Friends of Hylands House: The Friends

Chairman's Annual Report for 2002

Richard Oscroft, 16th April,2003

Madam President, and Friends of Hylands House

It gives me considerable pleasure to report on another active and successful year - this measured against the object of the Friends, which is the preservation and improvement of the listed building - Hylands House, Chelmsford - together with its associated park, and the promotion of its use by the public, through the activities of a group of Friends.

Our social and other events were all successful in producing income, but of greater importance, they were all very well supported, not least because we have earned a reputation for first class, enjoyable entertainment.

During the year, we enjoyed -

'Songs from the Shows' presented by CAODS at the House on 10th March, a superb, varied concert which was a sell out
A fascinating talk by Anne Lutyens-Humfrey, who was our guest speaker at last year’s Annual General Meeting, on two portraits of Julia, Mrs Cornelius Kortright who was the lady of Hylands House in its first important period of alteration.
Full support for the 'Hylands Experience' day in May: this successful annual event was once again organised by Patrick Bermingham. Thanks are also due to Wendy Hibbitt who has generously donated the fees from her 'Upstairs/Downstairs' talks to the Friends.
A concert supper party with jazz in June, when we were entertained by the lively Claire Harper Quartet: young musicians who put inventive and interesting interpretation into many of the arrangements.
A Friends’ trip to Preston Manor and the Royal Pavilion, Brighton on 8th June, organised by Patrick and Hazel Bermingham
On 7th July, not only afternoon teas with delicious home made cakes, but also the added excitement of being able to join in traditional English folk dancing with the Jovial Beggars and The Chelmsford Folk Dancers. Great fun!
The sparkling and glittering Golden Jubilee Dinner: a real celebration from which loyal greetings and congratulations were sent to Her Majesty. These were received with much pleasure and warmly acknowledged, through Her private secretary.
Another of Patrick and Hazel Bermingham’s coach trips to London: this one, entitled 'Who’s to Blame', proved to be most interesting and provided much fun with the ‘True & False’ Quiz.
Another sell out supper concert on 20th October when we were entertained with a wide ranging programme by the versatile Galliard Trio.
In November, our second trip abroad organised by Stan Kaluza. Rome was the destination and 16 Friends were accompanied by Nick Wickenden, our guest speaker tonight, as guide and mentor. Stan had chosen Rome for what proved to be a highly successful trip, as it was the city where Bertel Thorvaldsen, the famous Danish Sculptor had his studio – it was here in 1816, that Pierre Labouchere commissioned the statue of 'Venus with Apple' that will be unveiled tonight.
A sell-out Quiz Night, with a variety of rounds to suit and test the assembled company, amusingly master minded by Chris Hibbitt, ably assisted by Wendy.
The Friends’ Christmas Lunch at Old Chelmsfordians
a happy event at which we were entertained by the local harmony duo, 'Two in One'. Ron Woods concluded the festive programme by accompanying members with a selection of popular Christmas carols.

A detailed report and review on each of these events has been provided in our regular newsletters.

During 2002 our socials and events contributed over £3,400 to Friends’ funds

just about double the 2001 figure after allowing for a couple of bills paid well into this year. A truly magnificent figure and I am hugely grateful to all those who have organised, run and supported these endeavours and, in particular those who have performed for us, often at little or no charge.

Betty Woods and her team of hard working ladies and gentlemen have continued to provide excellent refreshments at the house on the first Sunday of each month

with home made cakes being their speciality! Their gross earnings topped £5,000 for the first time: a remarkable figure. After allowing for the purchase of two urns to support their endeavours, the net contribution was almost £3,900 – an outstanding achievement, and I know we are all extremely grateful to Betty and her team for this high level, on-going contribution to our funds. I trust that everyone here tonight has tasted at least one of our Hylands teas : if not, then do put a first Sunday date in your diary – you will not be disappointed!

Stan Kaluza continues his searches for antique pieces for the restored rooms in the house. Although no suitable, worthwhile items were identified during 2002, I am delighted to tell you that through Stan’s endeavours we have already purchased a really beautiful credenza for the drawing room this year. It is in such good condition that it needed no restoration whatsoever.

Following the opening of the newly restored rooms in the West Wing, your Committee intend to update the list of items that the Friends would like to buy to further beautify the House. Meanwhile, the long awaited replica statue of 'Venus with Apple' has arrived and is to be unveiled by our President tonight, so I do not wish to say any more tonight about the challenges we faced along the way! No report on Friends’ activities would be complete without recognition of the immense amount of time Stan commits to his enthusiastic pursuit of items for the House and we are all truly grateful to him. Venus would not have 'come home' had it not been for Stan.

