinger? The kindof architect who loved to work with the rawbrutality of concrete, then the aggressively,intellectually-favoured medium of the 1930savant garde building design and construction?Originally, a precocious Budapest culturalnihilist (probably as seen through the eyes ofFleming) Erno Goldfinger was educated in Paris(a highly dubious credential in the eyes of aBritish traditionalist of that time) at somethingnamed the Ecole Nationale Supérieure desBeaux Arts. Goldfinger was the kind of manwho knew other people with abstract nameslike Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, nameswhich must have sounded as if they belongedmore in an art museum catalogue than in amore useful publication like the LondonTelephone Directory.

Erno Goldfinger, who went on tospecialise in building LCC primaryschools in pre-cast concrete and thosepost-war, council flat, tower blocks –which became as brutal as theylooked, and had to eventually be‘blown up’ or knocked down – wasalso a member of the CommunistParty (not the kind of party at which,as 007 might have wryly observed,they served cocktails), a philosophicaland political disposition which did notdissuade him from marrying UrsulaBlackwell, the Crosse & Blackwellsoup heiress, and living well on theproceeds of excellent tomato andminestrone soup. They had met inParis where her parents hadinnocently sent her to learn modernart only for her to return with anarrogant living exponent of it.

Her new husband, who enjoyed a reputation fora noted lack of a sense of humour, reportedlyonce sacked underlings for breaching theircontracts of employment on the grounds thatthey had exhibited an inappropriate sense ofhumour: something that would probably havestruck Fleming as un-British! Allegedly, Ernowould sometimes exhibit bouts of rage so fiercethat they prompted him, figuratively, to bitechunks out of very expensive figurative Persiancarpets. There remain images of MarxistGoldfinger smoking a large cigar whilst wearingan Astrakhan hat perched above a notunhandsome but nevertheless haughty,humourless face with an expression that onenormally expects to find on cats after lickingcream. His cigar anticipates the smoking habitof the later Fidel Castro who fortunately never

Ian Fleming

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sought property planning permission inHampstead. To be fair, Fleming had a similar‘the cat that’s got the cream’ expression in afamous image of him with a bow tie andelegantly held cigarette holder. But it is at leastaccompanied by a menacingly seductive smile.

The life of neither man suggests that they mighthave shared a Wordsworthian love of nature andpoetry, things that Hampstead Heath was knownfor. But Fleming was a gentleman – on paper atleast – whereas Goldfinger was Hungarian. Itmay be that Fleming belonged to an earliergeneration of Hampstead residents who were inany event decamping from Hampstead as a‘thumbs-down’ retort on the style, politics andpreoccupations of the incoming tide of left-wingintellectuals and modernists: people likeGoldfinger, against whom they reacted like alitmus chemical response in a pre-war RegentStreet Polytechnic science lab experiment; oneset of values labelled ‘surrealist’, ‘abstractionist’,‘minimalist’ and ‘modernist’ unloaded fromincoming Pickford removal vans, whilst outgoingones were loaded up with values labelled‘simplicity’ and ‘tradition’ and heading forChelsea and Richmond?

‘Arty’ migrants like Ben Nicholson, BarbaraHepworth and Henry Moore became Hampsteadresidents, continuing the neighbourhood’straditional love affair with artists. The famous‘Modernist’ Isokon flats in nearby Lawn Road,conceived and designed by the progressivearchitect Coates Wells, even provided acollective style of living for such people, peopleunlike those to be found in a similararrangement in the Albany in Piccadilly.

The beginning of the dispute over Willow Roadinitially involved the destruction of four 18thcentury cottages at the junction with Downshire

Hill. Both the old Hampstead Borough Counciland the Society understandably objected, as I amsure they would today – at least in the case ofthe Society. Those comments in the Society’s1937 Annual Report baldly stating that anapplication had been made ‘to erect threeflat-roofed houses, of modern design, inreinforced concrete on the site’ were explosive.One may readily understand why residents ofHampstead, of all places, would have reasonablyobjected to such a disproportionately radicaldevelopment, opposite the Heath that was itselfpreserved from modern building development.Was it an example of a now long-familiar tale ofan individual – in this case Erno Goldfinger –wishing to enjoy the rare pleasure of a statutorilyprotected and historic Hampstead Heath, whilstat the same time incongruously subtracting fromits rare harmony of history, architecture andnature? In short, an example of a kind ofmisbegotten, contradictory, subjectiveself-interest that is alive and kicking still aroundthe margins of the Heath. Probably not, inGoldfinger’s case. He is likely to haveentertained a vision of the whole of Hampsteadbeing revolutionised with modernist concretearchitecture. That is how he saw beauty!

The loss of the historic cottages alone justifiedthe opposition. The style of what was to replacethem may have had significant, individual,architectural merit, but it was simply in thewrong place. Nevertheless, the London CountyCouncil (LCC) granted it final, definitive approval.One may assume that Erno Goldfinger used thepolitical concrete of his hard-Marxist credentialswith the members of the progressive,well-meaning, left-leaning LCC, as he no doubtdid again in winning post-war architecturalcontracts for the building of LCC pre-castconcrete primary schools and LCC concrete

Bond v Goldfinger (cont)

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council flats. The post-war socialist NewJerusalem was to prove a truly concrete reality inmore ways than one. To be fair, it was animprovement on the slum conditions thatpreceded it, and which Erno Goldfinger replaced.

