Although Iʹve put together the odd news item or two in the past, this edition of the newsletter marks my first time as the chairman of the Friends, and I must confess to being a little overawed by the job of writing my piece for this publication. Perhaps I should introduce myself properly, for those of you who donʹt know me so well. I principally act as one of the guides, working under Sylvia Keithʹs careful gaze, but over the years I have tried to think up new ways to raise funds and, of course, have fun in the process. With that in mind, I introduced the annual quizzes, the Open Garden afternoons and the Copped Hall Choir. Iʹve also coordinated all the Open Days over the last four years, trying to make
sure everything works properly on the day.
Iʹve worked under three chairmen – Sylvia Keith, Nicola Munday and of course Dave Karaskas – and those chairmen have done all they could to foster good relations with the Trust and to realise its aims. I hope I can do the same. So I should like to start by thanking our retiring chairman for his hard work, dedication and energy over the last three years.
He has been a splendid example to us all and the Friends have certainly flourished under his stewardship. One scheme that David initiated was the e-newsletter to the Friends, and I intend to maintain that initiative. The re-election of the committee saw one other person stepping down, and that was Frances Dennett, a long-time member. Frances is a fine example of someone dedicated to our project. She manages the ticket sales for Copped Hall events; as we promote more and more events to bigger and bigger audiences, the job gets ever harder to control, but she manages it beautifully. Frances is also an experienced tour guide and a vital member of the garden team, so Iʹm not surprised sheʹs letting something go!
We have three new committee members, Dawn Chambers, Garry Pimley and Louise Robertson, all of whom bring enthusiasm and new energy to our committee. Iʹm fortunate that the rest of the committee have agreed to carry on for another 12 months. Since no-one came forward as a candidate for the vice-chairmanship, I asked two experienced committee members, Vicky Hoskin and Thea Ingham to share
the responsibilities over the next year. As events multiply there are plenty of opportunities for them both to get stuck into running things and Iʹm grateful to them for volunteering to job-share.
Certainly, there will be plenty of work to share around. Iʹm preparing this article immediately prior to the August Open Day when I know that, whatever the weather and the attendance, we will have a team of nearly 100 people working their very hardest to make it a successful day. With an expectation of nearly a thousand visitors, it is no longer a minor event; the Open Days take literally months to get sorted out. Then, in October (Sunday the 9th) weʹll have our Apple Day, the brainchild of Helen Lowther. These have proved extremely popular since their introduction three years ago.
And as if that wasnʹt enough, weʹre introducing a new event on Sunday 27 November, Christmas at the Mansion. We are inviting local stallholders and specialist outlets to take part in a Christmas market in the mansion and we are hoping for more than 25 participants so there should be something to suit everyoneʹs interests.
Looking ahead to 2012, we are going to have an incredibly busy time. With the Olympics coming back to London, we are likely to open up for overseas visitors during the Olympic period, so we have the prospect of nearly a month of tours here at Copped Hall. So, we will be on the look-out for anyone who fancies giving up their spare time to help.
Today, anyone with half an ounce of imagination can see that, sooner or later, we will realise our dream of the full restoration of Copped Hall. But back in the early 1990s, when the whole place had been virtually abandoned for 70 years and no roofs existed, how those founding members could have had the courage of their convictions to get this done is beyond me. It is often said that the greatest of ideas come from the smallest of groups and surely that is the case here.
It is also inspiring that with a tally of volunteers exceeding 70 regular helpers, we all get on so well. How do we manage it? I think I know. Despite being a project focused on the long history of this house, in reality we are always looking forward, not backward; whether it is in the renovation of the house, the new discoveries in the archaeological dig or plans for the gardens, we are blessed with the dream of the future. With your help I hope I can realise our ambitions and play my part in pushing that dream on.
Vic Knope