Events and Latest News

Income and Expenditure as at 27th May 2008 for year ending 30 September 2008

Income

Interest Received ........................£1,048

Book/CD Sales................................£498

Donation...........................................£0     £1,545.

Expenditure

Postage...........................................£42

Net Surplus                                                        £1,503

Bank Account Balances

Current Account..........................................£1,817

Instant Reserve Account..............................£1,126

Business Deposit Account...........................£22,412

..............................................................£25,354

Letter of protest written to Local Press on 30th January 2007 by Our Chairman.

Dear Editor,

Three recent articles in the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) and The North Norfolk News (NNN) have compelled me to write.

The first was the EDP article on Holt ( 20^th Jan) that painted a picture of how well off Holt is, with its shops etc. Yes to the casual visitor Holt appears wealthy and in good heart with its Georgian shop fronts and attractive streets of housing leading to the retail areas. Look beneath this glossy veneer and you will discover a completely different picture; 35% of Holt's housing stock is Social Housing (the highest percentage of any Town in North Norfolk); Holt's Primary School has the highest percentage of Children on School Meal Vouchers for the Area; 55% of Holt's housing stock consists of modest houses and bungalows with many retirees eking out their pensions. As for the owners of the businesses only a handful of them actually live in Holt. The wealth of the residents of Holt is actually a fallacy, but this misconception has a detrimental effect when Holt applies for Grants or Local Government assistance.

Yes unbelievably our District Council is not even aware of the true situation, last year I and a colleague met with a senior council officer who was adamant that Holt was wealthy and would not listen to our arguments. This officer has since been promoted to a key position as a Director, its about time he did his homework.

The truth is that Holt's wealth comes in daily from the surrounding areas (Shoppers/Visitors/Business Owners) and goes out at 5pm when the shops close.

The second article was on the move to sell off Holt's Toilet Block, entitled “Local causes' wee windfall” (NNN 25^th Jan). This is about the decision by NNDC to sell off the Toilet Block site for housing. There is a covenant on the site, when Mrs King (Wife of Canon King) sold the land to Erpingham District Council in the 1950's at a below market value price she instructed by covenant that the land could only be used for Public Conveniences. Mrs King did this to ensure that there would be Toilet facilities for the Church, Library, Visitors and Community for ever more in this strategic location.

Mrs King sadly has passed on and is probably turning over in her grave and the events now taking place. I have met Mrs King's descendants and they fully support the covenant, though they are prepared to amend it to allow Community Facilities as well as Toilets on the site.

I therefore entered into discussions with NNDC who inherited the deeds from Erpingham District Council with the idea of establishing a Museum/Offices/Toilets on the site. We had the site valued with the covenant and made an offer at the full valuation, this was rejected; being a registered Charity (Holt Museum Trust) we could not increase our offer, we would be breaking Charity Law.

Trying a different tack I approached Norfolk Library Service with the idea of them building a new Library on the Toilet Block Site and the Museum Trust taking over the Old Stables (Present Library building). The Library Service thought this was a good idea, they knew of potential Lottery funding that could be available for such a scheme subject to NNDC contributing the land as their part of supporting the project. This idea foundered for two reasons, NNDC were found not to be supportive and secondly because we were deemed a wealthy Town the Lottery would not support us.

So we now have NNDC determined to break the covenant and sell the Land to the highest bidder and return PART of the proceeds to Holt. To do this NNDC have to present a case to the Land Tribunal, we can also present our case for keeping the covenant, case history shows that the Land Tribunal will support community issues.

We want to see the Toilet Site land retained by Holt, this is a strategic piece of land situated between the Library and our Church plus adjoining Old School House and is quite unsuitable for residential use. We have the opportunity to create a Cultural Centre for Holt in this location Library/Museum/Church/School plus Loo's. I hope you share my vision! Broadland District Council gave Aylsham their Toilet Block, why can't NNDC do the same?

