First Civic Day to Celebrate Where We Live
Civic Voice has organised England’s first ever Civic Day on Saturday 25 June and has encouraged civic societies across the country to hold events to celebrate their area and keep it distinctive.
Exhibition in Frenchgate Centre
The Trust is mounting a display in the Frenchgate Shopping Centre on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 June on the lower mall close to Bell Bros jewellers. It will feature the town’s heritage and include a prize quiz on Old Doncaster.
Two Town Trails
The Trust will also be leading a different Town Trail on each of the Sunday mornings 26 June and 03 July at 10.30am, starting at Clock Corner. The walks will take in many of the town’s most interesting historic buildings. To reserve places on the trails please contact the Trust at mail@doncastercivictrust.org.uk or by calling Archie Sinclair on 01302 538225.
In record time we are pleased to announce the speakers and topics for next winter’s programme.
All the talks will start at 7.30 pm on Thursday evenings at St Peter’s RC Church Hall, Chequer Road. New members and visitors are welcome and there is plenty of convenient parking.
2011
27 October Hugh Parkin on Levitt Hagg
17 November AGM and Mick Cooper on Planting Trees for Doncaster
08 December Members only – Christmas Buffet Supper – Dave Gamston on Yorkshire’s Historic Pub Interiors
2012
19 January Ron Leader with his Mystery Boxes
16 February Anthea Lawrence on Safeguarding the Peak District National Park
15 March John Hoare on Nostell Priory
19 April Members only – 3rd Social Forum
The Trust’s Annual General Meeting on 11 November saw the retirement of Eric Braim, who had been our dedicated honorary secretary for over 40 years. Taking over the the chair is John Holmes, previously vice-chairman of the Trust, and taking over Eric’s role as secretary is Archie Sinclair, our chairman for the last 28 years. We hope that the re-shuffle can be a “seamless” change.
Archie thanked Eric for his loyal service to the Trust, his dedication to local architectural and social history, and to getting things right. His research into local streets, spaces, architects and their buildings is a wealth of information. It has already been widely used by others, and will continue to be a wonderful resource in the future. Many of his display boards on local buildings were on show at the Local History Fair in September.
Eric was presented with a recent book by architect Ptolemy Dean, Britain’s Buildings, Places and Spaces, a collection of pen and wash sketches. Eric, never one for any fuss, thanked the Trust and was sure it would be in good hands.
Outgoing chairman Archie Sinclair remarked that Eric’s service amounted almost to a career of some 40 years, and, had it been paid and not voluntary, he could have now retired on a full pension. But he was pleased with the book.
After the AGM business, members enjoyed a talk with slides by Colin Bycroft, where he compared images of the town photographed by Luke Bagshaw in the early part of the 20th century to the same views he had taken recently. “The Vanishing Streets of Doncaster” was a very interesting look at the impact of changes to parts of the town mostly in the 1960s and 70s. Comprehensive re-development and dual carriageways were usually behind the vanishing of the streets.
With unanimous support from members attending our Social Forum in April, we have joined Civic Voice, the new national charity for the civic movement. The cost of membership is based on our total number of members. Counting both life and annual members, plus partners where a couple has joined, the Trust has a total of 281 members.
Civic Voice is a very active organisation, posting a monthly newsletter, Your Voice, and News Alerts on its website and e-mailing them to its members.
It has taken the place of the former national body, the Civic Trust, which closed in 2009.
Now, with different names for the local and national organisations, local group Doncaster Civic Trust should no longer be confused with the national body, now Civic Voice.
