Civic Pride and common sense restored

I wondered if I would be writing a positive blog tonight-one tends to be a bit cynical about developers and councils, but I have to say I am delighted that I can!

The Planning committee of Barrow Borough Council showed great resilience, wisdom and foresight in their decision to refuse planning permission for Story Homes to build 38 houses on the green field site on Manor Road. We have fought a public campaign for a year and its been a hard slog. We are an eclectic bunch-a range of ages, backgrounds, politics-but with one common cause-we all love and believe in the preservation of Furness Abbey. This one fact united us... and upwards of 3000 other people across Barrow, Cumbria and the world! Literally! This upsurge of public opinion could not fail to impress even the recalcitrant Story Homes and the council actually stated that it was not the normal response to planning applications in the borough. In fact it was uncommon and had certainly influenced the committee. This is not surprising -after all the committee are elected servants of the public and really ought to listen-but the impression is often that they don't!

I am proud of our democratic system today and of the council! They were unafraid to stand up against the developers and risk going to appeal. Charles Wilton the Planning Officer countered the abusive and aggressive attack on the committee and the Planning Officers by Story Homes; which was unworthy and unprofessional. He justified the refusal with two main points- heritage and setting! This reason is more powerful than any other because the setting and heritage are sacrosanct and unchangeable. Once gone they cant be brought back and restored! This is too important to be ignored and the planners and committee saw the validity of this argument!

Some of the issues which have arisen have surprised me. The procedural and structural issues which these things are governed by. For instance- the comment that English Heritage could have/should have done more. I accept-I initially believed that they would ride up "knight in shining armour-like" to help. I knew they cared about the abbey-after all-they have spent £2 million on holding it up. We at Furness Abbey Fellowship work with them and they frequently visit-indeed I had the pleasure of meeting Simon Thurley their CEO at the abbey! So I admit I was furious and devastated at their lack of action. 

However, after an initial barrage of ire via social media, we arrange to see the chap who had made the report. He was a very balanced, educated and knowledgeable man-who has spent many years visiting Furness Abbey and genuinely cares about it. We even viewed the field and discussed at length, the wall, the gateway and the heritage approach. He explained that it wasn't as easy as saying "No-its too near the abbey". In fact all kinds of structures were in place to stop him-the line he walks is strictly governed by a framework. This being so he can't comment on flooding, traffic etc because these are other agencies departments! The heritage he is concerned with is the actual abbey precinct-the peripheral wall and gate and approach have in fact been protected -because Story Homes had to amend plans on numerous occasions before EH would accept them. What they were left with were plans for an estate which they could not say would cause harm-but neither could they say it wouldn't! They can't make claims which can't be upheld in law! Therefore they are in a difficult position-they have had to settle for allowing plans which "might" do no harm. This seems ridiculous but they can only do what is allowed! Ideally they probably wouldn't want the houses but can't refuse outright.

In the same vein the Cumbria Highways Department do us no favours. They too are limiting their judgment to the actual estate-which doesn't seem too harmful. However, someone needs to look objectively at the traffic issue-because its not good! Any Barrow resident knows that Rating Lane is a nightmare and is an accident waiting to happen-which this or any other similar development would exacerbate. We the public can see this-but in the red tape world of procedure, this is apparently impossible. Similarly, the flooding evidence is not strongly upheld because of predictive maps and graphs. Yet we see floods over the last few years-and we have photographic evidence!

So this very strange state of affairs is obviously why we all believe the planners and Councillors aren't listening to us! Its because they are all so tied up with regulation and red tape that they can't. This is where we need to look! We must somehow get rid of this chess game-it does us no favours and it allows people to manipulate the system. The basic rights and wrongs are forgotten in place of process driven rubbish! Today Joe Public has spoken and been listened to. The council have stepped out of the box and haven't been swayed by fancy words and big business. They have done the right thing! I hope that this is the final chapter-but if its not-trust me-we will go on! We will continue to fight-against the odds-until the day is finally won for good!

Remembering. Dangerous? Disrespectful? Disappointing?

From being a child and hearing stories of sacrifice, bravery and loss during World War 1 I have been keyed into the "culture" of remembrance. My Granddad's tinted photograph of him on his cavalry mount, with his medals in the frame, was ever present. I was magnetically drawn to it. A brave soldier in times long ago-it seemed to me and even at six I was history mad. Ben Cowan left the world three months after I entered. I don't have any real memory of him but my dad, Nannie and aunts kept his memory alive with stories-so much so I almost believed I knew him.

