The Friends of Hugh Miller
JOIN THE FRIENDS! The Friends of Hugh Miller is a registered charity (SC 037351), which was founded in April 2006, to build more public support and understanding for the life and work of Hugh Miller, and the Cromarty museum dedicated to him. It has well over 80 members. It has raised £10,000 from the Awards For All scheme towards the £70,000 cost of the garden behind the museum, Miller's Yard, opened in 2008. It also hosted the geology conference, Hugh Miller: Local Hero that year. In 2009/10 it is raising funds to help the National Trust for Scotland to keep the Museum open, and it is contributing some £4500 to the redesign and replanting of the Birthplace Cottage garden. If you would like to become a member of the Friends, please scroll down the page, to where you will find our Constitution, and forms for joining the organisation. __________________ INTRODUCING WHO RUNS THE FRIENDS
Friends of Hugh Miller Management Cttee Elected at annual meeting, 07/05/2011 Chairman: Professor Nigel Trewin, Altries Cottage, Maryculter, Aberdeen AB15 5GJ. Email: nm.trewin@btinternet.com. Tel 012245 734119. Secretary: Martin Gostwick, Russell House, 55 Shore Street, Cromarty IV11 8XL. Email: martingostwick@tiscali.co.uk. Tel 01381 600301 Treasurer: Mrs Sue Rider Busby, 6/14 Powderhall Brae, Edinburgh EH7 4GE. Email: sueriderbusby@hotmail.com. Tel 07711 389162. Henry McKenzie Johnston, 6 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6HS. Email: henrymj@clara.co.uk. Tel 0207 602 5155. Rev Kenneth Dupar, The Old Manse, Causeway, Cromarty IV11 8XJ. Email: kwdupar@btinternet.com. Tel 01381 600428. Mrs May Hunter, Smithy Cottage, Newton, Cromarty IV11 8XY. Email: alanmay@ecosse.net. Tel: 01381 600434 Mrs Elizabeth Jean (Lilian) Cameron, 125 Rose Street, Dunfermline, Fife KY12 0QT. No email. Tel: 01383 722485 Dr Ralph O’Connor, Featherfield, Potts of Rayne, Meikle Wartle, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire AB51 5DE. Email: Ralph.j.oconnor@gmail.com Tel (h) 01464 841300 _____________________________________
NEW BEGINNINGS REVISED MINUTES OF 5TH ANNUAL MEETING, CROMARTY CENTRE, 07 May 2011 In attendance: Professor Nigel Trewin, Chair; Martin Gostwick, Secretary; Dr Lester Borley, Mary Borley, Rev Ken Dupar, Lindsay Hemy, Frieda Gostwick, Henry McKenzie Johnston, Zooulla Spirou, Janey Clarke, Reay Clarke, Miranda Kitchen, Henry Kitchen, Sue Rider Busby, Roger Rider Busby, Lilian Cameron and friend, Lillemor Jernqvist, Derek Lancaster-Gaye, Hugh Miller Clarke, Lesley Beake, Bill Sinclair, Muriel Sinclair, Peter and Sally Ridley, Bob Reekie (representing Edinburgh Geological Society), As guests: Alix Powers-Jones; Richard Birkitt, publisher; Speaker David Worthington, plus 3 of his UHI students (during his talk). Apologies for absence: John Nightingale, Stephanie Kulesza, Anna Gordon, Elizabeth Sutherland, Bob Davidson, Ralph O’Connor OPENING Prof Trewin welcomed Dr Alix Powers-Jones, the new Curator/Manager of the Hugh Miller Museum and author Lesley Beake as guests of honour. Apologies for absence were tendered and minutes of the 4th AGM in 2010 approved. SECRETARY’S REPORT Martin Gostwick presented the Secretary’s annual report, celebrating the donation of £600,000 in September 2010 to the Museum by Henry McKenzie Johnston, who was warmly applauded. This had turned round the Museum’s fortunes “at a stroke,” enabling the appointments of Dr Powers-Jones, and three staff. The Museum was now opening 7 days a week, 5 hours a day during the season. This was a complete turnaround from the restricted opening and reduced staffing in operation in the second half of 2009 and 2010. Henry McKenzie Johnston had also donated £5,000 to the Friends for its work. Membership had increased to 123, including 23 direct descendants, 20% up in the last year. The loss of members Bright Gordon and Douglas Bremner was mourned. John Nightingale of Cromarty, and Stephanie Kulesza were welcomed as new patrons in succession to Lester Borley and the late Marian McKenzie Johnston. Lester Borley was warmly thanked and applauded for his contribution. The publication by Richard Birkitt, and donation of copies to the Friends by Henry McKenzie Johnston of Lydia Miller’s novel Passages in the Life of an English Heiress was welcomed, and 7 members attending purchased copies on the spot. Henry had also donated remaindered copies of Elizabeth Sutherland’s Lydia biography. Work on republication of