May I begin by thanking all those members who have completed the questionnaire which was enclosed with the September Bulletin? Your comments are most welcome and your views will inform the Council as it reviews the strategic direction of the Society.I hope that as many as possible of you will attend the Cheltenham Conference in April. A session on the Saturday morning will provide an opportunity to consider and discuss the survey results and the strategic options suggested by the results.It is still not too late to complete the questionnaire, nor is it too late to register for the Cheltenham Conference. Those who study the Register will know that Cheltenham is in an area that is replete with interesting dials.
Frank
Council has begun its review of the Society’s strategic direction and options. A key essential and important input is, of course, your own opinions and aspirations. To date, the response rate to the membership survey sent out with the September Bulletin has been about 13%. This is by no means a poor response (statistically speaking) and is providing invaluable input. However, it is not too late to respond and I would be delighted to receive another surge of replies. If you have views make sure we hear them!
Chris Williams
We have the opportunity of a guided visit the library to be introduced to their collection of dialling works. We might also be able to get an insight into the rest of the library and the RAS’s history. A provisional target date is 12 May 2012 - but it may change and more than one visit may take place if there is sufficient demand. Could anyone who is interested please contact me?
Incidentally, as part of our affiliation to the RAS we are entitled to use the library. It is also open on the first Saturday in a month, except for 14 April and 12 May 2012.
Chris Williams
Points from the meeting of 24th October 2011.
Strategic Direction: This meeting was the start of an on-going process to identify opportunities and build on them. Many ideas were raised, and discussion will continue.
Accounts: The Society’s bank account has been successfully transferred from Santander to the Co-op Bank.
Conference: 2012 Conference planning (Cheltenham) is well in hand. For the first time, it will be possible to pay by PayPal, and this facility will be extended to other areas such as Membership payment if found to be satisfactory. Planning for the 2013 Conference has commenced, with Edinburgh as the likely venue.
Advertising: It is possible to place advertisements on Facebook and a trial is underway. This can be a targeted, cost effective and cost controllable method of seeking new members. We are also looking at the possibility of placing free, reciprocal advertisements in the journals of associated societies such as the RAS, the SIS and the AHS.
Register: Our Mass Dial archives are gradually being transferred to the Borthwick Institute at York, who hold them under controlled archival conditions at no charge. The Fixed Dial archives do not fall under their terms of reference, which are mainly mediaeval documents, and will remain for the present in the storage facility in Maidstone.
Next Meeting: March, date still to be fixed.
John Foad
Occasional browsing continues to throw up good dials that are still not recorded. So time, I think, for a few more that are still out there waiting for you keen reporters! All have been seen since 2000, and all look interesting. Please contact me if you would like more details.
- Woodhall Hills Hamlet, Leeds, SE200354, Vertical inscribed ‘WHSS /
1837’
- United Reform Church, Great Bavington, Northumberland, NY983802, Vertical
- Water Street, Thornton, Bradford, SD337010, Horizontal surrounded by
railings by the side of the road
- Cuerden Hall, Preston, SD564239, Cube dial on a very fine pillar - St
Michael’s Church, near Chedgrave, Norfolk, TG355009, vertical dated 1595
- Lumbutts, Todmorden, W Yorks, SD955234, Vertical, J Whittaker, 1864, Gatty
1900 motto 448*
- St Bartholomew’s Church, near Sutton Waldron, Dorset, ST861158, Vertical
over porch -St Mary’s Church, Barton, Darlington, NZ235085, Vertical
- St David’s Chapel, Stormontfield, Colendale, Tayside, NO108298, Vertical
- Wallace Memorial, Castle Gardens, Lisburn, N Ireland, Vertical on monument
And two from large houses recently for sale :
- West Foscote House, Grittleton, Wilts, approx SN14 6AH, Vertical dial
and plaque with long inscription; possibly 1850; Agents Chesterton Humberts,
01249 444557
- Shillinglee Court, Chiddingfold, Surrey, GU8 4TA, Horizontal on good
pedestal, Agents Savills Guildford, 01483 796820
John Foad
Enclosed with this edition of the Bulletin is a copy of the booking form for the 2012 BSS Annual Conference which is to be held at the Cheltenham Chase Hotel near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, April 13-15, 2012.
The 2012 Andrew Somerville Memorial Lecture: “Traces of history at the Pope’s Gnomon” will be delivered by Professor John Heilbron, Emeritus Professor of the History of Science and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
Bookings and payments must be received on or before February 27th 2012.
This year we are again maintaining an information web page about the Conference. There is a link to this page from the home page of the BSS web site www.sundialsoc.org.uk or it may be accessed directly at www.bit.ly/bss2012.
We are delighted to announce that payment for the conference may now be made by PayPal. See the enclosed booking form or the conference information web page for more details.
The Council is acutely aware that in these economically difficult times it can be useful to be able to help those who may find the costs of the all-inclusive conference registration package rather too much. We can offer:
Post dated payment by cheque: Cheques (only) may be post dated to 27th February 2012 if this might help cash flow.