I recall hearing the soundtrack to Lawrence of Arabia on the radio when I was about six. Oddly, I felt sad and the music made me think of Granddad. I don't know if this was subconscious but I later discovered he had served in Palestine and had actually seen TE Lawrence. He had spent 1914-18 on the Somme and then was deployed to the Holy Land where he remained until 1919. He was finally shipped out ill with malaria and dysentery. 

That connection with Granddad continued-I was shown a memorial at Barrow Railway Station-there was another Cowan. William Cowan Border Regiment it said. He was Granddad's brother and had worked for Furness Railway, like Granddad. He had been killed in 1917. Later I discovered another brother (he was one of 12 siblings), Bob, had died in 1916 on the 5th day of the Battle of the Somme. These ghostly figures-wafted in and out of my consciousness, only to be remembered when I had to undertake a project in 1st Year at the Grammar School on World War 1. 

Ben Cowan 4/7 Dragoons

This time information and a picture came from my aunt. Another brother lost to the conflict. This time my Nannie's. I became fascinated in my family tree and this young man Gunner John Wilkinson began to grow in my mind.Many years later I finally managed to piece together more and more information about all three and my sister treated me to a War Graves trip for my 40th birthday.

I began to understand why my usually tough dad cried at the Remembrance services and always wore a poppy. The gap between the generations narrowed. These "boys" were no longer ethereal shadows, they took on form and reality and their lives blossomed into proper biographies. As I stood next to the graves at Wimeraux, Faubourg d'Amiens and at the Thiepval Monument (Bob had not been found) their short lives resonated.  I had two boys of my own-how would I have coped with them not coming back from war? How would I have watched them go in the first place? Then, looking at the thousands of graves stretching across France, how many other mothers must have suffered just like my great grandmother? Suddenly, the impact hit and I could see the vast enormity and horror of what had happened so long ago.

William Cowan 1st Border Regiment

This experience was life changing for me and I have tried to pass it onto my own children. Its a vain hope that we can learn from this fairly recent history-after all 100 years in terms of family isn't that long. It can be easily dismissed if one doesn't know the human stories and trivialised and it seems to me its our responsibility to tell those stories to our children. I shared Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and Private Peaceful with pupils and we read the account of the Christmas Truce of 1914... all a little dramatic and sentimental. All a bit overblown and heart rending. But dangerous? Disrespectful? I don't think so. They were aimed at inspiring an emotional response, yes even sentimental, but not in a bad way. Yet the new Sainsbury's advert has been attacked for just those reasons-and of course because of the commercial purpose of an advert.

Gunner John Wilkinson RGA

Personally, I think we have to use every means possible to engage children and the general public. We want them to empathise and understand. In these days of horrific brutality and constant conflict people are almost desensitized and if this advert and the Tower poppies allow people to step back and say "Wow! I didn't realise how many died" or think "I won't vote for any government who implements an illegal war" then I don't care how schmaltzy or sentimental the means are. These things are memorable and make an impact. Its easy for commentators to declare that these things "beautify" or "trivialise" I don't believe they are right.

Bob Cowan 8th Border Regiment

Yes Sainsburys has made an advert. Yes theyre making money. But they are donating money to Royal British Legion! They are drawing attention to a relevant piece of history. I think people are missing the point! Its all meant to leave a bad taste in the mouth and its meant to play with the emotions! Its horrific to think human beings can put aside difference for a moment and then return to killing! Its poignant because its underlining this aspect of our very flawed nature! It also brings the devastation and futility of war to a new generation of people who connect with youtube videos. Maybe it will give people pause for thought...

"Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace"

Spooky stories getting darker!

Well its almost here-the time for publication of my third YA fantasy story Out of Time 3: The Cistercian Conspiracywww.out-of-time.co.uk! The official release date is 28th November but I have advance copies...many of them! Nothing makes the heart skip a beat more than unwrapping the new book for the first time! I am particularly pleased with this one as the cover is even more spectacular and mysterious than the previous two. 

I absolutely love the cover and it is just as I envisaged it-thanks to a talented young man called Stuart Appley who has a company called Comely Media. He is a great historian and is in tune with my ideas-as evidenced by the cover and the promo films he did previously. Equally, congratulations go to Troubador Publishing and their Matador imprint-the quality of the book is excellent once again.

