Bassingham Heritage Room Members Groups

Bassingham Heritage Room Member Groups

Chapel Heritage Project 2011

The Heritage Room Permanently Closed in August 2010

Securing the Future of the Bassingham Heritage Room

Support Our Activities

Forthcoming Events

Creative Workshops

Example of Previous Speakers & Topics

Millenium Banner exhibited

Book Sale 2003

Refurbishment (Kitchen) Grant 2004

Management Group

Official Opening Of The Millennium Banner & Ornamental Brick Walls

Mosaic & Glass Group (on Arts & Crafts Page)

Contacts

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Bassingham Heritage Room Member Groups
 

Although the Heritage Room no longer exists as a meeting place, our member groups are all still functioning. The Bridge Club still meets on a Thursday evening at 7pm and the Patchwork & Quilting Group is still meeting at 2pm on Wednesdays, both of them in the Hammond Hall, as is the Weightwatchers Group on Monday evenings.
 

The funds of the Heritage Group are now being managed under the new title of the Bassingham Heritage & Community Group and are being used to finance the framing of the Millennium Panel and its attendant art works and their installation in the main hall of the Hammond Hall. We are also arranging, under the auspices of Helen Ash, for the storage of the photographs and archive materials. Helen has also very kindly agreed to make the material available to anyone interested in these details of the life of the village in times gone by.

[WS December 2010]

Chapel Heritage Project

As is widely known, the Bassingham Methodist Chapel and former School Room (Heritage Room) are being prepared for sale, probably as a single lot. Bassingham Village Hall and Playing Field Committee is pleased to report that Mr Darren Booker, of Focus Consultants, has identified an opportunity to bid for funds to acquire these cherished buildings for the village. Under his guidance, the Committee has submitted an application for funding a feasibility study into purchasing and converting the buildings for a wide range of community activities. Of course, these are early days and a successful outcome is not guaranteed. We should know more by the end of February. Meanwhile, the Methodist Church has been informed of our interest and the actions taken.

[WS February 2011]

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Bassingham Heritage Room is Closed
This month's notice is a melancholy one as the Heritage Room is now closed, and the contents dispersed. The photographs are now with Helen Ash at Walnut House and she is willing to have them available on request: the record books and papers have been boxed up, ready for if and when we find a new permanent home for them locally. The Millennium Panels are going to the Bassingham Care Home Community Room. Thank you to all of you who have supported our events over the past years: we hope this is not the end, but that we shall eventually find a new home and we shall once again enjoy your company.
 

Kay Mumby, Manager of the Care Home, has kindly agreed to allow our various groups to hire the Care Home Community Room, and details are given below.
The Mosaics & Glass Group – Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm
Patchwork & Quilting Group – Wednesdays 2pm to 4pm
Bridge Club – Thursdays 7pm to 10pm
Witham Staple printing & collating monthly
The Art Group will now meet on Mondays from 1pm to 4pm
in the Enterprise Centre, Aubourn
 

THANK YOU. The Bassingham Heritage Room Management Group would like to say thank you to everyone who helped in their fight against closure, in particular the Parish Council, who made a valiant effort on our behalf, investigating the possibility of a loan and inviting the views of the local residents at a public meeting, who voted overwhelmingly to support them in their attempt to buy the Heritage Room. Thanks too to the Revd. Ian Hill and County Councillors Woodman and Howe. We appreciate your endeavour and are sorry that it was to no avail, but thank you anyway.
Because of the foregoing 'Then & Now' advertised for Saturday 4th September is now cancelled.

[WS September 2010]

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Securing the Future of the Bassingham Heritage Room

Here we are, still in place, still functioning, still with our fingers crossed. We've heard nothing official as yet, so we're going ahead tentatively arranging events. The next one will be in September, details below, so please support us then. It's fascinating to see in the photographs how things, places and particularly people, looked in the past, even in the not-too-distant past. The area is growing and changing fast and we'd like to keep the memories of then and now to appreciate times to come.
THEN & NOW (Cancelled)
Saturday 4th September from 10am to 3pm
Come and see the photographs and various archive material of Bassingham (and district), help us to identify some of the personnel and places and bring your own photos with you. We would like to see them and with your permission, take copies to add to the collection. We would also like to hear your anecdotes and memories. We look forward to seeing and hearing you.
There will be refreshments available.