There seems to be no evidence that IanFleming took the leading part in the oppositionof Erno Goldfinger’s development on WillowRoad. He obviously disliked it because it wouldhave been the kind of thing he disliked, anopinion evidently shared with many otherHampstead residents of those days. Also, hehad other reasons for disdaining Goldfingerbeyond, possibly, the very sight andsound of him. Fleming was friend of acousin of Ursula Blackwell andinstinctively, some suggest, took herpart emotionally over stories he wastold of Goldfinger’s alleged overbearingways: ‘Goldfinger’ – ‘Coldfinger’ – theman with the Midas touch, who turnedlife into lifeless gold, to echo thesentiments and words of the song.

Inevitably, when learning that he wasgoing to supply part of the name ofFleming’s small, avaricious villain in oneof Fleming’s novels, Erno consultedlawyers with a view to suing fordefamation. Fleming told his publishersJonathan Cape to resist: no doubt to be‘stirred but not shaken’, his own soleconcession, a willingness to rename hisfictional villain ‘Goldprick’. In theinterests of commercial practicality, thepublishers offered to pay Goldfinger’slegal costs if he forsook legal action;which he did. He was content with astatement in the book that all thecharacters were fictional – betraying that

he himself saw a likeness – and oddly, sixcopies of the offending novel. It is said that theassurance in the novel that it did not depictliving people did not prevent pranksters fromallegedly phoning and speaking to him in theimpersonated manner of Sean Connery.

So, the houses of Nos 1–3 Willow Road standas a monument to the Society’s failure to stopthem being built and the earlier 18th centurycottages destroyed. How pleasing it would be tosee them now. But they also stand as a tributeto the Society’s long-established role in fightinginappropriate planning applications, even ones

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for buildings which end up in the portfolio ofthe National Trust like No 2 Willow Road.Crucially, the Society was instrumental inpreventing the erection of that concrete block offlats – thank heavens. What a monstrosity and aprecedent that would have proved!

Without those people who have down the yearskept Hampstead and its Heath safe from toomuch ego and money, this neighbourhoodwould have been fatally devalued, long ago.Ironically and inevitably, that very success hascontributed to more cases of inappropriatebuilding applications near the desirable,protected Hampstead Heath. Proposals byapplicants whose philosophy sometimes seemsto be that, since they have enough money tobuy and substantially change a building next tothe Heath, they also have the money to do asthey wish, regardless of the self-defeatingillogicality of many such desires.

In conclusion, what may one reasonably say ofthe architecture of Nos 1–3 Willow Road? First,unsentimental Erno Goldfinger was no romantichouse architect like Edwin Lutyens; second, it failsto impress today because there was later so muchof this architecture, robbing it of its initial,modernist power to shock; third, that it creates acold, institutional atmosphere which reminded memore of a clinic than a home; finally, of course,these houses were simply built in the wrongplace on the wrong site. Erno Goldfinger shares afate with Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson Bt. Inanother time and in another place his ideas – ifnot his personality – might have proved welcome.But not in non-revolutionary Hampstead, despiteits reputation for left-of-centre politics.

I offer a toast: ‘The spirit of the place, withmuch thanks for The Heath & HampsteadSociety and its predecessors’. ∫

Bond v Goldfinger (cont)

Spring at Burgh House

Hampstead Childhoods14 May 2017

Drop by Burgh House and discover thefascinating stories of the children that lived

in Hampstead throughout history. Take acloser look at some of the objects in our

collection at this family event.

Suitable for children 5 and over.

Larry Kaplan: American FolkMusic Performance

25 May 2017

Burgh House aredelighted to

welcome backhighly-acclaimed

American folksinger and

song-maker LarryKaplan for an

eveningof original )

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Spring & Summer at Burgh House

and traditional American folk song. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and banjo,he sings in a clear tenor voice, drawing also from the rich tradition of songs that have

also found their way across the Pond from England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Proceeds in aid of Burgh House, tickets £12 (£10 FoBH and U26) including a glass of wineare available from the Burgh House website or by calling 020 7431 0144

Burgh HouseNew End Square

NW3 1LT. 020 7431 0144

www.burghhouse.org.uk

Burgh House & Hampstead MuseumHistoric house, museum and independent

charity for arts and the community.

Open: Wed, Thur, Fri, & Sunday, 12 – 5:00pm

Fathers Day18 June 2017

Drop in to our Family Activity for Fathers Day and say a big thank youto your dad by designing your own Thank You card!

This activity is free and open to all ages.

A Collection Unwrapped: Transforming Hampstead MuseumUntil 11 June 2017

Burgh House is the proud home of Hampstead Museum,founded by the late Christopher and Diana Wade in 1979.

Over the last 37 years the collection has grown to over 4,000objects and artworks that tell the story of this extraordinary

area. We are beginning to fundraise to reinterpret andredisplay the permanent collection, including a dedicated

space that tells the story of Burgh House, and all those whohave lived and worked here since it was built in 1704. This

current exhibition offers us theopportunity to involve you in theseplans, and find out more about our

ideas for a new museum.