So what of the story? Well without giving too much away (after all I do want you all to actually buy it) this is a darker and more desperate tale. The story focuses on the third sibling in Out of Time and we meet new and old characters. Another time frame is introduced and we explore a real event in the rich history of Furness Abbey, the notorious murder of Abbot L or J depending on which interpretation you use. The story culminates in a fight with the dark side to win the treasure but the end leaves the reader with a cliff hanger!

To celebrate the third book I will be signing at a range of venues; kicking off with Dalton Library and Waterstones in Barrow-in-Furness on Saturday 29th November. I will post further details soon and I will be engaging with schools in the Cumbria area, offering author days and workshops. In 2015 I will hopefully be extending my reach to other areas as well and if you would like me to visit your bookshop, school or group you can locate me on the new website - www.out-of-time.co.uk -again created by another talented person-Naomi Chadd of Windmill Websites.

The demise of heritage and my youth

Its been a funny old week of ups and downs and sadly ending on a down. Photos are coming in on social media of a fire at Parkview School-or as I know it the Grammar School! Its actually not a fire its a total conflagration. I feel so sad to see it end in this way-bad enough that it was to be demolished but to end this way in an arbitrary fire seems disrespectful somehow. I know there are people out there who saw it as a symbol of outmoded elitism-and maybe it was-but despite that and the strict regime we worked under-it holds fond memories for me.

I have a lot to thank my old school for-I loved much of it-and spent the rest of the time I scuttled about like a frightened rabbit. However, it gave me the chance to meet some life long friends and in the last few years we built relationships that cant be diluted or destroyed by absence, distance or time. The building itself was a grand affair that smacked of academia (or at least in my 11 year old mind it did), it echoed with the footsteps of girls who had gone on to do great things and it provided aspiration to girls from all backgrounds. Yes, it was selective, but that was the idea-it might seem flawed to us but it served its purpose at the time. To judge it with post-comprehensive eyes is to do it a disservice.  

Before-Janet my school pal and me outside the Grammar School

Personally I would have liked to have seen it preserved or conserved as it was a splendid building-and the Grammar Schools whether the detractors like it or not were important buildings in the history of the town-indeed two more lovely buildings wiped away-only preserved in photos. 

The fire tonight (courtesy Facebook)

Its a great loss and it pains me to see it go up in flames-one wonders who started it-it will certainly facilitate a speedier demolition and clearance, but whether vandals or others it has removed that final spark of hope that some element of it might be kept and remembered. I just hope that other important  building sites don't suddenly find themselves "accidentally" damaged to allow a speedier conclusion. I would hate to hear of an accidental excavation by a rogue digger up at Manor Rd ... but who knows? But that is another story for another day. So tonight it is goodbye to the old school and good bye to my youth... it kind of signals the final coming of age-bridges (or schools) burnt forever.

Just when you thought it was all over...

I am afraid I have not blogged for some time for a number of reasons-work, family and busy. I had hoped I would be jolly and philosophical but no I am back to being Mrs Angry of Barrow with a splash of Emmeline Pankhurst and Bouddicca! I apologise in advance!

Today three members of the press contacted me re the news that Story Homes had finally put in their planning for houses within the conservation area near to Furness Abbey on Manor Road. The outcry when their first proposal was introduced in March was huge! An online petition reached upwards of 2000 signatures very quickly and then individuals also sent opposing letters to the council planning department. Most local people were horrified that this small piece of green belt-the final piece on the approach to the amazing Furness Abbey was even being considered as a viable building site. At the preview of the plans Story Homes were arrogant in the extreme and certainly had no understanding of the local heritage. They openly admitted that they wanted to break into the Barrow area as we "don't have many homes of quality". Their original plans were for 50 homes with no special measures to safeguard the abbey perimeter wall and West Gate-with no provision for affordable housing.

After seeing the level of public opposition and indeed taking on board some of what was said-they tried to improve or streamline the plans-they had even suggested they would pop in a few affordable homes too. However this was not necessary because in the council housing plans for the district this was already catered for, they have dropped that and reduced it to 38 executive homes with upto 5 bedrooms-for workers who come to Barrow to work at BAE on new large contracts. So-not even for the local community. They have skipped over the heritage and environmental issues with a ludicrous "corridor" to protect the wall. Story Homes said it is confident the layout will alleviate any fears raised by the public about negative impact on the nearby Furness Abbey. Well actually the only possible way to do that is NOT to build at all! As for the flooding issues-these are rarely solved by adding more building which produces 50% more run off-and guess where it will all go? Yes down stream to the abbey itself!

