Undershaw — Off the Agenda

Disregard my previous two posts on this matter. Waverley Borough Council has now taken Undershaw off the agenda altogether for next Wednesday’s meeting (26 November 2014). Good thing I resisted the urge to book a flight; I never would have got back in time to attend a Mess Dinner in Cambridge, nor attend a Senate meeting in Hamilton on the 26th.

The application has been withdrawn so that the planners can consider the contents of the English Heritage objection letter. Does this mean that the Application has been called in? I think so! Perhaps a letter received from the National Planning Casework Office in Birmingham citing a relevant Article 25 Directive might have also contributed to this decision.

In my opinion, the DFN Foundation has received much expensive but faulty advice and guidance in this matter. It would appear that the steam-roller to destroy the property has been stopped, at least temporarily, and hopefully permanently.

I am advised that the Land Registry Office has received new information on The Undershaw Hotel. New Owners, amount of the purchase etc. I will have this in hand new Tuesday.

The responsibility for this matter now rests squarely on the shoulders of a fellow called Dr. Andrew Brown at English Heritage. He first met Norman Stromsoy, the architects, and D&M at the property on Tuesday afternoon 29 September. He was given a photograph of the stables, which allegedly had been taken the day before. He was not shown the brick-lined well, because there was an issue of Asbestos contamination. Andy will have to bring a N6 mask for his next visit.

In my opinion, English Heritage should have been involved from the getgo, and not as an afterthought when the plans are drawn and posted on the Waverley website.

And what about that expensive excavating equipment that was on the proporty last week? No doubt that the present owner is paying by the day for it to be there. Will whoever? allow the work to continue. I hope not.

Will Undersahw go back on the agenda again, no doubt, but with the schedule for December already booked, it will not be until the new year, and adter the holiday season. So that will make it a full two years since the property was first listed for sale, and a frightfully flawed sales process it was!

 

Undershaw — The Crunch

The fate of Undershaw has its next hearing at Waverley Borough Council on 26 November 2014. The DFN Foundation represented by Norman Stromsoy, and John MIchael Gibson will each have six minutes to present their case, and then the planners and councillors will require the Wisdom of Job.

The Victorian Society, the Ancient Monument Society, English Heritage and John Gibson have come out squarely against WA/2014/1655 and 1656.

The DFN Foundation and Stepping Stones School, an overwelming number of citizens of Hindhead and friends of Stepping Stones, Jeremy Hunt (the local MP) and Richard Doyle have all registered their strong support for the school and its auxillary large extensions with serious changes to the topography, destruction of the stables, the well, and the airing hut which was used for ACD’s tuberculous wife.

The way I see it — the Waverley Borough Councillors, and Planners will unanimously approve this project on behalf of Stepping Stones on 26 November.Either or both The Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport, with the recommendation of Andy Brown of English Heritage will call the project in, which will result in A Public Inquiry which will also result in a significant delay for the project of up to 18 months. The National Planning Casework Unit in Birmingham may also have siginicant input into this “Calling In” decision.

Another potential but tragic outcome might be that the property would be delisted altogether, because of the extensive changes and new construction.

The most likely outcome, and definitely not my favourite, is that the develpment will be full-heartily approved, and after the concerns of the 3 statutory consulltees have been dealt with in one form or another — the most likely a deaf ear — the school will be constructed and opened in the fall of 2015.

Anyone can watch the presentations and deliberations on the Waverley Website starting at 17:30 pm GMT on Wednesday, the 26th of November 2014. This webcam video will be posted on the web for later viewing as well.

Meanwhile, there are a number of excavation machines on the property right now! with a team of up to 10 men already working at something! There is a public footpath on the property, but anyone walking walking along it, is watched very closely by surveillance cameras and/or by the workers.

 

 

H.P. Lovecraft envelope to Howard Wandrei

Here is a straight forward empty No. 10 envelope addressed to Howard Wandrei from HPL. I have no idea what it originally contained, but Derleth saved it for the 3 cent Washington on the front cover. The group contents would be most appreciative and informative to all.

 

 

H.P. Lovecraft letter to Robert Barlow

 

 

 

Here is an empty envelope from HPL to Robert Barlow in Daytona Beach. I believe he lives here before he moved to Mexico where he died. The little note on the back is intriguing. I wonder in the building at this address is still standing? or has it been demolished and rebuilt? Anyone want to check it out?

 

H.P. Lovecraft envelope to Clark Ashton Smith

Here’s an empty envelope from HPL to Clark Ashton Smith. How it ended up in Derleth’s box of stamps is simply beyond me. However the return address at the V of the flap is characteristic, and the note is undecipherable to the uninformed, but I am confident the serious scholars will have fun with it. The contents of this envelope has undoubtedly survived in some collection or library somewhere. Your comments would be most appreciated.

 

Follow the Money

Here is another empty Registered Letter that was in that same box. It is dated 12 April 1940 on the reverse, from Donald Wandrei to Derleth. I speculate that it contained Donald share of the the expense to produce “The Outsider and Others” likely a cashier’s check, money order, but certainly not cash. The letter and the amount might well be in the archives at The State Historical Society. This is dated before America entered the war, and Donald was subsequently called up to serve.

 

Derleth and The Guggenheim Foundation

I purchased August Derleth’s stamp collection from April Derleth in 2010, and subsequently purchased Augie’s collection of FDC’s from David Rajchel the following year mounted in two blue binders. There was a box of stamps on paper, and envelopes and stationary dating right back to the 1930s. Here is but one of the covers. I speculate that this is the envelope that August received which notified him that he had won the prize, or perhaps it contained the check for $2,500 (Alison WIlson Bibliography). in any case August spent the money to bind his extensive collection of Comic Strips that he had meticulously collected since he was chilld. This collection now resides in the State Historical Society in Madison. Interesting! How a single envelope can tell a story. I am confident that Augie opened it, emptied the contents, and threw it into the box of philatelic odds and ends, only to be removed some 70 years later.