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Background

When it was created in the 18th century,Croome Park was one of the most famousdesigned landscapes in the country. It had aplant collection second only to Kew. Now ithas been accurately restored, thoughsurrounded and influenced by the hugelydifferent world of the 21st century.

Croome Park occupies 300 hectares of lowlandWorcestershire, between the wide valleys ofthe Rivers Severn and Avon. It lies at the heartof what was once the extensive agriculturalestate of the Earls of Coventry. The parksurrounds Croome Court, where the Coventryfamily lived from the 16th century until 1948.But what gives Croome Park nationalsignificance is that the house, park andlandscape features within it represent the firstcomplete design by Capability Brown. Therecent tercentenary of his birth has reinforcedthe recognition of Brown’s influence over thelandscapes of England, both directly throughmore than 200 designs of his own and evenmore widely as a major influence on Englishlandscape style and taste ever since.

Croome Park was rescued from decline andprobable destruction in the 1990s, when it wasbought by the National Trust with the help of asubstantial Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 1996.After the restoration of the landscape over thenext ten years, the mansion at the heart of thepark was re-joined with its surroundings, thanksto the imagination and generosity of theCroome Estate Trustees. Beyond the confines of

the park, three ‘eyecatchers’, prominentbuildings which are part of the original design,have also been brought under National Trustownership and care. Today, Croome is a majorNational Trust site visited by many thousandsevery year: a Grade One-listed Palladian house,surrounded by a wide sweep of parkland, anartificial river nearly two miles long, a lake anda series of gardens and ornamental buildingswith a wide perimeter of woodland and anetwork of paths linking the whole. Croome isnow on its way to being as prominent as it wasin its initial prime between the 1750s and 1830s.

Reconciling an 18th century design withmodern circumstances

The terms of the Lottery Fund award were thata thorough restoration of the park, its featuresand buildings be completed. The National Trustshould create a landscape as close as possibleto that originally conceived in the 1750s andcompleted in stages by 1812. Only such athorough approach could show, now and inthe future, how significant a contributionCapability Brown had made to Englishlandscape. Furthermore, the original designitself was of such quality and inspiration, that itmade a scrupulous and faithful restoration ofenormous value in its own right. Such a taskinevitably meant that the restoration came upagainst a daunting array of contemporaryconstraints and priorities. The story of therestoration of the landscape at Croome is agood lesson in the reconciliation of historiclandscape with modern obligations.

The restoration of Croome Park

18th century landscape design in a 21st century world Tom Oliver, landscape architect, Patron of the Society and Fellow of the RoyalSociety for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and ofthe Green Alliance, gave a talk to the Society in March 2017 on the restoration ofCapability Brown’s Croome Park. Tom planned and managed that project from1997 to 2002. This is a précis of his talk.

Exceptional circumstances

There were two major factors which addedfurther incentive to do a really thorough job.The first was that, after the completion of thedesign, no major additions or alterations hadtaken place to complicate or confuse theoriginal design. The interest in most historiclandscapes lies in the many layers andepisodes of change that have left their trace. AtCroome, no intervention, Victorian or later, hadoccurred. There was no post-Georgian featureof merit to hinder a return to the originalvision. This is a very rare circumstance. Thesecond factor was the existence of a reallyexceptional archive, primarily preserved by theCroome Estate trustees, which allowed an

extraordinarily detailed understanding of thedesign and its implementation. A conscientiousrestoration could be informed to a level ofprecision which is also very rare indeed. It isimportant in understanding Croome to grasphow very few occasions there are when thesetwo factors occur together. The National Trustwas fortunate to be the sole actor, as soleowner of the park. The obligation to countlesssupporters of the National Lottery as well as toposterity, was clear.

Water and wetlands

The artificial river running through the centreof the park is a fifth scale model of the shapeof the River Severn as it meanders through

The south facade of Croome Court, rebuilt by Capability Brown in the 1750s

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what was once the wider Coventry estate. Theriver itself is wide and issues from a lakedesigned to the highest degree, an exquisitelandscape feature in itself. But the passage oftime, changed circumstances and gradualdecline in management of the estate meantthat, by 1996, the river had become one of thelargest areas of marshland and reedbed in theWest Midlands. With this change had come animpressive amount and diversity of wildlife. Inthe meantime, marsh and reedbed had becomerare in the West Midlands, as agriculturalimprovement, gravel extraction anddevelopment had taken their toll. The nutrientburden in the river was assessed precisely andcalculations made as to the reduction innutrients needed to solve the problem. Glassy,clear, slow-flowing water requires much lowerlevels of nutrients. The National Trust wasfaced with an apparently insuperable conflictbetween contemporary conservation objectivesand the restoration of a polished and glassybody of water held between two unblemishedcurving banks of evenly cropped grass, asBrown had conceived it.

The main reason for the loss of open water wasthe rise in the nutrient levels of water enteringthe artificial river and the ending of grazing atthe water’s edge as the parkland was graduallyconverted to arable fields. The nutrients fromthe arable land right beside the river were notsignificant, which was surprising. But the verysmall ‘river catchment’ for the park, tiny bycomparison with the volume of slow movingwater in the river, meant that the greatlyincreased use of fertilisers upstream since 1945has had a severe effect on the quality of thewater. Moreover, everyday rainfall in the 21stcentury carries a much higher level of nitratesfrom aerial pollution than in the 1750s. Higher

nutrient levels mean algal growth and a gradualcolonisation by marginal plants from the bankson to the floating carpet of algae over the years.