[WS July 2010]

At the May Parish Council meeting, the Parish Council formally adopted the proposal to buy the Heritage Room, in line with the mandate given by the public at the Annual Parish Meeting in April. To that end the councillors voted unanimously to apply for a loan of £60,000 from the Public Works Loan Board: this amount includes a sum to cover the cost of installing a W.C. and any other immediate work required. From a different quarter we have also been assured that although the Methodist Church relinquishes ownership at the end of August, the Heritage Room will continue to be available to users. With all this good news the Management Group is now going ahead with the planned autumn exhibition of our collection of memorabilia and especially photographs, entitled 'Then & Now'. We would also like you to bring along your own local photographs etc and allow us to copy them then and there. We shall give details of date and time in the July/August edition.

[WS June 2010]

As many people will know, Bassingham Chapel is to close from the end of August this year. This means that the Heritage Room, which, too, is owned by the Methodist Church, is also under threat of closure. The Heritage Room, together with the new Hub and the Bassingham School Chance to Share scheme, provide the user groups with accommodation for a comprehensive range of facilities reflecting the social, educational and recreational needs of the community. If the Heritage Room were no longer available, this would jeopardise the continued presence in the village of a number of activities and services that could not be relocated to either the new Hub or the School Chance to Share scheme. These include the Witham Office and Local Access Point, the production of the Witham Staple community magazine, a unique place of learning for our school children and some of the craft groups currently based in the Heritage Room. In addition, the community would lose a building of significant local historical interest and the home for the Bassingham museum. At the Annual Parish Meeting on April 8th, a proposal was agreed to give the Parish Council a mandate to explore ways to purchase the Heritage Room for the village. The Parish Council will discuss this at their meeting on May 13th.

The fate of the Heritage Room is clearly a concern for the whole community. Thus the key parties - Methodist Church, North Kesteven District Council, Bassingham Parish Council and the Heritage Room Management Group - are of one mind to secure it for Bassingham for generations to come.
 

A detailed Position Statement prepared by the Bassingham Heritage Room Management Group explains all the issues and is copied below.

Bassingham Heritage Room Management Group

[WS May 2010]

The Heritage Room -A Position Statement Based on an Analysis of the Issues
This paper is intended to provide a balanced view about the issues related to maintaining the Bassingham Heritage Room as a community facility in order to help the Parish Council come to an informed decision about how best to proceed.

The premise which underpins the document is that maintaining the Heritage Room is in the best interests of the community. The new Hub, the Bassingham School Chance to Share Scheme and the Heritage Room each provide a distinct facility for the wide range of activities and services based within the community. Together they make up a coherent and comprehensive unit. They complement each other in terms of the provision of accommodation, storage, working facilities and environment.

This document also explores possible alternative solutions for current user groups of the Heritage Room if it is closed for community use and identifies likely consequences.

CONTEXT
The Methodist Church has decided to close Bassingham Chapel from the end of August 2010. If the site is to be sold for residential use, then the Charities’ Commission may take the view that the only way to secure planning permission is to incorporate the Heritage Room in order to provide adequate off-road parking. This would enable the Methodist Church to realise their assets most effectively. If this is the stance taken then the Heritage Room would be lost for community use. However, it is also possible the Charities Commission and the Methodist Church may take a different view and look at the needs of the local community as well as the financial case.

The timing of the closure of the Chapel and the associated doubts about the future of the Heritage Room are problematic. First, the facilities in terms of space and storage in the new village Hub are not yet fully determined and may not be for some time. Secondly, the current economic climate means that Statutory bodies like North Kesteven District Council are looking to make financial savings wherever possible. NKDC have already indicated that they wish to transfer the running costs of all their heritage rooms to local communities.