They are trying to sweeten the pill by offering to create a playground in Barrow. Yeah...that will do it! Exchange a playground for a heritage conservation area! Perfect! After all we will all be admiring that in 900 years wont we?

Anyway the battle lines are drawn-so if you want to help please sign the petition and state why you are opposed-or it isn't valid!
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/jason-hipkiss-refuse-planning-permission-for-building-50-houses-on-land-near-furness-abbey

Get Gove reading? Get him OUT!!!

Well I was planning a nice positive post today until I read about Gove's "brave new world" of literature! So out with the fluffy and in with the bloody battleaxe! And he has irritated my already painful shingles-I loathe this man-he is the anti-Christ...(allegedly!)

Channel 4 News posted a blog on Gove's prospective unveiling of the new literature curriculum and I could not believe what I read. Tough classics such as Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", Miller's "The Crucible" and Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mocking Bird" are to be removed...mainly because "Gove doesn't like them" and because they are American!

Deep breaths while I hyperventilate! I want to scream... I want to shout... I want to rip his head off! What sort of decision making process is that? He doesn't like them? So what? So now education is to be designed to suit the negative, retro-grade and narrow viewpoint of just one man? Surely some civil servant or Junior Minister should be quietly tapping him on the shoulder and saying-"Gove, No! This is out of order!" Does nobody in the education department have a say? Do none of the academics who are involved in curriculum design have the guts to say no? How can a country's curriculum be designed around the whim of one man?

Apart from anything the reason these texts were included in the first place was because they taught life lessons and asked the right questions, giving young people the chance to understand and make decisions about some difficult concepts. I read "To Kill a Mocking Bird" at 14 and it hooked me immediately. This was then followed up by the excellent Gregory Peck film which opened up the idea that human beings can act in many different ways toward each other. The polarisation of the good and bad characters exemplifies what is still wrong in society and the story being told simplistically by the little girl Scout emphasises those themes. Its an amazing book and it opened my eyes to man's inhumanity to man, real danger, bigotry, prejudice, tolerance, fairness and justice. It can still do the same today and if read at  a young age cannot fail to promote empathy and the development of a sense of equality and fairness. To remove such texts because they are "American" is blatantly bigoted in itself.

To return the literature curriculum to mostly British and pre war is to limit and censor! It make literature a sterile subject with nothing current and new emerging! I love the classics and believe pupils should be given a taster, but they are not the whole "story" surely writing is constantly changing and developing  and we should celebrate and embrace all types of genres and authors?

I notice there has already been a retraction and fudging of the facts as written in the Telegraph article! Well I will wait to see the reality-there is usually no smoke without fire in Gove's case...and I still insist and demand somebody in the Department gets hold of him by his scrawny neck and give him a good talking to!

Three Years on

Just realised that its three years since the governmental axe fell on Playing for Success and therefore since I became redundant because Cumbria County Council no longer wanted to support it. Neither the government or the County Council examined the real viability or efficacy of the scheme-despite new research proving it was successful and effective for a wide range of children who needed an extra push. Even schools registered evidence of improvement in these children-but in these times of "austerity", politically based cut backs and an every man for himself attitude-these findings were brushed aside-oddly Mr Gove and co didn't recognise the value...well...it was such a Labour initiative after all and the fact that it had run successfully for 13 years and there were already 162 centres UK wide was again deemed irrelevant.

Storytellers Project-a poetry walk

I was passionate about the job-as were my colleagues, we literally mourned the loss of this amazing project. Nobody could help-all expressed sorrow and dismay from teachers, pupils, parents to the football club we lived in and the local MP. So we moved on... a bit.

Two of us tried to continue with the help of Barrow AFC- but the sustainability and the funding was not there and we ended up with a half life. This had to be terminated, but we all gave our best but it just didn't work-nobody wanted to- or could pay...and as much as I was committed to the ethos-oddly I needed paying for work done! So my colleague and I went freelance. We run a small education business New Horizons Education Ltd  which has gained a good reputation for running small projects and training Teaching Assistants-but is limited in range.

