SUMMER NEWSLETTER2012

All Saints Church from Cordle MarshThen & now. No. 8

The Great Western Kid-derminster Road Wrib-benhall. Formerly theRifleman Inn. Opened c.1860. Shown here on theleft with a lovely singlelamp. Changed its nameto catch the trade fromGWR passengers. Popu-lar now with local resi-dents. Tony & AnneGoodwin were licenceesfor 4 years until 2000.

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Which is best alongside Severnside ? Parked cars or railings ?

BEWDLEY ROWING CLUB TO-DAY

President and Secretary - Chris Hart. Chairman - Bob Bayliss. Manyother illustrious names have been involved. The Club was founded in 1877

Up the stairs 2. to the roof garden for a good view

Not all these trophies won by Chris

The gym inside the Club house with all its torture machines to keep you fit

You may prefer the comfort of the bar

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What was the old burial ground. Christchurch graveyard

BEWDLEY MUGS

Stanley Baldwin Bewdley’s own Bank Festival.Still available? Bewdley in Bloom

Blackstone Rock Bewdley British Legion

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By-Pass 1987 Designed by J.Ward R.A.

Dowles & Button OakSocial Group

Silver Jubilee Dowles Bridge The generosity of H.N. Frost

Mayor’s Charity 1999 Made by Arcadia Souvenir of Bewdley Bewdley Museum

Meeting at the Guildhall. Bewdley M.P.s updatedA delightful gathering took place in the Guildhall on Friday the 4th May. TheTown Mayor, Dr. Janette Adams introduced Earl Baldwin and invited him todedicate the handsome new board listing Bewdley members of Parliamentdonated by the Civic Society. A fine signed photographic portrait of StanleyBaldwin had also been presented to the Town by the Royal and Ancient Or-der of Buffaloes and Lord Baldwin unveiled a plaque below the picture. In ashort address he reflected personal and family recollections of his Grandfa-ther, suggesting that media coverage during the controversial 1930s did notalways convey his true personality. Guests were able to examine a remarkablecollection of Baldwin connected photographs which his Lordship hadbrought. Those present included Mark Garnier M.P., Town Councillors, CivicSociety members, Bill Sedgeley and senior officers of the Baldwin Lodge ofthe RAOB. Following the formalities Ken Hobson and Peter Archer pre-sented a retrieved archive film of the presentation of the Freedom of the Bor-ough of Bewdley to Stanley Baldwin 1925. The board setting out the list ofthe town’s representatives which had until then had hung in the Guildhallended abruptly in 1885 - the date when the Redistribution of Seats Act madeBewdley part of the Western Division of Worcestershire and the Boroughthen no longer had its own M.P. The new board - the research for which hadbeen carried out by Alan Scaplehorn and which hade been designed by Gra-ham Luxford- brought the list up to 1945 and has improved the symmetry ofthe whole array of boards behind the Mayoral bench.

5 Brian Stephens

BEWDLEY MEDICAL CENTREAs part of our campaign to retain the surgery within the town centre we enjoinedthe public to sign a Petition and we were pleased to obtain 1700 signatures. Itsurprised us that so many Wribbenhall residents signed. Clearly they had Bewd-ley’s greater good at heart. It also surprised us to learn that the patients of theSurgery who lived some distance away, when needing to visit the Medical Centremade a day of it, by collecting their prescriptions then, next looking at the shops,visiting the Museum, having lunch and calling in at the Library. No wonder Be-wdley shopkeepers are very concerned at the potential loss of trade should theSurgery move outside town.

Bewdley Civic Society is-planning a CHERRY FAIR

OUTSIDE HSBC BANK

1ST JULY

FROM THE CHAIRMAN’S DESKIt’s probably well known that getting things done in public can take time andpatience and hence tenacity is required. However, eventually, success comes ourway and, like the proverbial buses, when it comes it comes in twos and threes.Iam delighted to report three recent items of good news :-

1. Sixteen years ago our President, Ken Hobson, who was then Chairman, lob-bied the Town Council to make applications to the County Council (WCC) tohave six footpaths regularly used by the public declared to be public footpaths.Five of these went through, but an objection was raised concerning the one forGreenacres Lane (formerly Gasworks Lane). So WCC wanted more proof. Kenaccordingly gathered 182 User Evidence Forms signed by members of the publicwho confirmed that they had used the Lane as a footpath. It wasn’t until

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November 2010 that WCC made the Order. But this was objected to by a locallandowner and as a result there had to be a Public Enquiry. This was held even-tually on the 14th to the 16th February 2012 in Kidderminster Town Hall. Anumber of witnesses gave evidence under cross examination, from both sides tothe Enquiry Inspector ,our case being conducted by a WCC lawyer. The Inspec-tor, after six weeks, confirmed the Order and Greenacres Lane is now officially aPublic Footpath. We thank Ken for the enormous amount of time and effort hespent pursuing the case..