WHY SHOULD THE COMMUNITY KEEP THE HERITAGE ROOM?
• The Heritage Room is an historic building within the village and has made a significant contribution to the life of the community over many years. It was built in 1855 and is set within the Conservation Area.
• The Heritage Room is the Bassingham Village “Museum” and houses a range of historical documents and materials of local interest.
• Currently the Heritage Room provides a permanent venue with appropriate storage and working facilities for the following activities:

Witham Staple printing and collating
The Witham office and NKDC Local Access Point
Mosaics group
Quilting group
Art group
Bridge club
Weight Watchers

In addition to the above permanent groups the Heritage Room also provides a suitable venue for the programme of talks organised by the Heritage Room Management Group.
It is available for general community open meetings and events including meetings organised by the Community Police and NKDC Tenants Association.
Bassingham Primary School makes use of the Heritage Room as an extension to their curriculum provision.
It is possible that the Chapel congregation would also wish to use the Heritage Room for meetings once the main Chapel is closed.
• Significant money has been spent on the Heritage Room by the community, North Kesteven District Council and Grant Bodies to make the building fit for purpose. If the Heritage Room is no longer available for community use this investment will be wasted.
• If the Heritage Room were closed for community use then it is almost certain that the production of the Witham Staple would need to be completely outsourced and transferred to Lincoln. This would be a significant loss to the community in terms of control and flexible use of the Witham Staple equipment for other community printing tasks e.g. in addition to the Witham Staple, the equipment is also used to produce the Bassingham Show Schedule, Act Two programmes and tickets, Open Gardens programme, Carlton Spring Show schedules and Church service sheets. It is a facility for the community to use and if the equipment is transferred to Lincoln, the access will be significantly limited. This would be another example of a rural community losing control of and access to a facility built up over many years.
• The Heritage Room provides a convenient and centrally located venue for the Witham Office and North Kesteven District Council Local Access Point.
If the Heritage Room were closed then the Witham Office and Local Access Point would need to be relocated. This facility is used extensively by the local residents and especially older members of the community and those who are in rented council properties. Whilst this problem is for NKDC to solve, it is difficult to see where in the village a similar dedicated facility could be located. This leads to the possibility that the Local Access Point would be lost to the residents of Bassingham and this would lead to an erosion of social cohesion through the loss of a key facility.

WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF KEEPING THE HERITAGE ROOM?
CAPITAL COSTS
The capital requirement to purchase the Heritage Room for its current community use has been set at £50,000. This will need official clarification but is the sum currently being used for discussion. In addition a further sum would be needed to build a toilet for use by people accessing the Heritage Room facilities. If the Parish Council were persuaded that it was in the best interests of the community to purchase the Heritage Room through recourse to a loan, then this would have implications for the whole community in terms of the Bassingham PC share in the Council Tax Bill for individual households.

It is likely that grants would be available to build toilet facilities for the Heritage Room but these would only be accessible if the Parish Council made the decision to purchase the building.
RUNNING COSTS
North Kesteven District Council currently budget for an annual cost of about £8,500 to run the Heritage Room. This figure could be reduced to between £4,000 and £5,000 through savings. The income generated by the Heritage Room through charges to user groups and events etc is in the region of £1,000 per annum. North Kesteven District Council has indicated a willingness to pay £1,000 to rent the Witham Office but this figure may need to be re-negotiated in the light of their use of the building and the impact on other user groups. The Witham Staple does not currently pay a rental to use the Heritage Room because they are deemed to be a community resource rather than an interest group. It might be possible for the Witham Staple to make a contribution towards the running costs of the Heritage Room. However this decision is entirely a matter for the Witham Staple Committee and as yet the issue has not been discussed by the Committee.
There is likely to be a shortfall in running costs, therefore, of between £2,000 and £3,000 per annum. The Heritage Room Management Group and the Parish Council would need to prepare a business plan in order to address this issue and the day to day running of the Heritage Room.

ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE HERITAGE ROOM
It may not be possible to keep the Heritage Room as a community resource for a number of reasons. First the Methodist Church may decide to sell the Chapel and Heritage Room as a single lot. Secondly the Parish Council may decide it is not in the best interests of the community to purchase the Heritage Room. Thirdly the Heritage Room Management Committee may decide that the funding gap in the running costs of the Heritage Room is too great to manage on an annual basis.

If the Heritage Room closes what are the consequences for the user groups, the community and the building? The following ideas are based on assumptions of the perceived needs of the user groups and the possibilities in terms of the facilities available either in the new village Hub or within the existing Chance to Share Scheme. No discussions have taken place with the individual groups concerned so their views are not represented by these ideas. The ideas simply serve as possibilities.

