How hill now a music venue

[Brian]

This is fantastic news for the Norfolk broads

How hill are staging a concert this summer over looking the river

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[MauriceMynah]

Are we talking 6 million megwatts of rap, endless immitations of Kenny Ball or enough Mozart to send all carbon based life forms into coma?

[Brian]

Classical Music

Bring your own picnic and blanket sit on the Hall Lawn overlooking the river

[Paladin]

"The main lawn, running down to Toad Hall Cottage, will be used as a car park"

I hope they lay down some proper matting, otherwise the lawn will be ruined

Will the boaters mooring at the staithe be charged the £20 each, 'cos it seems as if they will 'enjoy' the concert, whether they want to or not. Then again, perhaps the staithe will be empty on that night!

One of the organisers is quoted as saying "“We were conscious of the fact we would not want to do anything to spoil this special part of the Broads..”"

So take one of the quietest regions of the Broads, encourage '1000's of visitors' to attend by car all at the same time, import a 50-piece 'pops' orchestra, and play a 3-hour concert next to a public mooring. That won't spoil the peace and tranquillity, will it? Has the abundant, resident wildlife been consulted?

Don't get me wrong. I happen to be a musician, but I believe that turning How Hill into a mini V-Festival is not what it should be about.

[Brian]

tranqulity !??

You haven't been there when there's a School visit

[Paladin]

Visits by school children are totally in keeping with the How Hill charity’s primary objective, which is ”... to promote, improve and advance public education of Broadland...”

and

”Our central role is providing residential environmental education courses for school children.”

The Charity Commission’s web site shows that its activities are ”RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION OF A LISTED BUILDING AND ITS GROUNDS.” (Their capitals, not mine).

How on earth does promoting a concert of this nature, of whatever genre of music, at this venue, coincide with those statements?

Interestingly, the accounts for the last five years that have been published show that the How Hill expenditure substantially exceeds their income. Perhaps they see the concert route as a way of digging themselves out of a financial hole.

From the Trustees’ Annual Report ”The How Hill Trust provides a free access point for walkers, boaters and other casual visitors at all times and on every day of the year. The Trust makes no charge for this provision. From Easter to October, the Trust also provides unrestricted free car parking and access to the extensive, regularly mown "Fisherman's Field", a large open space which is made available without constraint for picnics, kite flying, dog walking, ball games and other informal recreation.”

and

” A further aspect of the undoubted public benefit which is provided by the Trust is the free and unrestricted access which we provide to one of the few open spaces and informal riverside areas in the Broads. We levy no parking or admission charges, and yet these facilities are made available to the public all day every day throughout the year.”

That will now have to change to, “except when we want to hold a commercial event, when we will close the grounds and charge an entry fee”.

Slippery slope?

[Brian]

I think its called Diversifying.

Schools and education budgets are being cut.

How Hill has looked at different options to keep the place going.

Support it or Loose it.

Hats off to them for trying something different.

[Paladin]

Sorry to sound so negative, but I've seen this before, when a 'public' space has been closed and used for musical events of this size, and IMHO the general public end up with a reduced and devalued amenity.

I hope I'm wrong in this case and that we, the general public, don't come out of it on the wrong side, but history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.

The report I read mentioned that the idea was first raised by the Ludham PCC with the previous director of How Hill. I wonder why it is only now going ahead, with a new director in place. Was the previous director against the idea?

[Soundings]

So take one of the quietest regions of the Broads

Quiet - the Ant in high summer!

[mbird]

Is it really that much of a big issue to have a riverside venue playing classical music for one summer evening in July? If it was heavy rock I could understand (and probably attend!). Just a shame that's the same date as my wedding reception or I might have considered going

[Paladin]

Snipe away, but we're not talking about change-over-madness-time. Nor are we talking about a remote farmer's field. Blickling Hall, which was mentioned in an earlier report, is not such a sensitive area, has better vehicular access, large solid-surface car parks etc., and the event isn't held on the front lawn.

[diesel falcon]

We have regular classical music concerts outdoors, at the local stately home(Burghly house) we live about a mile away as the crow flys, and if the winds in the right direction you can hear it(ukk), they also have fireworks to go with the music, very large bangs!! , also they have pop bands there like abba tribute , now that was good!and a queen tribute.

It,s only one night/evening now and then in the summer so dosn,t cause a problem, and brings in extra income to keep the house going,along with the horse trials ect.The house runs itself and is not a charity or part of the natural trust ect .

Fair play to them if it keeps the hall going and available to all.

[mbird]

Snipe away,

Who's sniping? I thought this was an adult discussion with opposing points of view being aired?

