Henceforth our meetings will be at Holy Trinity Church Hall situated at Link Top on the corner of Hornyold Road and Worcester Road. On the opposite side of the road you will see the Vault Inn. Parking is available on Trinity Road and above on the North Malvern Road. There are two nearby car parks leading off Newtown Road but unfortunately the Council has perversely decided that charging is going to apply in the evenings.
We shall be accessing the Hall by means of a very gradual ramp leading into the front of the Hall by a side door. Tea and coffee will be available as before. The toilet facilities are clean and modern. The capacity is increased to about 120 and we shall be able to hear speakers much more easily as Holy Trinity has an amplification system.
Your Society will also be investigating the installation of a hearing loop for those who need additional help with hearing but this may not be necessary. We are conscious of the difficulties some of our members have in hearing the speakers. We know that hearing difficulties can spoil one's enjoyment.
THE BIG THANK YOU: It was a great pleasure to see so many people pitching in and helping move chairs and clear up the tea things at our last meeting - Maureen Harrison's scintillating talk on the Barber Institute Gallery of Fine Art. Thank you to all of you.
Please let us keep this up it was good to see. There is a rota for 'welcoming' and for help with the 'tea & coffee'. Why not put your name down at our next meeting and help continue to make a difference? We are keen to ring the changes, volunteers are not expected to help at every meeting.
Village of Ripple: In our last Newsletter we highlighted the fact that the late Brigadier Peter Young lived for many years in this lovely village. There are many stories told of Peter, one of our most distinguished soldiers and founder of the Sealed Knot, the civil war re-enactment society. At the nearby Church there is an impressive stained glass window dedicated to the memory of Peter Young.
I heard that the Brigadier kept a number of cavalry horses out at his nearby farm and in his latter years the clip clop of horses' hooves told of his stately progress through the village. The village itself just beyond Upton on Severn off the A38 is worth visiting.
Rose Bank Gardens: Do you feel indignant about the current state of Rose Bank? I tried to walk through the lower side above Tudor House Hotel and you cannot see anything. The gardens have been so badly neglected that trees and undergrowth have left them dark and gloomy. Formerly, as our member Peter Smith writes, they were light and airy, affording long-range views over the Severn Plain with well kept shrub and flower borders. The trouble is that maintenance of the gardens has never been kept up. Even the original Rose Bank House gifted along with the gardens to Malvern by that generous benefactor, Mr. Dyson Perrins has had to be demolished because of neglect. Where Rose Bank House once stood, is just a grass bank.
There is a proposal supported by the Malvern Hills Conservators and the MHDC that the gardens should, in future, serve as a Gateway to the hills from the Town Centre. Those of us, like Peter, who have served as town guides can vouch for the fact that access to St Ann's Well and the Worcestershire Beacon is not obvious to visitors.
The first phase would involve restoration of the Lower Terraces. It would include the provision of a well designed display feature, giving information about the Flora, Fauna and Geology of the Malvern Hills.
There is also the suggestion of commissioning a sculpture of Buzzards (thought to typify the lonely heights of the hills) by Walenty Pytel. Apparently the sculpture would stand at about 25ft tall - positioned at the top of the bank by the entrance to Rose Bank and visible from the Post Office and Town Centre. From there the eyes of residents and visitors alike would be drawn towards the gardens and the 99 steps leading to the hills. Walenty Pytel is one of the leading metal sculptors in the world. He specialises in birds and heraldic beasts. He was commissioned by Parliament to produce a large sculpture outside the House of Commons entrance to the Palace of Westminster. His work may also be seen outside Birmingham International Airport and by sculptures of Swans on the banks of the river at Ross on Wye.
A figure of £20,000 has been quoted to create the sculpture. Large companies and individuals have already promised ten per cent of the cost. This gives the project eligibility to apply for Arts Council and other funding. Restoration of the large upper terrace would follow. Is it too fanciful to see Rose Bank becoming a sculpture park and serving as a gateway to the hills? Can we as a Civic Society play a significant part in supporting the restoration of Rose Bank?