Published in Windlesora 35
© WLHG 2019
After World War 2, Britain wanted a better society and the nation set about planning the future with opportunities for all. Leading citizens of Windsor and Eton were determined that the two towns would embrace this chance to provide a better future which involved the local citizens being able to contribute their needs both materially and culturally. The most obvious needs were homes, libraries, a community centre, and leisure activities; cultural, educational, and recreational.
Three local citizens, Sir Owen Morshead, Royal Librarian, Mr Weatherall, Eton College master, and Mr Raymond South, Windsor Councillor and Windsor Boys’ School history master, spearheaded initiative and on Friday the 18 January 1946 a public meeting was held in Windsor Guildhall.
There it was agreed that a society would be formed called The Windsor and Eton Society. The subscriptions were 2/6d for adults and 1/- for under-18s. A committee was formed which included John Counsell from the Theatre Royal, and Spencer Denny who owned a café in Peascod Street where committee meetings were held.
The activities of the society basically fell into two categories, ‘Stimulating and enlarging the cultural life of Windsor and Eton’ and ‘Local action for social and environmental improvement’. To satisfy the first of these categories, attention was given to local history, concerts, talks, and outings.
Local History
The initial concern was the state of the town records. They needed restoration and then to be housed in a more suitable environment. Two members who were able to provide advice and expertise were Maurice Bond. a St George’s Archivist, and Mr Patrick Manley who was an expert in historical prints. Artefacts were also suffering deterioration and it was finally agreed with the council that items would be stored more suitably, not in wet damp basements, and that there should be an exhibition for residents to see items of interest.
In 1951, the year of the Festival of Britain, the Society proposed that when the Guildhall restoration was complete, there should be a permanent exhibition mounted in a room in the Guildhall. This was agreed in principle. So it was that such an exhibition was opened by Princess Elizabeth later that same year. The exhibitions were changed regularly and it was much against the Society’s wishes that this was closed in 1982. For some years there was a Madame Tussaud’s exhibition in Central Windsor Station, but it was not until 2011 that a permanent museum opened in the Windsor Guildhall. During these lean years Windsor Local History Group and Friends of the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum group were formed and although the Society maintained an interest in local history it was not their focus.
Concerts
‘A splendid concert, which was deservedly well attended and for which we are indebted to the Windsor and Eton Society’ from the local paper in 1957.
During 1951/52 a series called ‘Guildhall Celebrity Concerts’ was held at which locally and nationally renowned musicians performed. These were very well received and became a regular feature in following years. The Society was the only institution organising such musical concerts locally, and the aim was to produce four per year. In 1967 a former President of the Society, the Dean of Windsor, RR Robin Woods met Yehudi Menuhin and David Willcocks at a function at the Royal Academy. Both offered to perform at a concert in St George’s Chapel if this could be arranged. The Dean is reputed to have said ‘there is a little society in the town which would take on the organisation’.
The concert was an outstanding success and soon afterwards the Dean organised a meeting to discuss the possibility of a festival in Windsor under the artistic direction of Yehudi Menuhin. It was proposed to move a festival from Bath to Windsor and The Times Diary wrote
…..and in the Windsor and Eton Society the two towns possess one of the most enterprising and lively amenity societies, whose help could prove extremely valuable to the Festival’s professional organisers’.
Thus the Windsor Festival was born which still takes place annually for two weeks in September. It has expanded from the original three venues, Windsor Castle, St George’s Chapel and the Theatre Royal but the former are still very much involved and the festival incorporates other aspects of the Arts and not just music.
Subsequently the Society would arrange one annual lecture on a musical topic or a musical performance. These occasions were sponsored by The Royal Albert Institute and continue to this day, usually held at Cumberland Lodge in June.
Talks
The pattern of talks duing the winter months and outings in the summer also continues. Initially meetings were held in the Guildhall or Eton College. Local people would speak about their hobbies or professions, such as gramophone record collecting or work as a probation officer. The Society also tried to fulfil a wider brief and held film evenings when films produced by the Arts Council would be shown.
One of several more interesting initiatives was a Brains Trust evening at which the Society had its own panel to answer questions from the audience. This format was based on the radio programme which ran until 1949 and then on television for some years. The panel members were Mr Robert Birley, Head master of Eton, Lord David Cecil, Sir Hugh Casson and Mr Robert Aickmann. It was requested that there be no questions as the Society’s aims state that it is non-party and non-sectarian political but is not precluded from organising an event of political or religious interest. Hence their organisation of a political hustings before a General Eection on one occasion. There are now eight talks per year, held monthly from September to April.
Outings
Trips to places of interest began in 1947 with organised visits to parts of Eton College and Windsor Castle. 1951 saw an invitation for 50 members to go to the 15th century Ockwells Manor and to have a conducted tour by the owner. Members went to the Royal Festival Hall not only to hear Sir Arian Boult conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra but also to note the wonderful new modern architecture thus fulfilling another of the society’s aims ‘to arrange visit to buildings of historic or architectural interest. In the archives are records of visits to many historic houses especially National Trust properties. Visits continue to be part of the Society’s provision but as so many members belong to the National Trust these properties are rarely visited as the intent is to provide the opportunity to visit those that are less well-known. The latest visit was to Rodmarton Manor, an Arts and Crafts house in Gloucestershire.
Annual Dinners
In 1961, the Society held its inaugural dinner at the Castle Hotel. Apparently there was overheating in the dining room and noise from adjacent rooms. However, it was considered a success and it is always a well attended event and it has finally been held in Windsor Guildhall for the last couple of years. Guests of honour have included Mr Bill Cotton, Sir Rex Hunt, Lord Hailsham, the Earl of Wessex, Philip Wroughton and in our 70th anniversary year Griff Rhys Jones who is the President of Civic Voice.
