Bristol University makes decision over renaming Wills Memorial Building but slavery debate rumbles on.

It has recently come to my attention that those campaigning to rename the University of Bristol’s Wills Memorial Building have failed.  The University has pointed to the fact that without the money given to it in 1908 by Henry Overton Wills III it might never have achieved university status.

I am surprised that the University of Bristol took this intolerant, politically correct renaming nonsense seriously.

If the Wills family links to the slave trade through its tobacco interests had been reason enough to rename the building with which they are associated where could this eventually lead us?  Would the city of Bristol itself become a target for politically correct zealots calling for it to be renamed – Repentanceville perhaps? 

The Wills Memorial Building commissioned in 1912 by brothers George and Henry Wills as a memorial to their father, and designed by architect Sir George Oatley, is described by Pevsner in his The buildings of England – North Somerset and Bristol (Penguin Books, 1958) as:

“It is in its way a remarkable piece, proof of its architect’s unfaltering faith in the Gothic style and accurate knowledge of the Gothic style.  The tower has established itself quickly as one of the landmarks of Bristol, with its foursquare strength, its tall octagonal upper part, and its four subordinate spired pinnacles.”

The tower of Bristol University's Wills Memorial Building.

This from the Bristol Post makes interesting reading:

“It comes as the Colston Hall has agreed to change its name and Colston’s School is consulting parents over a similar move.  But the University of Bristol has said the prominent building at the top of Park Street will continue with its current name.

The university had struggled financially until 1908 when Henry Overton Wills promised a gift of £100,000.  That cash enabled the college in 1909 to be given a charter and become a university and he became the first Chancellor.”

Here is a link to the full article:

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-university-makes-decision-over-163397

The Campaign to Protect Rural England suggests that England's small farms are disappearing.

A report by The Campaign to Protect Rural England suggests that almost a third of England's small farms have disappeared between 2005 and 2015 and could all but disappear from the English countryside by the middle of the century.

In my view it is largely the efforts of our farmers that have formed, preserved and maintained the beautiful and productive English countryside.  Unstinting support should be given to our farming and rural communities with particular attention paid to smaller farms to ensure their survival.  


Here is the press release from the CPRE introducing their report:

'A new report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) today illustrates that England is rapidly losing its network of smaller farms, and the diversity in food and landscape they provide.
CPRE’s Uncertain Harvest uses official statistics from the UK and Europe to demonstrate that smaller farms in England are in steep decline [1]. Overall, a fifth of English farms have disappeared in the past 10 years, but the rate is fastest amongst the smallest farms. Almost a third of farms under 50 hectares disappeared between 2005 and 2015 [2].
Should these trends continue, CPRE suggests that farms under 50 hectares could all but disappear from the English countryside by the middle of the century.
CPRE believes that a mix of farm sizes and enterprises is crucial to maintaining England’s world-renowned landscapes and diversity of food. As part of this mix, smaller farms are vital to the countryside as they sustain rural communities through jobs and protect distinctive local character. In their diversity of approaches, they create greater diversity in food production and conservation, both of which shape rural heritage and rural economies.
Competition and market pressures have put great strain on smaller farms, with supermarkets controlling 90% of the retail market and forcing down prices [3]. During this time, smaller farms have also faced an inequitable funding model through the Common Agricultural Policy.
Following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, the Government has pledged to pursue a new funding settlement that rewards farmers for public goods and environmental benefits rather than the size of land holdings [4]. The future structure of public funding will likely determine the future of many smaller and struggling farms.
Graeme Willis, food and farming campaigner at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said:
“There is a silent crisis in the farming sector. Smaller farms struggle to compete in the current market and, if the current trends continue, they could all but disappear from the English countryside by the middle of the century.
“While it is not a case of small versus big, smaller farms are vital to the diversity of our rural communities and our beautiful landscapes. Michael Gove has made positive statements about moving towards rewards for public goods and environmental benefits. We must use this platform to help all farms become economically and environmentally sustainable.
“To help smaller farmers succeed, the Government must research the health of the farming sector and assess the impact of any new funding model. Public finance should be designed with tapering to support all farmers for providing public benefits, and smaller farmers should be given a strong voice in the distribution of local funding. We must also make sure markets are fair and support our farmers. We all want a diverse, thriving countryside and wonderful food. Smaller farms are integral to both.”
To tackle the stark decline in smaller farms, CPRE recommends that the Government undertake research to assess the current health of the farming sector, especially in respect of the market, and to work out how any new funding models can help farms of all sizes prove economically and environmentally sustainable. Any regional-based funding must ensure small farmers have a strong voice to determine share and distribution, and assist new and young farmers across the sector.'

