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The  Amwell  Society  campaigns  to  protect  and  promote  the  area  and  its  architectural  heritage  and  to  encourage  a  sense  of  community.The  Society  serves  Pentonville  Road,  Penton  Rise,  King's  Cross  Road,  Farringdon  Road  Rosebery  Avenue  and  St.  John  Street  and  all  the  streets  within  the  area.    

The  Society  is  open  to  all  residents.    For  information  about  becoming  a  member,  telephone  020  7833  1044  or  e-­‐mail  info@amwell.org.uk    Chair  –  Paul  Thornton.  Secretary  –  Francois  Smit.  Treasurer  -­‐  Bibra  Ronalds.  Newsletter  editor  –  David  Sulkin.  

Merry Christmas to all Amwell Society members,

our friends and neighbours in the Amwell area and further afield.

The  artist  Pavel  Šimon  was  born  in  Czechoslovakia  in  1920  and  died  in  1958.    He  was  educated  at  the  Academy  of  Fine-­‐Arts  in  Prague  and  graduated  in  1946.  Since  the  Velvet  Revolution  in  1989,  Šimon’s  works  have  appeared  on  the  market  once  again.  He  has  many  admirers  from  across  the  world.    To  read  more  about  Pavel  Šimon  and  see  his  work,  go  to  www.tfsimon.com/Pavel-­‐Simon.html  where  there  are  examples  of  his  paintings,  mezzotints,  more  woodcuts,  etchings,  aquatints,  watercolours  and  drawings  in  pencil  which  give  an  overall  impression  of  the  artist's  unique,  confident  and  Czech,  First  Republic  style.

Winter  pleasure.    Pavel  Šimon.    Woodcut.  

Christmas  2015

Seasonal shopping in Amwell Street Several  of  our  local  shops  will  be  open  late  for  a  seasonal  event  on  Monday  7  December.  You’ll  be  welcomed  at  Flor  Unikom  with  snacks  and  drinks  where  you  can  place  your  Christmas  orders.    Wallace⧻Sewell  [open  until  9  pm]  will  be  

holding  their  very  popular  pre-­‐Christmas  sale.    Other  shops  will  be  open  too.    See  you  there!

The  Amwell  Society  -­‐  Campaigning  on  behalf  of  the  locality  for  43  years  www.amwell.org.uk

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The British Journal of Nursing with which is incorporated

The Nursing Record edited by Mrs. Bedford Fenwick.

28 October 1911

The  second  house  which,  as  we  reported  recently,  has  been  added  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Maternity  Nursing  Association,  63,  Myddelton  Square,  E.C.  was  formally  opened  on  Wednesday,  October  18th  when  its  friends  and  well-­‐wishers  assembled  in  force.    

63  Myddelton  Square  in  2015  The  guests  were  received  by  the  Chairman,  Miss  Blunt,  the  Matron,  Miss  Muriel,  and  members  of  the  committee,  and  the  members  of  the  staff  circulated  hospitably  around  with  tea,  cakes  and  other  dainties,  which  were  much  appreciated.    

At  half-­‐past  four  a  short  service  of  dedication  was  held,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  T.  Bullock,  Vicar  of  St.  Mark’s,  Myddelton  Square,  who  in  the  course  of  a  brief  address  spoke  highly  on  the  good  work  carried  on  by  the  staff  of  the  Home,  amongst  the  mothers  in  the  surrounding  district,  which  he  described  as  quite  the  best  he  had  seen    anywhere.  In  the  houses  where  the  midwives  and  nurses  had  been  at  work  he  saw  the  difference  at  once.  Much  admiration  was  expressed  for  the  way  in  which  the  new  house  had  been  adapted;  and  the  good  taste  which  had  influenced  the  selection  of  papers,  furniture,  and  pictures,  resulting  in  a  harmonious  whole,  was  everywhere  in  evidence.  The  sterilising  cupboard  in  the  basement,  with  its  ample,  zinc  covered,  well-­‐stocked  shelves,  from  which  the  midwives  obtain  fresh  supplies  for  their  bags,  is  a  department  of  which  the  Matron  is  justly  proud.  The  houses  are  well  supplied  with  bath-­‐rooms,  and  baths  can  be  had,  as  one  of  the  staff  put  it,  ad  lib-­‐a  luxury,  as  well  as  a  necessity,  which  all  who  have  done  district  midwifery  will  appreciate.    

