January 2010

Happy New Year! Perhaps everyone is snowed in or snowed under or just lying low until the buds of spring appear, as it's been a quiet month. Still, there's always the Museum Saga which, like any ancient saga, runs on and on. Let's hope the end, when it arrives, is heroic, dragon-slaying and to the good of the community.

Our first Christmas musical extravaganza was a huge success! Photos are lower down the page, and congratulations to Val Campion, Phil Rowe and Derek Wheeler for their organisation, arrangement and sheer exuberance in making it such a hit with members.

Roll on spring.....

Hitchin Museum and the Town Hall

We have been in correspondence with North Herts District Council about the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of the museum. Here are the texts of our letter to NHDC and the response from Councillor Tricia Cowley.

From HHS to Tricia Cowley, Cabinet Portfolio Holder/Museums; John Robinson, Chair, Museum Project Board; Ros Allwood, Cultural Services Manager; 11th December 2009.

HITCHIN: NHDC MUSEUMS POLICY & THE NEW TOWN HALL

A number of HHS Committee Members attended the Full Council Meeting on 3rd December. It is crucial to our Society that we retain an effective, properly resourced and locally relevant museum facility in the town. We remain, therefore, extremely concerned at the continued uncertainties surrounding the council's policy for the future of that museum facility and the way it has become trapped in a wider debate of heart-felt community issues.

We understand the real dilemmas, on all sides, in looking to the New Town Hall to provide both a museum and a key Hitchin community role. What we do not understand, however, is the unwillingness of the council to consider other possible alternatives for museum provision in the town in case the New Town Hall proves not to be the solution. The lack of a "Plan B" has always been a weakness in the current council plans but, given the deferrment of 3rd December to reconsider the potential role of the New Town Hall, that weakness is now absolutely critical.

We heard once more during the meeting of 3rd December of the council's commitment to consultation and partnership working. We reiterate again, therefore, our willingness to assist, based on local experience, in looking for practical solutions for the provision of a museum facility in the town. We do not claim any monopoly of wisdom or easy answers but strongly believe that solutions will only be found by involving the interested parties effectively and drawing on the extensive goodwill in Hitchin that seeks a genuine "win-win" outcome for both museum and community facilities.

Yours, D Howlett, Hon Chairman

From NHDC to Mr David Howlett, 17th December 2009

NHDC MUSEMS POLICY & HITCHIN TOWN HALL

Thank you for your letter of 11th December and received by email on 15th December which was also addressed to NHDC officers John Robinson and Ros Allwood and to which I will respond on behalf of the Council.

Like your Society I am concerned to ensure that current uncertainties surrounding the future of the Museum service are resolved. However, having looked at the other currently available options, it does not seem to be realistic to contemplate these in view of the potential for current proposal to resolve the problems we face in also securing the future of the Town Hall and the significantly higher costs of the alternatives. For your information, the Museums Project Board did look at a number of options prior to recommending the current approach on 3rd December to Council.

As you know, at its meeting on 3rd December the Council resolved to defer consideration of the proposal to allow the local community groups (Friends of Hitchin Town Hall) an alternative proposal to be developed, examined and reported on. Until such time as this has been done we simply do not have the resources to develop alternative plans and it is far from certain that the Council would support these, especially in view of what I believe would be the very significant cost escalation this would probably entail. So, as things stand, we are actively exploring a number of options with the 'Friends of Hitchin Town Hall' which I understand will attempt to address the dual goal of resolving the future of both the Museums Service/Town Hall and deliver significant cost reduction, without any increase in our projected capital costs for construction/refurbishment. I am sure the group working on this would welcome your contribution to their work or, if that is not possible, I would welcome any input you may have if this does not proceed.

Can I say how refreshing your positive approach is from my point of view. The Historical Society plays an absolutely crucial role in the civic and cultural life of Hitchin and your letter has underlined this point.

I will not pretend, however that there are no difficult choices as the Council like the rest of the public sector faces some of the most challenging financial circumstances it has ever seen. Your continuing commitment to positively engaging in the process is appreciated and I hope that my suggestion about how this might best be done in the short term will help.

Yours sincerely, Councillor Tricia Cowley, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement & Rural Affairs

cc Strategic Director Customer Services, Head of Community & Cultural Services, Museums Services Manager

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Our Christmas Musical Evening

Members crowded into Church House on 4th December to enjoy mince pies, mulled wine, a chat with friends and some amusing, talented and surprising musical entertainment.

Val Campion conducted members in singing some seasonal and traditional songs, and when one half of the audience was goaded to out-sing the other half, and vice versa, members rose to the challenge with gusto. Perhaps the most enjoyable part was singing 'While Shepherds Watched' to the tune we know better now as 'On Ilkley Moor Bah't At'. Val informed us this was the original tune, and as we belted out a roof-raising 'And glory shone around' I think we gained some idea of what Christmas would have sounded like in churches 200 years ago - raucous, buoyant and great fun!

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With Derek Wheeler at the piano (he would have been brilliant in those silent-movie days), and various amateur musicians helping out with an improvised 'West Gallery' group - like the ones who played in churches before organs were introduced - everything bounced along nicely, with only the odd hilarious hiccup. Derek gave us a very amusing monologue, Barbara Wheeler read a short, funny Christmas story and Phil Rowe sang a very entertaining solo: no musical hall could have bettered us!

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Next Society meeting

Our next meeting is on Thursday 28th January, when Hertfordshire's County Archivist Sue Flood will be telling us more about the important Delmé Radcliffe papers. The new meetings and outings programmes appear on the relevant pages (see list, left, for links).

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This page updated 13th December 2009