4 C O N T E X T 1 0 9 : M A Y 2 0 0 9 Remembering Anthony Blacklay Celebrated in a favourite church Anthony Blacklay has died after a short illness. An architect with his own practice specialising in conservation, he was well known in the north west and his native Cheshire. His best-known projects were the gardens at Biddulph Grange, particularly the Chinese Pavilion, and the Apprentice’s House at Styal. At various times Anthony was chair, secretary and council member for the IHBC’s north west branch. He will be sadly missed. Anthony was one of the first members of the IHBC in the north west to come from the private sector. He was a breath of fresh air in rooms stuffed with conservation officers. He was forthright and challenging, representing the interests of the private sector and widening the perspectives of the branch. Anthony was a sterling secretary. He greatly helped me as the national consultations secretary in distributing draft responses to incessant publications from government and English Heritage. When later he took on the role of chair and council member, his forthrightness and commitment was greatly appreciated at both local and national level. The service for the celebration of his life was a moving tribute. It was held in the medieval church of St Mary in the centre of Nantwich, a Grade I church for which he was architect for the past seven years. His friends recalled his special interest in architecture, and love of nature and landscape design. He was a man of many parts, an avid cyclist with a diploma in wine tasting and a predilection for the simple pleasures of life. He was unflappable, courteous and a gentleman. Living in Nantwich for most of his life (only leaving for public school and architecture training at Edinburgh University), Anthony was committed to his home town and the Cheshire countryside beyond.With his local connections and drive he made great impacts on Nantwich through the town council and other organisations. As we filed away from the service in the sunshine of a warm March day, members of the branch reflected on a life well led; his contributions to a wellloved and delightful town; the obvious esteem in which he was held; and, the appropriateness of celebrating him in a favourite church with a low sun glowing through a Kempe window. Graham Arnold, past chair, IHBC north west branch The gardens at Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire were among Anthony Blackay’s best-known projects. strong supporters of landscape character assessment and historic landscape characterisation as tools for assessment, planning and monitoring purposes.’ Policy 3 says: ‘Our vision for England’s landscapes will accommodate a range of different futures. Some landscapes will be transformed and some will change less markedly.’ The IHBC comments: ‘This policy is too weak. It does not seem to us to represent any strong intention on the part of Natural England than to accept change passively.We think the policy should point towards the objectives (as yet unstated) for the importance of landscape hierarchies and specific approaches to control and management.’ The only one of the policies that the institute feels provides a real policy direction is the one that states that ‘there should be a multi-function approach to future landscape management, with England’s future landscapes planned and managed to provide a range of ecosystem goods and services.’ Even here, the institute is not sure that the terminology would be widely understood. English Heritage has announced new grants to help repair war memorials across the country. Here the Rev Stephen Banks and second world war veteran Harry Jackson stand by the lychgate of St Mary’s Church, Newton Regis, Warwickshire. The lychgate was built in 1928 to commemorate those who died the first world war, including Jackson’s uncle. (Photo: David Burges) Correction The photograph on page 2 of Context 107 (November 2008) was miscaptioned: it showed the Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=