The  permanent  staff  of  the  Home  consists  of  Miss  Muriel  and  her  assistant,  and  three  midwives.  The  pupils  who  have  been  sent  up  for  the  examination  of  the  Central  Midwives  Board  have  been  very  successful,  so  that  its  reputation  as  a  training,  school  is  steadily  increasing.  

Just  now,  owing  to  the  extra  expenses  incurred  by  the  addition  and  furnishing  of  the  new  house,  the  funds  are  quite  exhausted  and  the  committee  ask  for  generous  support  for  the  Annual  Bazaar  which  is  to  be  held  at  the  Finsbury  Town  Hall,  Rosebery  Avenue,  on  Tuesday,  November  21st  from  2.45  to  7  p.m.  Contributions  for  the  stalls  will  be  gratefully  received  by  the  Matron  and  the  committee  specially  plead  for  left-­‐off  clothing  for  sale  in  the  evening  to  patients.  Cakes,  country  produce,  and  refreshments  should  be  sent  direct  to  Finsbury  Town  Hall  before  11  am  on  the  day  or  to  the  Home  on  the  Monday.  

Editor’s  note.    A  chance  encounter  in  a  Shrewsbury  cinema  in  2012  led  to  an  engaging  talk  with  Pat  Davies,  a  retired  midwife  who  had  trained  at  the  MNA  in  Myddelton  Square  during  WWII.  She  mentioned  the  poverty  of  the  people  of  Finsbury  especially  in  the  area  around  Clerkenwell  Green.  Once,  peddling  up  Farringdon  Road  at  night,  in  the  blackout,  after  a  tricky  delivery,  with  bombers  overhead,  trying  hard  not  to  get  the  front  wheel  of  her  bicycle  stuck  in  the  damned  tram  lines,  Pat  was  apprehended  by  a  policeman  who  told  her  that  her  nurse’s  bag  had  fallen  off  the  back  of  her  bike  and  that  its  contents,  including  what  the  PC  described  as  ‘medical  evidence’,  was  lying  in  the  road.  In  spite  of  the  Luftwaffe,  Pat  sped  downhill  to  scoop  up  the  bag,  its  contents  and  the  ‘evidence’  before  hurrying  back  to  the  relative  safety  of  the  MNA  in  Myddelton  Square.  Pat  died  in  2014.  

Ron  Bennett  &  the  New  River  Company  Sally  Hull  writes:    Some  members  may  have  noticed  a  hearse  in  Myddelton  Square  on  Tuesday  20  October.  This  marked  the  death  of  Ron  Bennett  who  lived  all  his  life  on  the  east  side  of  the  Square.    Born  in  1918,  in  the  house  his  parents  rented  from  the  New  River  Company,  Ron  started  work  for  the  Company  at  the  age  of  16.  It  maintained  tight    control  on  the  look  of  the  neighbourhood.  Covenant  on  the  houses  required  tenants  to  paint  front  doors  in  approved  colours.  A  letter  to  us  from  Ron  in  1989  reprimanded  us  for  not  seeking  Company  approval  for  changes  to  a  window  although  approved  by  LBI  and  English  Heritage.    Ron  continued  to  represent  the  property  side  of  the  Company  until  the  1990s.  

Meryl  Streep  as  Mrs  Pankhurst  addresses  crowds  from  Myddelton  Square  as  part  of  the  film,  Suffragette,  directed  by  Sarah  Gavron

The  Amwell  Society  -­‐  Campaigning  on  behalf  of  the  locality  for  43  years  www.amwell.org.uk

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The  Myddelton  Square  Saga.    Episode  4  

Committee  member,  Sally  Hull  writes:    Society  members  and  local  residents  will  recall  that  Marcus  Cooper  has  bought  the  freehold  of  the  gardens  in  Myddelton  Square.    He  refused  an  extension  of  LBI’s  lease  in  2012  stating  that  the  square  gardens  were  to  be  developed.    Following  this,  the  company,  Myddelton  Square  Investments  Ltd  has  put  in  two  planning  applications  to  carry  out  “substantial  works  of  construction”  to  develop  the  unrealised  economic  potential  of  such  public  gardens.  

His  planning  applications  were  dismissed  by  the  LBI  and  dismissed  on  appeal  in  August  2014.  