The second category of the society’s work was to facilitate social and environmental improvement. This was particularly important in those early days after the war but has always remained a concern and much of the serious work done today is by the Heritage and Environment Committee. This Committee has been previously known as Architecture Committee, Planning Committee, Landscape Committee and Heritage Committee. In the post war development of Dedworth, the Guildhall, Lower Peascod Street and the Riverside the council would request that the Society be represented on the various steering groups and it made an important contribution to the regeneration of the two towns of Windsor and Eton. One of the first big concerns was the need for a community centre. Pictures show a fete held to raise funds for a community centre in Dedworth with the one time Chair and President of the Society, the Reverend Dymoke-Marr, accompanying John and Hayley Mills.
In 1952 the Society organised a public event to consider the needs and facilities available for Windsor’s visitors. A newspaper article reports the following concerns expressed:
‘very few places for visitors to find refreshment… local residents find the towns often too busy in the evenings…wouldn’t it be better if our two stations were merged into one!”
Access to the town and to parking have been ongoing issues over many years. In 1950 the Society first urged the council to build another bridge over the Thames. Finally the Windsor Relief road and bridge were constructed. It has also campaigned for a ‘Park and Ride’ to reduce the amount of traffic driving to and then parking in the town centre. In 1967 it prepared a comprehensive report on traffic problems in Windsor and Eton which was sent to the relevant Ministries and MPs. In the 1970s it campaigned for another Thames crossing to the west of Windsor to cope with traffic from the rapidly developing Bracknell area, but unfortunately this has yet to see fulfilment.
The work done by the Heritage and Environment Committee remains an integral part of the Society’s work. Windsor does not have a Parish Council which looks at planning applications for the area. This committee has performed many tasks, but it regularly monitors all planning applications for Windsor and Eton and looks closely at those which cause concern either to our heritage, our future or our general wellbeing. For this purpose the group meets monthly. It is also concerned with the appearance and upkeep of our town and has been instrumental in organising Town Facelifts for both Windsor and Eton since 1961.
Facelifts In 1961 the National Civic Trust (later Civic Voice) promoted facelifts to the country. It had been some years since the end of the war and communities were now encouraged to look at the appearance of their towns. The President of Civic Trust said about this initiative
….by undertaking well considered external improvement of buildings and public spaces often on a modest scale, a sense of harmony and unity is created in the urban environment and everyday life becomes more pleasant and enjoyable for everyone.
People were persuaded to make Windsor a national model. The Society was a leading supporter of this proposal. With sup support from businesses and the Castle the town centre was transformed, resulting in Her Majesty the Queen entertaining Mr Duncan Sandys, President of the Civic Trust, together with over fifty mayors from all over the country walking through the centre of Windsor. As a result of this a group of people set up Windsor Heritage which was devoted to caring for the area round the Guildhall island and important buildings in the centre of Windsor. Eventually Windsor Heritage was incorporated into the Windsor and Eton Society.
The most recent facelift was in 2011, in honour of the Diamond Jubilee. In that same year Her Majesty the Queen inaugurated a sculpture Sixty Spheres for Sixty Years’ which had been funded with a collection organised by the Society to commemorate this special occasion.
Projects undertaken by the Society have generally been to preserve, commemorate or improve. Most of these have taken place in more recent years as projects in earlier years were involved with the council with various development plans for the town. This list shows some of the other projects:
- George V memorial cleaned and renewal
- Romney Walk cleaned and replanted
- Ancient drinking fountain north of Guildhall restored
- Pump on Datchet Road restored
- Golden Jubilee Trees planted at St Peter’s School, Alexandra Gardens, and on the Osborne Road Roundabout
- Church Street Garden created
- Several blue plaques with the latest at former Princess Christian Hospital Charles Knight Grave Area off Madeira Walk improvement Bulb planting annually
- Major record created of all significant trees in the Borough
There have been several campaigns. The most significant of these was the campaign to save Bachelors Acre from development into a 4-storey car park. Berkshire County Council rejected the proposal but the Borough appealed against this decision.
The Landscape Committee had been set up to keep a watchful eye on the Borough’s heritage of land and its secretary in 1969 was Doris Mellor. Spearheaded by her but with much diligent research by other members the Society gave evidence for the county and proved that the ground had been left to the people of Windsor for sports and pastimes. Finally, in 1971, the Society registered the area as a Town Green.
A less well-known campaign was to save the Windsor postmark. In 1981 letters were written and meetings held with the GPO and it was finally agreed that letters posted in various boxes near the centre of Windsor office would continue to be franked ‘Windsor’. However, in 1991, when it was again under threat the Society failed to save it.
The Windsor and Eton Society was founded in 1946 and it is still flourishing. As Raymond South said many years ago ‘the past lives in Windsor and Eton but they do not live in the past.”
There is always a need for a watchful eye to save buildings, important to our heritage, from deterioration or demolition, for example: Princess Christian Hospital, Stag and Hounds, and now The Cockpit in Eton.
There is always a desire for people to learn more about this area and their heritage and there is always a concern for residents to work with the council on significant developments. The Society’s aims are listed below and are the same today as when they were established 73 years ago.
The Windsor and Eton Society aims to:
- Encourage the people of Windsor and Eton to take an active interest in the history, present affairs and future prospects of their towns.
- Maintain and extend the towns’ amenities and to encourage care for the old and interesting buildings.
- Provide informative talks on relevant subjects and to arrange visits to sites and buildings of historic and architectural interest.
- Enhance the good names of Windsor and Eton and increase the esteem in which they are held.
The Windsor and Eton Society is non-party and non-sectarian, but is not precluded from organising events of political or religious interest.
Anne Taylor
Sources and Images
Windsor and Eton Society