The third and final article made my blood boil (EDP 26^th Jan) entitled “No scaling back as costs rise at visitor centre”. Here I read that NNDC had got the construction estimate wrong instead of £550,000 it was going to cost £660,000. It seems it was no problem to find the extra £110,000 for this Cromer project plus there was no mention of who had got the estimate wrong, it was in the detail? Lets hope they have got the annual running costs right?

This lead me to deduce why does Cromer get all this investment and Holt gets next to nothing. Why also is this project based in Cromer, why not Holt, Fakenham or North Walsham, they all have better road links? Holt has paid into the “pot” in excess of TEN MILLION pounds in Council Tax and Business Rates over the past ten years; over and above the normal services the only extra I can recall Holt receiving is the Station Road Car Park (that must be a good earner for NNDC because it is always full). NNDC never contributed ONE penny to the Youth Project and wouldn't even waive the planning application fees! We residents of Holt are tired of seeing our money disappearing and not returning; its about time some of our money came back!

So why does Cromer get all this investment? Here is my parable on the situation “ They went forth and at great expense built a Temple to Local Government on the Hill, they then looked down and were mightily embarrassed by the neglected land that lay at their feet. Our brethren down there will be distressed and angry at our great expenditure and what will strangers think when they enter our domain? We must find ways of heaping great resources on this wasteland, a lone voice cried “what about the other parts of our Empire”? “They must be patient because all this lies at our feet and we will be reminded of it daily! Thus it was agreed that the others must await their turn, as we must surround ourselves with beauty and expensive buildings, and so it was done”. Well we are fed up waiting.

I accuse NNDC of being neglectful in not assessing the actual wealth of Holt and its Residents.

I accuse NNDC of giving priority to Cromer because it is on their doorstep.

I accuse NNDC of taking Millions of Pounds from Holt and not returning a reasonable percentage back into the Town.

I accuse NNDC of the lowest form of asset stripping and of no vision for Holt's future.

I challenge NNDC to reply to these accusations!

Yours sincerely,

Howard Heathfield

Chairman Holt Museum Trust & Town Councillor.

P.S. I support the Holt Youth Project and Cromer. Cromer you have been so fortunate.

P.P.S. Tt is important that you write to NNDC and copy your letter to Holt Town Council, individual letters carry more weight than petitions. We need your support to prevent the Covenant being broken. Thank you for your support. Please write or email to NNDC & copy correspondence to Holt Town Council.:

Holt Museum Trust- Newsletter- May 2006

Dear Supporters,

Here is an update on our activities:

1. Church Street Toilet Site : Steve Benson (Holt Society) and Howard Heathfield (Holt Museum Trust) had a meeting on the 4^th May 2006 with NNDC Officers Nick Baker (Head of Environmental Services) and Peter Frew (Head of Democratic, Law & Property Services). The Museum Trust's position was that we had the site valued by a Chartered Surveyor and we had offered the full valuation to the NNDC, this was our first and final offer as we were bound by Charity Commission Law and Guidelines (these basically state that a Charity cannot increase its offer above their Surveyors valuation). The NNDC's position was that this low offer was unacceptable. Result: Stalemate! We then mentioned that we would like to see the Holt Tourist Information Office (TIC) be located in the proposed Holt Museum along with an Area Partnership Office, this suggestion led to a complete change of heart by NNDC. NNDC suggested that a Partnership be formed between the Holt Museum Trust, The District Council and the Norfolk County Council Library Service. This is the route that we are now going to pursue, we have to hold discussions with all concerned parties and draw up a business plan. The ideal scenario would be a new Library building on the Toilet Site, the Museum and Area Partnership Office in the Old Stables with the TIC connecting the two buildings; we live in hope!

2. Holt Hall Open Day 16^th July 2006: Our Book Group Sub-Committee will be exhibiting a selection of early photographs etc on Holt and the Hall in the Holt Hall Library Room.

3. Our present treasurer Susan Belbin wishes to stand down due to many other commitments. We therefore urgently require a volunteer to be our Treasurer, if you can help please contact our Secretary Eleanor Finn on 01263-711658.

4. Holt An Illustrated History Volume 2: Material is still being gathered for this exciting book, we plan to publish this book on May 1^st 2008 (the 300^th anniversary of the great fire of Holt). We will be applying for a lottery grant to help fund the publication costs.