Since  then  –  in  April  2015  -­‐    Marcus  Cooper  has  reluctantly  conceded  that  LBI  has  an  entitlement  to  a  new  lease  agreement  for  Myddelton  Square  given  that  they  have  been  successful  leaseholders  for  many  years  under  the  New  River  Company,  the  Metropolitan  Water  Board  and  Thames  Water.    Under  those  organisations,  LBI  paid  a  peppercorn  rent  for  the  gardens.    However,  Cooper  has  outrageously  suggested  that  LBI  should  be  pay  an  annual  rent  of  £100,000,  based  on  a  surveyors  report  that  looked  at  private  garden  squares  in  the  Royal  Borough  of  Kensington  and  Chelsea.    So,  it  seems  that  negotiations  will  be  protracted  and  stormy.  

Myddelton  Square  Gardens  with  St.  Mark’s  Church  

We  await  with  interest  the  outcome  of  these  negotiations,  and  will  be  urging  and  supporting  LBI  in  its  bid  to  secure  a  minimum  of  a  15-­‐year  lease  to  continue  the  right  of  public  access.    Myddelton  Square  Gardens  is  one  of  the  few  areas  of  green  space  in  south  Islington.  Islington  has  the  least  amount  of  green  space  of  all  London  boroughs.    We  want  to  see  a  start  to  long  overdue  refurbishment  work  in  the  square.  The  lease  conditions  will  be  settled  at  a  court  hearing  in  due  course.  

The  Myddelton  Square  Gardens  Group  is  monitoring  all  activities  concerning  the  gardens.    Thank  you  especially  to  Monica  Potts  

Help!    Heritage  at  risk!  

Emmanuel  Maurice  of  the  Wilmington  Square  Association  and  Amwell  Society  committee  member  writes:  For  years,  residents  of  Wilmington  Square  and  adjacent  streets  have  despaired  about  the  deterioration  of  the  railings  surrounding  the  garden.  The  railings,  which  date  back  to  about  1820,  when  the  square  was  created,  are  a  key  part  of  its  architectural  heritage.    They  constitute  rare  examples,  along  with  railings  on  the  Lloyd  Baker  estate  and  the  New  River  developments,  of  Georgian  metalwork  and  are  Grade  II  listed.      

Sadly  the  railings  have  been  neglected  for  years  and  are  in  such  a  poor  state  that  they  appear  on  the  Historic  England's  Heritage  at  Risk  Register  which  notes  that:  “Urgent  works  have  been  carried  out,  but  currently  no  funding  has  been  identified  for  a  full  repair  programme”.    The  urgent  need  is  for  complete  restoration  of  the  railings.  Sections  have  been  broken  and  have  been  removed  on  both  east  and  west  sides.  [See  the  illustration  to  the  right].  The  remaining  sections  continue  to  be  exposed  to  inevitable  corrosion  and  to  vandalism.      

In  2004  a  comprehensive  study  was  undertaken  by  a  firm  of  historic  metalwork  consultants  on  behalf  of  LBI  which  approved  the  consultants’  terms  of  appointment  and  authorised  the  necessary  investigations.  A  report  was  written  but  restoration  has  not  materialised.  

Although  the  railings  have  continued  to  deteriorate  the  conclusions  of  the  study  still  hold  good.    Work  would  require  the  removal  of  the  concrete  plinth  walls  and  a  lowering  of  the  ground  level  around  the  edge  in  order  to  create  a  space  between  the  garden  and  the  railings.  

The  restoration  of  the  railings  would  have  two  other  beneficial  effects  for  the  community.    It  would  provide  an  opportunity  to  facilitate  access  to  the  garden  for  all  by  opening  a  second  gate  on  the  west  side  of  the  garden  and  it  would  also  strengthen  the  security  of  the  square  which  is  compromised  by  missing  sections  of  railings.    

We  think  that  the  Community  Infrastructure  Levy  [CIL]  which  will  benefit  our  area  and  collected  by  LBI  in  connection  with  the  Mount  Pleasant  development,  will  be  sizeable.  The  Wilmington  Square  Association  will  actively  lobby  Ward  Councillors  to  ensure  that  part  of  this  money  is  earmarked  for  the  full  restoration  of  the  railings  so  that  they  can  be  removed  from  the  At  Risk  Register  mentioned  here.    If  you  wish  to  support  this  action  or  would  like  additional  information  please  contact  e.maurice@btinternet.com  

The  Amwell  Society  -­‐  Campaigning  on  behalf  of  the  locality  for  43  years  www.amwell.org.uk

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London’s traditional, family pantomime at the Hackney Empire

Jack and the Beanstalk Starring Clive Rowe, Debbie Kurup & Kat B

Director. Susie McKennaMusic. Steven Edis

Design. Lotte Collett

21 November - 3 January hackneyempire.co.uk

020 8985 2424

Bus 38 from Sadler’s Wells to Hackney Mare Street

Friends of The Peel Centre invite you to a

Candlelit Carol Concert Our Most Holy Redeemer,

Exmouth Market, EC1

Wednesday 16 December 7.00 pm - 8.30 pm

Tickets £5. Concessions £3 available from the Peel Centre, Holy Redeemer or on the door

With the Clerkenwell Singers and the Choir of Clerkenwell Parochial C of E Primary School.