One of the outstanding highlights for me and I believe, Patrick Bermingham in 2002, was the visit in June by Mrs Elizabeth Roberts, a 90 year old niece of Mrs Hanbury, who came to the House with her daughter and her companion. It was a classic English summer’s day and Mrs Roberts had so many memories: family occasions, the dances in the saloon, the air flights by Jock Hanbury and the antics of the SAS Officers during the war – to name but a few! We hope she will visit us again now the West Wing is finished.

The Friends have been fully involved with the Borough Council’s preparation work for the submission of the application for the next, extensive phase of restoration work to the Heritage Lottery Fund. We have attended focus group discussions, visited the public consultation stands in January and, more recently I have spoken in support of the scheme from the public gallery at a Borough Executive meeting. It is now time to keep our fingers crossed! In the meantime work on plans for the final stage

the upper floors in the House

is being advanced.

At the end of 2002 our membership stood at 417 (2001 - 413), but with the inclusion of an additional adult family member, the actual total was 473 (2001 - 466). Again a small, but steady move in the right direction. However, we all need to be on the look out for new members as we lose about 15% each year. Brian Hinds has done a superb job looking after our membership for the past three years and I am enormously grateful to him for the meticulous way in which he approaches this duty. So thorough is he that I can tell you that today the membership stands at 428!!

During the year he has been working with another member, Ralph Hayden, in supplying the information necessary to make a Gift Aid claim. So far we have very recently received £1,300 from the Inland Revenue and there should soon be some more! Our thanks to Ralph and Brian.

We continued to issue Newsletters regularly during the year. I have heard many appreciative comments on their readability and the amount of information they contain. Our editor, Patrick Bermingham, continues to do an excellent job and we are grateful to the many Friends who contribute articles: please keep them coming in!!

On behalf of all Friends, I wish to thank Sue Ireland and other officers of the Council, and the staff here at Hylands House with whom we have worked so well during the year. We have recently had discussions to put arrangements on a fully business like footing: with the additional accommodation now available this seemed totally desirable, but more of this in next year’s report!

The success we enjoyed during 2002 was achieved as a result of the high level of support of many friends and excellent teamwork: every one on your Executive Committee works hard in their role, bringing, individually, a wide variety of skills to various tasks so that, collectively we act in harmony

and have some fun ourselves. So huge thanks for all their endeavours to Vicky Parr, our Vice

Chairman; Cathy Reeves, our Secretary for the past to years; Sally Cansdale, our new Treasurer; Brian Hinds, our membership secretary; Patrick Bermingham, our press & publicity officer and Newsletter Editor; Betty Woods, our teas team leader; and committee members Hazel Bermingham, Carol Bourne, Joan Collins, Glenda Hicks, Con Johnson, Stan Kaluza, Ron Woods and David Pyman ( we are sad that David has had to stand down for personal reasons as his contribution to the Friends from the outset has been most supportive and valuable.)

At our AGM last year we thanked Paul Hutchinson, our Chairman for the previous three years, for his enormous contribution from the outset. We gave him an engraved picture of the House as a small token of our gratitude. I am delighted to see Paul with us tonight as he has given this comparative ‘new boy’ a lot of help, support and encouragement behind the scenes during the year. Thanks, Paul.

To Stuart Mole, our Vice-President, thank you for that wonderful speech at our Golden Jubilee Dinner and for continuing as a ready source of advice whenever it is needed.

Looking to the future, we await with bated breath the opening of the West Wing of the House to the public this coming week end. Surely the magnificence of the restored banqueting room , the small dining room and other facilities will give us even more scope for social and fund raising events. We eagerly await our ‘Members Only’ visit on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, I have no doubt that those who had the vision to set the restoration underway were truly inspired. Let us give thanks for that, and through the generous, on going and committed support of each and every one of us, may we, as a Group of Friends, continue to play our full part.

Finally, I know I may be out of order, but on behalf of the Friends, I wish to say a special 'Thank you' to our President, Lady Platt. She is a ready source of wise counsel and has been an inspiration to me over many years, but mainly I wish to thank her for being here tonight having so recently having lost her dear husband and friend, Stewart. Please accept these flowers with our love at this time, and in celebration of your special birthday on Friday.