Reading at Chipping Storytelling Festival

The day following redundancy my first book was published. This has been an exciting roller coaster ride-a total innocent in terms of understanding either publishing or book selling I went in blind! I have learnt much and now at book number 4 I am more aware of the pit falls and have isolated my deficits-marketing being one. I have discovered that as a 50 something woman I have the same self-esteem issues as the children I helped via PFS! Strange- because out of my comfort zone I am just as vulnerable as they were. I am about to publish number 3 in the Out of Time series and realise the necessary things I have to do. I have been advised to sing my own praises-something I have never been comfortable with-but apparently nobody will believe in me if I don't myself! Its not that I don't believe in me-but I find it a bit crass and rude to mention it out loud! A bit... American? A bit boastful? Well here goes...lets bite the bullet-
I am a popular (yes you are... at least Cumbria wide) author (yes-you do write and have published books-so that's an author isn't it?) and I write really good books that people love and enjoy (no bad reviews (good reviews), constant sales over 3 years, "fans" adult and children alike, a good following, a publisher who believes in me...So, now to the next stage-onward and upward...

Do you want to buy a book? www.out-of-time.co.uk or www.troubador.co.uk


Briefing FAF volunteers before the Medieval Fair at Furness Abbey

Evaluating the last three years-some good some bad-done things I would never have done while still in full employment, met lots of new and interesting people, visited amazing schools and children, I drive the work, I follow many personal interests and have developed fantastic partnerships-although not from an employment stance- I am working in heritage(alongside and with English Heritage) for a place I'm passionate about- Furness Abbey and Barrow in Furness which is rewarding. Ok its not so financially secure, but its never dull, I'm always busy, but I have flexibility so can follow my dreams, spend time helping with grandchildren, and can learn so much more and try new things. So although I'm not keen on the "self-employed" idea-on balance-the experience is exciting if terrifying- a bit like a roller coaster ride. Well everyone should be scared at least once a day!

 Having fun at the abbey with grandsons

 

Oh and don't forget DYSTONIA-a charity I've worked voluntarily for over 16 years... about to do the 9th Keswick to Barrow Walk for dystonia... and its going to rain...but on the bright side you can STILL sponsor me for the 40 miles of sheer hell that it will be in torrential Lakeland rain https://www.keswick2barrow.co.uk/sponsor/welcome.asp?ID=60

Drowning in a sea of litter

Picnic detritus

I was walking to Furness Abbey yesterday-picture it-blue sky, green grass, blossom emerging and families taking advantage of the sun. I walked past a group of young people who were picnicking with their children. Laughter rang through the air, children played and ran freely and safely-a picturesque scene! As I neared the group of about a dozen people I shrank a little... foul language and expletives filled the air... unfortunate! However, I decided not to be judgmental and gritted my teeth hoping my 4 year old grandson didn't hear or repeat any of the words-after all it was lovely to see families enjoying the sun.

We continued on and enjoyed our trip to the abbey. On the way back-at about 4-30pm the amphitheatre had cleared and was quiet again. Imagine my horror when I approached the scene above. No family... but every item of picnic rubbish left exactly where they had dropped it. I was furious and at the same time incredulous! If you appreciate a place for its beauty and visit it, why would you leave such a horrible mess? Once again I despaired of my fellow townsfolk!

I posted on Facebook about this and the response was overwhelming. Everyone deplored it-everyone taught their children to pick up rubbish, a range of names was used to describe the culprits and generally suggestions for punishment ranged from the cane to tazering!

So what is happening to society? Surely everyone can appreciate a tidy clean environment? I cannot imagine how anyone can stand up and walk away from empty pop bottles, litter and other rubbish without shame, embarrassment or guilt! So where is it going wrong? What can we do to remediate this? Some suggest more education-schools are already overwhelmed. Others suggest penalties-fines and the like...but you have to catch people first. Then there is the litter pick idea-which we will have to resort to-but then that is devolving responsibility to others who are not to blame for the mess in the first place. Its quite sad that people cant see the value of caring for the countryside. SO next time you see someone littering-shout at them! I will!

Lets educate the embryos

Oh dear... just when I thought I could be positive and blog nicely- Mr Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw comes out of the woodwork and announces that pre-school education is failing the poorest children in the UK. He goes on to say that pre-schoolers are unprepared for school, have poor language and can't hold a pen properly...oh and they can't identify numbers!

Dreadful isn't it? Or is it? What exactly does this mean? The assumption that most poor children are badly served by pre school education is a little bit simplistic. We are assuming that the lack of preparedness is all down to the provision... of course lack of stimulation and support at home might have a teeny bit to do with it... or lack of opportunity from financial limits within the home... or parents who have never had adequate role models as children themselves-so perpetuating the issues above. Admittedly, these issues need addressing but its the parents who need the help as much as the children-and we did have something called Surestart for this didn't we?

