MAYO MEMORIAL RESTORATION
See HERE for special Spotlight newsletter dedicated to this subject
PROJECT HISTORY
A. Significant Events (most recent at the top)
1. 28 January 2009. Project Completion Party held (at Arnold House, 31 High Street, Corsham).
2. 27 November 2008. Presentation of PMSA’s 2008 Marsh Award to the CCS at the Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, London by the Duke of Gloucester.
3. 10 November 2008. Productive site meeting with local Conservation Officer to determine form and location of Project’s “Information Board’.
4. 24 October 2008. ‘World Premiere’ of Video Record (on a 15-minute DVD) of the Project shown at the October 2008 Open Meeting of the CCS.
5. 15 August 2008. Commemorative Plaque (marking completion of structural restoration works) installed.
6. 26 April 2008. Visit to Corsham by Craig (son) and Lindsay (father) from Australia – able to trace their connections back to C T Mayo. Met by Pat Whalley and Peter Tapscott. Shown around Corsham, with special emphasis on Mayo aspects. Contact arose from CCS website ‘Contact Us’ facility.
7. 13 February 2008. Approval for detail of Plaque given by Conservation Officer. Order for its supply and fitting placed same day.
8. Late January 2008. ‘Mayo Pike’ goes on display. Viewings by appointment at 44 High Street, Corsham (Mr. Graham Spence).
9. 25 January 2008. Chippenham CS (a neighbouring civic society) guests of the Corsham CS at its annual New Year Celebration meeting held at the prestigious Corsham Town Hall. Mayo Project presentation by Society Chairman.
10. 23 November 2007. ‘Spotlight on Mayo’ publication issued to CCS members.
11. 26 October 2007. ‘Mayo Project’ extension to ‘Corsham Past & Present Greetings Cards’ series issued.
12. 26 October 2007. ‘Mayo Project’ presentation made to CCS members and guests at Open Meeting held at The Pound, Corsham.
13. 19 October 2007. Horsetrough replanted by Pickwick WI.
14. 13 October 2007. Second of two planned ‘Craft Demonstrations’ held (this one in Martingate Centre).
15. Mid September 2007. Corsham Area Development Trust secured position of ‘North Wilts’ as one of England’s five ‘ASPIRE Pathfinders’ in a HLF-assisted project intended to increase ‘church tourism’, citing the Mayo Project as evidence of effective project management and community influence.
16. Mid September 2007. Second payment (45% of total) arrived in form of cheque to value £9,774. Total now received from HLF = £20,635.
17. 17 August 2007. Structural restoration work completed.
18. 1 August 2007. ‘Mayo Display’ established in Corsham Tourist Information & Heritage Centre.
19. 30 June 2007. First of two planned ‘Craft Demonstrations’ held (stone masonry).
20. 11 June 2007. Structural restoration work commenced.
21. 15 March 2007. Listed Building Consent for the intended restoration work was granted.
22. March 2007. The number of local schools participating in the project grew to 3.
23. Early March 2007. Wessex Water contributed valuable information regarding the pipeline through which Mayo’s company brought water to Corsham in 1889/90.
24. 17 Feb 2007. Laptop PC and digital camcorder purchased and delivered.
25. 8 Feb 2007. ‘Research the Mayo Family’ sub-project deemed to have progressed sufficient for release of material to those responsible for other sub-projects dependent upon it. (Research continuing.)
26. 8 Feb 2007. ‘Shortform Project Schedule’ re-issued to reflect slippage to interim dates but not to Completion Date.
27. 30 October 2006. Issue 1 of ‘Shortform Project Schedule’ issued.
28. First payment (50% of total) arrives in Bank Account = 23 June 2006.
29. Project Start Date = 1 June 2006. (Project Total Value = £21, 721)
B. Project Progress Reports (quarterly)
December 2008 – February 2009
Summary
The Project has made further good progress this quarter. Certain items which had been proving difficult to progress have either been discharged completely or moved forward significantly. (True) completion of all project activities – including those required by the Project’s primary funding source, the Heritage Lottery Fund – is on course for the end of March 2009.
What has gone well?
The Project has progressed well in the following three respects:
· The ‘Mayo Restoration Project Completion Party’ was held on 28 Jan 2009 at Corsham’s Tourist Information & Heritage Centre (CTI&HC).
· The Interpretive Literature (leaflet) has been produced and 6,500 copies were collected from our printers on 22 Jan 2009.
· The order for the procurement of the Project’s ‘Mayo Information Board’ was placed on 25 Feb 2009, its planned installation site having already been agreed with ‘the powers that be’.
