TILLINGBOURNE TALESSTEERING GROUP

NOTES OF MEETING HELD ON 17th MARCH 2016

AT SHALFORD VILLAGE HALL

Attending:David Wright, Chairman, Surrey Hills AONB Board

Rob Fairbanks, Surrey Hills AONB Board

Anne Sassin, Project Co-ordinator

Juliet Warren, Surrey Heritage

Chris Howard, Surrey Hills Society

Andrew Norris, Surrey Industrial Heritage Society

Stephanie Sokolowski, St Martha Parish Council

Mary Phillips, Shalford Parish Council

Roy Davey, Shere Museum and Shere Parish Council

Sheila Jones, Project Researcher

Denise Furlonger, Finance Officer, Surrey Hills AONB Board

James Munro, Storyteller

Eric Thornton, Shere Museum

Halbyn Rich, Shere Museum

Maggie Scott, Chilworth Together

Bill Birkett, Shalford Parish Council

Tim Harrold, CPRE

Action

1. / Introductions and Apologies
Apologies were received from Roy Hogben, Lesley Childs, Hendryk Jurk and Ros Doree.
2. /

Notes of Meeting Held on 9 December and Matters Arising

2.1 / These were approved and will be posted on the Surrey Hills website. / CP
2.2
2.3
2.4 / Loans boxes: ET confirmed that Shere Museum was just producing 2 loans boxes for Shere Primary School which did not relate to the wider project. SJ confirmed that conversations in the autumn between herself and MW had suggested these might be available to other local schools, if necessary.
Gill Map: ET proposed that the Gill Map could be used in the Tillingbourne Gallery space of Shere Museum, if wanted.
Tillingbourne Gallery: Hal Rich introduced himself as leading on the Gallery space on the Museum’s behalf and that there had been an initial meeting regarding the space and how it can be used, which he would feed back to the Trustees. DW confirmed that HR would be working with RB and AS on this space, with AS leading on the content that would go into it. AS confirmed that the Gallery would include information on all the villages. ET explained that the volunteers were working hard to get the ground floor open for Easter. RD highlighted that new volunteers were needed particularly for staffing the Museum in future. AS would promote this opportunity through the project. PK to put on Agenda for the next meeting. / AS
PK
3. / Education and Outreach
3.1 / ASoutlined the research programme. This had taken up most of the project’s time in the past month. She tabled a paper that identified the historic characters associated with villages and industries. A biography was being prepared for each which Jim Munro would then develop into a story and Elaine Campling, a local Shere artist, has been commissioned to createcaricatures and paper mache puppets. The programme would include school workshops.
Jim Munro introduced himself and provided background to the story telling process. He explained that he needed to identify a key moment in a characters life and gave the example of when John Lambert took over the Mill at Shalford. JM’s job was to give a picture of the character, provide an insight into a day in his life as a miller and then a brief resume of what happened to them. He emphasised the importance of details and thanked the community of Shalford for help in research and briefing.
AS highlighted that all the stories were based on facts that had been researchedand whichprovided an insight into the social history of the time. AS requested support for the research and would particularly like to identify a woman who worked in the Gomshall Tannery. ET would contact a neighbour and CH also had a contact that she would forward to AS. JM emphasised that older people’s stories are wonderful insights for younger people, even though the older people may not realise it. ASstated that the stories would be videoed for promotional purposes and archiving.
It was noted that highway signing of attractions like Shalford Mill and Shere Museum would be useful. This would be kept under review. / ET/CH
4. / Task Group Updates
4.1
4.2
4.3 / River Wardening: MS explained that the aim was to research and monitor thewater quality from its ecologicalcondition to drinking quality.This training will be led by Glen Skelton of Surrey Wildlife Trust.The first session was going to be a full day in Chilworth with a second event focusing on invasive species. RF would speak to Ros Doree about using Abinger Hammer as a possible venue for this training.
DW highlighted the problem of crayfish and AN the problem of Himalayan Balsam.
Oral History: AS reported that there had been oral history training days. The outcome was mixed as the expectation was to produce formal records to archive standards, but some volunteers wanted a more informal approach. AN highlighted the importance of capturing any memories through the project and AS agreed that this more informal engagement should not be discouraged and that there was room for both.
Anne requested ideas for additional interviewees. DW suggested that the parish council list of vulnerable adults could be a starting point.
Trails: AS explained that there is a group of volunteers currently mapping the valley and creating ideas for trails. The first walk will be for the Chilworth Gunpowder works which will be launched in September. MS explained that this would link with a storytelling event and should be the pro-forma for other walking sections. These would all be available on the websites.
TH requested that consideration should also be given to equestrian routes. / RF
ALL
5. / Update on Website
5.1 / AS tabled extracts from the website which is currently under development. JW suggested that the gaps in information could be identified and a request for volunteers to provide information. AS stressed that the content was still in the early days of development and would be added and expanded upon as soon as possible.
AS highlighted that pictures and maps were very valuable and requested help with digitising if volunteers were interested in this aspect.
RD asked about editing the website and proposed that guidance was required on how to update information. JW and AS confirmed that Exploring Surrey’s Past could be helpful in this guidance and AS said she would be available to help. AN highlighted issues to do with editorial control. ASconfirmed that she would be acting as the editor in the interim, as consistency of style and content are important but part of the legacy will be to identify and train volunteers to help take on website updating.
AS thanked Phil Cooper at Surrey Heritage for building the site which is hosted on the Exploring Surrey’s Past platform. / AS
ALL
6. / Events
6.1 / AS tabled an events listing.She highlighted Heritage Open Day on 11th September which would feature storytelling events up and down the valley. This would be promoted in the Guildford Heritage Open Day brochure.
RD highlighted that there were about 1500 people who attended the Shere Open Gardens event and a location for storytelling could be identified in the village.
AS highlighted that on 16th October there would be the main celebration event at Shere that would include a walk, opening the Gallery and use of the Village Hall. RD also suggested use of the recreation ground.
AS also tabled a poster that was being prepared for the Chilworth Duck Race to advertise the project event programme. This will be available for other groups to circulate as well in the coming months.
JW stated that Surrey Heritage would help to promote events.
DW highlighted the importance of getting copy into the village magazines.
TH highlighted the need to promote the project wider in Surrey and stated he could include information in the CPRE newsletter and at Surrey County Show. / JW
TH
7. / Any Other Business
7.1
7.2 / West Lodge: MS highlighted that the Chilworth community was very concerned that West Lodge was to besold by Guildford Borough Council. She claimed that the Lodge was an integral part of the site’s heritageand that the conversion to residential would be irreversible.RD suggested registering the Lodge as a Community Asset and establishing a Community Land Trust.It was agreed that the big issue was to work out a viable use of the building which DW would be happy to champion within Guildford Borough Council. MS will report back to the next meeting.
Post Cards: RD stated that a photographer in Shere was going to produce a postcard for the Museum and had an additional proposal to produce a series of postcards for the Tales and Trails of the Tillingbourne Valley, which could be sold through local businesses. ET and RD confirmed that the proposal called for a much higher number of cards being produced than the Museum needed. In principle it was agreed that this was something that the project could support, subject to reviewing the budget. RD to forward the contact details to AS. / MS
RD
8. / Date of next meeting:
Thursday 19th May 2016, 16:00 – 17:30
Tanyard Hall, Station Road, Gomshall, GU5 9LF
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE