'British Urban Regeneration Association' dinner

Staircase House received yet another award at the prestigious 'British Urban Regeneration Association' dinner.

The Trust was recognised for the early efforts to save the building and Kevin Dranfield attended the dinner on our behalf.



The award was accepted by Councillor Sue Derbyshire who gave a short speech which acknowledged the Trust's role in rescuing Staircase House.






With the party were Steve Burns and Eddie Wilshaw who are both instrumental in the regeneration of the Market Place and Hillgate areas.

Staircase House Awarded £1000 At The V&A

Hands-on displays make Staircase House
a delight to both sighted
and blind visitors.
Photo by Fenny Stratford.

[Council press release]
Staircase House topped the bill yet again last week as it scooped the ADAPT Trust's "Excellence in Access" award at a glitzy ceremony at the Victoria & Albert museum, London.

Having been classed as "excellent" Staircase House is being awarded with a grant of £1,000 to assist with future access initiatives. With this money the Council plans to invest in an on-site wheelchair and additional tactile and Braille signage around the historic attraction. These additions will complement the British Sign Language Tour, touch tour and step and stair free tours already available, making Staircase House one of the national leaders in accessible heritage.

The judging panel at ADAPT Trust concluded that; "following years of neglect and a recent arson attack Staircase House has been lovingly and painstakingly restored and converted into an asset, a learning resource, a town museum, and a physical and cultural record for posterity. The true value of Staircase House is not that it is a 15th, 17th or 19th century time capsule but a building in which evidence of over 500 years of construction and occupation can be clearly seen."


Click above image to read the full press release.

Historical milestone

[Excerpt from Stockport Times article by Emma Rathbone - 23/11/06]

Stockport Heritage Trust is celebrating 20 years of conserving the borough's history but the vice president has warned that its work is not over.

One a wet autumn night in 1986, a group founded the Trust to stand up for a "humane, people friendly environment". Founder member and editor of Stockport Heritage magazine, Steve Cliffe, said the group started off as a campaigning organisation and is now involved in a range of activities including exhibitions and running the Heritage Centre.

Along with vice-president Iain MacLean he cited the saving of Staircase House as one of the group's success stories. Mr MacLean said: "We stayed together through and exhausting war of attrition with those powers who intended to erase Staircase House in a massive redevelopment of the Market Place. But the house is still there and so are we.
"We grasped that the heart of a community is in its history. Change has to treasure the best of the past and demand the best of the new. Life is a story, but we sometimes find an opportunity to take control and become the authors of our own tale."

Mr Cliffe said future plans for the Trust include work with Stockport College on the incorporation of St Thomas' workhouse buildings. He hopes the group can work with students to give them the opportunity to learn about heritage management and conservation.

Stockport Scoops UK's Leading Independent Regeneration Award

Shawcross Fold was designated as a regeneration project in order to protect and restore the listed buildings which enclose one side of the town's historic Market Place. Of particular concern was the survival of Staircase House, but with financial assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and the North West Regional Development Agency, this has been transformed into an award winning heritage attraction.
In partnership with Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust and private owners, the remainder of the listed buildings have been repaired and converted for commercial, residential and museum use.
Steven Normansell, Director of Development and Technical Services, Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust commented: �Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust worked with the Council on the housing elements of this challenging project from 1995 to 2005 when the last flats were completed and occupied. Members and Officers from Stockport Council always had a strong and common belief that a quality scheme could be delivered on this important site and that the scheme would have a major impact on the Town Centre.
�We are delighted that their earlier and unstinting support for the Project has been justified and that the importance and quality of the finished scheme has now been recognised at a National level by this award to the Council.�


[Click on the above image for the full story.]

Staircase House goes Global

To complement the Cultural Jamboree in the Market outside, Staircase House went global.





Activities included:

• block printing;
• playing the Chinese gu zheng (I believe this is the correct name);
• Chinese Calligraphy;
• book reading (on Stockport Heritage Trust's ever popular tester bed); and
• savouring Asian spices.
  

The photo's have kindly been provided by Staircase House, SMBC.

National Award For Staircase House

Staircase House has received an 'Excellence in Access' award from the ADAPT Trust. The ADAPT Trust (Access for Disabled people to Arts Premises Today) operates throughout the UK with a goal to improve access by advising and assisting arts and heritage venues to create effective access for everyone.
Having been classed as ‘excellent,’ Staircase House is being awarded a grant of £1,000 to assist with future access initiatives. The Council plans to invest in an on-site wheelchair and additional tactile and Braille signage around the historic attraction. These additions will complement the British Sign Language Tour, touch tour, and step and stair free tours already available, making Staircase House one of the national leaders in accessible heritage.


[Click on the above image for the full story.]

Staircase House grand balloon release

Staircase House grand balloon release IV
Photo by Bill.

The climax of the anniversary was grand balloon release, which was also a balloon race. I don't klnow where they landed, but the balloons were last seen heading towards the Atlantic. They are displayed here in order of elevation, or reverse chronologically.

Staircase House grand balloon release III
Photo by Bill.

Staircase House grand balloon release II
Photo by Bill.

Staircase House grand balloon release I
Photo by Bill.

Staircase House 1st Anniversary

From outside, it appeared to be business as usual, apart from the black and white flags and black balloons (which looked vaguely funereal), but inside the House all was hustle and bustle with families being entertained by costumed staff and entertainers.





My photos do not capture the full excitement as photographing children is not a good idea (except for backs of heads), however they show some of the atmosphere.

We must thank Sarah Cotton and her Staircase House staff who dressed up and entertain visitors and are prepared to be photographed wearing costumes that they would not choose for themselves.

Study in blue
Photo's by Bill.

Heritage Day events, 7-10 September

7-10 September is Heritage Day (work that one out for yourself). The long list exciting, free places to visit can be found by clicking on the image below. Not least of which is Stockport Heritage Trust's town centre guided walk, hourly from St Mary's Church on Saturday, September 9. Some of the events need to be booked in advance, so take a look now. (Abney Hall, Air Raid Shelters, Art Gallery, Bramall Hall, Chadkirk Chapel, Crematorium, Hat Works, Heaton Moor Park, Hollywood Park, Marple Locks, Plaza, St Peter's Church, St Thomas' Church, Staircase House, Town Centre walks, Town Hall, The Brinnington Story, Vernon Mill, and Vernon Park.)

A visit to Staircase House

With the first anniversary of the opening of Staircase House as a museum, I made another visit. It really is a treasure. There are not many towns or cities with such an evocative locale in its centre. I took my parents, they were bowled over. They hadn't imagined it would be so large.

A window on the past,
Originally uploaded by Bill.

There have been a few changes and additions since the opening. The new item that impressed me the most is the beautiful wooden model, reported here last June. I gather it was designed to allow the blind to explore how Staircase House grew over the centuries. However, everyone can enjoy using it. The model is hidden at the back of the Exhibition Room at the start of the tour, so I think most people never see it, or pass it by in their impatience to see the house.

We spent three hours in the house in all, including the Stockport Gallery and Blackshaw's cafe, and it wasn't long enough.

Another Stitcher press release

The Staircase House website have posted a press release about the Trust's donation to start the Staircase Stitchers Project. (Apparently it is over a month old, but Google has only just found it.)

Staircase House Press Release
STOCKPORT HERITAGE TRUST
After nearly two decades all the money raised towards the restoration of Staircase House by Stockport Heritage volunteers has been handed over to Stockport Council, the present custodians of the beautiful 15th C. gentry townhouse on the Market Place.
Already eight thousand pounds has been donated to pay for a replica 17th C. carved oak tester bed and now the remaining two thousand pounds is presented by the Trust, a registered local charity, to help pay for an embroidery project that will create copies of period bed hangings, linen and costumes, all made by local volunteers. The money had been gathered in a campaign to save the priceless building from bulldozers, which started in 1987 and ended in triumphant restoration when the house opened to the public in 2005.
Iain McLean, the first chairman of Stockport Heritage and current honorary vice-president , handed over the cheque to Sarah Cotton, co-ordinator of the embroidery project. Iain is one of only three Trust stalwarts who were involved in the early campaign to save the building, including Steve Cliffe and Sharza Dethick, who were present at the handover. Steve is editor of the independent Stockport Heritage magazine and Sharza works as a museum assistant with Stockport Heritage Services.
Other Trust volunteers busy with current projects include the present chairman, Jim Clare, who runs the Heritage centre in St Mary’s Church open on market days, Angela Kenrick who works as a stitcher on the embroidery project and plans costume displays in the Heritage Centre, and Coral Dranfield who is preparing an exhibition on local water tunnels for Stockport Story Museum with the help of veteran caving expert, Alan Burgess.
END.
Pr - 13.6.06

The Heritage Trust in Staircase House

The Tourist Information have kindly offered us a chance to promote the Trust in one of their rooms in Staircase House. The offer extends to any Saturday as long as we book in advance and the room is manned at all times.



We can have the use of the reception desk and space to put up display boards, but must not sell anything. Angela & Ken Kenrick, Coral & Kevin Dranfield and Steve Cliffe took them up on their offer on Saturday.

Three Georgian figures could be seen parading inside and out to promote the trust and canvase new members.




The experiment was very successful and will be tried again next month.

Future events

Events organised by the Trust are in red.

25th April Wednesday. Trip to Manchester Police Museum. Places limited.
contact Kevin on 01614274006

15th March, Thursday. Stockport Story.
Talk on Underground Stockport, by Kevin Drafield. Also a booksigning for Rivers Under Your Feet by Coral Dranfield.

24th March, Saturday. St Marys. Two speakers will talk on the subject of Stockport Sunday School, recently
brought to prominence due to the display case and impressive stain glass window, now part of the permanent Stockport Story exhibition. £1.50 (or £2 on the door).

1st April, Sunday. 9am-12 noon. Chadkirk Chapel. Bird Watching for Beginners. Free, but booking is essential.

Easter Saturday - Market Fun for all the family.

2nd May, Wednesday, 8pm. The Old Rectory. Stockport Heritage Trust's AGM.

The "Staircase Stitchers" - SMBC press release

A local embroidery group for Staircase House, have been granted a generous donation from the Stockport Heritage Trust.
The Staircase Stitchers were set up last year, following an appeal from Staircase House for a team of enthusiastic volunteers to meet and work on pieces of embroidery for display in the house.
Funded by the Heritage Trust they were able to produce cushions and other soft furnishings to suit the different periods of the house. Jane Dew, embroiderer for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, leads the group and teaches the stitchers historic embroidery techniques, giving advice on embroidery and needlework designs characteristic of periods in the House.
Now, with a further £2,000 donation, the group can continue their work and produce the elaborate curtains that will complete their work on the grand 18th century four poster bed.
Councillor Pam King, Executive Member for Leisure, said: "We are very grateful to both the Stockport Heritage Trust and the Staircase Stitchers for supporting this unique project. The Heritage Trust has been fundamental in raising awareness of Staircase House and its importance to Stockport town centre and I hope that we continue to work together to make Stockport's heritage attractions some of the best in the North West."
Sarah Cotton, Curator of Staircase House added, "This is a fantastic project and we are very grateful that the Heritage Trust recognise the value it adds to the house. The work that is being produced is historically accurate and will introduce additional colour and character into rooms, as well as being a long lasting testimony to the hard work of all the local volunteers."
As part of Staircase House's first birthday celebrations, you can meet the Staircase Stitchers and view their amazing work by visiting the House on Saturday 12th August, 12pm to 5pm.