The first issue for all users of the new Hub will be storage. All groups will be in competition for the limited storage that will be made available and this could present a limiting factor for some potential Hub users. At this time there is no real indication of the likely dedicated storage space that will be available to user groups. The limitation for the Chance to Share Scheme is that the Village Hall facilities are unavailable between 8-00 a.m. and 6-00 p.m. because this is when the school has sole access to the rooms.

It would seem that the Art, Quilting and Weight Watchers groups could possibly relocate to the new village Hub since their storage requirements are minimal. However, there may be issues in terms of working space for these groups which might necessitate using the larger of the two rooms in the Hub and this could have cost implications.
The Bridge Club requires storage for their tables and other equipment which are not insignificant. This could make relocation to the Hub problematic.

The Mosaic Group has special requirements in terms of both storage and working conditions. The Hub is unlikely to be able to accommodate the Mosaic Group. However, the Social area in the Chance to Share Scheme would be available in the evenings. It has a suitable floor surface and the Village Hall work tables would be suitable for mosaics and stained glass work. For this solution to work, the Village Hall Committee would need to agree to a storage cupboard being built in the Social area for all the Mosaic group equipment. If this was not agreed it is likely that the Mosaic group would not be able to be relocated and would cease to function.

Any meetings or ad hoc groups could clearly use either the new Hub or the Chance to Share Scheme. However, the scale of the Heritage Room does create a pleasant environment for small scale events and talks.

If the Heritage Room is no longer available for community use then Bassingham Primary School would lose access to a curriculum enrichment facility and the children would lose part of the history of the village.

The Witham Staple production could not be relocated into either the new Hub or the Chance to Share facilities. The storage and equipment requirements plus the space needed to produce the magazine make it impossible to relocate the Witham Staple into either of the two available venues. The only realistic solution for the Witham Staple would be total outsourcing of production into Lincoln with all the associated loss of community control and accessibility. This is a clear example of the erosion of social cohesion in a small rural community.

It is extremely unlikely that the dedicated requirements of the Witham Office and Local Access Point could be relocated to either the new Hub or within the Chance to Share Scheme. This would represent a significant loss to the local community and would again be an erosion of the social cohesion in terms of services that bind rural communities together.

The historic nature of the building may be under threat if it is sold for development. The building does not have listed status and it is not difficult to imagine a developer taking the view that it would be more cost effective to demolish the current building and replace it with purpose built units. If this were done, then in addition to losing an important historic building, the main mosaic in the village and the one that was based on the historic and natural aspects of Bassingham village would be lost forever. It is very unlikely that it could be removed and relocated without significant damage.

The contents of the Heritage Room “Museum” could be relocated. Whilst this sounds feasible it is not clear how the current open access to the historical records and documents could be made available in a new venue. This aspect of the Heritage Room is significant since, in addition to more local interest, some visitors including tourists from abroad do use the materials to trace family histories and to look at the development of the village over the years.

CONCLUSION
Why is Bassingham village such a popular place to live?
The key factors are:
• The location of the village is advantageous for commuting and working
• The village is in a pleasant rural area
• The village has a good range of housing stock
• The village has an excellent village Primary School
• The village has two shops and an excellent well established Post Office
• Excellent health care is provided by the surgery
• The Church is an important feature in the life of the village
• There is an excellent range of activities and groups that form the social heart of the village
• The village has a strong sense of community and belonging

All of these aspects of the village lead to social and community cohesion. When elements start to be taken away then that cohesion starts to crumble. The Heritage Room is part of the provision that binds the community together and is therefore an essential part of the life of the community.

It is clear that the continuation of the Heritage Room as a community facility would meet the needs of all user groups and would maintain the current levels of provision both in terms of services for the community and by the community. It would continue to support community cohesion by maintaining key services and facilities for user groups. The Heritage Room provides an integral part of the total range of facilities available to support all the activities within the community.

Bassingham Heritage Room Management Group  8th April 2010

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Support Our Activities

As you have probably heard by now, the Bassingham Chapel is, sadly, having to close and there is obviously the question of whether the Heritage Room will also have to close. Everything will go ahead as normal until the end of August after that, we don’t know. A meeting with NK officers, local District Councillors, Bassingham Parish Council and representatives of the user groups was scheduled for January, but any report of that meeting was too late to be included in this month’s magazine. Any further information will be printed in this magazine whenever possible.
 

