The Decider - Committee Meeting 9th June 2010

Tomorrow will bring us the deciding verdict in the long saga of Save Undershaw campaign. A committee meeting at Waverley Borough Council offices in Godalming will decide the future of Undershaw. This meeting will take place at 5.30 pm and will be web cast to enable those that have been following the story to watch the verdict as it unfolds. The link to this is featured in a previous post which you will find in the Blog Archive for May.

I am making my way to the meeting from Haslemere in Victorian costume being transported by a 1911 vintage steam car and being interviewed by BBC Surrey/Sussex Radio Drive Show. I am picking up Sherlock Holmes and John Gibson on the journey. The event will be captured on film and a short footage will be put together for the website. Local and national papers have been alerted as has the BBC London News and ITV Meridian Tonight. They may wish to report on the conclusion of this story.

I will be leaving Weydown Road, Haslemere at approximately 4.00 pm to make the journey to Godalming, passing the Town Council Offices and the clock tower through to Grayswood and onto Godalming. Should anyone catch site of this car, please show us your support!

Sir Christopher Frayling

The Trust has today been graced with a statement from Sir Christopher Frayling in his support for Undershaw. Sir Christopher who is ex Chairman of the Arts Council England; ex Rector of the Royal College of Art; currently Professor Emeritus of Cultural History Royal College of Art and Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge wrote the following message of support:

"Undershaw was the much-loved home of Arthur Conan Doyle, once he had become an established writer. Many of the books, pamphlets and articles with which he is now so closely associated were penned there, and he developed a deep relationship with the local community around Undershaw as well. Many of the great names in late Victorian and Edwardian literature visited Conan Doyle at Undershaw for meetings, dinners and cricket matches. I have read several of Conan Doyle's diaries for this period and know just how much time he spent at the house. So it was not a question of "Conan doyle slept here".

Undershaw played an important part in his writing life. One of the most celebrated photographs of Conan Doyle - often reproduced - maybe THE photograph of him shows him, legs crossed, sitting in his writing room at Undershaw surrounded by trophies.

So I fully support the campaign - he'd have liked that word - to preserve and list the currently unlisted parts of the building, ie the stable and the 'well'. By association, and in its own right, Undershaw is a significant house".

Sir Christopher Frayling

Sir Christopher is calling for the two items that have survived for 113 years, the stable and the 'well' to be listed. These two areas of the house were not included in the description which may have been an oversight on English Heritage's part or quite simply that they did not gain access to these two areas at the time of their visit. These items should be listed as is the herladic windows etc. We have made an urgent appeal to Jeremy Hunt MP, asking him to make representation to English Heritage to have these areas included in the description so therefore giving them the listed status they quite rightly deserve. Without this listing, the stables will be ripped out and the 'well' will be buried below one of the new town houses.

A previous article on Sir Christopher Frayling was written and can be viewed in the blog archive section under April. (photo: by Linda Nylind, Guardian)

Planning Officers Approve Planning Application to Convert Undershaw

It is with regret that I have to announce the very bad news that Waverley Borough Council have given a conditional approval to the current planning application to split Undershaw into 3 seperate dwellings and build a further five dwellings alongside despite the rejection from Haslemere Town Council and the Victorian Society.

This is not only heart wrenching news but a terrible blow to the Undershaw Preservation Trust. I am unable to write further on this and it just leaves me to say that we shall attend the Committee meeting on 9th June to put forward our views to this scandulous proposal in the hope that the councillors are more sympathetic to our way of thinking.

Please continue to support our efforts!

Breaking News - No Go for the 'One Show'

I have tonight received confirmation from the BBCs the 'One Show' that filming and interviewing will not now be taking place because of the decision not to allow any further access to the house by its owners, Fossway. The 'One Show' are unable to feature our plight with only our footage of the house which is disappointing for the Trust and for our national heritage.

A BBC script had been prepared for the show that was due to be featured on Monday 7th June.

Open Days - Raising an Awareness of Undershaw

The Open Days at Andrews Lawnmower's and Hindhead Hot Tubs were supported moderately well, Saturday being the better day, Sunday being a dismal cold, damp and wet day. However, I was supported by people that mattered. It was a great pleasure and honour to meet, for the second time, the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP who offered his support to the campaign.

My question to Jeremy was plain and simple - please upgrade Undershaw to a Grade II* or Grade I, a move that he fully supports.

A lovely family from America slowed their car down and showed off their Save Undershaw t-shirts. They stopped for an interesting chat and were a possible link to Guy Ritchie. Several photographs were taken with Sherlock Holmes. (I would like to ask the family if I could possibly have a copy of that photograph for the blog). Rupert Sheard very kindly played the role of Sherlock Holmes as he did in the 'Hound of the Baskervilles at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. Rupert's father the late Michael Sheard played alongside Peter Egan in the 'Dark Side of the Sun' back in 1983.

The fabulous Austen car was provided by a lovely gentleman from the area which certainly caught the eye of passers by.

The lawnmower that Andrews had donated to the cause was won by Roger Meadows from Bath and other prizes of fabulous books donated and signed by their authors also found good homes. A small amount was made on the raffle and will go towards printing of cards and stickers etc.