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Monthly Archives: June 2017
Exmouth RNLI volunteers to host Mikron theatre production
PR220617 ‘In at the Deep End’ poster
On 2 July at 2pm, Exmouth lifeboat station will be transformed into a theatre for the production of ‘In at the Deep End’, a performance by Mikron Theatre company to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea.
20th century listed buildings
Think of a listed building and more often than not you will picture a structure that was built centuries ago and yet has — at least partially — stood the test of time. Not all listed buildings are old and archaic though, since a building can make the list if it’s over 30 years old.
http://brn.firetrench.com
Join listed building insurance provider Lycetts as they look at some entries on the listed buildings list, which were only built in the latter half of the past century:
Carbrain Totem, near Glenhove Road, Cumbernauld 1966
Found at: Near Glenhove Road, in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire
Grade of the listed building: Category C
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1962: Artist Brian Miller began working in the engineers’ department at Cumbernauld Development Corporation as a draughtsman, before being appointed as Town Artist within the Chief Architect’s and Planning department.
- 1963: Construction of Cumbernauld’s new town began.
- 1964: Miller set up a Design Team, with their first major task to design and construct the car park in Cumbernauld Town Centre — the forerunner to the Totem sculpture’s concept.
- Early 1970s: Division of north and south areas of Carbrain completed.
- 1993: Cumbernauld town centre is listed as one of Docomomo’s 60 key monuments of the post-war period.
- 2017: Carbrain Totem became a listed building on March 13th 2017.
The Dorset Martyrs Memorial 1986
Found at: Dorchester, in West Dorset, Dorset, DT1
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 16th and 17th century: Number of people executed for their religious beliefs at Gallows Hill, in Dorchester.
- Early 1980s: Elisabeth Frink commissioned to make a public sculpture to be placed at the former site of Dorchester’s gallows on Gallows Hill, following funding from the Art Council’s ‘Art for Public Places Scheme’, the Council of Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, and the Catholic Community in Dorset.
- 1983: Frink designed the Dorset Martyrs Memorial public sculpture.
- 1986: Dorset Martyrs Memorial installed on the site of the former gallows.
- 2017: The Dorset Martyrs Memorial became a listed building on March 13th 2017.
Tomb of Rosalind Franklin 1958
Found at: Brent, in London, NW10
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1920: Crystallographer and pioneer of the study of molecular structures Rosalind Franklin born in Notting Hill, in London.
- 1941: Franklin took her degree in chemistry.
- 1947: Franklin’s study of carbons took her to the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de l’État in Paris. There, she learned advanced analytical X-ray techniques.
- 1953: Franklin attended Birkbeck College, where she began work in J D Bernal’s crystallography laboratory on plant viruses.
- 1956: Franklin asked to construct large-scale models of viruses to be showcased at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair Science Exhibition.
- 1958: Franklin passed away at the Royal Marsden Hospital, in Chelsea. She was buried in Willesden Jewish Cemetery.
- 2017: The Tomb of Rosalind Franklin became a listed building on March 7th 2017.
Schlumberger Gould Research Centre and attached perimeter wall to the north 1984-9
Found at: Cambridge, in Cambridgeshire, CB3
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1927: Brothers Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger founded the oilfield services company Schumberger.
- 1982: Following the interviewing of 20 architectural practices, Sir Michael Hopkins was selected to design the Schlumberger research centre that is to be based in Cambridge.
- 1984-1989: The scientific research facilities and offices of the Schlumberger Gould Research Centre erected.
- 2017: Schlumberger Gould Research Centre and attached perimeter wall to the north became a listed building on February 17th 2017.
Margam Crematorium 1969
Found at: Along a service road that is south from Heol Cae’r- Bont, west of Junction 38 of the M4 motorway, in the county of Neath Port Talbot.
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1968: FD Williamson designed Narberth Crematorium — a smaller scale modernist precursor to Margram Crematorium.
- 1969: The Margam Crematorium chapel by FD Williamson & Associates of Porthcawl was opened by the Secretary of State for Wales George Thomas MP.
- 2017: Margam Crematorium became a listed building on February 8th 2017.
