Dear Members and Friends of Clitheroe Civic Society
The first News Bulletin issued last month, seems to have been favourably received by members. This has encouraged us to try do this as a monthly communication. In this way it is hoped to compensate, in some small way, for the loss of direct contact we have at present and for the foreseeable future. As announced in last month’s Bulletin, all the Society’s arranged events up to - at least -the AGM are cancelled. This being the case one aspect of these Bulletins is to alert Members and Friends of the Society to local and national online events which may interest members. Listed below are links to some programmes and events which we hope may be of such interest to some, if not all, of you.

Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Inside the Great Cathedral Rescue

This programme was shown on BBC Four on 16th April and is available to view again on BBC iPlayer at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hbdq The programme records what has been taking place in the last twelve months since the devastating fire which almost completely destroyed one of the medieval wonders of the world. It is also an inspiring example of what focus teamwork, international action and the highest conservation principles can achieve in times of adversity.

The National Archive (NA): Online Events

The NA offers a range of events, exhibitions and talks, as well as document displays in their Keeper’s Gallery and other places on the website. These often tie in with other talks and events to coincide with national anniversaries, as listed below. Pre-booking is required to take part in these events. Some require paid access with others unpaid.The link to the NA’s website listed current events, some referred to below, is:        https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/visit-us/whats-on/events/

Top Level Tips: Using the NA’s Discovery facility:

‘Webinar’ 12th May | 14:00 to 14:30. Top tips for using their online catalogue.

Power, Magnificence, and Renaissance Diplomacy: The field of the cloth of gold

'Webinar’22nd May | 14:00 to 15:30: Peer into the world of Tudor tournaments with Sean
Cunningham, 500 years since the dazzling summit of the Field of the Cloth of Gold – a celebration of peace between England and France.

Top Level Tips: Discovering your family history 

‘Webinar’ 02nd June | 14:00 to 14:30. Ideal for beginners, NA’s experts share top tips and pointers on how to start researching your family history.

Top Level Tips: Discovering your local history

‘Webinar’ 21st July | 14:00-14:30. Ideal for everyone, NA’s experts share top tips and pointers on how to start researching your local history, such as your town or house.

CCS General Committee Meeting 6th April

This meeting did take place, via online correspondence. The use of one or other of ‘Group Conferencing Apps’ was considered but eventually an online email exchange between members simply was adopted. This enabled the views of all taking part to be considered, recorded and a consensus arrived at on all of the Agenda items.

Clitheroe Town Wells Campaign

The coronavirus outbreak will be cited as the reason for inaction on pre-outbreak projects and initiatives by many over the coming months. The committee’s inaction on this campaign to secure a future for all three of the Town’s Wells is one of these.

On 24th February, a meeting was held between CCS Officers and Council Leader Stephen Atkinson and Chief Executive Officer Marshal Scott for Ribble Valley Borough Council. At this meeting - and in subsequent confirmatory correspondence – the Council has walked away from acknowledging any responsibility for the St Mary’s  and Heild Wells. The Society was offered some form of grant at that meeting. Subject to obtaining details of this grant offer, the principle of applying for such a grant was unanimously accepted by members at our last Public Meeting on 2nd March.

When ‘details were outlined’, little more than that, it transpired that the grant would relate to CCS preparing costings to secure their short term and long-term future along with some form of ‘tidying up’ of the wells. Budget costings have already been  prepared by CCS ten years ago and revised again in 2019. Periodic tidying up of the town wells, by CCS and others, already takes place. The Committee’s opinion of this offer was that these actions alone would not assist in securing the long-term future for all three wells. It therefore confirmed to the Council that the Society could not proceed with a grant application to the Council on this basis.

The intention is to develop a new strategy to engage the Public, Councillors and other Conservation Agencies, in this campaign. Details will be considered at the next Committee Meeting on Monday 1st June. If, in the meantime, members would like to commence making their personal views known on the significance of the wells and what their future could be, these should be submitted to the Officers @ mailto:info@clitheroecivicsociety.org.uk  Once we have a better idea as to how this more public campaign is to be conducted this will be shared with members.

The Clitheroe Library Clock: An On-line Presentation by Steve Ragnall.

Steve Ragnall confirms that, as of 19th April, 55 members have viewed his presentation. This is much appreciated by him and will no doubt encourage him to create similar in the future. He has also requested members to give him feedback on this first  venture to inform for future ones.

This can be done via Steve’s email mailto:steveragnall@hotmail.com or via the officers @ mailto:info@clitheroecivicsociety.org.uk

 Appointment of New Secretary.

https://www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/news/article/1094/ribble_valley_community_hub
Prior to the last General Committee Meeting, Michael Parkinson announced that he is to stand down as Secretary at the next AGM. Michael has filled the role admirably for the past two years and was Treasurer for two years prior to this. John Spenser has agreed to stand for election as Secretary at the AGM in September and we look forward to working with him - assuming he is elected - which the Committee hopes is the case.

We are also now in search of a Minutes Secretary to ease the burden on the Chairman. Any member willing and able to attend the six meetings held during the year is requested to contact the Chairman.

Clitheroe Conservation Area Picture Quiz:

Some simple - and a couple of ‘stinkers’! In the hope of creating a further diversion for members and friends of the Civic Society reading this News Bulletin, set out below is a Picture Quiz. This invites you to test your
knowledge of the location of some of the details and features of the buildings and places all within the Clitheroe Conservation Area. Pictures are ordered 1-14 from top l.h.
corner to bottom r.h. corner. Answers in the next Bulletin but, regrettably, no prizes.

Clitheroe and Ribble Valley Reflections

This page is now up and running on the Society’s website thanks to Andrew Schofield and Geoff Errington. Already in the short space since its creation, there are some interesting articles on it provided by members. These can be viewed on the website under the ‘Clitheroe’ heading at http://clitheroecivicsociety.org.uk/activitiesmenu/reflections-of-clitheroe-and-ribble-valley.html

All members are invited to consider submitting some of their own ‘Reflections’ about Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley and this might provide an interesting, informative and amusing distraction to the times we are all having to cope with at the moment.

And finally - Coronavirus 19 !

In our last News Bulletin we reported on having offered the Society’s assistance to the Community Hub established by the Ribble Valley Borough Council (RVCB CH) . In response to this I had a discussion with Council Leader Stephen Atkinson. This confirmed that the Council have sufficient staff and volunteers to deal with their responsibilities as directed by the Dept. of Health & Social Care’s ‘Coronavirus Action Plan’ and the Lancashire and South Cumbria ‘Sustainability and Transformation Partnership’. From this conversation it appears that RVBC’s CH participation is primarily assisting with the administration of Government Grants and Rate Abatements rather than co-ordinating voluntary initiatives. Details of the Council’s activities can be viewed at:

https://www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/news/article/1094/ribble_valley_community_hub

At this point in time, and given the demographics of our Society, it seems that the most effective way we support the local community activities during the Corona pandemic will be to offer some form of donation to one or other of the local voluntary Organisations. We are considering either The Salvation Army and/or Citizens Advice.
Suggestions for any other locally based, voluntary organisation trying to assist those most disadvantaged at this present time are invited. Any financial contribution we could make would be modest, but we believe that many ‘modest’ contributions can eventually develop into a significant fund.
With regards and best wishes to all our members, their families and friends.

Steve Burke, Chairman, Clitheroe Civic Society. 27th April 2020