THE DULWICH SOCIETY
MINUTES OF THE 47th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Held on Tuesday, 25th May 2010 at the St.Barnabas Centre, SE21 7DG
PRESENT: Vice-President (Chairman) HH. Michael Goodman, and
approximately thirty members.
Apologies: President: HH. Michael Rich QC, Vice-Presidents: Dr.Colin
Diggory, Marion Gibbs, Peter Lawson, Dr. Joseph Spence. Bernard Nurse, John Ward, Angela Wilkes, Sylvia Daniels.
PREVIOUS MINUTES: The minutes of the 46th AGM held on 2nd April 2009 approved and signed. There were no matters arising.
REPORTS FOR THE YEAR 2009: were available on the website from the end of February & at the meeting. The following is a summary of points highlighted by the Committee member presenting each Report:
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: (Ian McInnes)
Highlights of a successful year included the first edition of ‘Dulwich Gardens Open for Charity’, the management of a bid grant for fencing at Marlborough Cricket Ground on Dulwich Common, and the Local History Day at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.
The Journal maintains its high standard and some 200 residents attended the Public Meeting we arranged to hear from, and question, the Dulwich Estate Trustees. We also organized a meeting with other local residents’ organisations to share information and problems.
Velodrome - we are pressing all the bodies involved with this to come to an agreement so that this facility is properly used.
We remain concerned with the Estate’s approach to their shop tenants.
Representatives of the Society and the Dulwich Estate Trustees meet 3 times of year as the Scheme of Management Advisory Committee and we hope that relevant decisions of the Trustees will be made public on their website during the coming year.
We persuaded Southwark to renovate some of the fingerposts and verge posts & chains in the Village.
We were pleased to note that Dulwich won further medals in The London in Bloom, and Britain in Bloom competitions.
The whole Society is very grateful to those members who serve on the committees and deliver the Journal.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Patrick Spencer)
The Executive Committee met 9 times in the year.
We were delighted that Dr. J Spence, Master of Dulwich College, agreed to become a Vice-President.
Margaret McConnell has, after many years, retired from organising the distribution of the Journal and we owe her a debt of gratitude, but are pleased that she will continue to recruit advertisers which greatly reduce the cost of producing the Journal.
A happy and historic event was the registration of the Post Office handcart by the Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall Yard under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Carmen. We were able to re-site the Society’s notice board to the more prominent position adjacent to the Post Office and are grateful to those that gave permission.
To improve security of the Edward Alleyn statue we have had a CCTV camera installed, and the figures treated with ‘smart water’.
MEMBERSHIP: (Wilf Taylor)
Membership numbers averaged 1070 during the year. A membership drive is planned in certain roads. Charity Aid contribution amounted to £2606 and we urge members who have not completed the requisite form to do so.
We hope members will try and recruit amongst their friends and neighbours.
PLANNING & ARCHITECTURE: (David Roberts)
We continue to check on Planning and Scheme of Management applications and to comment as we consider appropriate, and these were generally upheld.
The saga of the collapsed listed wall in Red Post Hill continues but hope in the coming year to see it rebuilt.
Dulwich Millpond - The Estate has commissioned a report on its condition. The first of a series of articles has appeared in the Journal dealing with energy generation and conservation.
We are working on the production of an Architectural Poster to inllustrate examples of house design in the area.
TRAFFIC & TRANSPORT: (Alastair Hanton)
Matters considered included road safety, reduction of traffic congestion, improvements for walking & cycling, and better public transport.
Work in progress or completed for which, with others, we have pressed for include the Court Lane entrance to the Park, and the Herne Hill junction project.
We continue to work on a safe walking and cycling network.
Cleaner, Greener, Safer Bids were obtained for renovation of the Webster fountain at the south end of the Village (£2000) and for the car park at the Herne Hill end of Stradella Road (contribution of £10000).
Car Clubs: Southwark is making progress in implementing the scheme to make available cars for short time hire.
LOCAL HISTORY: (Bernard Nurse)
Collaboration with the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery resulted in 2 very successful events: ‘Dulwich House Detective Day’ (talks on the development of the area, display of archives, and information to research the history of your home), and ‘The Dulwich Assembly- a Georgian Entertainment’ devised by Brian Green and based on the diaries of Richard Randall, organist at the College in the late C18.
A number of articles on relevant subjects were published in the Journal, and the Gazette of Dulwich Road names was revised and put on our website.
The War Memorial at Dulwich Hospital was researched by members, and has now been renovated.
GARDEN GROUP: (John Ward)
The first edition of ‘Dulwich Gardens open for Charity’ listed 40 garden openings. 4,000 copies were distributed.
The annual talk was on ‘London’s ‘secret’ parks & garden, and the visit was to the late Lord Beaverbrook’s garden at Cherkley Court and then on to Denbies Wine Estate.
TREES: (Jill Manuel)
The Dulwich Festival Tree Walk was in Horniman’s Gardens and about 50 attended. We have also planted 6 beech trees in the field opposite Horniman’s Museum
The Copse in Dulwich Park prospers.
For the London Squares weekend we arranged guided tours of the Picture Gallery garden.
The leaning Zelkova continues to give great concern, and we hope that a means of preserving it will be found.
WILDLIFE: (Angela Wilkes)
Grants from Southwark were obtained for signage for the wildlife areas in Dulwich Park (£3000), and working with Friends of Belair Park for hedgerow and wildflower planting in Belair (£8000).
Members have been amongst those weeding in the Copse area of Dulwich Park.
A number of interesting birds, butterflies, bees and insects were noted. Four species of bat were recorded on a July visit to Belair Park. Articles and report of sightings were included in the Journal.
TREASURER’S REPORT: (Russell Lloyd)
Audited accounts for 2009 were circulated. The excess of income after expenditure and donations was £750 (previous year £4018). Income fell by £889 principally due to low interest rates. Operating expenditure was higher but it included the cost of planting the beech trees opposite Horniman’s Museum and security work for the Edward Alleyn statue.
Donations included £1873 to the Horniman Garden Development Project (£1000), Dulwich Going Greener (£500), Community Space (£273) and London Wildlife Trust (£100).
Bank balances at the end of the year amounted to £25,690.
Approval of the accounts was proposed and seconded and passed by the meeting.
We are very grateful to our Honorary Auditor, Sally-Anne Jeffries, who was re-appointed.
ELECTIONS FOR 2010/11:
The following, having been proposed and seconded, were elected:
Officers: Chairman Ian McInnes
Vice-Chairman Kenneth Wolfe
Hon.Secretary Patrick Spencer
Hon.Treasurer Russell Lloyd
Membership Secretary Wilf Taylor
Executive Committee:
Brian Green Editor of the Journal
Alastair Hanton Traffic & Transport sub-committee
Jill Manuel Trees sub-committee
Bernard Nurse Local History sub-committee
David Roberts Planning & Architecture sub-com.
John Ward Gardens sub-committee
Angela Wilkes Wildlife sub-committee
Bill Higman
Adrian Hill
Barbara Richardson
Honorary Officers:
President HH. Michael Rich QC
Vice-Presidents Ian Dejardin MA
Dr.Colin Diggory (to 31 August)
Marion Gibbs BA Mlit
HH. Michael Goodman
Peter Lawson FRIBA FRSA
Dr.Joseph Spence
ANY OTHER BUSINESS:
Queries were raised regarding the proposed Music Centre at JAGS; this will also be available for community use but concerns were raised about car parking space although an area off Green Dale is to be made available.
The Meeting ended at 8.45pm and wine etc was served.