Newsletter
The Friends of Thomas Plume’s Library
Registered Charity 1098311
from the Chairman:
23, Wentworth Meadows,
Maldon,
Essex,
CM9 6EH
Email: tony.doe@btinternet.com
2nd April 2010
Dear Friend,
Herewith your first newsletter for 2010 together with the papers for the AGM, our events leaflet and subscription form. Just five weeks ago we held another very successful ‘February Feast’, and again over fifty of you came to be entertained by the very talented young musicians from the Plume School so ably led by Fiona Hill. Our very own Vicky Tropman also entertained us by reading two poems by John Donne from the book of his poems recently purchased by us to replace a copy which had been missing from Dr Plume’s collection for many years. We had an excellent meal and good fellowship. Our thanks are also due to your committee who struggled with a mountain of washing-up and insufficient hot water! We did, however, raise over £300.
Following their success, I am pleased to say that the Plume pupils will entertain us again next year, this time All Saints Church in the High Street, on 5th March. The church is undergoing major alterations at the moment and we will be able to enjoy the improved facilities.
The Plume Library website has been running for nearly a year now, and is well worth a visit at www.thomasplumeslibrary.co.uk if you have not already done so. We have our own pages and, should you mislay this newsletter it will be available online. The website has given much wider publicity to the Frank and Patricia Herrmann Award, but unfortunately with no visible result; we have had no entries this year.
The basic criteria for the Award remain in place, but this year Frank and Patricia, and I decided to make a exceptional award to Mrs Pauline Marstrand, a volunteer at the Library for eight years. During this time she has examined every book in the Plume collection in order to give a detailed description of it to the British Library for the English Short Title Catalogue which is the ‘bible’ for seventeenth century books. For this she received the grateful thanks of the British Library and it was felt that this important academic achievement was well within the aims of the Award. Pauline, however, most generously donated the £350 she had been awarded to the Library in the form of a Commemorative Benefaction, which means that she will now be permanently remembered there by a bookplate in a book of her choice and her name will be added to the register of these benefactions.
We have also decided to mark Mr Ken Bernard’s many years as a most generous Friend by making a Commemorative Benefaction in his name: for this we have donated £350 to Library funds. In this way he will be remembered permanently in the Library, and this will be a fitting tribute to a noted bibliophile.
Since I last wrote to you we have purchased a further book to replace one from the ‘missing’ list. It is Panzoologicomineralogia, or a Compleat History of Animals and Minerals, 1661, by Robert Lovell. The title is not accurate; the book is in fact a pharmacopoeia of animals and minerals and, as such, of interest to anyone researching seventeenth century medicine. (Many of the remedies we would find bizarre and they would not make suitable reading at one of our social events!) So concludes a very successful year for the purchase of ‘missing’ books; seven in all. The proper storage of Dr Plume’s manuscripts has now been completed and we have donated £835 for this purpose. We have also funded Erica’s attendance at a conference on security in special libraries.
Please find enclosed a flyer for the AGM at 7.30pm on May 15th in the United Reformed Church, Market Hill, Maldon. This year we are departing from our usual practice in that we are inviting the public because our speaker will be Martin Astell of the Essex Sound and Video Archive on ‘How to speak Essex’. We are hopeful that this will have wide appeal and introduce some members of the public to the valuable work we are doing for the Library and hopefully bring in some new members. Please publicize this event as much as possible. If you can distribute some flyers for us, I will be very happy to send you a supply.
Included herewith is an application form for our annual outing: on 24th September we will be visiting the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge where we will be shown a magnificent exhibition of Persian manuscripts and calligraphy and the Founder’s Library by the keeper of the manuscripts. In the afternoon we will be guided round the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, by the librarian. The Institute is of particular interest to us because it was built on land partly purchased with funds from Dr Plume’s bequest. Seats on the coach are limited to 29 so early booking is advisable.
As to your committee, we now have three vacancies, and we very much wish to fill them. The committee meets only four times a year, and the duties of a committee member are light but very interesting. If you would like to take this further, please contact me, and I will arrange for you to meet the committee so that we can discuss the possibility of your joining us.
Volunteers are also needed as usual for the Heritage Open Days on 11th and 12th September, and for the visits by the year 8 Plume pupils in November and December – precise dates still to be announced. We also need one or two volunteers for the dusting of the books and shelves as previously announced. All these activities are very rewarding, as I know from personal experience, in acquainting one with the enormous riches of the Library.
I need to remind you, if your memory needs a little help (I know mine does, often, these days), that subscriptions are now due. We have kept our sub. at a very modest £5 in the hope that you will add a donation, which as you can see, we will make very good use of. The Library staff and trustees work very hard at raising essential funds but our contributions are invaluable and enable it to continue to move forward.
Finally, it is with considerable personal regret that I must announce that Frank Herrmann will be stepping down from the committee at the AGM. Many of you will know that, with a few friends, he founded our charity over 22 years ago, and for much of that time has been our chairman. He is not in good health at present and is recovering from a very serious operation; we send him our best wishes for a complete recovery. Thankfully he still feels able to continue as a trustee for the Library.
We have had a successful year; our membership is rising (slowly but steadily) and we have funds in hand to use for the Library and for the people of Maldon and beyond. Please continue to support us in this very worthy cause.