The solution was, in the end, beautifullystraightforward. The National Trust dug aseries of new small lakes upstream of themain designed landscape, in part of the parkbeyond the key designed views. These newlakes were planted with reeds from theartificial river. They rapidly became valuablereedbed habitat themselves, and in doing so,helped to filter and purify the water flowinginto the park. This new habitat took overfrom the reedbeds in the river, which couldthen be removed without a net loss ofmarshland habitat for some of the mostwesterly reed warblers that lived there. Inwinter, the new lakes also stored water, whichcould then be released in the summer, when alower flow of water had previouslyexacerbated the nutrient problem. What waseven better was that the newly purified riverwater represented an even rarer habitat in21st century lowland England: a slow-flowing,low-nutrient river, perfect for hosts of insectsincluding dragonflies and damselflies.

The outcome was good because it addressedboth the obligation to restore the lake and rivercompletely and the obligation to safeguard rarehabitat and rare birds in the very differentcircumstances of today.

Old wood and beetles

One of the interesting discoveries made whenthe National Trust bought Croome Park was thatit contained some of the very best populationsof rare beetles which feed on dead and dyingwood. These beetles, which are mostly not at allexciting to look at, are special because they are

The restoration of Croome Park (cont)

a very reliable indicator that a place has notchanged significantly since plant colonisationafter the last Ice Age, 12,000 years ago. Theseare beetles whose distribution is very closelytied to their habitat, as they cannot fly far andhave to rely on short journeys to disperse tonew places to live. Unsurprisingly, these beetlesare now very rare across the country, as most ofthe landscape has changed completely,sometime several times in the last 120 centuries.

Looking across the park, it was also apparentthat the parkland design had been seriouslydiminished by the loss of very many maturetrees in the last 60 years. There were manyreasons for the decline in trees, ploughing ofthe park, stubble burning until 1993 and fielddraining among them. Of those trees left, most

had large numbers of dead branches, a sign ofdecline and damage to tree roots. There was aschool of thought amongst some mostinterested in the aesthetic and architecturalaspects of the park, that trees with deadbranches (they are called stag-headed trees foran obvious reason) should be removed; thatCapability Brown would never have toleratedshaggy old dying oak trees in his conception ofsweeping parkland and carefully designedsequences of views. This view was in directconflict with the position of biologists wellaware of the implications of a ‘no stag-headedtree’ policy for the rare beetles. A seriousconservation conflict loomed.

Here the solution lay in plain sight. The beetleswere significant because they could not

Croome Park before restoration: shelter belts, artificial river and mansion

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disperse around the countryside, even overlong periods of time. If they were there nowand had been since the Ice Age, there was onething that could be said for certain: they hadbeen in the park at Croome in 1750. And, if so,there must, it was clear, have been stag-headedtrees, their crowns broken by great deadbranches, all over the park during and afterBrown’s design was implemented. Brown musthave tolerated, or even welcomed, such treesfor the antiquity they bestowed upon the lookof the landscape. This fairly obvious deductionseemed to have eluded people in the past, butit solved the problem. Again, a serious conflictbetween historically accurate landscaperestoration and the 21st century urgency toprotect very rare wildlife was avoided. Peoplemight have different views about deadbranches prominent in old parkland trees, butfrom a restoration point of view they had a

proper place and could and should be retained.There is always a serious obligation to protectthe safety of the public from falling branches oftrees, but in the case of many oaks in the park,this risk was calculated to be acceptably low.Dead branches of oak trees are valuable habitatfor beetles partly because they rot very slowly,sometimes over a century or more, rather thancollapsing quickly. Stag-headed trees are anatural part of ancient woodland and, it wouldseem, found a place in Capability Brown’slandscape design too.

Parkland and anthills

Somewhere like Croome Park was manifestly agrand landscape, an eloquent declaration of aprosperous, well-organised and refined culture.The long period of decline at Croome, gentle atfirst during the late 19th century and later morepronounced with the effects of the Second

The restoration of Croome Park (cont)

Elegant garden buildings and historic trees at Croome, dating from the mid-18th century

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World War and the modernisation of farming,caused significant dereliction. One clear changewas the ending of the long tradition of animalsgrazing in the park. Most of the park wasploughed, and what little grassland remained,though abandoned, became valuable as a lastreserve of the park’s species of plants andinsects in particular.

One distinct feature of the last of theabandoned pastures was several spectacularsweeps of great anthills, some 60cm high ormore. These are the closest thing we have totermite mounds and they take many years toform. In the planning of the restoration, theywere another focus for potential conflictbetween historic restoration and contemporarynature conservation. The argument went thatanthills were a sign of dereliction; anindicator of abandonment entirely at odds

with the high status of a parkland surroundingthe seat of an earl.

