Newsletter No 8: Autumn 2007
Welcome to our Autumn 2007 newsletter, in which we will review a very busy summer and look forward to some different events coming up over the next few months. Visitor numbers have continued to grow yet further, aided by some very kind comments from guests and some very positive coverage from the local media. The challenge for us now is to maintain the growth as we move towards colder days and longer nights!
Milestones
The summer has seen a number of very significant milestones. The 'Grand Opening' of Moggerhanger House was finally conducted in April. The ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries and funding partners, the formal opening being conducted by Hugo Swire, Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport.July saw our very first wedding at Moggerhanger. The wedding ceremony was held in Mrs Thornton's boudoir (which is also used as our chapel), and this was followed by a buffet reception in the Drawing Rooms downstairs. We have further wedding ceremonies, as well as a number of receptions booked in the autumn. It has become apparent that prospective wedding clients see Moggerhanger as an ideal venue for a 'small intimate reception', although we need to improve our grounds somewhat before we can begin to host larger ceremonies in marquees on the back lawn.
Commemorating the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Moggerhanger Park has been proud to play a part in the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Slave Trade. The year started with one of our partner organisations on site - the Centre for Contemporary Ministry - conducting a wonderful project in central London whereby a replica slave ship 'The Zong' was moored by Tower Bridge for two weeks over the Easter period. Thousands of people visited the ship and accompanying exhibition and we were then able to bring significant parts of the exhibition to Moggerhanger. This now forms part of our permanent exhibition and provides a most sobering reminder of the events of 200 years ago with many visitors being visibly moved when viewing it.In July we hosted a production of 'Cargo', a musical drama recounting the work of the abolitionists, and also powerfully illustrating the work that still has to be done to combat modern slavery. This performance was accompanied by a number of 'Fair Trade' stalls demonstrating positive ways to support those organisations who are working to combat slavery and injustice in modern trading.
We were also able to host two performances of 'The Walk', a monologue on the work of William Wilberforce, and this was accompanied in the afternoon by a lecture on the life of William Wilberforce (presented by Dr Clifford Hill). In the evening the performance was accompanied by a meal in our restaurant (with fair trade and ethically produced food, naturally!) We were indebted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their support with all these activities, and although we are now getting to the end of the 'anniversary year', we will be maintaining and expanding our exhibition and plan to use this as part of the educational work now under development at Moggerhanger.
Dining at Moggerhanger
The Moggerhanger House catering operation continues to expand. Income for the summer quarter (June - August) was up by more than 25% on 2006, and the Tea Rooms were very busy throughout the summer - even though there were far fewer days during this wet summer when the kitchen patio was occupied!A very popular addition to our range of services has been the 'Exclusive Afternoon Tea' for groups of 10 - 20 people in Mr Thornton's Library. These have been particularly attractive to people who want a small but special celebration . . . generally for a 60th birthday or golden wedding anniversary, but we did have one 18th birthday party enjoying fine teas and home made cakes!
The evening restaurant continues to open every Friday and Saturday, and bookings for this were helped by a glowing full-page report from a 'secret diner' who turned out to be the chief reporter for the local newspaper. The link to this report can be found through our web site. Christmas function bookings are already being taken, and we are offering a range of different menus to suit different budgets.
The Grounds Restoration
In our last newsletter we described the work that was being done to complete the grant application for the grounds restoration. March was very furious month, but a lot of hard work and a bit of midnight oil meant that the application was personally handed in at the end of the month, with all of 75 minutes to spare! This application is now being assessed by the Heritage advisors and - at the time of printing - we are eagerly waiting to see if we have got through the first stage of the application process.The plans for the grounds restoration - as diligently drawn up by John Drake and Peter Inskip - have been on display throughout the summer and been warmly received by visitors (which is probably just as well, seeing as though visitor questionnaires were instrumental in helping to formulate the plans!).
Stop Press!!
Just as this newsletter was going through final proofing, news came through that we had passed
the first stage of HLF’s application process and been awarded a Development Grant of £74,000.
We are very grateful to them for their continuing support and generosity.
The Summer Season
Despite the poor weather we have had throughout most of the summer, we have continued to be blessed with growing numbers of visitors. Our new exhibition was formally opened this summer and has been a tremendous attraction, with the variety of displays ensuring that there is 'something for everyone'. Whilst the information on Soane, Repton and the Thornton family have received much acclaim, probably the most popular display boards have been those looking at the history of the hospital - occasional gasps have been heard when a visitor has recognised a face on one of the picture archives from the era of TB or Orthopaedic care. Another popular attraction has been our new DVD. This 28-minute production has been produced by a local company and recounts the 200-year history of the House, with particular emphasis on the restoration achievements of the last few years. The film has been playing in the exhibition centre throughout the summer to great acclaim from our guests (although many of our gift shop volunteers - who loved the music initially - finished the summer saying they never want to hear it again!) We are pleased to enclose a voucher with this newsletter to enable 'Friends' a special discount on purchase of the DVD.The major event of the summer was the 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' production of Twelfth Night on August 11th. The evening performance was fully sold out with (just over) 300 people attending, and our decision to host a matinee performance as well was justified with a further 150 people coming along to that. We were very blessed with the weather, that particular Saturday being one of the few warm, dry ones to be experienced this summer. We are awaiting details of 'Mad Dogs' productions for 2008, and are hoping to book them up for further shows next year.
Murder at Moggerhanger!
In previous years we have closed down during the Christmas/New Year period, but this year we will be changing things. Our Restaurant and Tea Rooms will close for just two days - Christmas Day and Boxing Day - but be open every other day throughout the holiday period.We will complete our 2007 events with a most shocking discovery on New Years Eve . . . ….. Much historical research has been done to trace the history of Moggerhanger House over the centuries, but recent work has uncovered a particularly sinister period in the history of our great house. On the evening of Dec 31st, 1827, the Thornton family had travelled to their family home in Clapham to see in the New Year with the rest of the Thornton family. A distant cousin, John Huddlestone, had been invited to come and stay as house sitter over the new year with a few of his friends, but their visit turned out to be a short but tragic one.
Therefore, New Years Eve will enable guests to enjoy a 6 course sumptuous meal and also have the opportunity of solving this terrible mystery. Tickets are available now, with special discounts available to 'Friends'. Further details are available on the web site or from the office.
The dodgy beam
One problem that we hope is close to a solution is the continuing case of 'the sagging beam'. Those who have visited over the last few months will have witnessed the cracks in the Eating Room ceiling, and much research has been done by Architects and Structural Engineers to establish the precise cause of the fault. Holes have been drilled into the beam to help ascertain the exact point of slippage and the results of this examination will help determine the best course of remedial action. The resultant repairs will cause some disruption, as the work will mean that the room will have to be out of use for a few weeks. However, these repairs are essential, and will eventually enable us to start planning for the use of the 1st floor bedrooms and the subsequent introduction of residential facilities.
And Finally……
. . . our thanks to you all for your continued support of Moggerhanger, be that through the Friends organisation, the voluntary help you offer or the support of the activities going on here. It really is appreciated.