However, something to look forward to on Saturday 27th March Sarah Hassnip will be telling us about her and Mike walking the Pilgrims’ Route last year, starting from Bassingham but joining the traditional route at Winchester, walking all the way down England, across France and finishing at Santiago in Spain four months later! Details of the evening will be printed in the March issue.

[WS Feb 2010]

In the absence of a crowd of eager volunteers, the present members of the Management Group Committee have all agreed to serve for another year and the Chairman is yet again Madeline Vickers, the Treasurer Anne Lanes and the Secretary Jo Hughes. We've had some good speakers during the past year and thanks to Helen and Jean, have smartened up the archives: next year we shall be having a 'Then & Now' event asking for additions to our memorabilia as well as viewing what we already have. Recently we've also had two very successful workshops - a mobile ceramics studio and a craft afternoon.

Could we reassure all users and potential users of the Heritage Room that everything is as normal for the time being: sadly the Chapel is to close, but not until August 2010 and as yet we don't know what will happen to the Heritage Room. As soon as we do, we shall put the information in the Witham Staple and in the Heritage Room itself.

Please note that the Art Club will not be meeting after 14th December until 11th January. The Mosaics Group, the Patchwork & Quilting Group and the Bridge Club will not be meeting during the week before Christmas nor the week after, but the Bridge Club will also not be meeting in the Heritage Room on 17th December. They will be back to normal from the week beginning 4th January. The Mosaics Group will re-start on 12th January. Season's greetings to one and all from the Heritage Room Management Group

[WS Dec 2009]

Management Committee AGM Tuesday 20th October at 2pm The AGM will be followed immediately by an ordinary Committee Meeting S.O.S. We desperately need new members for this committee. The work is not onerous and there are only 4 committee meetings a year stipulated by the constitution. Our ages run from 60+ to 80+ and most of us have been doing this since the last century! If you can't help, you could at least support us by coming to the various events we arrange. Why not come along to the above meeting just to find out what we're trying to do.

[WS Oct 2009]

Do you know where the Heritage Room is? Do you know what it‟s used for? Have you ever come along to see what‟s on offer? Why not come along to the talk by Rodney Cousins on the 23rd September, or better still, come along before then and see for yourself the venue for the Bridge Club, the Patchwork & Quilting Group, the Mosaics & Glasswork Group, the Art Group each of whom has been meeting weekly for some years not to mention the Weight Watchers, comparative newcomers. Members of the various groups come from Hykeham, Lincoln, Collingham and Tuxford as well as „our‟ villages, so obviously we‟re doing something right! This magazine is also printed and collated here. We have an extensive collection of archive material, most of it laid out on the shelves for the general public, i.e. you, to read and view. The room, including the craft room and the kitchen, is available for hire at a very reasonable rate. Investigate you may be pleasantly surprised!

CURATORIAL QUIPS Wednesday 23rd September at 7.30pm A light-hearted programme of anecdotes by Rodney Cousins bringing the past to the present in the Bassingham Heritage Room Entrance £1.50, which includes refreshments. There will be a Raffle too.

[WS Sep 2009]

We’ve recently had two very different but very interesting talks at the Heritage Room - Andrew Parsons of Acorn Farm, and Gordon Bettington on Auschwitz. Andrew showed us some wonderful photographs he’d taken around the farm, quite a few of them from his tractor, and Gordon showed photographs he’d taken on his recent visit to Auschwitz. The next two talks are yet again different - Dick Denby will tell us about HMS Bassingham (the ship’s bell is in the church) in July, and this month it’s about bees.

BUSY HANDS MOBILE CERAMICS STUDIO Saturday 31st October from 9.30am This is the Saturday of half-term and is fun for all ages, so why not bring the children along and make something together? Even babies can at least put their hand or foot-print on a coaster or plate. All the ceramics you've painted and decorated are taken away at the end of the session so that they can be fired and are returned in 2 to 3 weeks. Prices of the pieces range from £4 to £10. For further details or to book a place, phone Jo Hughes, 788256.