A view of the Somerset countryside from Wavering Down looking toward Glastonbury Tor.

Robin Tilbrook, Chairman of the English Democrats, gives his view on the 'real story' behind the BBC wages scandal.

In a recent blogpost Robin Tilbrook, Chairman of the English Democrats, gave his view of what is the real story behind the BBC wages scandal.  He suggested that inequality is not the issue, but rather the excessive amount of remuneration taken from public funds.

Furthermore, he advocates that all taxpayer funded positions across the entire UK State, including those at the BBC, should be restricted to a maximum wage not in excess of what the Prime Minister earns.  I wonder if such a policy is in the English Democrats manifesto?  If it isn't, it should be!

Here is a link to the article on Mr Tilbrook's blog:

http://robintilbrook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/the-scandal-of-bbc-wages-real-story.html

St.John the Baptist Church in the Somerset village of Pawlett. Final resting place of a New Zealander serving with the Royal Navy.

The whitewashed walls of St. John the Baptist Church in the Somerset village of Pawlett must often catch the eye of travelers on the A38 north of Bridgwater.  It nestles on the south facing slope of Pawlett Hill just on the fringe of the village.  I happened to be driving by on May 4th, the day of this year’s Local Elections, having passed countless times before, I decided to stop and take a closer look at the church.

I parked on the road near the village shop and walked to the village hall, being a polling station it had a steady trickle of visitors, and on down to the Church.  As I entered the churchyard I noticed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission plaque on the gate - always a prompt for me to look around for the distinctive CWGC headstones.

Just to north of the church tower I came across the grave of Ordinary Seaman P.T.Wass RN. (N. Z. Division).  H.M.S. OSWALDIAN.  The date on the headstone was 4th August 1940.  I was intrigued!  Most people of my generation know of the contribution and sacrifice made by New Zealanders in the service of this country during World War 2.  Had the grave been that of an airman one would not have been surprised, in August 1940 the Battle of Britain was well under way and 126 aircrew from New Zealand flew with Fighter Command during the battle, but how did a 19 year old seaman from New Zealand come to be at rest in a Somerset churchyard overlooking the River Parrett, and what type of vessel was H.M.S. OSWALDIAN?

The grave of New Zealander Peter Thomas Wass, Ordinary Seaman, RN (N.Z.Division) in the churchyard of  St. John the Baptist village church Pawlett in Somerset.

Peter Thomas Wass, son of Thomas Wass and Ellen Rose Wass of Herne Bay, Auckland, joined the R.N.V.R. before the outbreak of war and when war was declared he immediately requested service overseas.  He was a member of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve draft of 14 officers and 122 men which left New Zealand in early May 1940. 

H.M.S. OSWALDIAN was a trawler of 261grt (gross register tonnage) built in Hull in 1917.  She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as a minesweeper and was based at Milford Haven.  On August 4th 1940 she struck a mine off the Breaksea Lightship near the Welsh port of Barry in the Bristol Channel; only seven of the nineteen crew were rescued. 

Ordinary Seaman Peter Wass and fellow New Zealander Able Seaman Douglas Mills were both serving aboard the minesweeper, but sadly neither of them survived.  I assume the body of Peter Wass came ashore somewhere along the banks of the River Parrett which would account for him being buried in Pawlett.

The view from Pawlett Hill looking across the River Parrett toward the Quantock Hills.

Douglas Ross Mills was aged 20, the son of Harry James Mills and Lydia Myra Mills of Remuera, Auckland, and had joined the R.N.V.R. over a year before the outbreak of war and came to England with the same draft as Peter Wass.  Douglas Mills is remembered on the New Zealand Naval Memorial in Devonport, Auckland, so I presume his body was never found.

As I strolled around the churchyard it struck me that the villagers of Pawlett were enjoying the privilege of casting their vote only a few yards away from the grave of a young New Zealander who, like many, came from the far side of the world to serve in the defence of democracy.  Peter Wass was one of those who never went home.  The poppies laid by his headstone demonstrate that he is not forgotten. 

The Church of St. John the Baptist in the Somerset village of Pawlett.