The Old Red Sandstone was another project in progress. The Friends had supplied a number of volunteers to support the paid staff in the two Museum buildings, and a new volunteer gardening team had been formed to maintain the new Lydia Garden, and Miller’s Yard. The National Trust for Scotland had completed the rethatching of the Birthplace Cottage in August and September 2010 at a total cost of £35,000. The skill and dedication and the finished product by master thatcher Graham Carter has been much admired. The back wall of the Birthplace Cottage garden has been rebuilt, and repairs are due to an adjacent wall of Aunt Jenny’s cottage remains. The other highlight of the Trust’s year was the Highlands and Islands’ architects association awarding Miller’s Yard as the finest new public open space of 2010. The Museum had also retained VisitScotland’s 5-Star status for the fourth time. The Secretary’s report was approved, with acclaim for a great year for the Museum. In discussion, the Chairman proposed a project to expand and catalogue the Museum’s archives, especially its book collection, and to make its resources better known to the public. Lillemor Jernqvist asked that attention could be paid to looking after the grave of Lisa Miller in St Regulus Churchyard. PLAQUE PROPOSAL The Secretary proposed that a plaque be erected in Lydia Garden in honour of Lydia and Hugh Miller and all their descendants. Some amended working suggested by Peter Ridley was accepted. The revised wording reads: THE LYDIA GARDEN This garden is named The Lydia Garden In honour of Lydia Miller, her husband Hugh and all their descendants It was agreed the plaque should be inscribed in Caithness sandstone, and that an estimate for this be obtained from Sutherland Stoneworks. FINANCIAL STATEMENT A Statement prepared by outgoing Treasurer Sheona Leonard was accepted, showing a balance of £5997.33. The principal income had been donations totalling £5670.00 and membership subscriptions £1181. The main expenditure was £4570.82 on the creation of Lydia Garden. NB: It is worth noting that we have subsequently successfully reclaimed a sum of £2,266 in Gift Aid tax relief from the Inland Revenue. The Chairman announced the sudden resignation of Mrs Leonard. He invited nominations for the post, and Sue Rider Busby volunteered to accept nomination. The unanimous decision by the Management Cttee to award the Secretary an honorarium of £500 a year for the production of the charity’s newsletters, and maintenance of the Hugh Miller website, was reported to, and approved by the meeting. ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS Sue Rider Busby was duly elected unanimously as Treasurer. As she was already a member of the Management Cttee, a vacancy arose. The Secretary proposed Lilian Cameron, and she was unanimously elected. The remaining existing members of the management cttee, Nigel Trewin, Martin Gostwick, Ralph O’Connor, Henry McKenzie Johnston, Rev Ken Dupar and May Hunter were re-elected unopposed. MEETING THE NEW MANAGER Dr Alix Powers-Jones introduced herself as an environmental archaeologist, who has carried out considerable research in the Outer Hebrides. She was previously for three years the director of The Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George. She said she wanted to build on the outstanding work already done at the museum over the last few years. Her particular interest was in life-long learning. “My aim is to work in partnership with the schools and the community as a whole in Cromarty, the Black Isle and beyond, to develop and deliver learning in an engaging, surprising and sometimes inspiring fashion.” The writer Lesley Beake, who lives in Cape Province, South Africa, said she had found visiting the areas Hugh grew up in and explored inspiring in preparing her novel based on Hugh’s boyhood, which is expected to be published some time next year.. The Chairman concluded that it had been a most successful meeting, and the quick replacement of the Treasurer post was particularly welcome. At the public meeting following, DR DAVID WORTHINGTON, Lecturer in History, University of the Highlands & Islands (UHI), gave a most stimulating talk on the theme: An “Immense Tract of Sea”?:The Moray Firth as a region for historical study.” He focussed particularly on the growth of its fishing and import/export trading activity in the 17th Century.
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