C O N T E X T 1 2 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 39 developing, that should help us improve conservation outcomes. The new plan from English Heritage, its National Heritage Protection Plan (NHPP), provides a proactive platform for directing progress across England’s cultural heritage sector. A comparable framework for heritage planning is the challenging document produced by the Country Land and Business Owners Association (CLA), Averting Crisis in Heritage, produced following wideranging discussions that included the IHBC as well as many others. By its very focus on clients and customers, the CLA’s document provides an important alternative take on how to respond to cutbacks in a downturn. Finally, from the ‘traditional’ arm of the construction sector, we have the Built Heritage Memorandum, originating in 2008-9, endorsed formally by ConstructionSkills, the National Heritage Training Group, and English Heritage. This memorandum lists 10 actions for sector interests, from carded workforces to tax, and we are now working hard to broaden its potential. There is no space to explore these plans in detail here. Much background can be found through a search on our NewsBlog archive. As they will rise in profile in the coming months, this simple signposting should be sufficient for now. If we can draw these plans together, and recast them appropriately to suit the governance of devolution, we might well create the kind of integrated management that the built and historic environment has been seeking for decades. These are great expectations indeed, which I will explore in more detail in a future column. For now, keep an eye out for them in our NewsBlog updates. Seán O’Reilly, director@ihbc.org.uk Vox pop Edward Holland is projects adviser with the Prince’s Regeneration Trust. He coordinated the coverage of the IHBC Annual School is this issue of Context. inspiration for me in terms of how to manage people and certain difficult situations, all of which has been of immense value in subsequent jobs. What has been your best idea? The idea that perhaps had the most unexpected (and also terrifying) result was when, shortly after graduating, I wrote to an organisation that ran fine art tours to see if there were any jobs available.What I had in mind was, at best, writing tour notes or putting together itineraries and arranging visits. Instead I got asked to go as lecturer on two tours, one to Venice and another to Florence. I still to this day do not know if they realised what a risk they were taking. To my surprise it went well and I would have continued with other tours had I not found a permanent job. On a more recent note, as a conservation officer, I persuaded a developer that if they wanted a new housing development in a particular conservation area they would need to design something quite individual. Who has been your greatest inspiration? There are two people who, more than anyone else, have in quite separate ways been my greatest inspirations. First, Richard Morris, my tutor at Warwick University, whose passion for medieval churches and cathedrals played a major part in my deciding that I wanted to make my career working with historic buildings. I was not even put off when he took me to meet someone to broaden my understanding of the employment opportunities and this person told me quite unexpectedly that this field of work was ‘a dog’s life’. Twenty-seven or so years later I still do not agree, although I have had my fair share of frustrations along the way – as we all have. Second, David McLees, my boss for 13 years in Cadw. He opened my eyes to a huge range of different building types – in many ways the more typical buildings rather than the major monuments that I studied at university. Many new architectural interests emerged. David was also an Edward Holland at Middleport Pottery, Stoke on Trent, recently purchased by the Prince’s Regeneration Trust. Apology The IHBC would like to apologise to Dr Allen Firth PhD for omitting the updates to his title and qualifications in the recent Yearbook.
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