As with so many qualities associated with longcontinuity of land management, anthills havebecome rare with the loss of so many toagricultural improvement or abandonment. Theyare formed by an ant species now much scarcerand relied upon by other species, such as greenwoodpeckers, as a key place to feed. Thedilemma, faced not just at Croome but by themanagers of other ancient parklands as well,appeared uncomfortable. Should old parklandsshow the patina of age, rich in accretions overtime, or be scraped smooth, with no trace ofageing, fitting for a landscape which in the 18thcentury was contemporary and fashionable?

In this case, the remarkably detailed CroomeEstate archive came to the rescue. A bill fromthe early 1790s recorded the removal of over

A great cedar of Lebanon, planted in the mid-18th century and now towering above the parkland at Croome

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twenty wagonloads of anthills from the park,enough to cover a substantial area. So, there itwas: until five years after Brown’s death, theface of Croome was marked with the patternof ancient pasture. A year later, it was scrapedsmooth, rejuvenated, but with the loss of a richhabitat. We had the choice, to restore to onecondition or another; both would be legitimateacts of restoration. Given the scarcity andcharm of the anthill cities in the fragments ofparkland which remained, we chose to restoreto the year before the wagons came and boreaway the evidence of many decades grazing.Again, the historic and the biologicalobligations had been satisfied.

The evidence can set you free

This dialogue between the past and thepresent continued throughout the restoration.Always, the National Trust’s primary objectivewas to restore, with all the evidenceavailable, to the highest standards. Usuallythe potential conflicts were between historicaccuracy and contemporary natureconservation considerations. In practice,careful analysis of the facts allowedreconciliation to be achieved withoutcompromising the standards set by theHeritage Lottery Fund. When deciding on therecreation of the original garden paths, we

The restoration of Croome Park (cont)

The artificial river choked with marshland vegetation before restoration

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worked with local ungraded gravel, still to befound being sold by a modern aggregatecompany. The restoration of the texture ofthe views across the park required removingunsympathetic Victorian tree planting in orderto extract jagged treescapes from theGeorgian scene. We used an intrusive 18thcentury style of wooden fencing to show theneed for expensive ha-ha excavation beforethe age of graceful iron park railings. Wefound the right local sand, identified bymodern micro-analysis, to allow buildingrestoration to have mortar joins seamless incolour and texture between original andmodern work.

Into this historic landscape on a huge scalethe National Trust now introduces manythousands of visitors, very many more thaneven a place as famous as Croome received atthe height of its fame. This is, in a way, thegreatest compromise of all. But even withvisitors, the historic parallel is closer thanmight be supposed. Huge crowds entered thepark in 1788 to see the king, uncountedthousands in the landscape 107 years beforethe invention of the motor car. It is possibleto enjoy and understand this thoroughlyaccurate 18th century landscape restoration,and then re-join the motorway network to gethome afterwards. ∫

Aerial view of Croome Court before restoration, 2000

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During its nearly 160-year history, Heath StreetBaptist Church has benefited from good choirsand professional organists. Both its organswere gifts from members of the congregation,a sure sign that music was prized – as indeedit still is.

The first organ seems to have been made forthe new chapel in 1861 by Henry Willis, whoseworkshops were at 119 Albany Street, to theeast of Regent’s Park, from 1859 to 1865. Thephotograph taken after 1880 shows this organwhen the eastern gallery in which it is placedwas enlarged to its present form. There is aspace behind the wooden panelling shown inthe newer photograph; the Willis organ wouldhave needed to go back quite a distance hereto fit in all its pipes and mechanism.

By the end of the 19th century, this organ wasdeemed inadequate, for reasons that meritunpicking a bit. It is true that well-clad‘sound-absorbing’ congregations then filled thecapacity of 700 or so seats and perhaps theoriginal organ was simply not loud enough.However, organs by Willis are not noticeablefor their reticence. Far from it; he haddeveloped a style of voicing pipes that was atonce bright and strong, with good fundamentaltone as well as well-developed harmonics. Heknew how to build up boldclassically-regulated choruses of pipes withbright, sprightly basses and clear, but not shrill,trebles. But, since it was an older-style organwith just two keyboards, it is more likely,reading between the lines, that it was foundnot to be mechanically flexible enough for theaccompaniment of the church choir’slate-Victorian anthem and oratorio repertory.

There was also inadequate accommodation fora choir of any size, which was spread betweenthe east, north and south galleries of theChurch. Removing the organ would make itpossible to re-group the choir in one place. Tokeep the organist in contact by ear and eyewith the choir, a special organ room was builtout over the north-east stairs to the full heightof the chapel at a cost of £670. Mr E. SteanePrice, choir secretary since 1893, donated thenew instrument. It was built in 1901 by J WWalker and Sons, then of Francis Street,Westminster, London and organ builders ‘BySpecial Appointment to H.R.H the Prince ofWales’, as the silvered plaque over the consoleproudly proclaims. The organ was opened onSunday 14 April 1901.