Moving swiftly on-wouldn't want this to become political... are we wishing to eradicate childhood completely? We are seriously talking about formal education from two years are we? With testing and assessment no doubt? I feel that we are forgetting those children who are not ready-or are immature. I have varying views on pre school-mainly drawn from experience with my own children and grand children and from my teaching career. Certainly, there is a place for it and many parents have to rely upon early years provision because they work, but should we be forcing toddlers into formal learning? Whatever happened to experiential child centred learning? Oh I forgot...Mr Gove happened! My three children all nurtured in exactly the same way produced three very different responses to nursery and Reception education.

Number 1 son- was shy, quiet and lacking in confidence-not great at socialising. We lived in the East End of London and in a multi cultural multi ethnic environment. He began nursery at 3. He took to it like a duck to water. He enjoyed it, interacted, learned to be sociable, grew in confidence and when Son number 2 arrived two weeks after his 3rd birthday he relished the time away and never missed. He struggled in Reception but then fond his feet higher up the school and is now a communicator and journalist. So one point in favour of pre-school education.

Number 2 son-was outgoing, boisterous, inquisitive and demanding-we moved back north to a lovely local pre-school, rural setting not much diversity. I had to drag him kicking and screaming every single day. Socially he was fine, educationally a kinaesthetic learner, a bit of a disparity between verbal learning and written-but hated every moment of pre-school-indeed only really enjoyed school at Sixth Form level. He was found to have dyslexic tendencies at age 17-always seemed to under achieve-until University and then came out with a good 2:1-like his brother.

Daughter-late addition-went to pre-school at 2.5years. Loved everything, confident, quick, read at 3, counted added, subtracted by 4-a natural! Socialised well and enjoyed her time. Now at University in 2nd year Journalism degree.

I can't account for any of these reactions-we did the same things with each, they all had opportunities and child centred provision-but had either of the boys been channelled into a regime of formalised learning we would probably have lost them. Its all a matter of readiness individually and remember these children are very young-plus each cohort has a wide year age difference so why would we expect them to have the same bench marks and achievements? I realise my children had the advantages many are not lucky enough to have-but the variety of maturity and readiness is immense without the socio-economic problems many are beset by. Many have never eve learned to play and to experience things-they haven't been read to, or played with-Wilshaw is correct in this-but surely the problem must first lie with remediating the parents? Surely much of the input in early years must be their job not pre-schools and minders? Some of these parents are products of the exact same issues their children are experiencing and the pattern of inadequate parenting must be addressed by educating the parents-not formalising pre-school education.

I have grave doubts that Mr Wilshaw has even considered talking to the many excellent professionals who lead Early Years. Let them take the lead-I don't oppose nursery and pre-school education but please let it be child-centred rather than data driven and formal! I don't want my grandchildren processed like meat in a sausage factory-I want a safe, inspiring, interesting environment for them to play, experience , experiment and enjoy-let early years education have some of that old sparkle and magic-a little bit of awe and wonder. Or is that too much to ask? Perhaps we ought to hothouse babies as they leave the womb and get them working... and then there's the embryos....

                                          Creative and imaginative outdoor play Early Years

I love it when a plan comes together

It has taken almost two years for the return of the Furness Abbey crosier and ring to be achieved. Now after a lot of work and collaboration we are basking in the success of the venture.

In 2010 a unique and internationally significant burial was found. The fully articulated skeleton was found with two rare artefacts-a crosier and a ring. From the first moment I knew of this (and I was rather lucky to hear of it-my son was an archaeologist at the abbey when the find was discovered) I knew it had to be important for the abbey. I and many others waited to hear what would happen to these amazing items and it sparked a conversation with the late Alice Leach. We met at a lecture on Jocelin of Furness and had discussed the seeming decline of the abbey and our concerns around that. Alice in her time had been very involved with Furness Abbey, had written books about it and was latterly studying the Coucher Books. We had a lot in common, both teachers, both writers and both with an abiding passion for the abbey.

