Thursday 22 November 2012

Lifting the lid on Shakespeare Birthplace Trust


Shakespeare Birthplace Trust will not come out and tell the world its true position, so we thought we’d do it for them.
Consider this...

The Trust has consistently said it is against development on the land it owns behind Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery, Stratford.
The Trust now says it is waiting for the outcome of the legal process at the High Court to be followed by Stratford District Council in an attempt to overturn the Secretary of State’s decision to allow the housing development to take place.

Whether Stratford District Council wins or loses the High Court case, it will still be up to Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State, to make the final decision.

If his final decision is to stop the development, the Trust will be vindicated in its consistent statement opposing development without having to lift a finger or spend a pound. All the work will have been done and the money spent by Stratford District Council (£300K to date) and organisations like RASE (Residents Against Shottery Expansion – thousands to date, over 20 years) and Save Shottery (two self-employed people who cannot earn any money while fighting this).
If Pickles’ final decision is to progress the development, the Trust has the choice of selling the land willingly (for more money), or unwillingly via a Compulsory Purchase Order (probably for less money). In either case, the Trust can say that its hands are tied and, given the situation, it is better to sell for more money. Then, the development will go ahead and there will be some harm to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (as the Public Inquiry and Secretary of State acknowledged). But the Trust will get lots of money for the land and probably a new car park and visitor centre.  Anne Hathaway’s ‘romantic’ environment will have been altered forever, but, hey, it isn’t the Trust’s fault, is it? In which case, the public can only mourn the loss and feel sorry for the Trust.

Win-Win, thinks the Trust                                                                                                                            Either way, the Trust thinks it will win from this situation – as long as it sits tight, does nothing and says even less. However, last week proved that the Trust did not enjoy being in the spotlight, when it thought that Stratford District Council was going to take all the flak. Now, the Trust sits under the same glare as the Council, the developers and the Secretary of State. It knows it cannot escape.
What would you do in its position? Its latest statement claims that ‘Trustees have a legal responsibility to act in the best interestsof the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’. But the Trust is governed by a UK Act of Parliament known as the 1961 Shakespeare Birthplace Act. This means that it ‘owns’ the Shakespeare houses in trust for the nation. Doing what’s best for Shakespeare Birthplace Trust means doing what’s best for the nation. Taking developers’ money to build a car park and get a better visitor centre is pure heresy, given that damage will be done to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and garden by selling the land to developers.

This is a charitable Trust with £21 million of reserves. It has a rolling annual income of about £8 million. Why does it need to sell land? Just what is going on here behind the scenes? Both the Charity Commission and the UK Government need to take a long hard look at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, how it is governed and why it thinks it can act with impunity, by ignoring the wishes of local and national citizens, never mind the tourists of international countries who bring in that income.

There are some huge aspects to be investigated. Is this a dereliction of duty under the 1961 Act? Can a Trust governed by Act of Parliament be so secretive and deny the public access to its Board Meeting minutes? Isn’t it in the British public interest for citizens to know what the Trust is about and why it is not coming out against the Merchants of Venice?
End game
We have said all along that the Trust should come out of its defensive shell and say no to developers up front. It may lose a few millions by doing so, but will gain much in local, national and international kudos and support for doing the job it was invested with.

Having come out, the Trust should then work with local organisations - Stratford District Council, RASE, Nadhim Zahawi MP and Save Shottery - to present a united case in the upcoming High Court case and say No to Pickles, Yes to Preserves.
Hiding behind twice-yearly Trustee gatherings (many do not even turn up) and irregular executive committee meetings, while apparently waiting for legal advice, is no longer any good to anyone who believes in preserving Shakespeare’s legacy. The Trust employs these lawyers – get them to work faster.

We know what the Trust is up to. It may well get what it wants in the end. But Save Shottery wants the world to know what the Trust is up to. We would like the world to tell the Trust what you think of this selfish and short-term policy to benefit its bank balance to the detriment of its true duty to the world – to preserve the legacy of Shakespeare, his life and times.
We must not let the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust escape the spotlight. Win or lose, we must expose the truth.

