Chelmsford & District National Trust Supporter Group

From Colin Jay

Membership fees for the year 2025 (next year) will usually be made by one of the following three methods.

1. by Cheque;
2. by Standing order; or
3. by Bank Transfer.

My plea is to those members who at present pay by cheque. Cheques are processed at the Bank usually by using a paying in machine, which is fine providing the cheques are clearly written. If they are not, the machine rejects them all and I have to seek a Bank Employee to get them processed. This is time consuming and rather tedious for me. I would strongly recommend you to use a Standing Order or alternatively use the Bank Transfer method.

Only use Cheques if you are unable to use these other methods.

I can supply the necessary details for Standing Orders and the Bank Transfer details will appear in the Spring Newsletter. I would appreciate your cooperation on this issue.

From Chris Bellamy

Welcome to Members, new Members and Prospective Members reading this Newsletter. Many activities since the last newsletter are reported further on in this Newsletter and thanks to all contributors and the Committee. Please see this website for further information and thanks to webmaster Keith Otter for all his input.

An enjoyable variety of day trips by coach including to date Abingdon & Kelmscott Manor, St Mary’s Bramber, Elton Hall & Peterborough and Mannington Hall in Norfolk. To come: The River & Rowing Museum at Henley-on Thames and Basildon Park near Reading see reports on the Events Calendar. Thanks to Shirley Dearing, Ann Notman and Hanna Gillet for their comprehensive reports. Paul and I did the recces which helped with detailed planning. Thanks to Tim of Kings Coaches for his careful driving.

Thanks to Jackie Arnot for the arrangements for the Summer Chelmsford Cathedral Fair on the 1st July. Many thanks to Olive and Thelma for the many knitted contributions and Beryl for books and other items also the committee members manning the tables. This resulted in raising £165 for the NT.

Thanks to Paul Chaplin for his research, arrangements and scheduling for a very interesting and informative week in Liverpool enjoyed by 40 members. Thanks to Marc of Kings Coaches for his skilful driving. See report on pages 13 to 18. Maurice Austin continues to oversee and monitor funds to be distributed to NT properties in the East of England as decided by the committee from requests from the wish list. Thank-you letters from recipient properties will be available to view at meetings.

Thanks to the programme subcommittee who have arranged as usual an interesting series of autumn and spring evening meetings. David Simmonds provides a range of illustrated talks and all proceeds go to the NT. Please contact him if you wish to book him as a speaker.

I wish you all good health and enjoyment in all you do including C&D NT SG activities and thankall members for their support of our activities.

By David Simmonds

Our City is associated with many famous people, with one of the lesser known being the author J A Baker. He lived almost his entire life in Chelmsford from his birth in 1926 to his death in 1987. Baker is internationally renowned for The Peregrine, published in 1967, described by one critic as setting the gold standard for nature writing. Interest in his life and works has increased over the years, with a Blue Plaque placed at 44 Stansted Close, where he wrote The Peregrine. In addition, there is an exhibition at Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, from 23 March to 3 November this year - see the Chelmsford City Council press release.

I have a great interest in Baker and, as well as leading walks in Baker Country and giving talks, I run a website about him at https://jabaker.co.uk/. I am very much looking forward to talking about J A Baker at our 9th April meeting, especially as he spent much time birdwatching around the National Trust properties at Danbury and Little Baddow. But beforehand, make sure that you visit the exhibition!

By Shirley Deering

“Richard! You’re very late!”

“Yes, sorry, I was delayed by a tiger.”

“A tiger?”

“Yes, came face to face with it in Sea View Road. Well not a big, strong, fierce tiger, more of a half-grown cub, but still quite scary.”

“And what was a half-grown but still quite scary tiger cub doing in Sea View Road?”

“It had escaped from the exotic pet rescue centre.”

“Where’s that?”

“You know Laburnham Lodge?”

“You mean that big old derelict house that used to belong to some Baronet or other? Thought that was going to be demolished.”

“Yes, it will be eventually. Meanwhile a group campaigning for the banning of the trade in exotic pets has taken a short lease on the grounds and set up a sanctuary for rescued exotic pets.”

“Sounds a good cause, I’m surprised I’ve not heard of it.”

“They haven’t got money to spend on publicity”.

“But surely that is the whole point of a campaign? You publicise your aims and objectives in order to attract funding and get more supporters to join you.”

“It’s early days yet.”

“So how many animals are there in this sanctuary?”

“Only the tiger.”

“And now he’s escaped!”

“Oh, but he’s been recaptured. I went down Esplanade Avenue to get away from the tiger and met a very worried-looking man who asked if I’d seen a tiger. I said yes, he’s in Sea View Road. He was very pleased, explained he was from the sanctuary and advised me to keep out of the way while he went and shot the animal with a tranquilliser dart. There’s a warehouse in Esplanade Avenue with an outside metal staircase so I went and climbed part-way up it, thinking tigers probably can’t climb metal stairs.

“After a while I thought it should be safe to venture down and find out what was happening. I cautiously made my way to Sea View Road and peeped round the corner. Sure enough the tiger was sprawled out on the road, unconscious. Then a truck drove up and stopped beside the animal. The driver let down a ramp at the rear of the vehicle, got out, grabbed one of the tiger’s front legs and started pulling it aboard.”

“That’s disgraceful, no-one should treat an animal like that. You saw the man actually pulling the tiger’s leg?”

“That’s right, just like I’m pulling yours’s now!”