Pawlett’s humble little whitewashed Church of St. John the Baptist is mentioned by Pevsner, in his The Buildings of England - South and West Somerset (Penguin Books, 1958), he highlights the Norman south doorway: “No columns, but the inner responds have flat patterns.  The arch has an inner moulding of lozenges, a second of zigzag at right angles to the wall, and an outer of beak-heads or biting beasts, a great rarity in Somerset.”

Update May 14th 2020.

Fiona Goldsmith PCC Secretary for St. John the Baptist Church has contacted me with more information about Peter Wass, his fate and family.  She has kindly allowed me to use her research material for this update.

As I suspected Peter’s body came ashore on the banks of the River Parrett 10 days after the sinking of OSWALDIAN.  A young girl came across the body and, seeking help, eventually found a local farmer who carried the body in his horse and cart to St. John the Baptist Church.

It took some time for the authorities to identify the body as Peter had been decapitated in the explosion; he was obviously killed instantly and was thus spared any suffering.  Eventually he was identified by a name tag on his jumper.

In 1949 Peter Wass’ mother Ellen came to England and, while staying in Pawlett with members of the church, visited her youngest son’s grave.  She was never made aware of the condition of Peter’s body when it was found on the banks of the Parrett and so, hopefully, could always remember him as the fine young man pictured below.

Ordinary Seaman Peter Thomas Wass R.N.(N.Z. Division). Killed in Action on 4th August 1940 in the Bristol Channel. Age 19.

"Britain braced for post Brexit food shortage" says front page headline of Western Daily Press. A reader responds!

The alarmist front page headline “Britain braced for post Brexit food shortage” in the Western Daily Press on July 17 was followed up on page 2 by the main article, by Adam Bennett, with an equally scaremongering title “Food chaos predicted in new report”.  Apparently “prices for imported fruit, vegetables, meat and fish will rise by up to 22 per cent.”  The authors of the report also suggest “. . . even if Britain opts for a soft Brexit food supply, agriculture and even the environment will be adversely affected”.  One of them was also quoted as saying: “There is solid evidence about vulnerabilities ranging from diet-related ill-health to ecosystems stress.”

So where did this doom-laden report come from?  It was produced by professors from the universities of Sussex, London and Cardiff - hardly establishments bursting at the seams with enthusiastic Brexiteers – and published by the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex.

As for the political climate at the University of Sussex, this article in The Telegraph is revealing: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/02/21/right-wing-student-sussex-professors-think-problem-needs-dealing/

Be that as it may, this letter appeared in the Western Daily Press on July 26.  It suggests even a post Brexit food shortage could have beneficial consequences.

Brexit could be the answer to obesity.

Earlier this year a House of Commons briefing paper stated that 27 percent of adults in England are obese and a further 36 percent are overweight.  The NHS UK website tells us that Britain is “the fat man of Europe” and “more than half the population could be obese by 2050”.  Furthermore, the Obesity Health Alliance, which represents healthcare professionals and public health specialists, stated in a recent letter to The Guardian that: “The evidence is clear that obesity racks up a staggering bill: at least £5 billion to the NHS and tens of billions to society every year.”

So when I read the alarmist front page headline “Britain braced for post Brexit food shortage” (Western Daily Press, July 17), although it initially conjured up visions of queues and ration books, I began to wonder if such a shortage might actually be beneficial.  After all, in World War Two when food was in short supply, unhealthy foods were reduced or simply not available and everyone, rich and poor alike, ate a much better balanced diet.  People lost weight and were healthier because of it.

If leaving the EU means having to tighten our belts and eat a little more frugally is that such a bad thing?  Brexit could well prove good for the nation’s health, the NHS and our finances.

S.W.

Ilminster, Somerset

The English Civil War Battle of Langport in Somerset. The decisive Parliamentarian victory in the West of England.

The 10th of July saw the anniversary of the English Civil War Battle of Langport which took place in 1645.  Although there is no monument or memorial of any sort to mark the site I decided to drive over to Langport and walk the battlefield.  The battle actually took place closer to the village of Huish Episcopi than Langport as the Royalist Army, commanded by Lord Goring, was trying to block the approach to Langport and keep open the road to Bridgwater.  The Royalists intended retreating to Bridgwater and needed time to fortify the town.