'TEMPO PROMOTES' WORKSHOP Thursday 5th November from 1.30pm Garlands & Gift Bags American-style primitive garlands using painting and sewing techniques Ideal for Christmas paper gift bags in various sizes, using a variety of papers. Cost: £12 per person, to include all specialised materials & refreshments. For further details or to book a place, phone Jo Hughes on 788256. Reserve a place by Wednesday 7th October if possible please.

[WS Oct 2009]

Past Events

Andrew Sankey proved an entertaining speaker with his ‘Amusing Quotes’ based on gardeners and gardening, and Rodney Cousins was equally entertaining and knowledgeable with his ‘Golden Memories’ quiz. This month our event will be a group presentation by the founder, Brian Harrison and supporters of the ‘Lincs With India’ charity, explaining its aims, and describing their recent visit to India. Do come along to hear about this very worthwhile cause.

[WS Apr 2008]

The talk by Gordon Bettington in September 2007 about his time in the Falkland Islands was very interesting, amusing and informative, bringing home to us a little of what life can be like on those very distant islands, both for the service people and the general population.

In October 2007 Anne Barnes gave us a talk and demonstration of Christmas decorations of dried flowers and fruits. There was something for everyone, and there really was ‘No skill required’. Our thanks for an enjoyable evening (and thanks to her husband ([the Haulage Contractor!]).

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We have now had the new lights installed in the Heritage Room, and hope they provide improved lighting, as they can’t be tested properly until darker nights are here! We’re rapidly approaching October and the AGM: please will some of you out there come and help us out on the committee? It’s not arduous, but we’ve all been doing this for years, and need new members with new ideas. [WS Sep 2007]

The entirely voluntary Management Group has updated the CCTV installation, which is now more efficient and better placed. We have also ordered two storage heaters, similar to the ones in the Craft Room, to replace the old heaters in the Heritage Room. Our next project has yet to be decided, but is likely to be the improvement of the lighting. This all costs quite a lot of money, which we can only raise with your support, we have no income as such, so please come along and do just that, support us! We can only arrange for speakers when we can afford to pay them, and we can only pay them when you pay your (minimal £1) entrance fee to listen to them. [WS May 2006].

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First of all, thank you for supporting us so well on 2nd May. We know it had a lot to do with the speakers, but even so, you were all very welcome. A very good time was had by all. [WS June 2006]

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Many of you will have noticed the clock on the wall above the Witham Office. It is the original clock that was used when the Heritage Room was the old schoolroom. It was used for some time in the new school buildings, but it has come back home, thanks to Helen Ash.

[WS June 2006]

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When NKDC sent out a questionnaire about the Heritage Room, most of those who completed the form said they wanted the Heritage Room to be available, and that the facility is important for the local community. Unless we get your support, we cannot keep the room functioning. Where are you all when we arrange for speakers? Where were you on the 9th March, when Jenny Storr gave a most entertaining talk on travels with her father? By request we even changed the day of the week, with the kind co-operation of Mrs Tickell, who holds German classes on Tuesdays and the Mosaic group, who meet on Tuesday evenings. Although the Chapel owns the building and NKDC lease it from them, neither of them supports us financially. Our only income is from hirers and from raffles and door money taken at talks.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HERITAGE ROOM!

Jo Hughes [WS April 2004]

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Forthcoming Events

BALWADIS, BACKWATERS AND LINCS WITH INDIA

Tuesday 1st April at 7.30pm In the Bassingham Heritage Room An illustrated talk by Irene Roddam, John Rowland and friends about their recent adventures in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Southern India. The talk will include an explanation of the work of the charity “Lincs with India” in supporting the education of tribal children.

Entry £1.50 including refreshments

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Creative Workshop
Workshops with Janet Taylor and Heather Farquar 
at Bassingham Heritage Rooms

RIP & STITCH  Saturday, 3rd March, 10am to 4pm
Use up your fabric scraps to make a bag,
embellished with hand or machine embroidery (Janet)

Bring your own packed lunch but Tea/coffee will be provided all day

£13.50 a day EVERYONE WELCOME
Don't worry if you don't have all the requirements.
The tutor will have some supplies for sale on the day.

For further information contact Janet on 750869

CREATIVE DYEING Saturday 8th March 10am to 4pm Produce your own hand dyed fabrics and threads

PAPERMAKING WORKSHOP Saturday 5th April 10am to 4pm Using scrap papers and plant materials to make your own paper

Bring your own packed lunch but Tea/coffee will be provided all day £15 a day. EVERYONE WELCOME Don’t worry if you don’t have all the requirements. The tutor will have some supplies for sale on the day.