September 2008 – November 2008
Summary
The Project has made good progress this quarter. The amount that remains to be done is steadily reducing. The ‘Video Record’ has been completed – and given its first public airing. There has been discernible progress on the Interpretive Literature, the Information Board and the standalone Mayo website. We can now begin to look forward to – and plan for – the ‘Celebratory Completion Party’.
What has gone well?
The Project has progressed well in the following four respects:
· The Corsham Civic Society was granted the 2008 Marsh Award (restoration section) for its work on the Project, by the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA). The presentation was made on 27 November 2008 by the Duke of Gloucester, President of the PMSA, at the Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, London.
· The ‘Video record’ of the Project was completed and was given its ‘premiere showing’ on 24 October 2008 at that month’s Corsham Civic Society ‘Open Meeting’ where it was viewed by both members of the Society and their guests. The companion version, created by Heywood School, was also completed at this time, and versions were exchanged. Both run for approximately 15 minutes.
· Positive meetings were held at the site of the Memorial with both the Highways Authority (County) and the local Conservation Officer (District) in the quest to secure agreement as to where the Project’s ‘Information Board’ should be erected and what form it should take. Good progress has been achieved. The next step is to raise whatever form of Consent Application is deemed necessary – if, indeed, any. Both the cost of the Board and of its installation should, hopefully, be reasonable.
· The design work for the Interpretive Literature (leaflet) has been taken to the final stage and a mock-up has been produced. Final ‘sign-off’ and release to the printer is planned to occur by mid-December. The objective remains to have 4,500 copies printed for distribution to local homes. The timescale for this is now likely to be January 2009.
June 2008 – August 2008
Summary
The Project has made quiet but steady progress this quarter. The achievements that can be recorded owe much to work performed prior to the quarter. There remains much to be done, however. Only when these further activities have been completed can the much-anticipated ‘Completion Party’ be properly planned. Work on the outstanding tasks – finalising the (full) Project Video Record, the Interpretive Literature and the Information Board – are slowing making progress. However, the restored memorial currently looks at its best for the summer visiting season and is inviting healthy interest. Its ‘Commemorative Plaque’ now declares proudly to the world that the 2007 restoration was undertaken by the Corsham Civic Society - assisted by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
What has gone well?
The Project has progressed well in the following four respects:
· The Plaque commemorating the restoration of the Memorial was (at last) installed on 15 August 2008. There was no ‘ceremony’ but the happening was witnessed by an invited audience and was the subject of a Press Release. The Plaque looks good.
· The Project was incorporated into presentation delivered by the Corsham Civic Society’s outgoing Chairman to a group of French visitors to Corsham, undertaking the annual Twinning Association get-together, on 13 July 2008. Corsham is twinned with Jargeau. Funding for the visit comes from the European Union. Application for the financial assistance must come from the hosting organisation and must meet ‘theme’ criteria which change from year to year. The 2008 theme was ‘Active Citizens in Europe’. The Corsham Civic Society’s participation – and this Project’s – was deemed critical to the ‘weight’ of the application. Delivering the presentation proved quite interesting. France evidently has nothing remotely approaching a ‘civic society movement’!
· The school whose Year 6 pupils undertook work on the ‘Video record’ of the Project completed their work and left that school to take up their education at the next level. They had a result to show for their efforts. The school used it to demonstrate its involvement with the local community to the School Inspectorate – seemingly to good effect.
· The ‘Grand Re-Opening’ of the Corsham Tourist Information & Heritage Centre (following its refurbishment to establish its DDA-compliancy) took place on 25 June 2008, to much public acclaim. An enhanced exhibition of the ‘Mayo Memorial Restoration Project’ at the Centre took centre stage. It continues to draw favourable comment.
March 2008 – May 2008
Summary
This has been a very quiet quarter for the Project. Little has been achieved – and little effort has been expended. This is largely because the Project is in its ‘winding down phase’, although some activities which are presently underway now need some close attention (in order to bring them to their conclusion) and some highly-meaningful ones (the ‘Completion Party’, for example) need pulling together. The restored memorial is currently looking at its best for the summer visiting season.
What has gone well?
‘Achievements’ this quarter amount to the firm scheduling of some presentations concerning the Project. These are as follows:
· Coverage of the Project will be included in the Corsham Civic Society’s presentation to visitors from Corsham’s French twinning partner, the town of Jargeau (on the Loire) on 13 July.