Selling at Staircase House

Saturday saw three Trust members eager and ready to relieve the unsuspecting public of all their cash.

Doreen and Sharza Dethick with Coral Dranfield donned their period costumes to man a Heritage Trust stall at Saturday's Craft Fair, selling items produced by a variety of Trust members.


The Craft Fair was the first one tried at Staircase House and apart from a couple of visitors, who must have passed the stall ten times and may be for all I know still trying to find their way out of the building, all the smiling faces would seem to indicate that people had a good time, both viewing the crafts and the rooms that were open for inspection.





Although not a great amount was sold from the Trust stall, there was a lot of interest in who we are and what we are currently doing around the town and forty Heritage leaflets were taken away, which we hope may result in some new members.

All in all a very tiring but satisfactory day.

"new Staircase House model" - SMBC press release

If you've ever wanted to build a house then Staircase House is offering you the chance with its new 3D model.

Visitors can now take apart the medieval town house and piece it back together to see how the house grew over time. The model was commissioned by Stockport Council and made by a specialist craftsmen recommended by the Royal National Institute of the Blind.
Sarah Cotton, Curator of Staircase House, commented, "We already have a computer generated image of the house to show visitors how the house was added onto, but it is not accessible to visitors with visual impairments. The 3D model allows people to get their hands on the house and understand how it was built up from the one storey thatched roof building of the 15th century to the grand house it is today."
[Click picture for the full story]

Staircase Stitchers funded by the Trust

The Staircase Stitchers got four visitors when they met on Tuesday evening for their usually monthly class. Iain McLean, Honorary President of the Trust, Angela Kenrick, Sharza Dethick and Steve Cliffe, officially presented the Council with a cheque for £2,000. This will fund the first year of the Stitching project which has already proved so popular. The money was raised by the Trust in the late 1980's to purchase Staircase House when no one else was interested in saving it. Eventually, after two fires, the Council bought the property, so the money has been held in trust until such time as it could be invested in the future of the House. The Stitchers project will not only create traditionally made ornamentation for the House, it involves a large number of people in the House, and creates an appreciation for traditional crafts by both the Stitchers and the visitors.



The aim is to provide the rooms, in particular the 17th century Tester Bed which the Trust also purchased, with copies of original bed hangings.



The money will pay for materials and for tuition by Jane Dew, Embroiderer for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, who proudly showed the visitors what the group were working on.

Stockport Times excerpts 8/6/06

Gaol house restoration wins award
The successful regeneration of Mealhouse Brow, which also includes the restoration of a grade II listed building, has been recognised by the Manchester Society of Architects. The project has transformed buildings, which were once use[d] as a storehouse by 18C tea and coffee merchants, into town centre business and shops.
The development has now been shortlisted for the governments National Housing Award and has been included in the Award's "Exhibition of Excellence".

What happened to the masterplan?
"Derelict land and empty buildings give the impression that no-one feels an area is worth investing in. This is why I am keen to see regeneration in Stockport move along considerably faster than it is at this moment.
"Do you remember the Town Centre Masterplan? What has happened since hardly indicates a frenzy of reconstruction activity does it? Although a partner for the demolition and redevelopment of the Princess St area has been chosen, no work will begin until 2009.
"The council owned land at Gorsey Bank has stood idle for 10 years and has only recently been marketed. A Planning Brief has been prepared but aspirations on paper are easy. What is proving so much harder for this council is to turn those aspirations into activity. Council owned land at Lancashire Hill has never been marketed for residential use for 25 years. And there's more - whether its a boarded up property on Marriot St or the former Edgeley Centre.
"Another flagship regeneration scheme at Hopes Carr has yet to see a planning application. I recently returned to this site and was appalled to see the extent of tyre fly-tipping."
- Cllr. Philip Harding

Town Hall talking...
"One of Stockport's unique selling points is our historic market, which this year will be 746 years old. The right to hold a weekly Market was granted to the third Robert do Stokeport on September 6 1260 by Prince Edward, Earl of Chester (who later became King Edward I). The royal charter not only allowed the Lord of the Manor (Robert de Stokeport) to hold a weekly Market, but it also enabled him to hold one fair each year, within the defensive walls of the Norman Castle on the present site of the Castle Yard. This annual fair would take place on St Wilfred's Day and for seven days following." - Cllr Brian Millard
[Read about the rest of the Markets varied history and the up-coming Wine festival ( June 31 - July 1) in the Stockport Time.]

