Ca paig i g fo a uality Co e t y A d aisi g a a e ess as to hat uality ea s Ou ea lau hed ith a i spi atio al add ess Ia Ha e , joi t fou de of Ci i Voi e. He fo ussed o the a halle ges e fa e as Co e t ids to e Cit of Cultu e . Ho ou So iet eeds to p ese t a positi e i age, uild o the p oje ts i ha d a d o k to a ds so ethi g that ill att a t the atte tio of the ide populatio . He also suggested e o k to a ds ele ati g ou 5 th a i e sa that o es up i the ea .
Joan Humble, Chair of Civic Voice, came along to unveil the Blue Plaque celebrating the restoration of the Old Grammar School
We ha e ee a le to o e fo a d o se e al f o ts. Highlights of the ea i lude the p o otio of ou post- a a hite tu e, the o k o Fi st Wo ld Wa e o ials, a d the e og itio of a jo ell do e o the Old G a a S hool th ough the e e tio of a lue pla ue o the uildi g. Follo i g the lau h of the ook Co e t , the aki g of a ode it 9 9-7 , e i ited its autho , a hite t Je e Gould, to speak at ou No e e eeti g. His p ese tatio a ged o e the a sig ifi a t uildi gs, thei a hite ts a d sites f o a ou d the o ld that i flue ed the . O the Satu da follo i g he led a tou of the it e t e a d o kshop o ga ised the th Ce tu So iet . Clea l this as the atal st fo the So iet to sta t o k o a isito f ie dl ooklet that ill p o ide i fo atio a d p o ote ou it e t e. We e te ed the Old G a a S hool fo a Ci i Voi e Desig A a d a d were delighted that our submission was given ’Highly commended’ in the Restoration Category. The a tual o k as led Cultu e Co e t , a d John Payne and Terry Kenny attended the presentation in London. Then Joan Humble, Chair of Civic Voice, came along to unveil the plaque, and in her address she explained how the awards are unique in England as a national celebration of good design and restoration projects nominated by local community organisations. We have already entered the competition for 2017 with a paper describing conservation work in Far Gosford Street (see page 4). On Civic Day in June Paul Maddocks organised a Public Art
Tour, and at the Civic Voice Convention, achievements of those who participated in Civic Day were announced, one of them being The Coventry Society. We took part in the workshops organised by Graham Tait that will eventually see a new conservation area in Ea lsdo . Ha i g al ead o ked ith the it 's o se atio tea o t o othe o se atio a ea a age e t pla s e e e a le to ake a ea i gful o t i utio . Fo a ea s e ha e suppo ted the He itage Ope Da Co itttee a d this ea helped staff the e e t at the P io Visito Ce t e. We ha e also suppo ted the effo ts of Ca ole Do ell to e-ope the isito e t e o a egula asis. Co e t So iet is o e of pa t e s i the She ou e Pa t e ship, tasked ith i gi g the i e a k i to people s li es. It ill offe a ide a ge of f ee e e ts that people a get i ol ed ith ea h o th alo g the i e . We o ti ue to suppo t the he itage o k headed Ia Ha a i a d e do se his effo ts to eate a alk a alo gside the Ri e She ou e li ki g the it e t e ith Cha te house fields. We also take pa t i the Bu ges Rede elop e t P oje t. th ough a He itage Out ea h G oup set up to de ise a A ti it Pla to a o pa the p oje t. We atte ded the Bi i gha lau h of the Cit of Cultu e Bid a d et the se e al heads of the p oje t. A fu the eeti g ith Bid Ad ise A d e Di o as a oppo tu it to p o ote so e of ou p oje ts. The ale da has e o e a ell esta lished featu e of the So iet . This ea s pu li atio i A fo at, put togethe Coli Walke a d Ja e Lo g, featu i g the statue of Lad Godi a o the f o t, has o e agai fou d a ead sale i useu s a d i fo atio e t es. We should also e o d i ou a ual epo t the o e e ha e fo the g o i g do i a e of huge o ple es i the it e t e to a o odate the e e g o i g stude t populatio . We elie e the ti e has o e fo a ette ala e to e st u k, othe ise a ualit Paul Maddocks’ public shoppi g e t e a d event for Civic Day in June ultu al fa ilities fo lo al people ill e pushed aside. A d speaki g of shops, it s a ause of g eat o e that a s all shopkeepe s a e a out to e fo ed outside the p i a shoppi g a ea ith the Cit Ce t e South s he e a out to sta t. We shall o ti ue to lo the Cou il i the hope this p o le a e e edied. To a hie e all the o k des i ed e ui es a o side a le effo t o the pa t of ou o ittee, a d I tha k ea h a d e e o e of the fo thei ti e a d dedi atio . Keith Draper, Chair a