I've raised this issue before on my blog on 22nd March but have now received the email below from Gloucestershire Heritage and Conservation Saving History. If you haven't signed the petition please consider doing so.Photo: bandstand
We are a small concern attempting to save the historically important George V Bandstand in Gloucester Park. It is only a few moments of your time we ask, simply to read the following and sign the petition on the 10 Downing Street website. The Bandstand is not a derelict or dangerous structure, but one which has been in use by Council Officials as recent as Autumn last year, and is currently open to the public and for children to play on.
The Bandstand is not only important in the local sense, but is also of significance both Nationally and Internationally, another reason we are seeking your support. English Heritage say the Bandstand should be listed at local level, but they have refused to list it at National Level, a status which would afford it some protection for future generations. At the point of winning our campaign for preservation and restoration of the Bandstand, we shall once again approach English Heritage to list the structure at National Level, and this is where the signatures on the 10 Downing Street comes in, as a collection of signatures nationally upholds the aspect of National Interest. Further, this is also a matter of public interest.
A lead expert in War and Memorial from the University of Oxford, say the presentation of the Prestigious US Presidential Citation makes the case for national listing on its own. In fact this person is one of the experts from whom English Heritage themselves seek advise, when they are not sure whether to list or not to list a building; they did not seek his advice on this occasion.
“History Matters”, English Heritage: Save the Gloucester Bandstand
We are petitioning the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to support our campaign to save the historic George V Bandstand in Gloucester Park. We would like as many of those who value our history and appreciate the relevance of culture to support the petition, so we invite you to join us in doing so at the following link:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/glosterbandstand/
The City Council, in wishing to demolish the Bandstand, have completely ignored its historic and cultural significance. The prestigious US Presidential Citation was presented to the Gloucestershire Regiment on the Bandstand for their bravery during the Korean War. During the conflict, the Regiment took a loss of nearly 100 men, and two soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross. The Gloucestershire Regiment, only 700 or so men, held up the Communist Chinese Army, some 27,000 men, allowing the UN Forces to regroup and consequently go on to preserve the very existence of South Korea.
Queen Mary was at the Bandstand in the 1940’s when she visited Gloucester to inspect a Youth Rally. Events have taken place at the Bandstand spanning seven decades, including bands, tea dances, festivals, and sports activities. Built in 1933/34, the bandstand has a regal appearance, and is the only one of its kind in the Country. Sadly it has been neglected by Gloucester City Council over many years, and they now wish to demolish the structure for their own very lack of attention.
English Heritage state that the Bandstand is of local historical importance and should be listed at local level, and that the Fake Victorian alternative is not an acceptable replacement. Further, the 20th Century Society wrote to City Council in the strongest terms to urge them not to demolish the bandstand.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) “…encourages participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage…”, and is embodied an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. UNESCO only recently criticised this country for not taking care and being more aware of our historic buildings, namely the Tower of London on this occasion. The complaint related to large office block type buildings blocking out the Tower from the London landscape.
Thank you for reading this message.
Yours sincerely
Les Branchett
Gloucestershire Heritage and Conservation Saving History
2 comments:
This derilict and ugly structure has now had it's 15 mins of fame... Let it die in peace... The alternative view to that you espouse was demonstrated in an email below:
Following the massive consultation by Gloucester City Council and the resounding approval of Gloucester people that the 1930's derelict structure should be replaced, a small number of people are still determined that vast sums of public money (�160,000.00) should be used to construct a replacement/replica bandstand.
A propaganda campaign has been orchestrated by a few people holding mainly radical political, anti-Council/establishment views in an attempt to mislead people into believing that a ruin of grossly inflated historic and architectural importance should be 'saved'.
The sad facts are that the structure has decayed to such an extent that if it were to be 'saved' it would need to be raised to the ground and rebuilt as a replica in all new materials. This is not Conservation, it is ideological lunacy and a huge waste of public money to re-construct something once used in a bygone era that has little or no practical use today.
The tenuous links to historic events in recent times and the gross exaggeration of its contribution to the 'heritage' of Gloucester cannot properly be attributed to this pile of rubble. For a structure built at the same time as many of Gloucester's stock of pre-cast concrete Council Houses, we should see it for what it is and do the same thing, tear it down now and replace it with something more appropriate. The time for arguing is over, Gloucester has already passed sentence.
Should you support the view that the Bandstand be demolished with a more suitable structure and would like to add your name to a petition that re-affirms this, a petition has just been launched on the 10 Downing Street 'e petitions' web site. The address of the web site is http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bandstand its very simple to add your name and in doing so will help to send out the clear message that the decisions which Gloucester City Council has made, in consultation with the electorate, must stand and should be acted upon immediately.
I always welcome debate on this site - but don't agree with most of the comments above - although do agree too much is made of some of the historical comnnections. The Victoran bandstand alternative as the replacement in my view is quite shockingly poor. This bandstand is different - lets celebrate it.
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