New  River  Head.  Yet  another  chapter    A  message  from  our  chairman,    Paul  Thornton  

Readers  with  long  memories  will  know  that  the  Amwell  Society  has  been  campaigning  for  years  for  the  creation  of  a  Heritage  Centre  around  the  Listed  buildings  on  the  undeveloped  portion  of  the  New  River  Head  site.    Although  LBI  has  supported  this  aspiration  through  successive  planning  briefs  the  Council  inadvertently  allowed  the  site  to  be  sold  to  a  developer,  Turnhold  (Islington)  Ltd,  which  has  proposed  various  schemes  for  residential  development.  which  would  effectively  put  paid  to  any  notion  of  a  viable  heritage  facility.    

The  most  recent  proposals  came  up  before  the  Planning  Inspectorate  at  an  appeal  hearing  in  October.    Several  members  of  the  Society  attended  and  David  Sulkin  and  I  both  spoke  against  the  scheme.    The  Inspector  also  considered  two  alternative  proposals:  

1. A  scheme  from  the  Heritage  of  London  Trust,  which  foresees  mixed  heritage  and  commercial  use  of  the  site,  and  which  was  granted  planning  permission  earlier  this  year  

2. A  fully  commercial  option,  providing  studios  and  office  space  for  small  businesses  and  start-­‐ups.    There  is  a  shortage  of  such  units  in  Islington  because  so  many  have  been  converted  to  residential  use.  

The  Inspector  has  now  ruled  against  that  part  of  the  Turnhold  scheme  that  was  of  greatest  concern  -­‐  the  conversion  of  the  Engine  House  to  residential  use,  whilst  allowing  the  creation  of  a  residential  studio  on  a  less  

sensitive  part  of  the  site.    The  reason  for  rejecting  residential  development  of  the  Engine  House  was  that  the  fully  commercial  scheme  was  (a)  viable,  and  (b)  would  do  less  harm  to  the  Listed  buildings  and  their  setting.      

So,  we  have  been  able  to  avert  the  most  serious  threat  to  the  site  but  does  that  bring  our  Heritage  Centre  any  closer  to  realisation?    That  depends  largely  on  what  the  developers,  Turnhold,  do  now.    Will  they  come  forward  with  a  revised  scheme  which  enjoys  the  support  of  the  local  community,  abandon  their  plans  and  put  the  site  up  for  sale,  or  hunker  down  and  hope  for  a  less  rigorous  planning  regime  in  the  future?    Time  will  tell.    In  the  meantime  we  will  liaise  with  the  Islington  Buildings  Preservation  Trust  and  others  to  try  and  secure  the  best  possible  outcome.    

In  the  meantime,  may  I  join  our  Editor  in  wishing  all  our  readers  and  their  families  an  enjoyable  Christmas,  and  a  healthy  and  prosperous  New  Year.  

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Awareness.    Amwell  area  &  King’s  Cross  

In  the  wake  of  the  Paris  atrocities,  Commander  Chicly  of  the  Metropolitan  Police  has  written  to  us:  

1.  If  anyone  spots  anything  that  they  are  unhappy  about,  then  they  should  report  this  to  the  police  by  dialling  the  useful  101  number,  or  the  Anti-­‐terrorist  Hotline  on  0800  789321.    If  your  concern  is  really  urgent  use  999  as  soon  as  you  can.  2.    At  times  like  this,  there  is  always  a  risk  that  the  incidence  of  hate  crime  will  increase.    Any  such  incidents  should  also  be  reported  to  the  police  immediately,  where  they  will  be  dealt  with  promptly  by  specialist  officers  

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Save  the  date.    AGM  2016  The  ever  popular  AGM  is  fixed  for  Tuesday  10th  May.    We  shall  be  celebrating  Lubetkin’s  masterpiece,  Bevin  Court  and  the  newly  renovated  Peter  Yates  mural.