The Heritage Alliance – the largest coalition of heritage interests in England, representing 87 organisations that between them represent over 5 million people – announced on Wednesday 8 December the winner of the first Heritage Alliance Hero Award.
The new award scheme was established to celebrate the outstanding contribution to society made by heritage volunteers across the country; 423,000 (1.1% of the adult population)[1] of whom give their time each year to look after our irreplaceable national heritage, so that the public can continue to enjoy it and the economy can continue to benefit from it.[2] Each year this army of heritage volunteers gives around 58.5 million unpaid hours to society, which equates to a notional value of £335million[3] and shows that social action and community empowerment – the two main strands of the Government’s Big Society concept – are already going strong in the heritage sector.
The winner of the first Heritage Alliance Hero Award is Mr Peter Vacher, whose 28-year battle to save and restore the only surviving, operational Hawker Hurricane to see action in the Battle of Britain, means children and adults alike can continue to be enthralled by this mighty fighter plane at air shows across the country. Peter’s dedication and determination saw him battle to repatriate the Hurricane from India, where it had lain exposed to the elements and vandals from the time of its being struck-off-charge in 1947. Since rescuing the plane in 2001, Peter has undertaken a meticulous and lengthy restoration to ensure that the public could get up close and personal with this rare historic aircraft in this year’s 70th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Britain. See below for more detail on the plane’s turbulent history.
On receiving his Award from Chairman of The Heritage Alliance Loyd Grossman OBE FSA, at the Alliance’s annual Heritage Day at the Banqueting House on 8 December, Peter said:
“The long battle to return this unique plane to flight was nothing compared to the sacrifice made by the few during the Battle of Britain. Watching R4118 play a leading role at 70th Anniversary Airshows throughout Europe this year has been both a source of pride and a humbling experience. The nation now has a flying memorial that will continue to inspire coming generations.”
The two runners up, Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Stoke on Trent and the Wey & Arun Canal Trust for Loxwood Bridge, were highly impressive examples of heritage volunteers pulling together and taking action on behalf of their local communities.
A strong response to this first year of the Heritage Alliance Heroes award scheme shows the breadth and diversity of the many thousands of inspiring volunteer-led heritage initiatives out there. Entries included community archaeological digs, building restoration projects, heritage transport restorations (including boats, trains, planes, cars and a cinema bus) and oral history projects that aim to capture the voices of local communities for posterity. The judging panel – Chairman of The Heritage Alliance Loyd Grossman, Chief Executive Kate Pugh and Trustees Denis Dunstone and Charles Angus – was delighted at the response and the variety of entries.
Loyd Grossman commented: “As the many outstanding entries to the Heritage Alliance Hero Award shows, we in the heritage sector have been doing the Big Society for years. The power and beauty of our heritage inspires volunteers all over the country to make a huge contribution to society and to future generations.”
Around two thirds of the historic environment in Britain is supported, managed or owned by non-government heritage bodies, voluntary organisations or privately. The work of these organisations, groups and individuals benefits not only local communities through improved quality of life [4], but also local businesses[5] and the wider economy through tourism[6] – which contributes £20.6 billion to UK GDP per year and is expected to continue to grow.[7]
More information on the Winner and Runner-Up Projects
Winner: Hawker Hurricane, Peter Vacher
The winner was Peter Vacher, with a Hawker Hurricane restoration submitted by The Transport Trust. Peter’s lengthy and complex restoration has allowed members of the public to get up close and personal with the R4118, as it has flown in a series of appearances around the country as a memorial to the few.
Hawker Hurricane Mark I, R4118, was delivered new to 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron at Drem on 17 August 1940. It was quickly pressed into duty for the Battle of Britain, during which it flew forty nine sorties from Croydon and shot down five enemy aircraft. Despite the romance surrounding the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane bore the brunt of the attacks by enemy fighters.