Friday 16 November 2012

12 key questions for SBT


It’s been quite a week.
24 hours to go before Shakespeare Birthplace Trustees meet to discuss the situation around the land they own at the back of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the land the developers need.

So, here we are. The people of Stratford are against development. Stratford District Council is against development. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is opposed to development. MP Nadhim Zahawi is against it. 800 people from Stratford, the UK and the world have signed the Save Shottery petition in just 100 hours. What if everyone could now work together, present a united front?  What might we achieve?
Now that Stratford District Council has recommended going for a final Judicial Review at the High Court (hopefully to be confirmed next week), we have a little more time.

About time
When we began the Save Shottery campaign, time was not on our side. Yet, thanks to the power of social media, in just five days we think we have achieved our first objective of putting Shakespeare Birthplace Trust under the spotlight – alongside Eric Pickles, Stratford District Council and Bloor Homes/Hallam Land Management.  No mean feat – but all thanks to you and your support.

As they prepare for tomorrow’s Trustees’ meeting, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust seems to consider it unfair that it has been singled out for attention this week. But the Save Shottery campaign strategy has been a simple one. If you’re going to win the war, you can only fight the battle in front of you. This week, in the war to save Shottery from development, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has been the battle in front of us. This is what the Trust must understand tomorrow.
Being under the spotlight doesn’t mean that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is tainted in the same way as the other protagonists. At least not yet.  As we await the outcome of the Trustees’ Board meeting, we are encouraging the Trust to come off the fence and be the hero of this controversial and unnecessary situation.

Yesterday, we turned our attention on Stratford District Council, which met to discuss whether to recommend going to Judicial Review.  We made it plain to them that this isn’t just down to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. We have to continue working on the people who got us into this mess in the first place.
When the future of the Shakespeare legacy is at stake, there is no place to hide for any organisation with an important decision to make – locally, nationally, internationally. Thanks to all your support for Save Shottery, we hope the Shakespeare BirthplaceTrust and Stratford District Council can now see this. Whether the Trust and the Council will then act positively and decisively is another matter. So, while it will not likely be as relentless in its activity as this week, the Save Shottery campaign will continue next week and beyond. We will be watching and acting.

Grab this opportunity

To all the cynics out there, people can change, people can change anything.  We’ve shown all week, in adapting our message, that we can change, that we’re listening and responding to what the Trust says. Can the Trust now listen, adapt and respond? Can the Trust change?
It needn’t take too long to think about it. Hopefully, thanks to the way that social media can reach around the world with such immediacy, the Trust realises that secrecy, inertia and procrastination will no longer serve it.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. To take it, the organisation will need to radically change its approach to communicating and engaging with the world. 
SBT, we are with you on that and can help you with that. As long as you are prepared to see sense and fight more proactively and publicly to preserve the land around Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, for today’s and future generations.

There are several tough questions that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust needs to answer, publicly, very soon.
We appreciate that these are difficult questions. But, if you want the world to work with you, not against you, you need to come clean and set the position straight on a number of fronts.

1.       Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has said it has always opposed development of Shottery land behind Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. But what has it ever done in practice to support that position?
 
2.       Why did Shakespeare Birthplace Trust neither attend nor speak out at the Stratford District Council meetings to oppose development and the ensuing Public Inquiry – where the developers’ lawyers were able to belittle the importance of Shakespeare to Shottery?

3.       Why would Bloor Homes/Hallam Land Management proceed with such a controversial development if they didn’t believe that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust would sell the land they need to them?  

4.       Before the planning and legal processes were even over, did Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, or any individual connected with it, lead Bloor Homes/Hallam Land Management to believe you would sell? 

5.       Has Bloor Homes/Hallam Land Management made an offer to Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for the land? Rumours say they have - anything between £4 million and £14 million.

6.       Does Shakespeare Birthplace Trust really need money when it has £21 million in reserves and a rolling average annual income of about £8 million?  