For further information contact Janet on 750869 e-mail janet@fibreworks.co.uk

We had a successful talk on her prize-winning garden by Lorna Bennett on 6th September. It was good to see several of the newly installed residents of Bassingham, and of Witham St Hugh too. Lorna will be conducting another of her popular workshops in cold porcelain, next spring. Matthew Vickers is going to tell us about 'Washingborough and the Witham Valley' in November. We are hoping to arrange a 'Gardeners' Forum' in the not too distant future, and will continue the garden theme with a quiz by Rodney Cousins entitled 'Grandad's Shed', although not until February (he's a very busy and popular man). Watch this space!

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Creative Workshops

Workshops with Janet Taylor at Bassingham Heritage Rooms
 

TEXT IN TEXTILES
Saturday 5th January 10am to 4pm
 

Explore different ways to incorporate text in textile

Bring your own packed lunch but Tea/coffee will be provided all day
£13.50 a day. EVERYONE WELCOME
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the requirements.
The tutor will have some supplies for sale on the day.
 

For further information contact Janet on 750869
e-mail janet@fibreworks.co.uk

Craft And Embroidery With A Difference
"More Encrusted Surfaces"
Workshop with Jackie Dearing at Bassingham Heritage Room
Saturday 4th November [2006] 10am to 4pm

This time we will be creating surfaces that will be painted, stitched and embellished. Another messy day! In the morning we will be encrusting fabric with lace, threads and fibres and in the afternoon we will be using canvas, threads and tissue paper. Bring fabric, lace, rickrack, chunky threads, fibres, plastic canvas, tapestry canvas, tissue paper, PVA glue, household paintbrushes, bin bags and an apron. The tutor will provide materials for a small additional cost.
£13.50 for the day.
Bring your own packed lunch.
Tea, coffee & other necessities will be provided on the day.
Everyone Welcome

"Even More Encrusted Surfaces"
Saturday 2nd December [2006] 10am to 4pm
Following on from the last workshop, we will be painting, stitching and embellishing the textured surfaces to make into boxes. We will also be exploring more textured surfaces using aluminium foil, tissue paper and brown paper. Bring bin bags, apron, acrylic paints, paint brush, PVA glue, and threads for stitching, foil tissue paper, brown paper (used envelopes are fine) and thick threads. The tutor will provide materials for a small additional cost. 

£13.50 for the day.
Bring your own packed lunch.
Tea, coffee & other necessities will be provided on the day.
Everyone Welcome

For further information contact Janet on 750869
Don't worry if you don't have all the requirements.
The tutor will have some supplies for sale on the day.

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Examples of Previous Speakers & Topics  

Our Cold Porcelain Workshop in July (2006) was a great success, with each of us making a rose, which to our amazement and pleasure turned out to be quite real looking! So much so that we are all looking forward to the next workshop! Our instructor, Lorna Bennett, suggested perhaps honeysuckle and another rose - we shall see! It was nice to have some of the very newest residents of Bassingham at the class, and we hope to see more of them. Lorna has now passed all her exams and is a fully qualified garden designer so we've invited her to be our next speaker.

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Watercolour Tuition For Absolute Beginners 

Saturday 5th November (2005) 10.30am to 3.30pm Bassingham Heritage Room 

An opportunity to try this fascinating medium without going to the expense of buying materials before making the decision to carry on All materials, Tea/Coffee/Biscuits provided. Bring a packed lunch £12 for the day Interested? Ring Jo on 881365 to secure a place

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Farming & The Environment 

Well-known local farmer George Marsh will be talking to us on Tuesday 8th November (2005) about Farming and the Environment, drawing on his own wide experience. Entrance is only £1, which includes refreshments, and there will also be a raffle. 

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Porcelain Paste 

17th and 18th October 9:30am to 12:30pm

Another workshop with Lorna Bennett has been arranged. We shall be making something Christmassy, and the sessions will be held each day, modelling on the first day, and painting the articles on the second morning. The cost will be approximately £14, depending on the number in the class. If you are interested in joining us, Tel Jo Hughes on 788256

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Workshop -Drawn Thread Work with a contemporary slant

Saturday 21st May 2005 10.30 am to 4.00 pm 

A workshop with Jackie Dearing. Cost: £13. For further information and to book a place, please contact Chris Ward (Tel: 788594).