It was installed by a Mr G W Eagle,presumably an employee or perhaps asub-contractor of Walker’s firm. That name willring a bell with those who know HarrisonAinsworth’s novel Old St Paul’s. In it, thenon-fictitious man Solomon Eagle, formerlythe composer Eccles, ran about London naked,with a lighted brazier on his head, preachingagainst the ‘steeple-houses’ of the establishedchurch during the 1665 plague. Though theyhad no known connection with Solomon orEccles, there was a family of organ builderscalled Eagle in the 19th century who madeinteresting organs. I wonder if our Mr G WEagle was from that family. We assume he wasnot much more than 5 feet 6 inches tall, andpretty slim and strong, because these areessential qualifications for getting down thenarrow manhole trapdoor next to thepedalboard which is the only access to get

Organs in Hampstead – II

The second of a series of occasional articles about organs that are or once were inthe Hampstead area, not all of them in churches, by Martin Renshaw and VickiHarding. This article tells the story of the organs of Heath Street Baptist Church andother early 20th century examples in the neighbourhood of Hampstead.

into the organ to adjust andtune it.

The new northern organhouse was not very large, andit needed all Walker’s typicalingenuity and resource to putin an organ of twentyspeaking stops, with pipes aslong as 16 feet, as well as allits winding arrangements,which comprise a large and asmaller reservoir, the largeone being blown originally bythe handle that is still visiblein the north gallery. The brassrods for a cubby-hole ofcurtains to conceal the veryhard-working organ blower(just try hand-blowing a largeorgan, with pneumatic actiontoo!) from the gaze of the nodoubt very ‘proper’ payingmembers of the congregationare also still in place. Walker’shad a bit of a habit ofsqueezing quarts into pintpots, which is fine untilsomething inaccessible goeswrong, or any of the leatherfor the bellows or for sealingthe pallets and the windtrunks is eaten by hungrymice. But although there isnot much spare room, almosteverything at Hampstead is(just about) accessible.

There is another Walkerorgan, just outside the trueHampstead boundaries, at

Heath Street Baptist Church first organ

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Emmanuel Church, in Lyncroft Gardens, WestHampstead, which can be heard at Sunday’smain 10.30 a.m. service. This organ wasspecified by a parishioner, Walford Davies,who later became Master of the King’s Musick,and Emmanuel has a long history of famousorganists. The first three were Martin Shaw(1894–1902), Henry Cope Colles (1903–06)and Harold Darke (1906–11), and all were tobecome prominent church musicians. It datesfrom 1910 and has another typical Walkerfeature: that out of its planned 33 speakingstops – an ambitious project – so far 12,including some reed stops and all six stops ofthe Choir keyboard’s complement, have not yetbeen installed, though it is understood thatthere is a project now to complete the organ.There was indeed an underfunded competitionamong Edwardian churches to aspire to morethan they could manage, both in terms of thebuildings themselves – there are many ‘missing’towers or other features – and their organs.The writer himself completed another Walkerorgan of 1903 in the 1970s by adding therequired six stops, in just such a church thattook 40 years to build.

Another unaltered pneumatic-action early 20thcentury organ is just outside Hampstead’sborders, in All Hallows’, Gospel Oak. Thisinstrument, with 42 real speaking stops overfour keyboards and pedals, was finallycompleted in 1915 against all the odds by adetermined churchwarden. He somehowcontrived that the money due to pay for thestone nave roof-vault to complete this very fineand acoustically-lively church (designed byJames Brooks from 1889 and Giles Gilbert Scottto 1915) should go to the organ instead, at areported cost of £1,800. It was the last neworgan to be made by William Hill & Son, a

firm established for nearly a century, before awar-time merger with the then largest organbuilders in the UK (and probably Europe),Norman & Beard of Norwich and London. It isa Brobdingnagian monster, now played andcosseted by an excellent organist and choirdirector, Martin Kemp, who is also –fortunately – an organ tuner. It is well worthgoing to hear on a Sunday morning at 10am.

Let us now return to Heath Street BaptistChurch. The organ was completely installedand has remained unaltered since except forthe addition of a Tremulant. Its state ofconservation is no doubt part of the reason ithas a BIOS grade II listing. It has threemanuals and, as I mentioned, just 20 stops; itsfour-stop Choir organ rather contrarily speaksinto the congregational north gallery, and itsmore powerful Great into the east choirgallery. This arrangement is as hard to excusetonally as it is understandable in terms of useof the available space, a hole having been cutinto the end wall of the north gallery for theChoir pipework and soundboard. Any largerhole (as for a Great division) would no doubthave been likely to imperil the stability of thechurch itself. The blower in his curtained eyriein the north gallery was quite quicklysuperseded, or had given up exhausted, whenin 1919 an electric fan blower was installed, afairly early example of the manufacture of theengineering firm of Watkins & Watson of WhiteLion Street in Islington.

The blower motor and fan at Heath StreetBaptist Church are still those of 1919. Like a lotof earlier installations, they are housed in aseparate structure on the north wall outside,ensuring any noise is minimised. Access tothem for their quarterly drops of motor-oil is

Organs in Hampstead – II (cont)

over the north-east staircase, so is not exactlyeasy, and the occasional sparks from theno-doubt graphite brushes have caused someconsternation from time to time in the past,judging from the log-book kept by organists atthe console.

