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Barnet Museum & Local History Society (BMLHS)

Patron: MHC Russell Esq. DL FCT

Charity reg. no.1169214; Founded 1927

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

for the 96[th] Year – 2023 (Financial Year 2022/23) 16[th] November 2023

This report is a summary of Society activities over the last twenty months or so (ie from July 2022). Some points were also raised in last year’s report.

Barnet Museum and Local History Society welcomes new members, currently we have approximately 300 members, of whom about 70 are life members; we have 50 volunteers.

The Trustees in 2022/23 were: John Hall (Chairman), Terence Atkins (Deputy Chairman), Rebecca Smith (Secretary), Mike Noronha, Dennis Bird, Mike Jordan, Guy Wheatcroft, Helen Downes, Esme Smith and Scott Harrison.

The internal Management Committee is: Mike Noronha (Chairman, Curator and Treasurer); Terence Atkins (Deputy Chairman, Postcards and Calendar); Hilary Harrison (Archivist, Education); Graham Willcocks (IT, Photo Archivist); Dennis Bird (Maps, Physic Well, Lectures); Margaret Luck (Deputy Curator, Archaeology); Irene Nichols (Shop); Claire El Arifi (Web, Social Media, Marketing); Mary Hayward (Library/Archive); Mike Jordan (Physic Well). The full Management Committee has met six times in this period. The Trustees gives their unequivocal thanks to the entire volunteer cadre and congratulations to our Curator, Mike, on the Civic Award which he received from the Mayor & Burgesses of the London Borough of Barnet on 25th April in recognition of his lifetime achievement.

The Society Garden Party was held at Ian and Lucy Johnston’s home in Wood Street in September 2023; the event was held in good weather. A combination of sandwiches, delicious cake, tea and Pimms and a quiz was again in evidence. The event was largely organised by Margaret Luck. The Trustees thank her and all the members who made cakes and helped with serving and, particularly, Ian and Lucy.

Museum

Visitor numbers have been average during the week but we have had higher numbers during school holidays and on weekends and special events (such as Barnet Christmas Fayre). As in the past, visitor numbers have been difficult to estimate or predict. Our engagement with local schools and care homes and other societies has been good. We have a reasonably strong online presence which has been enhanced with the launch of an “Online Archive”. Much of our past research (including Bulletins and more substantive Research Papers) has been placed “free to use” on our website.

We have three loan/demonstration boxes – “The Toybox” a loan/resource box of older toys (part of Key Stage 1/2 curriculum). This is for lending to schools and for visits to the Museum; A “Reminiscence Box” (of artefacts to remind people of the past) and the “Battle of Barnet Loanbox” for schools. These have been in constant use in the year and have been well received by all audiences especially schools and care homes.

We worked with the following schools (either visits to or from or both): Underhill; Our Lady of Lourdes; Summerside; Foulds; Christchurch; St Andrews; St Johns Whetstone; Wren Academy; St Catherines; Southgate; Trent; Monken Hadley; Whitings Hill; QE Boys; QE Girls; East Barnet; Monkfrith; Brunswick Park; Church Hill; Edgware Primary; Fairway Many school visits have been synchronised with Barnet Church. We have instituted individual “Then and Now” presentations for school visits featuring sights on the pupils’ journey to the Museum.

We have also worked with St Johns URC; U3A; Scout Troops; Meadowside Care Home; Livingstone Court; Cuffley Manor Care Home; Cedar Lawns Care Home; Godwin Court; Hadley Lawns Care Home; Edgware Synagogue; New Barnet Synagogue; Stanmore Care Home; Age UK; Potters Bar LHS; Memory Way Cafes in Golders Green and Leicester Road. Silver Sunday and the launch of the Borough Black History Month. We attended the Launch of the New Met at Mill Hill School and St. Albans Museum for the opening of their 2[nd] Battle of St Albans exhibition.

The Museum set up a display to mark the Coronation of King Charles III featuring a personal bodyguard (a Barnet man) who served the King when the latter was Prince of Wales for many years. We have a small display featuring the newly refurbished Hadley Fountain and the spear from the Friary Park statue is now on show in the Museum. The Museum received Glass Photographic Plates from Potters Bar LHS featuring Barnet (mainly) in 1930s.

Two of our volunteers, Chloe Goes and Sandy Headey are assisting on the Monken Hadley Common Archive project.

We have opened The Physic Well on the third Saturday of each month (except for December and January) per our agreement with the Council. (we have produced a free information postcard for visitors). We have also had special openings for Proud Places, a group for young people run by Heritage of London Trust. It has proved popular.

We have established a lease/loan agreement for free use of a shop unit in The Spires shopping centre; we have set up exhibitions of Old Hadley/Barnet photographs; and a Royal display featuring the Platinum Jubilee and the Coronation of Charles III. From December 2023 we are putting up a display titled “Eating, Meeting and Shopping in High Barnet” featuring contemporary work by photographer Simon Hollins.

BMLHS is one of the founder members of Heritage Barnet, a new body aiming to promote and coordinate the activities of the various heritage bodies in the Borough of Barnet. Other members include the Borough Archivist, Hugh Petrie, Friern Barnet DLHS, The Finchley Society, Stephens House, RAF Museum, HADAS and Barnet Council. The group has regular guest speakers and is chaired by Martin Russell.

An established 12[th] Century reenactment group, Historia Normannis, has started a North London section. This section is informally affiliated with Barnet Museum and rehearses in the Museum’s back garden.

We have held discussions with RAF Museum about diversity in museums as part of our Trustees’ agenda.