[Paladin]

mbird, sorry not you, there was a juxtaposition of posts.

Both Burghley House and Blickling Hall are 'private', in that there is a fee payable to visit, even when there are no events taking place. As the How Hill trustees make much of the public having "free and unrestricted access...all day, every day...", this can be seen as a major change in the use of the facility. Once the flower gardens used to be open and free, now they only open during summer weekends and a fee is charged.

After the precedent is set and the glint of silver is in their eyes, what next, I wonder, for the lawn? Craft fayres, car shows, boot markets? OK, so perhaps I'm being cynical, but, as I said previously, I've seen it all before.

[Paladin]

jonzo, the director of How Hill made a comment to the Press, with a passing comparison to Blickling Hall concerts. There is no connection between the two venues (AFAIK)

[kadensa]

I really don't see what all the fuss is about. Judging from the list of composers it sounds like an evening of light English classical music. Just a pity there's no Delius; I would have thought his 'By the River' would be the perfect choice.

[diesel falcon]

With out knowing the financial/ accounts of the hall in question ,it bieng a charity ,it may have seen it,s revenue cut in the troubled times we have at the moment , i agree that it would be agreeable to keep the hall ,open to all at all times ,maybe this may now not be possible ?? to keep the hall running they may be forced to bring in diversity

[C.Ricko]

How about a car park charge?

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

to keep the hall running they may be forced to bring in diversity

That`s interesting, first it was classical music, now their having a multi cultural youth dance troup .

Seriously though, although i`m no fan of classical music, providing it is`nt too loud, it might be quite relaxing in the background, especially if it`s a glorious sunny evening, and you`re sitting on the boat at the moorings with a fishing rod in one hand andd a mug of tea in the other?.

One thing i WILL be concerned about is whether the moorings will be closed for general mooring, and reserved for fee paying visitors to the concert?. If this IS the case, then all boatowners and fleet operators should join together and get it stopped (paying to moor that is, NOT the concert).

Regards to all ....................... Neil.

[Paladin]

With out knowing the financial/ accounts of the hall in question

The accounts and trustees' annual reports are available to read here. The headline figures show that from 2007 to 2011, they have been making a yearly average loss of £42,000 (£62,000 loss in 2011 alone)

BTW it isn't a 'hall', it's an environmental study centre.

Seriously though, although i`m no fan of classical music, providing it is`nt too loud, it might be quite relaxing in the background, especially if it`s a glorious sunny evening, and you`re sitting on the boat at the moorings with a fishing rod in one hand andd a mug of tea in the other?.

One thing i WILL be concerned about is whether the moorings will be closed for general mooring, and reserved for fee paying visitors to the concert?. If this IS the case, then all boatowners and fleet operators should join together and get it stopped (paying to moor that is, NOT the concert).

So it's OK if the grounds, which, historically, have been open for "free and unrestricted access" are closed to visitors who arrive by car, but heaven help them if they try to close the moorings for a day. As has been rightly pointed out they are BA moorings, NOT a public staithe, so there is no RIGHT of mooring. If the BA considers for Health & Safety reasons, or simply so that the boaters don't get a free concert, to close the moorings for that day, there's not much can be done about it.

I don't know whether the moorings will be open or not, (I expect they will be) but think about it for a moment. There are about 32 moorings at How Hill, each boat with at least two adults x £20 = £1,280. That's easy money, isn't it?

[Brian]

If they close the Moorings, it will be a joint venture with The Broads Authority

I agree theres a comment that, on a summers evening moored up with a bit of live classical background misic, i certainly know where i would like to moor.

[Soundings]

Personally, I have no objection. I do not envisage them trying to charge moorers. Broadly, it is no different than when we lived outside of Oundle, we could sit in the garden and listen to the Oundle College concert or park in the free car park beside the college and listen.

If How Hill needs cash then they have to find it somehow and a concert or two a year does not bother me.....as long as it is not Trad

[woodwose]

Goodness. There is a fair bit of misinformation floating about here.

You can get more information about the concert at http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment ... _1_1334761

It's a joint venture between St Catherine's Church and How Hill.

How Hill house is not open to the public, its a study center.

The road down to the staithe is a public right of way and cannot be closed. Ludham Village fought long and hard for this.

The rest of the estate is managed by the Broads Authority. Why would they close the moorings?

I live nearby and will be able to hear the concert. I can't see any reason to object.

Nigel

Ludham

[Brian]

Thank you for clearing some issues up Nigel

[Paladin]

Goodness. There is a fair bit of misinformation floating about here.

Really? Where is there any misinformation in the discussion posted so far?