Every organ has large leather and wood‘reservoirs’ which contain all the pipe windunder pressure – a very low pressure, but at avery high volume – andpast atmosphericpollution from suburbancoal fires right up untilthe 1960s means thatthey have needed to bere-leathered every 100years or so. In addition,pneumatic organsdepend heavily on thequality of leather usedfor the various verysmall ‘bellows motors’that open like a bird’sbeak when inflated andso operate various servosystems. In the past thisleather was sheepskin,‘split’ by being slicedvery thin, close to theskin side. This is notalways completelyair-tight and has to bechosen very carefully. Inaddition, if this leatheris folded or creased,coal-fire dust or (thesedays) exhaust fumes getinto and graduallydegrade the leather atthe folds. So wherever

possible such bellows-motors are designed outand replaced with supple flat leatherdiaphragms or ‘pouches’. For some years now, avery thin cow-skin that is absolutely airtight andtough has been available, and this promises toextend the intervals between leatherreplacements for these motors veryconsiderably, from around 60 years to nearer acentury – and longer, perhaps, once moderndiesel air pollution has been conquered too.

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Current organ installed in 1901

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Various plastic substitutes have been tried buttheir life is no longer than leather’s and oftenshorter. Worse, they have to be glued withirreversible glues so are much more difficult toreplace than the animal-bone based ‘hot’organic glues traditionally (and still) used toglue almost everything in an organ together,from casework to the smallest wooden pipe.

A mechanical organ then should be expectedto last 200–400 years with a spring-clean every25 to 30 years and a major service every 100.This is in marked contrast to electrical actionsfor pipe organs which require new parts every25 to 30 years, and wholly-electronic organswhich are lucky to last 20–25 years; their partsare usually obsolete before then.

Organs in Hampstead – II (cont)

Console, Heath Street Baptist Church

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The actions in the Heath Street Baptist Churchorgan are in good fettle. Being pneumatic (withprobably about a mile of tubing altogether toconnect keys to windchests) they are noticeablyresponsive to the most rapid touch, at around60 milliseconds response-time as compared withelectric systems which are in general around 85milliseconds. They also allow the pipes to beblown at a higher wind-pressure than is usualwith a purely mechanical system, so the reedstops in particular are well-toned and stable.The other stops are typical of Walker’s work:robust, well-balanced, characterful and musical.

Ewan King, the minister at Heath Street BaptistChurch, is a lover of music of all kinds, asthose who go to the regular Tuesday lunchtimeand other concerts know. These include organrecitals, and he is eager to make more of theinstrument in all sorts of combinations withother instruments and voices.

Watch the church’s website for moreinformation: www.heathstreet.org. Sunday’smain service is at 11am. ∫

City of London CorporationSurvey

The vision for the HeathIn the context of the writing of the next 10-

year management plan, the City isconducting a consultation among Heath

users concerning the future management ofthe Heath.

Please take time to respond to theconsultation questionnaire at:

www.cityof london.gov.uk

South End Green

Summer Fest 2017

The South End Green Association

invites you all to its summer festival on

Siunday 25 June 2017

• Music • Arts • Crafts • Food •

• Dog Show • Kids’ Funfair •

www.southendgreenfestival.org

Art Exhibition

Old HampsteadRediscovered 6

“Lost Landmarks”Wednesday 14 June

– Sunday 3 September 2017

This is the sixth in a series of exhibitions bythe Heath & Hampstead Society held at

Burgh House, New End SquareLondon NW3 1LT

In this exhibition, we focus on features thatwould have been an everyday sight for those

living in or visiting Hampstead, but whichare now lost to us except through the skillsof those artists who recorded them at the

time. Modern-day photographs accompanythe paintings to illustrate the often-dramaticchanges that have occurred to local street

scenes and landscapes.

Exhibition kindly sponsoredby Knight Frank

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Hampstead Garden Suburb summer festivalProms at St Jude’s marks its Silver Jubileein 2017.

There are eight Heritage Walks:

Monday 26 June 10:30am

The Babbling Brook In The Next Valleytraces the buried Fleet River to KentishTown City Farm in Gospel Oak. Led byLester Hillman, an urban planner, lecturerand accredited guide. Meet Pond SquareHighgate Village N6 6BA near Bus TerminusSouth Grove

Tuesday 27 June 10:30am

Hampstead’s Heathland And WetlandHabitats – Richard Payne, HeathConservation and Supervisor, focuses on thenatural history of the Heath and takes a lookbehind the scenes at the construction processand benefits of the newly-completed pondsproject. Walking shoes advisable. Meet atGolders Hill Park café NW3 7HD

Wednesday 28 June 10:30am

Kenwood’s Landscapes & Ladies – TamaraRabin, English Heritage volunteer guide,describes the genius of landscape gardener,Humphrey Repton and the lovely grounds.Inside the House, she will talk about someof the ladies portrayed in the Music Roomat Kenwood House. Meet in the Kenwoodcar park NW3 7JR

Wednesday 28 June 2:00pm

The Suburb And The Great War – CharlotteCurtis, HGS Trust’s Planning Assistant,

looks at how the Great War affected thedevelopment of the Suburb. Charlotte willtalk about the decline in building activity,supplies and labour and the establishmentof hospitals for servicemen andaccommodation for working women. Meetat St Jude’s car park NW11 7AG

Thursday 29 June 11:15am

The Evocative Highgate Cemetery –Gordon Wolffe, volunteer guide, showsyou the most impressive architecturalfeatures of the secluded and historic WestCemetery, with its sinuous winding pathsand ivy clad monuments. Walking shoesadvisable as there are steep steps. Notsuitable for children under 8 years old. Meetoutside the West Gate N6 6PJ