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Wildlife Gardening 

Mary Porter of the Lincolnshire Wild Life Trust will be giving a talk on Wildlife Gardening on Wednesday 12th October (2005) at 7.30pm. entrance will be £1, which will include refreshments, and a raffle.

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Evening Talk - BATS! 

Wednesday 25th May 2005 7.30 pm 

Mr K Pilcher of the Lincolnshire Bats Group will be talking about - guess what! That's right, about bats! 

If he has any in his care at the time, he'll bring them with him. Come along to hear about these fascinating creatures. It'll only cost you £1 at the door, including refreshments. There will also be a raffle.

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Tears to Laughter

This talk was given on Wednesday 15th September[2004] at7.30 pm by Mrs Frances Whitaker, freelance writer, public speaker and well known local personality. She has appeared on Radio Lincoln, is the Branston correspondent of The Linco!nshire Echo and brought copies of her latest book of short stories entitled Naturally So. It was a good evening, you should have been there! There was a raffle and refreshments, entry £1.

Dutch Lincolnshire

Mr Rodney Cousins was at the Heritage Room on Wednesday 24th September at 7.30 pm [2003] to speak to us about Dutch Lincolnshire. £1, payable at the door included refreshments. There was also a raffle.  

Corn Dollies Demonstration

Mrs Janet Goddard demonstrated the making of corn dollies in the Heritage Room on Wednesday October [2002] at 7.30 pm. She grows her own dried flowers and incorporates them into the dollies and will have some of her creations for sale after the demonstration. They could make attractive gifts or Christmas decorations. Entrance was £1 to include refreshments, payable at the door.

Walking In Lincolnshire

Mr Brian Holman came to the Heritage Room (August 2002) to talk on Walking in Lincolnshire’. He is a keen walker and photographer, and supported his talk with slides. The programme will started at 7.30 pm, and admission will be £1, which will include refreshments. As usual, there was a raffle.

Traditions of Flowers in Tudor England

Mrs Ann Barnes gave a talk in the Heritage Room (May 2002) on the traditions of flowers in Tudor England. There was some audience participation in the first part of the talk, and then Mrs Barnes demonstrated a Tudor wedding bouquet. There was a charge of £1 to include refreshments.

Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy 

Mrs Shirley Balfe Wednesday 13th April 2005 7.30 pm 

She says she 'likes to put the record straight'. What does she mean? 

We have no idea, but why don't you join us and find out? 

Admission: £1 includes tea/coffee & biscuits. There will be a raffle.

Porcelain Paste 

The Heritage Room held (March 2005) a very successful workshop by Lorna Bennett, working with porcelain paste (cold porcelain). We all made a miniature pot of primroses, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while doing so and propose to arrange another one. If anyone is interested in joining us, please contact Jo Hughes (Tel: 788256).

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Bassingham Heritage Room See The Village In Stitches!

Millenium Banner exhibited

We are putting the Millennium Panels on view in the Heritage Room on Saturday 26th April (2003) from 10.30 am to 12 noon and at the same time having a coffee morning, with a raffle, a bric-â-brac stall and a cake stall. Come along and see your village interests depicted in needlecraft (and one in mosaic)! [WS Apr 03]

The banner(s) was finally completed and hung in the refurbished Heritage Room in March 2005.

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Book Sale (Sep 2003)

The Heritage Room Management Group is holding a book sale on Saturday ….. between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm in the Heritage Room. Refreshments (including home-made cakes) will be available. Donations of books, for adults and children…. [WS Sep 03]

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Bassingham Heritage Room Grant (2004)

The Heritage Room has been awarded a grant by both LEAP and RACoL to refurbish the Craft Room. This will include building a small enclosed kitchen with separate access to the Craft Room and the Heritage Room. We hope the work will be carried out in the very near future, with as little disruption as possible. All our regular users will be given as much notice as possible, and the Chapel has kindly offered to be available for any previously booked function that might be otherwise displaced. [WS Sep 2004]