· Dates have now been agreed for presentations to the Town’s Women’s Guild (7 Jan 2009) and the Corsham Photographic Society (6 Feb 2009).
· (The one remaining presentation to be agreed is to the residents of Corsham’s Jargeau Court (an elderly care home. Discussions are underway.)
· Additionally, arrangements are in hand for the Project to be incorporated into a series of regularly updated displays at the Corsham Tourist Information & Heritage Centre (CTI&HC) which, over recent weeks, has been re-designed to provide access to the disabled – and which re-opened to the public on Monday, 2 June 2008, looking very smart!
December 2007 – February 2008
Summary
This has been a relatively quiet quarter. In part this has been because the previous quarter had been spectacularly busy – with some notable achievements – and in part because two ‘actions’, in particular have not received the level of attention they deserved, due to the Project Manager’s pre-occupation with another HLF-assisted project. The latter is now in a ‘dwell period’, so this situation will not persist. The two ‘actions’ concerned are the Information Board and the Completion Party. Looking back, however, a surprising amount has been achieved for the effort put in.
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following five respects:
· The precise detail of the Plaque commemorating this restoration of the Memorial has – at last – been agreed with the local Conservation Officer (under ‘delegated powers’). The order to manufacture and affix the Plaque (to the rear of the Memorial) has been placed.
· A ‘home’ has been found for the so-called ‘Mayo Pike’ – 44 Corsham High Street, c/o Mr Graham Spence. Viewings by appointment.
· An agreement has been reached with the school participating in the making of the Video Record (of the Project) which will provide it with an ‘output’ – for its own use – and will provide the Society with footage gathered by the school which can be used for the official Project ‘output’. Additional footage has been gathered for the latter – including some inside the offices of CMS (Bath) Ltd.
· The availability of talks on the Mayo Restoration Project by our Chairman to local groups has been formally announced in the local media. Such a talk formed the centre point of the Society’s annual New Year Celebration Meeting, in January, when officers and members of the (10-mile distant) Chippenham Civic Society were our guests. It served the valuable purpose of being a ‘relationship-building tool’.
· The commemorative publication “Spotlight on Mayo” hit the streets early December, priced at 60p. 12 pages of essential reading. Copies can be purchased at the Corsham Tourist Information & Heritage Centre, Arnold House, 31 High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire. SN13 0EZ.
September – November 2007
Summary
This quarter has seen major developments on the ‘increasing community awareness’ aspect of the Project – some through actual ‘delivery’ of events and materials and some through the use of the Project to underpin future collaborative events and, most spectacularly, to assist in the ‘North Wilts’ area being chosen as one of the nation’s five Pathfinder projects for a tourism initiative for which significant Heritage Lottery Fund financial assistance is being sought (‘ASPIRE’).
Successful application was made for the release of the ‘2nd Advance Payment’, bringing the amount now advanced to 95% of the total HLF grant. This payment – being 45% of the total and equating to £9,774 – arrived by cheque mid September. Big bills still to come – but cash rich again, for the moment!
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following four respects:
· The Pickwick WI has replanted the Memorial’s horsetrough – marking a welcome return to normality. The landmark had been greatly disturbed by the restoration.
· The ‘Mayo Restoration Project Exhibition’ played a major part in Corsham’s participation in this year’s Heritage Open Days (6-9 Sept), attracting great interest and much favourable comment.
· Our Chairman and his wife delivered a comprehensive and well-structured presentation based on the project to a meeting of the members of the Society and their guests (26 Oct 2007).
· The Society released the latest ’greetings card’ in its ‘Corsham Past & Present’ series to coincide with the above Open Meeting. It is dedicated to the Project.
June – Aug 2007
Summary
The Project has proceeded, very largely, according to plan – which, in itself, is extremely satisfying. Most of the problems which have been encountered to date have been either overcome or circumvented. Remaining tasks are not expected to raise insurmountable problems. The original ‘Planned Completion Date’ (30 November 2008) appears still to be achievable.
Structural restoration work on the Memorial started during week-commencing Monday, 11 June 2007. It was completed by Monday, 20 August 2007, at which point some ‘finished photographs’ were taken.
The degree of restoration undertaken has been strictly in accordance with that permitted by the local Conservation Officer. As agreed prior to our application for HLF/LHI funding, this does not mean that the monument has been restored to its ‘as new’ appearance. It is over 100 years old and an ‘as new’ appearance was never the objective and neither is it likely to be the authorised objective in the future. This point is worth making – because some of the original stone masonry has not been reconstructed to its 1895 detail. Where it was reasonable that it should be, and the agreement of the Conservation Officer was forthcoming, these original features have been reconstructed as the work progressed (always paying due heed to the ‘budget’ constraints imposed by the funding application/grant process).