We had conversations with English Heritage and pressed our issues about the lack lustre appearance of the abbey as a visitor attraction. The response initially was a little lukewarm but we came away with plans to set up a "friends" group to attempt some sort of partnership. Amazingly, the structure of English Heritage was changed almost immediately and there appeared to be a sea change in attitude and approachability. A Channel 4 News report (my other son was the producer on this piece) put the discovery of the crosier on the map and this gave us the focus we needed. We had our first meeting in March 2012 and set up the Furness Abbey Fellowship. Alice unfortunately, decided she would be unable to continue with FAF and wanted to concentrate on the Coucher books and the Civic Society of which she was Chairman. Sadly, she passed away in January this year.

From then on we forged a relationship with English Heritage and began working to raise funds and develop ideas to draw in more visitors to the abbey. We were concerned that the visitor numbers were low and one of the aims was to raise these and extend the publicity and reach of the Abbey, hopefully attracting people from outside the area and well increasing local traffic.

With the advent of the Medieval Fair last year we knew we had broken the back of the problem. The numbers who came to the fair and to see the crosier in situ encouraged us and we set off an appeal to raise funds for the special cabinet required to house the crosier permanently at the abbey.

However, none of us truly believed we would achieve this so quickly, but we have to thank the intervention of EH for this. They showed great belief in us and organised the creation of the box and the display to be ready in time for the new season.

It totally exceeds our expectations and we are delighted with the results. I believe the crosier has been found for a reason. Call it divine intervention, fate or whatever you like-but its discovery has come at just the right time. It can and will provide focus and attention to the abbey and will raise the profile. This can and must be capitalised upon. We will not rest upon our laurels now. In fact we will be regrouping and moving forward in our efforts to raise the level of the abbey, working in partnership with EH and the wider community. We do hope that everyone will continue to support us and even though it was an extravagant remark I made on Thursday- I actually DO believe we can become -if not a World Heritage site- a significant Heritage site which will attract visitors world wide!

Crosier's coming home!

Short and sweet this week-two items:

1. TV debut....BBC North West Tonight last Friday-30 seconds-re training John Woodcock as a Teaching Assistant to give him the necessary credentials to lead a fantastic 3 week summer school in Barrow in the holidays. Our company New Horizons Education Ltd is proud to support him and will do all we can to help him complete this weighty course in good time and as painlessly as possible! Well done John-can you now suggest that Mr Gove does the same? But unfortunately if he asks-I have NO places free for him! See...

www.newhorizons-ltd.co.uk

2. The crosier is returning to Furness Abbey and will be on show from 1 April 2014! And this is NOT an April Fool! It really is coming home! The brand new bespoke cabinet is ready to be installed and to house the magnificent artefacts and it will be a huge draw to attract people to visit Furness Abbey. Furness Abbey Fellowship have worked very hard to raise the funds for this and are almost at the target of £6000. If you would like to donate please follow the link on the website below.

http://www.furnessabbeyfellowship.co.uk/crozierappeal/

COMING SOON: UPDATED FURNESS ABBEY FELLOWSHIP AND THE FURNESS ABBEY BLOGS-WATCH OUT AND FOLLOW

Boudicca rides again!

There has not been much blogging going on over here recently. To say I have been busy is an understatement. It hasn't been all work either-no- I have added yet another campaign to my timetable. This one is even more consuming than the others and totally unexpected and unwanted. I had a premonition last year when the government decided in their wisdom to loosen the red tape on the planning regulations fro green field sites. It was not pleasant and I worried that some of our lovely local countryside would vanish under a sea of houses and concrete. However I did not imagine that this would be proposed so close to our beloved Furness Abbey.

I seem to be turning into a cross between Boudicca and Emmeline Pankhurst as I get older and I am not altogether pleased with the effect! I can't help myself -if I see injustice, suffering or liberty threatened I'm on my soapbox rallying the troops! Maybe it's an age thing-or maybe I realise now that if you are the silent majority you are unable to influence anything and it's no good moaning after the deed is done.

So what's the problem you might ask? Well a not so local developer called Story Homes of Carlisle has begun a speculative development in a field just a stone's throw from Furness Abbey. The plan is to build 50 houses on the field on Manor Road-the main approach to the abbey and within the conservation area. You might think-well in a conservation area they won't be able to do this...maybe once over-but not now with deregulation. You only have to look at the plight of Oswestry Hill Fort-an iron age fort-"Oswestry Hillfort is one of the greatest archaeological monuments of the nation." English Heritage"
Has this stopped the developers-not on your nelly! It matters not that this is a hugely important historic site-nor does it seem to matter to Shropshire Council who have granted planning permission on the foothills of the site. Can you imagine this happening in the USA? Or any other country with any sense?