The two armies faced each other across Wagg Rhyne, which runs either side of Wagg Drove, just east of Huish Episcopi.  The rhyne runs north to south through a gently sloping valley.  Goring was aiming to prevent Lord Fairfax’s Parliamentarian Army, which was approaching from Long Sutton to the south east, from crossing Wagg Rhyne.  There are three possible sites for the crucial crossing point: where the Wagg Rhyne crosses the A372 in the south; at Wagg Bridge on the B3153 to Somerton where at the time of the battle there was a ford; or between those two sites where today the railway crosses Wagg Drove about a quarter of a mile south of Wagg Bridge.

The view east from Wagg Bridge looking toward Pitney Hill.

The battle began with an exchange of artillery fire which silenced the Royalist guns.  Cromwell, commanding the Parliamentarian cavalry, sent two divisions to force a crossing of Wagg Rhyne – a difficult task as the narrow crossing was only wide enough to allow four horses abreast.  Major Bethel successfully led his division across the rhyne although counter attacked and hard-pressed by the Royalist cavalry.  Colonel Desborough led further Parliamentarian cavalry to re-inforce Bethel and together they engaged and drove off the Royalist cavalry.  Meanwhile, infantry from the New Model Army were clearing Royalist musketeers from their defensive positions along the hedgerows bordering Wagg Rhyne.  A retreat quickly became a rout as the Royalists fell back through Langport toward Bridgwater although there were attempts at delaying actions in Aller and at Burrow Mump.

Just north of the railway bridge which crosses Wagg Rhyne, the view east toward the New Model Army's positions.

The gentle slopes of the valley west of Wagg Rhyne.  Easier going for Cromwell's cavalry?

The New Model Army laid siege to Bridgwater which surrendered on the 23rd July while the Royalist bastion of Bristol was taken by the Parliamentarians on 10th September.  Royalist resistance in the West of England was at an end.  

The car park next to the war memorial opposite St. Mary’s Church in Huish Episcopi was a convenient place to start my walk.  I set off east along the A372 past the Rose and Crown and on to Wagg Drove.  Turning left along the drove there was not much to see due to the tree lined rhynes, which ran either side of the narrow tarmac road, the scattering of neatly kept houses and the occasional farm.  Only when I reached the railway bridge over the road did the view of the gently sloping valley open up.  I walked on along the drove, which ran straight and level for just over 400 yards, to Wagg Bridge at the steeper end of the valley. 

The ford which was once at Wagg Bridge would, I suggest, not be the best place for Cromwell’s cavalry to have charged across.  Galloping down the steeper ground from the direction of Pitney Hill to the east and then slowing to negotiate the narrow ford would have caused a loss of momentum before having to charge up Pict’s Hill to the west and engage the Royalist cavalry – perhaps not the easiest approach for Bethel and Desborough.

There are lanes and footpaths which cross Wagg Rhyne near the railway bridge: one of them is closed at present due to an unsafe footbridge across the rhyne.  Would a cavalry charge over Wagg Rhyne near here, with gently sloping ground on either side of the valley, have offered the best chance of success?  Only a cavalryman could answer that!

I estimate I walked about 3 miles during my visit to the battlefield.  Wagg Drove has no pavement but the local drivers were very considerate and most gave me a friendly wave as they slowed while I stepped onto the verge.  At Wagg Bridge on the B3153 I did not explore further as there is no pavement or verge on this section of the Langport to Somerton road – and it is rather busy!

All in all, I enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon in the South Somerset countryside.

Labour's policy on writing off student debt. Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats gives his view.

Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats comments on the Labour Party's change of tune on university tuition fees and student debt, apparently an election promise has now become an "ambition".  The letter below was published in the Western Daily Press on July 12th.

Labour changes tune on university tuition.

I heard the Labour Party’s shadow education minister going on about her party’s “ambition” to write off student debt.  A few weeks ago, during the election campaign, this was going to happen.  Now they’ve discovered that their “ambition” will cost £100 billion and they don’t know where they can find such an eye-watering sum.

She also alluded to a student debt “crisis”, claiming that this was “unacceptable”.  How short these people’s memories (conveniently) are.

University tuition fees were foisted on to English students by Tony Blair’s Labour government.  Despite many of his own MPs voting against it, the measure was railroaded through, thanks to the votes of Scottish Labour MPs who knew that their compatriots would be accessing free university places, paid for by the English taxpayer, through the Barnett Formula.

Clive Lavelle

Weston-super-Mare English Democrats