Further positive progress has been made on several of the 21 non-structural ‘sub-projects’. In particular, the preparation required to mount the ‘Mayo Project Exhibition’ as an impressive inclusion in Corsham’s Programme of participation in Heritage Open Days 2007 (6-9 Sept) has progressed extremely well.
It has not been found necessary to review and re-issue the ‘Shortform Project Schedule’. The originally declared ‘planned Completion Date’ (30 November 2008) has not been threatened by the small amounts of slippage encountered on some of the interim activities. Adjustments in their timings are being managed on a week-by-week basis.
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following four respects:
· Physical restoration work on the Memorial has been started and completed in the quarter just ended.
· The ‘Mayo Restoration Project’ now features as a dedicated display in Corsham’s Tourist Information & Heritage Centre – where it has attracted much favourable comment.
· An impressive and meaningful ‘Mayo Project Exhibition’ has been prepared and is now ready for ‘launch’ as one of the items in Corsham’s programme for the imminent Heritage Open Days 2007 (6-9 September 2007).
· We have successfully staged one of two planned ‘craft demonstrations’, showing the stone masonry skills of the lead specialist we have employed to undertake the restoration and conservation work on the Memorial.
March - May 2007
Summary
Listed Building Consent for the planned restoration works was granted on 15 March 2007. It became necessary to review the prices of the stonemason we had selected to undertake the restoration. The extent of the applicability of VAT was at the heart of the issue. Advice is being sought from our funders – the Heritage Lottery Fund. Hopefully we will be in a position to place our order(s) on the restoration contractor(s) by 11 June, at the latest. We know that the stone-cleaning specialist is in a position to erect scaffolding on 12 June, and commence stone-cleaning on 13 June. We also know that our preferred stonemason has almost finished work on an earlier major project and would be able to start work on ours immediately following the stone-cleaning operation.
Further positive progress has been made on several of the 21 non-structural ‘sub-projects’.
An exhibition presenting the activities being undertaken under this Project has been registered as one of the ‘attractions’ in the programme which defines Corsham’s participation in this year’s Heritage Open Days festival (6-9 September, 2007).
The ‘Shortform Project Schedule’ is in need of review. A new version will be created in June and issued to all those who are taking a lead-role in various aspects of the Project. It is anticipated that it will show some slippage. Whether this is confined to interim activities – or whether it transfers to the ‘planned Project Completion Date’ (currently October 2008) has yet to be assessed.
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following four respects:
· Listed Building Consent has been secured.
· It would appear that a ‘window of opportunity’ has opened up in the workload of our preferred specialist stonemason.
· We have increased to 3 the number of local schools participating in the ‘Increasing Community Awareness’ aspects of the Project.
· We have devised and registered a ‘Mayo Project Exhibition’ as part of Corsham’s programme for Heritage Open Days 2007 (6-9- September 2007).
December 2006 – February 2007
Summary
The Listed Building Consent Application is in, and is under consideration. The Sec. of State’s Guidelines require a response to be given by 20 March 2007. Hopefully we will be in a position to place our order(s) on the restoration contractor(s) mid-March.
On the ‘Building Community Awareness’ side of the Project, positive progress has been made on several of the 21 non-structural ‘sub-projects’ – especially the ones involving local schoolchildren.
The ‘Research the Mayo Family’ sub-project has been completed – at least for the time-being. (We have enough information to enable the sub-projects which depend upon it to proceed adequately.)
Significant expenditure is now occurring. A laptop and a digital camcorder have been purchased.
The ‘Shortform Project Schedule’ has been reviewed and revised. A new version (dated 8 Feb 2007) has been created. A copy is enclosed with this Quarterly Report. It shows slippages to certain activities, but the ‘planned ‘Project Completion Date’ remains at October 2008. The slippages arise from delays in the LBC process. It is hoped that the opportunity to benefit from the better weather expected during the structural restoration phase will minimize the impact on its completion.
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following four respects:
· Corsham Town Council’s grant of £2,500 to assist in the achievement of our objectives has arrived in our project bank account, and
· The hoped-for working relationship with a local school for it to become our main working partner with regard to three of the Project ‘sub-projects’ has been confirmed, and
· We have been promised assistance from our local provider of water and sewerage services (Wessex Water) in our efforts to discover whether the pipeline which Mayo’s company installed in 1897 to bring water into Corsham from springs located 6 miles away is still operational, and
· We have established working relationships with certain local community groups and secured their confirmed agreement to contribute the skills and time of their members to those ‘sub-projects’ which are part of the Project. This includes stills photography and coping with the necessary disturbance to a garden presently established as part of the Memorial.