Closing up
Sixty years on a market stall is a long time and one of Stockport's best known traders has finally decided to call it a day. Susan Shaw was drawn into market life as a young girl when she began helping at her dad's drapery stall just after the Second World War. She later went on to manager her own stall - selling baby and children's wear.

Plans to regenerate a large area of vacant land in [the] town centre have been revealed. Satnam Planning Services has submitted a planning application to SMBC for a 30,000 sq ft warehouse on a site at the junction of Marsland St and Water St. [It] can be viewed at Hygarth House, Wellington Rd Sth.

Stockport Hatworks is launching an exclusive Heritage Club aimed at children aged 6-13. A membership fee of £10 - plus a small additional charge for events - will see children enjoy trips to venues including Staircase House, Stockport Air Raid Shelters and Bramall Hall.

Squadron marks its 30 years
RAF veterans from WWII and members of the Stockport branch of the RAF Association joined more than 30 guests, staff and cedets to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1940 (Levenshulme) Squadron of the Air Training Corp.

Community groups in Edgeley are being asked to take part in a research programme and be in the chance of winning £40. Stockport Council for Voluntary Services wants to hear from groups to find out what they do and how they can be helped.

Stockport Times excerpts - 11/05/06

£70m plan for the town centre
A £70m scheme to transform the derelict industrial site Hopes Carr - which was the scene of Stockport's 1967 aeroplane crash - is to be unveiled this week.
The prject will look to preserve a number of the existing buildings, the existing cobbled street layout and will give greater prominence to Hempshaw Brook [Tinbrook], which flows through the site.
[There is a similar article in the Stockport Express, but with a more alarmist headline. Click here.]

Stairway to fame
Stockport's Staircase House has been named "Building of the Year" at the North West's most prestigious property awards. The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) named the restored medieval town house as the most out-standing building project in the region after the project had already scopped the Building Conservation at the 2006 RICS North West Awards.
Judges described Staircase House as: "An outstanding demonstration of what can be achieved through partnership between client, architect and professional team builder.
"Staircase House is one of the most interesting urban buildings in North west England datig from the late medieval period. For many years it was neglected, severly fire damaged and collapsing, now it has been carefully repaired and adapted as a museum to interpret its own history."
[It is nice to see that Staircase House, which the Trust had to work hard for to convince the Council that it was worth saving, is now earning the Council many plaudits and awards. It's only a shame the council didn't step in before the fire damage.]

Copper toppers at Hatworks
Police headgear makes an arresting sight in a new exhibition at the Hatworks. The free exhibition aims to show how important headwear is to each force's identity. The exhibition features the Manchester "Peelers" of 1840 wearing the Peelers Hat [like a tophat] and Stockport Borough Police of 1890 who wore helmets with a spike.

Saved, my deer
Marple Firefightser came to the rescue of [a] young deer stranded in the Peak Forest Canal. The fawn was spotted by a dog walker at 6.15am when it was thrashing around in a lock at the end of Station Rd.

Are you a past parent or pupil (over 18) of Stella Maris Shool, St John's Road, Heaton Mersey? If so, you are invited to a retirement party for its head teacher Ita Gannon and school secretary Vivienne Adams - Saturday, June 17, 7.30pm-1am at the Hough End Centre, Chorlton.
Tickets are £15 each, including buffet and disco. Ring the school on 432 0532 or email office@stellamaris.stockport.sch.uk.