Our plight is not dissimilar. Furness Abbey is a hugely significant historic site-in fact even Henry Vlll knew exactly how important it was-as he made it the first large abbey to be dissolved. So within 200 yards there is a field-agricultural land undisturbed and not of great note at first appraisal. But look closer and there is a Grade 1 listed precinct wall and the West Gate...rather too close for a modern housing estate to be built on it. Next we have a river-which overflows-often and flows into an underground channel beneath the road and into the abbey. Two years ago this stream broke its bank and flowed over the road creating a swimming pool in the cloister.

Mill Beck full to brimming 2012 (S Hillman)

                                           A flooded cloister-from Mill Beck 2012 (S Priss)

If the building is allowed to go ahead the idea the developer has put forward to offset any future flooding arising from the excess water from a built environment is to provide a 30 foot pond to act as a sump to drain the estate. The excess will then be diverted into Mill Beck. Now the above flood happened without 50 houses above the valley-so what can we expect if this goes ahead? A Cistercian Atlantis?

The plans a re ludicrous and one of the issues apart from flooding is the effect on the aesthetic approach to the abbey-which will damage the visitor experience massively. Then the placing of homes-and people so close to a delicate Grade 1 listed wall and arch is a disaster waiting to happen. The developer will not be able to guarantee the safety and preservation of either wall or environment once the houses are sold-and any damage done will be irreversible. We can only hope that the Barrow Borough Council Planning Department, English Heritage and the Environment Agency will see the folly in this and help to reverse it.

 Manor Road

 

Furness Abbey is the major visitor attraction in the area apart from the Dock Museum-and of course is more significant historically. With the work that the local Furness Abbey Fellowship have done alongside EH it would be foolhardy and destructive to allow this to happen-particularly as the prize of the century is returning soon to the abbey-the crosier and ring. These amazingly important artefacts will be the jewel in the crown of Barrow and Dalton's heritage and could with some more work be a boost to the local economy through visitors and tourism. 

If you want to support our efforts to stop this thoughtless and reckless idea please visit the website, twitter and Facebook below: and sign the petition

http://www.stopmanorroadhousing.org/  https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/jason-hipkiss-refuse-planning-permission-for-building-50-houses-on-land-near-furness-abbey

Changes... and that Gove fella!

Happy 2014! Well not a terribly auspicious start to 2014 due to a range of issues I had no control over! Possibly this is a major defect in me-lack of control over everything? But I do like to be able to guide the car I am sitting in as I plunge over the precipice-call me old fashioned but I like things to be clear and positive and have a bit of a melt down when they're not!

That said, a number of close friends have had a dreadful start to the year with awfully sad losses of family members, some whose natural time to die had not arrived yet. So I took the time to list all the things which I am grateful for and gave myself a thump and got a grip. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr" That said it doesn't stop me from blowing a gasket about our friend Gove! Yes he has been at it again- spouting his unimaginative and reactionary drivel! This time its about World War 1 and Blackadder! He appears to believe that artistic interpretation is all wrong and gives people the wrong impression! So pardon me...did not millions die for no good reason? Was Blackadder goes forth not the most ironic and subtle version you have ever seen of going over the top? I think the rapid switch between the comedy and the pathos in the final scene is the most evocative I have seen and it illustrated in simple visual terms how awful and final it all was. I am afraid I did use Blackadder. But I also used "All quiet on the Western Front",the War poets (who were actually there) Pathe News, War diaries, Commonwealth Graves Commission and oral history...I believe you can glean a better view of history if you look at everyone's viewpoint-but that might be just me! As for it being a just war...well I don't think so- It was about imperialism and our response to it. And although the Alan Clarke statement about "lions led by donkeys" might not be the whole story-the generals did not show a massive understanding of modern warfare and technology and many men were lost unnecessarily and with very little thought. This man is so tunnel-visioned its scary! How he ever managed to inveigle his way into directing our children's education I don't know! But if he manages to present his twisted and perverted interpretation it will skew history completely. I can only pray that this government sacks him or he is hit by a bolt out of the blue before he does too much damage. I hope that his attitude is not allowed to taint the memory of my Granddad and his brothers who served in this atrocious war along with many others.  

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/reinholdni100884.html#E0wdTGmu3AZVsMRJ.99

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/reinholdni100884.html#E0wdTGmu3AZVsMRJ.99

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/reinholdni100884.html#E0wdTGmu3AZVsMRJ.99