Former Wing Headquarters Building, Greenham Common 1985
Found at: Venture West (Building 274), in New Greenham Park, Greenham Common, near to Newbury, Berkshire.
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1941: Greenham Common requisitioned by the Air Ministry as a satellite airfield for RAF Aldermaston.
- 1943: The airfield became a United States Army Air Force base.
- 1945: The airfield reverted to the RAF.
- 1947: The airfield was decommissioned.
- 1951: The Air Ministry announced its intention to re-requisition land at Greenham Common.
- 1964-1968: The base was returned to the RAF, and re-opened as a USAF stand-by base.
- 1985: The Wing Headquarters building of the former Greenham Common airbase was constructed as part of the Cold War redevelopment of the base to accommodate cruise missiles.
- 1992: The airbase closed.
- 1997: The airbase was purchased by Greenham Common Community Trust.
- 2014: The Former Wing Headquarters Building became a listed building on September 1st 2014.
No. 78 South Hill Park 1963-65
Found at: Hampstead, in London, NW3 2SN
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- Early 1950s: Brian Housden studied at the Architectural Association.
- 1958: Now an architect, Housden began designing private house 78 South Hill Park.
- 1963-65: The private house at 78 South Hill Park was built.
- 1964: The Housdens family first occupied the uncompleted house.
- 2014: No. 78 South Hill Park became a listed building on November 19th 2014.
Former bus station, Station Square, Milton Keynes 1982-3
Found at: Elder Gate, in Station Square, Milton Keynes
Grade of the listed building: Grade II
Significant dates associated with the listed building:
- 1967: Milton Keynes designated as a new town.
- 1982-83: The Milton Keynes bus station in Station Square was designed and constructed thanks to a joint effort by Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC), architects under Derek Walker, structural engineer Felix J Samuely and contractors of Costains Construction.
- 1983: The bus station was commended by the Structural Steel Design Award.
- 2014: The former bus station in Station Square, Milton Keynes became a listed building on July 17th 2014.
Persephone
More exciting ups and downs than a white knuckle Roller Coaster ride. – Another cracking instalment in the Kydd and Renzi Saga from international best selling author Julian Stockwin – Most Highly Recommended.
Best Foot Forward, The Autobiography of the RAF’s Other Legless Fighter Pilot
This book is a new edition of the autobiography originally published in 1957. The author was the second legless RAF fighter pilot after Douglas Bader – Strongly Recommended.
Cold War 1945-1991, Berlin Blockade, Soviet Chokehold and the Great Allied Airlift 1948-1949
The publisher has built a solid reputation by releasing a number of series of military history books with a high photographic content. This series promises to become as popular as the well-established Images of War series and similarly makes use of rare photographs, with full colour sketches and drawings to augment the photographs. The Cold War effectively began in 1945, but the Western Allies initially responded passively to Soviet expansion. The Berlin Blockade marked a new stage in the war and the Allies struck back brilliantly – Strongly Recommended.
Images of War, The Experimental Units of Hitler’s Condor Legion, German Aircraft in Action During the Spanish Civil War, Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives
This addition to the very popular Images of War Series is a special treat for aviation enthusiasts. The Spanish Civil War became an important proving ground for aircraft and armour as part of the German concept of Blitzkrieg. Over-shadowed by WWII, the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War has received little coverage – Highly Recommended.
Images of War, Star-Spangled Spitfires, Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives
READ THE FULL REVIEW
A welcome addition to the very popular Images of War Series. This new book provides a remarkable selection of Spitfire images in US service. It includes some particularly rare full colour photographs – Highly Recommended.
Mau Mau Rebellion, The Emergency in Kenya 1952-1956
After the end of WWII, the second Labour Government embarked on a program of managed decline for Great Britain. This started an indecent rush to abandon the Empire. Often described as the Mau Mau Rebellion, this saw Kenya engulfed in civil war as the Kikuyu sought to take over at the expense of other tribes and the Asian community – Strongly Recommended.
http://bsd.firetrench com
First In, Last Out, an Unconventional British Officer in Indo-China
This is a very unusual story of a great eccentric. A linguist who developed extensive knowledge of Malaya and Indo-China. A fascinating read – Highly Recommended.