5. 1739 Blomefield's History of Norfolk: We have been copying a first edition five volume set of this definitive history onto 5 CD's, three volumes are completed and can be viewed and ordered online at www.holtmuseum.org.uk . Volumes 4 and 5 will be released very shortly.

6. Annual AGM: This will be held on Friday 15th September at 7pm in Holt Church Hall, Church Street, Hol

As part of our process to raise funds for a Holt Museum we have been copying Blomefield's History of Norfolk Volume One 1739 First Edition plus Volumes Two and Three; this is the definitive History of Norfolk, it is of immense interest to historians and genealogists. Blomefield wrote five volumes in total covering the whole of Norfolk. This rare book is now on CD; the CD features every one of the 810 pages of Volume 1 including all engravings. This is fantastic value at a buy it now price of only £20 Sterling, the original book would cost 100's of pounds, by purchasing this CD you will be supporting our campaign to establish a Museum in Holt. Volumes 4 and 5 will be released very soon. For more details of contents of Volume 1 please click here. or Click On Publications above.

We are also delighted to announce that The Holt History Book Project has joined the Holt Museum Trust.

Holt Museum Trust Newsletter November 2005


 Dear Supporters here is an update on all our activities:

1. Church Street Toilet Block Site.

 We have instructed a Surveyor and Solicitor to act on our behalf regarding valuation and purchase of this site. The covenant that 

Mrs Clara King placed on the land (Only Public Toilets Allowed) in 1951 when it was sold to the District Council is being fully 

supported by her descendants. The only amendment the family will allow is for a Holt Museum to be on the site. We are extremely 

grateful to Mrs Patricia Buxton and her family for this support. Our solicitor has been in contact with Mr David J Feltham, 

Property Services Manager, NNDC. Mr Feltham on the 21^st October responded thus “At present, the future usage and/or 

potential disposal of the building is undetermined. It will feature within my Strategic Asset Planning for the District Council and 

once any options have been considered I shall be in a position to advise further”. We await the District Council's decision.

 2. Amalgamation

 We are having on going discussions at the suggestion of the Holt History Book Project that they should combine with the Holt 

Museum Trust. Both The Holt Museum Trustees and the Holt History Book Project Committee feel it is a very good idea. 

We had a joint meeting on the 8^th of November. It was felt that both organisations would gain by raising their profile and that 

volunteers efforts could be combined. At this meeting it was agreed we should amalgamate and we expect to make an official 

announcement during January 2006. Administrative details need to be finalised.

 3. Newsletter-Friends of Holt Museum

 At the above meeting we also discussed the possibility of a more comprehensive quality Newsletter being published perhaps

 quarterly containing local historical articles on Holt and its environs. This would be sponsored by an annual subscription 

( for example £20 to £30 a year) by the Friends of Holt Museum plus local business sponsorship/advertising etc. 

Any profits that accrue being ring fenced for Volume 2 of The Illustrated History of Holt. What are your feelings on this idea? 

Please let us know by contacting our Secretary Eleanor Finn at Jackdaw Books, New Street, Holt. Tel 01263-711658. 

Email eleanor.finn@btopenworld.com

 4. Christmas Presents

 May we suggest that you purchase The Illustrated History of Holt Volume1, 1900-1920's now only £9.95 for those friends 

who have everything!! It is available from the bookshops in the Town plus High Kelling Post Office. 

Monies are needed from the sales to go towards publishing Volume 2.

 5. Greshams Inventors Exhibition

 The Exhibition which ended on the 27th August was very well received. We had around 900 visitors and some excellent 

feedback comments. Most visitors spent at least one hour viewing the exhibits, some came on 2 or 3 visits. 

After expenses our profits of £685.83 have been deposited in our Bank Account. Our total funds now exceed £21,500. 

We are extremley grateful to everyone who helped in running the Exhibition. We have no plans at the moment for future events, 

we are awaiting decisions/valuations on the Church Street site and will make our plansas events unfold.

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