7.       Apparently, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust building in Henley Street needs urgent repairs and money from land sale could be devoted to that. Is this true? If so, how much money is needed for that? Not £14 million. Not £4 million. Are you seeking funds to have part of Cottage Lane pedestrianised in front of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage? Or to build a new Visitor Centre? If so, why not fight land sale, communicate your need and fundraise separately for these?

8.       Given that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust holds the Shakespeare buildings in trust for the nation, according to Act of Parliament, isn’t it an absolute priority of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to reach a decision quickly on Shottery and communicate that publicly? The fact that Trustees only regularly meet twice a year is no answer. What’s stopping you speaking out? 

9.       Wouldn’t a charity whose only agenda was preservation do anything – and be open to offers of collaboration - rather than sell out an international icon to developers?

10.   If Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is to change and adapt to the modern world, doesn’t it need to review its Governance? It has an archaic Trustee structure which no longer reflects the 1961 Shakespeare Birthplace Act - would the Charity Commission be interested in your fitness for the role you exist to fulfil?

11.   Although you are not legally obliged to do so, in the interests of transparency will you publish a list of the Trustees who have declared a conflict of interest between their role as a Trustee and their personal or business interests elsewhere?

12.   With one of the biggest cultural ‘draws’ in the world, why not be the heroes here and work with people and organisations - locally, nationally and internationally – to preserve Shakespeare’s legacy, life and times for everyone, rather than the business interests of a few?

Thursday 15 November 2012

Public demonstration 17.11.12 10am


Will you be there to Save Shottery?

PUBLIC DEMO
Outside Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Henley Street, Stratford
Saturday 17 November, 10.00 am

NO SELL OUT!
Let the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust know exactly how you feel about the land behind Anne Hathaway's Cottage.

The world is watching. The world is with you.



PRINT OFF THE POSTER
Get your own copy of this poster from Flickr

SDC - APPEAL AGAINST PICKLES!



Join us today 15 Nov: STRATFORD TOWN HALL, 11am

Stratford District Council MUST appeal against Eric Pickles' ruling. The Conservative leaders got us into this mess by including Shottery in their spacial plans - despite opposition from local people and the Lib Dems. They must now sort out the mess their national government has put us in by abandoning the Localism Act.
 
Join Save Shottery, RASE and other angry residents at the meeting of Stratford District Council's Regulatory Committee at the Town Hall, Sheep Street, Stratford upon Avon at 11am today.

The world is now awake to the fate of Shottery. On behalf of the world, local residents must make sure the Council uses its right of legal appeal. If it doesn't, they'll be next to get a Save Shottery petition...

Wednesday 14 November 2012

24 hours left to save Shottery!


We’ve  now got just 24 hours to convince Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) to save Shakespeare’s Shottery for the nation and the world. The full board of trustees only meets twice a year and their next meeting is on Saturday 17 November when the Shottery development is 'a key item on the agenda'.
 
The Trust could make a fortune by selling or leasing the above land to developers. Or it could say 'no' and find other ways to raise funds to preserve Shakespeare's life and times for the nation and the globe.

We want all the trustees to understand the wide breadth and scale of opposition to this development. We're using the power of social media to tell the Trustees: "NO SELL OUT - find more positive ways to raise funds."
 
Sign the petition and share with the world.

Sunday 11 November 2012

About Shottery and the development


 
A nice pickle, Eric           
In October 2012, following an appeal from developers, Bloor Homesand Hallam Land Management, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, overturned a unanimous decision from Stratford District Council to block the building of 800 homes on land adjacent to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery.

The people of Stratford upon Avon have been supporting their directly elected Council to resist the attempts of developers for over 20 years. In 2011, the District Council voted unanimously to reject the proposal submitted by Bloor Homes and Hallam Land Management, who were then granted an appeal by Eric Pickles. In April 2012, a Public Inquiry was held in Stratford upon Avon.