After being battle damaged on 22 October 1940, the aircraft was rebuilt and taken on charge by 111 Squadron at Dyce on 18 January 1941. There it was flown on patrol over the North Sea and was again in combat. Over the following two years it was used primarily as a training aircraft with 59 and 56 OTUs, and was rebuilt a further three times following major accidents, including hitting a lorry on the runway and over-running into heavy snow.
In December 1943, R4118 was shipped to India for service as a training aircraft, but it was never needed; it remained in its packing case in Bombay until being struck off charge in 1947. Donated to the engineering department of a university, the dismantled airframe gradually deteriorated, lying exposed to the elements and vandals until June 2001.
In 1982, Peter stumbled across what he initially thought to be the remains of a Spitfire; each time he revisited the location, he became ever more concerned about the deteriorating condition. In 1995, he decided that he had to act or the airframe would be lost for ever and he began what would become a six year battle with the Indian authorities to repatriate the Hurricane. Once home, Peter started a meticulous and lengthy restoration which included fitting every piece of equipment which was in the aircraft during the Battle, such as the first of the VHF radios (the TR1133), the Identification Friend or Foe unit, the original eight Browning machine guns, and the camera gun in the starboard wing.
During its lifetime, it was fitted with no fewer than five Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines, and underwent four major rebuilds. It is still powered by a Merlin III – the only other aircraft in the world to retain a Merlin III is the Sea Hurricane at Shuttleworth.
It is generally accepted that R4118 is the most historic fighter aircraft to have survived the war.
Runner up: Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Stoke on Trent
Volunteers at Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Stoke on Trent, a project submitted by the Historic Chapels Trust, have worked tirelessly to raise over £17,000 to enable the repair and revitalisation of this listed community building. The second phase of work on this semi-derelict and vandalised chapel commenced in July.
The long-term aim of the local volunteers is to re-engage with the local community. Of particular note is the way that the chapel is actually being brought back into use through organising choral performances with a wide variety of visiting choirs.
Runner up: Loxwood Bridge, The Wey and Arun Canal Trust
Loxwood Bridge was submitted by The Wey and Arun Canal Trust, whose volunteers have worked tirelessly to raise £1.8 million to restore ‘London’s lost route to the sea’. The work involved lowering 400 yards of canal to pass beneath the existing road and digging a tunnel under the road. The cost of £1.8 million was raised entirely by volunteers, who also built the lock and lock bridge.
This was a particularly impressive feat of engineering and construction that was entirely volunteer-led. The project was completed on time and within budget. The end result is a stunning asset for the local community to enjoy
[1] Taking Part Survey 2010, Department for Culture, Media and Sport: click here
[2] Heritage tourism contributes £20.6 billion to GDP a year, supporting a total of 466,000 jobs – HLF/VisitBritain: investing in Success, March 2010. The Prime Minister acknowledged that: “Heritage is a key reason why people come to Britain; we should play it up, not play it down.” (Serpentine Gallery speech, 12 August 2010)
[3]Taking Part Survey 2010, Department for Culture, Media and Sport: click here Heritage Counts 2009, English Heritage: click here
[4] Amion/ Locum Consulting/English Heritage (unpublished): The impact of historic environment regeneration, June 2010
[5] Amion/ Locum Consulting/English Heritage (unpublished): The impact of historic environment regeneration, June 2010
[6] Heritage tourism contributes £20.6 billion to GDP a year, supporting a total of 466,000 jobs – HLF/VisitBritain: investing in Success, March 2010. The Prime Minister acknowledged that: “Heritage is a key reason why people come to Britain; we should play it up, not play it down.” (Serpentine Gallery speech, 12 August 2010)
[7] Increased visitor numbers have mitigated the impact of the recession even at this stage in the economic cycle, and tourism is expected to grow by 3.5% between 2009-2018 – well above the general prospects for growth. Deloitte and Oxford Economics; The economic contribution of the visitor economy: UK and the nations 2010