Could you volunteer to be the caretaker at Heaton Norris Pavilion, where a vibrant community group runs several activities in its buildings in the Heaton Norris Park Community Centre? If you would like to volunteer, ring Cllr Joan Kidd on 477 8207.
Call time on phone masts
With mobile operators currently applying to put up phone masts in Stockport at a rate of almost one a week, many residents have been asking the question "when is enough, enough?" A quick look at the council website reveals 21 masts currently have planning permission in the borough and there are proposals for 41 more.
Mother of three Nicola Gilbert, of Reddish Road, recently led a successful campaign to stop mobile operator Orange siting a mast on her street. Nicola said: "We wanted to know why Orange to justify why they needed another mast in South Reddish. They just wanted to plonk it right in the middle of a pleasant residential area. It would have had a huge visual impact on the local environment."
She added: "We didn't campaign on the health issue because we appreciate what the guidelines say.
"But it is still an uncomfortable feeling to have them so close to houses. It makes you pretty anxious."
So why, in the face of such opposition, do mobile companies insist on putting up more and more masts?
According to MOA [Mobile Operators Association], the increase in mast applications is down to the 3G licences. By transmitting on the 3G frequency, mobiles can now access the internet and send video messages. However, the radio waves used to carry this information can not travel as far. Therefore more masts are needed.
According to the 3G licences, mobile operators have until the end of 2007 to achieve 80% coverage for the UK's population.
For more information on [the location of] mobile phone masts visit www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk.
[See SCRAM for info on mobile phone masts.]

Stockport Times excerpts – 27/4/06

Town makes a racquet for Fred Perry tribute
A campaign to mount a statue of Stockport tennis legend Fred Perry in Mersey Square is gathering momentum after winning the financial backing of a former mayor’s charity fund.
Fred, the first ever player to win all four grand slam titles, is remembered at the Wimbledon Championships in the form of a statue. But no such monument stands in his hometown. Instead a 14-mile path, which runs from Woodford to Reddish, bears his name. However, a campaign to commemorate the great man in the centre of Stockport was given a boost after Eric Pyle pledged £9,000 from his charity fund.
Born the son of a Labour MP in 1909, Fred grew up in Portwood and became a world champion table tennis player before switching to the larger game at the age of 18. He went on to win 14 grand slam titles, led Great Britain to two Davis Cup triumphs and was the last British man to win Wimbledon. He was made a freeman of Stockport in 1934.
[For a more complete biography of Fred Perry and his Wimbledon statue, click here. Bill]

Building projects on top shortlist
Two Stockport buildings have made it on to the shortlist of a prestigious property awards event being held on Friday. Staircase House and Houldsworth Mill have been named among the most outstanding building projects in the North West by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Staircase House has been nominated in the conservation category while Houldsworth Mill has been shortlisted in regeneration.
Steve Burns, Stockport’s assistant director for regeneration said: “Both buildings are excellent examples of very successful projects, where sensitive restoration has produced some outstanding results. Having just won the British Urban Regeneration Award for Houldsworth Mill and a Civic Trust award, among many others, for Staircase House, we are proud to be recognised by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.”

Church’s fund raising plans rejected
Church plans to build new homes and then sell them to fund refurbishments have been branded ‘horrific’ and rejected by councillors. The Parochial Church Council was refused permission to construct semi-detached houses on land at St Mark’s Vicarage on Berlin Road, Edgeley. The development was turned down because its position at the top of a slope means it would overlook neighbouring property.

Proud to be loud
Stockport has been lampooned in the latest addition [sic] of The Rough Guide to England for inventing karaoke.
In the Manchester section, author Phil Lee writes: “Only one blot stains the city’s modern reputation: it was in Greater Manchester, Stockport to be precise, that a certain Roy Brooke invented the sing-along machine in 1975, later adapted by the Japanese into karaoke”.
It is the only reference to the borough, in the soon to be published, seventh addition [sic] of the travel guide.