2. The Society has made representations to the District Council for the removalthe large advertisement on Bridge House. We ackowledge that it has been exter-emely hard work for the Council for a number of reasons but the Council’s de-velopment Manager advises us that he is confident that a much smaller sign willbe agreed.

3. Still on the subject of adverts, a very large one appeared on the dentist’s prac-tice - as shown below. We reported this to WFDC’s Enforcement Departmentwho have been successful in achieving its removal.

QUEEN’S JUBILEEThe Editor’s article about Bewdley Mugs is apposite in that it coincideswith the distribution of the latest town mug by the Town Council which cel-ebrates the Jubilee. The Society was pleased to donate £500 towards the

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cost as they are being given to all junior Bewdley schoolchdren.And here is one.

OUTINGS

Our website - bewdleycivicsociety.org.uk - has recently been updated. Includ-ing some 30 stunning photographic Bewdley views taken by our member, GaryMaynor. I strongly recommend a look.

SCHOOL’S PROJECT

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Finally, we hope to see you on the 26th June at the High School (see over)

8 Richard Perrin

WEBSITE

The outing to Blenheim Palace in May was a tremendous successenjoyed by all particpants. It was a shame that not more members took part.The next outing takes place on the 25th June when we shall visit WightwickManor near Wolverhampton, starting from Dog Lane car park at 9.00 a.m.Hugh Morgan has added tothis trip a visit to the private garden belonging toJohn Massey, the proprietor of Ashwood Nurseries. Hopefully this Newsletterwill reach you before the 25th June, in which case, please give Hugh a ring on01299 405188

Over the last 9 months Barbara Longmore and Heather Flack have beenworking with staff from the Bewdley School and Sixth Form centre to plan aproject which the School has agreed to run with their younger studentsthrough the summer term. This is what Barbara says about it :-

THE MEDICAL CENTRE- PUBLIC MEETINGThere have been discussions dating back to 2004 over the provision of aMedical centre fit for the 21st century. The Doctors claim that they arerunning out of space and this, with a yearly increase in the number oftheir patients and that they wish to conduct some procedures for patientswithout them having to visit a hospital, coupled with their need to care forpatients whilst a rebuild takes place, led to them proposing (through theirdevelopers -Realty Matrix) a new building.Their present site has a complicated ownership. The car park is owned byWFDC;the next door Library by the County; the nurses wing by the Pri-mary Care Trust ; whilst the Doctors themselves own the Surgery. Matrix’original proposal (turned down by English Heritage) was for a 3 storeybuilding including housing, shops and a chemists, built on the existing site,but to a height level with the fire station tower. This led to a proposal tobuild instead on Green Belt land in Kidderminster Road. The Society isopposed to this and we petitioned residents, obtaining 1,700 signatures;met Matrix and Dr Matt Davis; lobbied the Town Council, Wyre ForestDistrict Council and the County Council.

We appreciate that a change must be made, but believe that a scaled downdevelopment is possible on the present site, which would be acceptable tothe conservationists and English Heritage and avoid journeys by patientsover the bridge and out of town. WFDC has been discussing the possibilityof re-building the Medical Centre on Dog Lane car park.

These and other points will give residents a chance to have their say atthe PUBLIC MEETING being organised by Bewdley Town Council to beheld at the High School on the 26th June at 7.30 p.m. when the Doctorsand Matrix and other relevant authorities will be present. I consider itvitally important that as many people as possible attend to show howimportant this matter is for the future of Bewdley’s Town centre.

Chris Griffin. Chair, Town Centre Sub Group

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY25th June Day Outing.Wightwick Manor/ 1st July National Civic Week.Our cherryfair in Load St./ 19th September “Bewdley Movies” K.Hobson7.30/ 6th&7thOctober(note change of date) Harvest Fair& Society’s Guided Tours / 6th October Bewdley Fs-tival Launch/ 19th October “Making of Bewdley By-Pass” Roy Lilley 2.30/ 16th Novem-ber Annual Dinner,Wharton Park with “Down Your Way in Bewdley” recording(please book through Sue Perrin-01299 405823) /24th November Xmas Lights Fetival-Society’s stall outside Deli/ 14th January 2014 “History of Bewdley Rowing Club” Rob-ert Bayliss 7.30/ 20th February 2013 “World War II as recorded by the BBC” MikeDickins 7.30/ 12th March 2013 “History of Abberley Hall & Clock Tower” Jo Roche7.30/ 10th April 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 7.30 All lectures in theBaptist Church, High St. Bewdley 9