context

C O N T E X T 1 7 9 : M A R C H 2 0 2 4 47 Notes from the chair Digging for Britain As I was about to start writing this article, I happened to catch BBC 2’s ‘Digging for Britain’, which included a feature on Hadrian’s Wall. The discovery of the remains of an important Roman villa in the grounds of Carlisle Cricket Club at the western end of the wall was excitedly reported on by a behatted Alice Roberts, looking rather like a female Indiana Jones. Archaeology is blessed with many fascinating stories for the general public, from Channel 4’s endlessly quirky ‘Time Team’ to the more thoughtful ‘Digging for Britain’. Not only are the real-life stories of archaeological excavations from around the Mediterranean full of interest, but the film and TV dramas from Tutankhamun to Indiana Jones that they spawned continue to entrance the viewing public. By contrast, building conservation seems to have been short-changed in the media and unable to capture the public’s imagination. BBC 2’s ‘Restoration’ series, hosted by Griff Rhys Jones in the 2000s, certainly broke new ground and suddenly made the restoration of historic buildings popular viewing. Since then, rather depressingly, programmes about repairing and refurbishing old houses concentrate on ‘adding value’ rather than doing the best for the building. Potentially, programmes like Channel 4’s ‘Remarkable Renovations’ with George Clarke should be able to redress the balance in favour of conservation. However, I am probably not the only viewer who raises his eyes to heaven when the plans have been set and work is starting, and the presenter announces that he will investigate the building’s history. Should that not have happened at the start of the project? There is usually a more critical approach in Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’ with Kevin McCloud when the programme features old buildings, but these tend to be the exception rather than the rule. It makes me reflect on how we can improve conservation’s image in the wider world. That leads me to the issue that is currently at the top of my agenda: the possibility of chartered status for the IHBC and how it might be achieved. Seán O’Reilly discusses it in detail in his Director’s Cut (page 49) but here is my take on it. I firmly believe that chartered status for the IHBC will be a step forward in improving the visibility of the organisation and its members, not only to others in the sector, but to the general public as well. By the time this issue of Context appears, members will have been informed about the forthcoming AGM at which there will be a proposal to agree to a memorandum (or ‘letter of intent’) to the Privy Council Office, seeking its views on chartered status. From my attendance at branch meetings and discussions with many other organisations in the historic environment sector, there appears to be overwhelming support. Our consultation with members continues and we will be listening carefully to comments. Before I return to Hadrian’s Wall, so to speak, it is worth mentioning the UK’s other long Roman wall: the Antonine Wall which spans Central Scotland from the Forth to the Clyde. I have a fondness for it because the suburb of Glasgow in which I was brought up is only a few miles from the wall. It was built in 142 AD and lasted for only about 20 years. Unlike Hadrian’s Wall, it was essentially a three- metre-high turf structure built on a four-metre-wide stone base. Finally, I will reflect on a recent incident, widely publicised, which affected Hadrian’s Wall: the felling of the tree that stood in the Sycamore Gap. It is difficult to understand why someone would want to fell what was not only a lovely, mature tree, but one which because of its situation made for such a picturesque view, combined with the surrounding topography and the wall. The amount of media coverage was quite exceptional, but one aspect that stood out for me was the close relationship between the natural and historic environment. For some, there is not really any division between them. It is only legislation, governance, institutions and professional boundaries that keep them separate. For others, including some professionals, there are conflicts, some real and some perceived. I will have more to say about that relationship in the next issue of Context , which takes the natural and historic environment as its theme. David McDonald, chair@ihbc.org.uk