Cheaper accommodation: If you would like to come to the conference but might prefer other accommodation or if only you, and not your partner, wishes to attend the actual conference, then you might consider registering as Day Delegates yet stay nearby. Links to possible options are available from the Conference Information page mentioned above. Alternatively for more information just contact Patrick Powers at conferences@sundialsoc.org.uk.
The BSS Conference Auction is back for 2012!
Following several requests from members, we are delighted to announce that next year’s annual conference will include a short auction of sundial related items. Chris Daniel has agreed to ‘come out of retirement’ to conduct this fun auction in his inimitable style and we hope it will prove to be both a pleasant evening event and bring in some funds for the Society at the same time. If you have any items that you would be prepared to donate to the Society for sale at the auction, do please email the Conference Organiser with a description of them on conferences@sundialsoc.org.uk or alternatively drop a line to Patrick Powers at the address in any Bulletin. Oh, and do make sure you book to come to the conference too!
The Council is now seeking submissions of papers for oral presentation at the BSS Cheltenham Conference. A limited number of papers with delivery times in the range 15-45 minutes can now be accepted for presentation. Requests to give presentations should be sent to the Conference Organiser either by e-mail to conferences@sundialsoc.org.uk or by post to:
Patrick Powers, 16 Moreton Avenue, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2ET.
All requests should be accompanied by the intended title and a short abstract, which will be used in the information given to attending delegates. Requests to give presentations will all be acknowledged.
As has been mentioned in the last Newsletter, we are having to put up our membership subscriptions in May. At the same time, we are also moving our bank account to one that responds better to our needs. The result of this is that members who pay by standing order will have to fill out a new form. If you are one of them, I will be sending out a form to you in the new year.
Jackie Jones
Currently the dedicated computer is to be renewed, as the existing one is suffering intermittent failures.
Few new dials have been reported but Maureen Harmer is covering Sussex with a planned survey. She also had a good look round whilst in Kent. She has sent in a good selection of digital pictures with some new ones in there.
Ian Butson has completed a large part of his survey of Norfolk and has also found some new dials.
Alan Cook's Addendum to his Yorkshire mass dials Monograph is in hand, and should appear during next year.
Both Maureen and Ian are picking up sundials as well as they go round their counties.
Entry into the Mass Dial Register: Bedfordshire has been completed and Northamptonshire is in hand at the moment. Ian will set up a 'parallel' Mass Dial register. Details will be forthcoming when we get it implemented.
A.O.Wood
Making Payments to the Society
The BSS is on the verge of being able to accept electronic payments. This in no sense means that cheques are unwelcome; they are original and best, and will always be accepted.
After a considerable amount of work by Patrick Powers, we will shortly be able to accept PayPal payments (with reduced account charges to boot). Patrick will announce when the system is live for Conference payments. Memberships and sales should follow during 2012.
I stress that this is an extra option, the existing postal method will continue for everyone who prefers not to go online.
Graham Stapleton
Members are reminded that an index is available for articles published in the Bulletin for the period from 2002 up to the present time.
Available in MS Word document format, the index provides a ‘Title Index’ and also an ‘Author Index’ for the Bulletin articles. The cumulative indexes are updated soon after publication of the latest issue of the Bulletin.
If you would like a copy, or wish to be included on a list to automatically receive the updated issues, please contact me at: ian@tipsdial.orangehome.co.uk
Ian Butson
Eleven enquiries have been received and answered as required. These enquiries are often protracted requiring an exchange of emails and sometimes phone calls. Where appropriate, they have been guided to the makers list on the website. Three required installation information and setting up details, others are in initial stages in which more information is required. Designs have been sought for a new sundial in the style of William Watson by an East Yorkshire local history society. No news so far. No progress on the potential restoration of a VDD on a church at Stamford. No applications for grants have been received.
Graham Aldred
Arrangements for next year's Safari are now coming together and we now need to know who is interested in joining with us. Please let us know and we will keep you updated as details come together. Tentative dates for the visit are from 12th to 19th September, staying in Girona (Gerona). From there, we will visit many parts of Catalonia to see some of the best of their large number of dials. Our visits include a private sundial museum (with about 800 dials!), towns on the Costa Brava and a day in Barcelona.
Flights to Girona are available by Ryanair from several UK airports.
We look forward to seeing you ‘on Safari’.
Mike & Val Cowham
The Friends of the Turrill Sculpture Garden ( www.turrillsculpturegarden.org.uk ) are planning to put on a major new exhibition from June to September 2012, showing sundials in all their variety and would like to hear from dial makers who might be interested in taking part in this. It will get their maximum publicity effort for the year, with a banner outside the venue (the Public Library garden), Press invited to the private view in June and all the Oxford Colleges contacted to tell them about the event.
There are a limited number of suitable places available in the garden but if you would like further details please contact Katherine Shock, the sculpture coordinator on 01865 515584 or shocks@clara.co.uk