September - November 2006
Summary
The pace of the Project is beginning to pick up. More of the ‘sub-projects’ are underway or have an identified way forward. The Listed Building Consent Application is about to be submitted, following a site meeting with the local District Council’s Conservation Officer. We are close to knowing the exact extent of the structural restoration work that will be permitted and can be afforded. We have quotations to hand to support the numbers.
On the ‘Building Community Awareness’ side of the Project, a ‘Shortform Project Schedule’ has been created and issued to ‘sub-project mangers, as appropriate. The inter-relationships of the –sub-projects’ have been defined and checked. The Schedule ‘hangs together’.
The date of the presentation on the Mayo family has been fixed in the Corsham Civic Society’s 2007 Programme. It is set for 26 October 2007.
A highly-informative letter has been received from Mr. Thomas Brakspear, as a result of his having read the Town Council’s Autumn 2006 edition of ‘Connect Corsham’ and noting the detail given in the Society’s enhanced website.
What has gone well?
The Project has gone well in the following four respects:
· Corsham Town Council has formally offered the Project a grant of £2,500 to assist in the achievement of our objectives, and
· We appear to have found a working relationship with a local school whereby it might become our working partner with regard to three of the Project ‘sub-projects’, and
· The commitment to stage a presentation devoted to the Mayo family at an Open Meeting of the Corsham Civic Society has been recognized. The event has been scheduled into the 2007 Programme which was published on 24 October 2006. It occupies the October 2007 ‘slot’. The presenter will be the Society’s (recently-installed new) Chairman. Additionally,
· Our high-profile promotion of the Project has resulted in a set of wonderfully-detailed design drawings being donated to us by the grandson of the original architect who was commissioned to undertake the building of the Memorial in 1897. The set of documents includes a previously unknown immediately-as-built photograph. It will be added to our centrally-assembled collection of researched material relating to the Mayo family and the Memorial.
June-August 2006
Summary
The Project has got off to an unspectacular start. Progress over these first 3 months has not been as rapid as had been hoped or planned. In part this has been because of the actual point in the year at which the start date was constrained to occur. (Schools were about to commence their annual summer shutdown. This has affected the ‘Building Community Awareness’ aspect of the Project.) It has also proved difficult to secure interest in the Project from businesses who might undertake the ‘Structural Restoration’ aspect. There seems to be an abundance of such work in this geographical area at this time – and this particular project is rather a small one.
What has gone well?
Three elements of the ‘Building Community Awareness’ aspect have gone particularly well:
· Breaking down the totality of this aspect of the Project into 21 ‘sub-projects’ – and assigning 14 of them to individuals who are prepared to accept complete ‘responsibility’ for them, and
· Commencing the ‘sub-project’ of researching all the Project Team needs to know about the Mayo family and assembling the data in one place, and
· Commencing work on the necessary preparation required for the two ‘sub-projects’ which involve local schools – monitoring the progress of the Project and conducting research into the Mayo family and Victorian Corsham.
C. Project Definition
· See the appropriate page of the LHI website:
· Also see the article reproduced below which was published in the Autumn 2006 edition of Corsham Town Council’s quarterly newsletter Connect Corsham:
Corsham Civic Society has launched an ambitious project which will see the monument erected to the memory of C T Mayo, a local Victorian industrialist, restored to something like its former glory.
Earlier this year, with encouragement and support from the Corsham Town Council, the Society made an application to the Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) and was awarded a grant of £21,721. The Local Heritage Initiative is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund. HLF grants enable communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about their diverse heritage
While the restoration will prevent further decay of the monument itself and will record its original features, one of the main aims of the project is also to inform people about C T Mayo and other aspects of Victorian Corsham. Volunteers will help to record the original features of the monument. Information and interpretation at the site of the monument will also be provided. The project will also include workshops, talks, leaflets and exhibitions, as well as a photographic and video record of the works. The Civic Society plans to involve local schools, the Youth Development Service, as well as various voluntary organisations in these aspects of the project. CMS Bath Limited has been engaged to provide its specialist management skills for the actual restoration work.
The project is due to be completed by November 2008. Its progress can be monitored via the Society’s website www.corsham-civic-society.co.uk
Peter Tapscott, Project Manager, Corsham Civic Society