Publications

In this period, BMLHS published two Annual Local History Journals. and a book commemorating the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (“Royalty in Barnet”). All three were sent free to members of the BMLHS. The 2023 Barnet Museum Calendar was quite successful (although, with Waterstones not stocking them, there was some difficulty with distribution). 2024’s Calendar will feature “Barnet On Screen – Our town and surrounds on Film and TV”. We are currently working on a book elaborating on the Time Line of Barnet History. Local artist Keith West has agreed to produce some of the artwork.

Lectures

We delivered a series of Monday lectures, held at Barnet Church. Feb: Nick Jones (The Press); Mar: Gemma Hollman (Woodvilles, Witchcraft and Politics); Apr: Ian Jones (Enfield Palaces); Jun: Terence Atkins (1930s Photographs); Jul: Martin Bridge (Tree Dating); Sept: John Lynch (London Parks); Oct: John Leatherdale (Enfield Chase); Nov: John Hall (Livingstone in Hadley).

Battle of Barnet

-A continuing major initiative is The Battle of Barnet banners project. The Banners are designed, painted and crafted by the Museum volunteers; they were repaired and restored over the winter following their 2022 hanging. They were hung again on the High Street lampposts from April 2023 to October 2023. We produced guide leaflets to accompany the Banners; these were well received but we are disappointed that there is little media coverage of the initiative. Our thanks once again to Bouygues the lamppost contractors for their free work in hanging and removing and monitoring the banners. Special thanks go to the Banner team of volunteers, Hilary Harrison, Scott Harrison, Myra Pincherle, Margaret Luck, Chris Andrewes, Jackie Andrews, Colette Nicolle, Gwyneth Hibbert and Geoffrey Wheeler;

-We have a continuing focus on Battle of Barnet education for local schools visiting the Museum and /or using our lesson packs;

-Further Battle archaeology has stalled for the time being as we await the availability of specialist battlefield archaeologists;

-We are undertaking detailed research into participants of the Battle. This should lead to a substantial publication;

-The Museum paid for a stall to sell books during the Medieval Festival in June 2023;

-The Museum was again invited to represent Barnet at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival;

-The six arrowheads and the seal of the Earl of Warwick on long term loan from the British Museum are still on display in Barnet Museum; we will probably consider requesting an extension to the loan period for these important artefacts.

Treasurer’s Report

Activity was steady in the Financial Year 2022/2023. Receipts were down from £26K last year to £22K. Payments decreased from £25.7K to £18K.
Although costs continued to increase in line with inflation in telecoms/internet, security, insurance, and utilities, we negotiated a three-year electricity supply agreement through the Museums Energy Basket Facility just before the sudden huge rise in wholesale prices and, with various Government discounts, we escaped really drastic rises. Because we received a 100% discount on our rates bill (80% charity discount and 20% discretionary for the first time) we again saved some £2K.
Our account is mainly run through our Bank Account with very little use of cash payments.
We have been undertaking more maintenance work (painting etc) and because that will continue, we are carrying a larger than usual balance in our current account.
The Hadley Trust donated an annual grant of £10K to BMLHS. We are, as ever, most grateful.
Waterstones paid the monies that we were owed for the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendars (£3K); because we run cash accounts the Waterstones £3K shows in this year’s income.
The Treasurer should like to thank Charlotte Smithers and Barbara Farnley who have managed cash, banking and accounting activities and Irene Nichols who has managed the shop and retail activity.

John Hall

Chairman, BMLHS

	Barnet Museum & Local History Society	Barnet Museum & Local History Society	Barnet Museum & Local History Society	1169214	CC16a
	For the period from	Period start date 01-Jul-22	To	Period end date 30-Jun-23

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 1,895 2,730 1,572 3,206 10,000 2,588 179 - 22,170 - - - 22,170 5,369 457 1,964 1,348 1,976 2,716 353 2,518 401 676 250 18,028 - - - 18,028 4,142 49,568 53,710	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 1,895 2,730 1,572 3,206 10,000 2,588 179 - 22,170 - - - 22,170 5,369 457 1,964 1,348 1,976 2,716 353 2,518 401 676 250 18,028 - - - 18,028 4,142	Last year to the nearest £
BMLHS Subs	1,895				2,237
DONATIONS	2,730				2,650
SALES	1,572				3,887
RECEIPTS	3,206				2,250
GRANTS	10,000				13,448
SUMUP	2,588				1,556
INTEREST	179				-
	-				-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	22,170				26,028

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-				-
*Sub total*	-				-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
					26,028

UTIL	5,369				3,640
PHYS WELL	457				246
COMMS	1,964				1,720
SECURITY	1,348				2,569
INSURANCE	1,976				1,795
ADMIN,MAINT,STORAGE	2,716				4,383
COLLECTION	353				589
COST OF SALES	2,518				3,672
MARKETING	401				39
BMLHS	676				5,166
BATTLE PROJECT SPEND	250				1,902
**Sub total **	18,028				25,721

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-
	-
**Sub total **	-				-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
					25,721

	4,142	-	-	4,142	307
		-	-	-	-
	49,568	-	-	49,568	-
	53,710	-	-	53,710	307

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

03/11/2023

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B2 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds	Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) The Physic Well EN5 The Collection and Archive Office Equipment Details 31 Wood Street EN5 4BE Details Deposit Accounts Cash at Bank Cash in Hand Signature M A Noronha	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 100 - 13,065 40,545 - 53,710 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Long Lease - Long Lease - Restricted - Museum - Print Name M A NORONHA	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Current value (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Date



	Signature
	M A Noronha	M A NORONHA	01-Nov-23

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)