Secretarys Notes A new Bill on the protection of England's past, built and otherwise, is about
to be presented to Parliament. But how on earth can its provisions be implemented
by local councils when cash is already scarce, workloads are at unprecedented
levels, and staff levels falling?
In and Around Bill Bryson to address SPAB's AGM do come; new website for the Society's William Morris
Craft Fellowship Trust; SPAB at Interbuild 08; Victory at Tilty Mill.
News Briefing Heathrow horror, Stansted shock historic buildings targeted by the airport
builders; Shakespeare loometh large at St Albans and Shoreditch; Satnav a new
threat to historic villages and old buildings; metal theft epidemic; hello goodbye
Culture Secretary James Purnell; Britain's most precarious ancient church, just
60 years left; crafts focus in East Anglia.
Casework Why is government dithering over action to protect ancient grade I barns in
Norfolk? A 17th-century coat of arms crumbles; a window at Groombridge; something
very old at Welywn Garden City; a visit to Easton Neston; a loo for St Luke's
but where? Including Back to the Battle, p32 100 years on from the struggle
to save Cirencester Town Hall.
War The second part of Cornerstone's review of conflict damage, and its aftermath,
looks at the Second World War. Gavin Stamp laments the needless destruction of swathes of historic buildings, across the
country, as local authorities sought to capitalise on German bombing; Lord Reith
a would-be heritage champion sacked by Churchill, says Robin Stummer; the fraught rebuilding of the Inner Temple, as revealed by Clare Rider.
Culture Change at the Lords 'n' Commons The Department for Culture has gone through three Secretaries of State in the
past 12 months. Confused? Marcus Binney looks back over 40 yearsı-worth of heritage politicians, sorts virtue from villainy,
and wonders where the real drive went.
Church Houses Now, churches struggle to find cash for repairs and maintenance. But, before
the Puritans spoilt the party, parishes raised money by hosting regular "ales"
in village Church Houses. Caroline Stanford sheds light on this lost revelry, and identifies some surviving buildings.
Fading lights? Britain and Ireland abound in old lighthouses, some of them medieval. But automation,
the elements and land erosion have left many of them in trouble. Belinda Colston and David Watt report on a European Union initiative to record surviving examples, and devise
a protection strategy.
Technical Q&A Douglas Kent reveals some of the secrets of the dark art of tuck pointing.
Site Seen Horreur! The ancient house bought by Michael Chapman in Limoges seems to have been built by the English. He reports on repairs.
COVER STORY For the love of lichen Protected in law, lichens are still routinely removed from old buildings but
why? Not only can they help date ancient stone, they can also "read" pollution
levels and may indeed stabilise, not harm, the surface of historic structures.
Andrew Ziminski, Dr David Hill and Michael Sheppard offer an overview of recent research.
Historic Metalwork For the first in a series looking at medieval and renaissance metalwork in Britain
the high art we've largely ignored Jonathan Foyle introduces metal in early architecture, and Hester Lacey pops in on a leading historic metalwork conservation workshop in Bristol.
Favoured Repair Tile Stitching is a wise, honest and pleasing way to strengthen old stonework.
Letıs use it more, says Jim Boutwood.
New Books Windows and Kentish Ragstone in focus, plus a new book of watercolours by Ptolemy
Dean.
Architecture in Art p88.