Thursday 29 June 2:00pm

1967 And The Big ConservationConversation – Marjorie Galbinski, HGSTrust’s Assistant Architectural Adviser,explores how a 1967 Parliamentary Act hasprotected and enhanced valued places, andhow the Trust operates to maintain thedistinctive character of the Suburb. Meet atSt Jude’s car park NW11 7AG

Friday 30 June 10:30am

Sir Edwin Lutyens And The Suburb – PaulCapewell, HGS Trust’s Information andCommunications Assistant, leads a tour thathighlights what Lutyens and his followersbrought to the Suburb and explores someof his unrealised plans for the area. Meet atthe Free Church car park NW11 7AG

Proms at St Jude’s 25th Season – 24 June to 2 July 2017

Saturday 1 July 10:30am

Hampstead’s Heroes & Heroines This walk isbased on the Heath and Hampstead Society’sand English Heritage plaques. You passhouses lived in by the Du Mauriers, artistsMark Gertler and Constable and many others.Blue Badge guide Julia Male unravels thepatchwork quilt of Hampstead’s artists,scientists and writers. Meet outside GardenGate at Burgh House, Well Walk NW3 1LT

All tickets are £10 and are available atwww.promsatstjudes.org.uk from 24 April orby phone (from 1 June) on 020 3322 8123.They must be booked in advance.

Music

In the music programme,from 24 June to 2 July,highlights include:

The Choir of King’s CollegeCambridge, performingFauré’s Requiem and itemsfrom their summer tour byDuruflé, Tomkins, Byrd,Bach, Brahms and Bruckner

The Chilingirian StringQuartet with AndrewBrownell (piano) playBrahms’s Quintet in Fminor; mezzo-soprano SarahPring joins them for theworld première of Lettersfrom Lony by Ronald Corp

Nevill Holt Opera with a concert performanceof Puccini’s Tosca

The Covent Garden Chamber Orchestraplaying Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique

International clarinettist Michael Collins andFriends with soprano Grace Davidsonperforming Schubert’s The Shepherd on theRock and Octet and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet

All concerts take place at St Jude’s Church,Central Square, London, NW11 7AH. Moredetails at www.promsatstjudes.org.uk.

LitFest

The Literature Festival takes place on themorning and afternoon of Saturday 24 Juneand Sunday 25 June at The Henrietta BarnettSchool, Central Square, NW11 7BN.

Authors speaking on the Saturday are NinaStibbe; Joel Morris and JasonHazeley of adult Ladybirdbook fame; writer andbroadcaster Natalie Haynes;and the voice of Woman’sHour Jenni Murray. The nextday, those who take thestage are: the Britishhistorian Laurence Rees;crime writers MJ Arlidge andSusie Steiner; thearchitectural historian DanCruickshank; and finallyjournalists Polly Toynbeeand David Walker. Meet theauthors and get their bookssigned after each event.More details atwww.promsatstjudes.org.uk.

Good causes

All funds raised go to Toynbee Hall andthe North London Hospice. Proms hasraised over £800,000 for charity since itwas founded.

Heath Walks: 2017

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 locally, especiallyin spring and summer; the West Heath car park(behind Jack Straw’s Castle) is more likely to havespaces than the East Heath car park.

Starting times are either 2:30pm or 10:30am(9:30am 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 £5, to be collected at thebeginning of each walk, to help supportfuture walks programmes and to promote theSociety’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.

Further information from walks organiser,Thomas Radice,

mobile: 07941 528 034 oremail: hhs.walks@gmail.com

4 June 2:30pm (meet in North End Way, byentrance to Inverforth Close) Identifying treesin The Hill Garden led by Bettina Metcalfe,local tree enthusiast and member of theInternational Dendrology Society

2 July 2:30pm (meet at Burgh House) ThePonds Project: how well is the Heathrecovering? led by Lynda Cook, member of

the Heath Sub-Committee and the PondsProject Stakeholder Group

6 August 2:30pm (meet at the cattle troughand flower stall, Spaniard’s End, near theSpaniard’s Inn) The Hampstead HeathExtension led by Tony Ghilchik, Trustee ofthe Society and member of the HeathSub-Committee

3 September 9:30am (meet at Burgh House)Birds of the Heath led by John Hunt, formerChairman of the Marylebone BirdwatchingSociety and member of the HeathSub-Committee

1 October 2:30pm (meet at the Flagstaff, byWhitestone Pond) Sandy Heath led by LyndaCook, member of the Heath Sub-Committee

5 November 10:30am (meet at Burgh House)How the Heath was saved as public spaceand later expanded led by Thomas Radice,Trustee of the Society and member of theHeath Sub-Committee

3 December 10:30am (meet in HampsteadLane by 210 bus stop opposite StormontRoad) The Hidden Heath: signs of theHeath’s past A walk from Athlone House toSpringett’s Wood led by Michael Hammerson,a Vice-President of the Highgate Society andmember of the Heath Sub-Committee

Details of further walk programmes will beavailable on the Society’s website:www.HeathandHampstead.org.uk

@HandHSocHeath