We haven’t the time or patience to go through all that again. It was hell on earth for everyone concerned (except for Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who played no part, despite the proposed development being partly on land it owns).

By Localism, we don’t mean ‘localism’…                                                                                                
As the decision was awaited in October, the Government announced that it was attempting to kick-start the economy through house-building. In essence, this meant that, despite the Government’s much-vaunted Localism agenda,  local councils should give consent to new building proposals, even when there were valid reasons to oppose.

Nice one, Nadhim                                                                                                                                
On 8 November 2012, Stratford MP, Nadhim Zahawi, slated Eric Pickles in a House of Commons statement for destroying , in a single stroke, the people of Stratford-upon-Avon’s belief in the government’s localism agenda.

“It grants permission for a village-sized development to be welded to the edge of this important, historic town and to build a new link road directly behind the cottage in which William Shakespeare’s wife grew up, which is a significant tourist attraction. Anne Hathaway’s house is a Grade 1 listed building. It has a registered listed park and garden, and is an integral part of the Shakespeare story, which itself is an integral part of the story of our island, our culture and our language. This decision will create a permanent scar on the landscape, breach a historic town’s boundary and begin an urban sprawl into what are currently open fields. In the planning inspector’s own words, there will be ‘harm’ to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and, moreover, ‘a degree of adverse effect on tourism numbers cannot be ruled out.’

All great, but, in many respects, too little, too late.

But, of course, it’s never too late.

And you’d think, wouldn’t you, that the guardians of Shakespeare’s heritage would have a very easy decision to make. After all, they are the decision-makers who stand in the way of this development going forward. To bring their plan to fruition, the developers need the land that the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust owns next to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. If it is refused them, they may not go away. But they will have to re-submit an alternative proposal which goes around that land – which means going through the entire planning process all over again. And, this time, the world will be ready for them.

In the meantime…that is, right now, this week…

To sell, or not to sell?                                                                                                                                 
On 28 November, the executive board of Trustees of the SBT will discuss the Shottery development and the possible impacts on Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and gardens – and on the reputation of the Trust. If they were hoping to keep it all ‘hush-hush’, it’s too late. We’ve acted because it seems that whatever SBT are officially saying in public is not what some are saying in a private capacity.

If the great and the good of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust ever thought taking developers’ money would be a no-brainer and that the world would quietly let them accept on a flimsy pretext of having no choice, they are now having to think again.

The power of social media today is instant. In just two weeks, Save Shottery has reached more people and spread the message about this development further afield than 20 years of polite campaigning. And it’s proved our point that this is about Shakespeare – an issue of national and global importance – not a NIMBY protest.

We are in contact with SBT and we hope, eventulally, to be able to evolve this campaign into a good news story where SBT are doing something heroic - i.e. being brave enough to stand up to developers, say ‘no’ to their money, stop the house and road building and find a more positive way to raise funds to save Shakespeare’s life and times.

That’s how things stand. You know where we stand. But we still don’t know where the Trustees stand. There isn’t much time. Please act fast.

Sign the petition. Use the comments box to let the Trustees know how you feel. Tweet the world.

Sign the petition


Are you a Shakespeare lover?

 
A Nature enthusiast?

 
A believer in Democracy?

 
A Culture junkie?

 
An Environmentalist?

 
Conservationist?

 
A supporter of David, rather than Goliath?

 
 
Act now. SIGN THE PETITION. Save Shottery for the nation and the world.

About Shakespeare Birthplace Trust


Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) is a charity whose work is governed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Act of 1961.

The objectives of the Trust, as defined by this Act, are to:

-          promote in every part of the world the appreciation and study of the plays and other works of William Shakespeare and the general advancement of Shakespearian knowledge;

-          to maintain and preserve the Shakespeare properties for the benefit of the nation;

-          to provide and maintain for the benefit of the nation a museum and a library of books, manuscripts, records of historic interest, pictures, photographs and objects of antiquity with particular but not exclusive reference to William Shakespeare, his life, works and times.

On the Trust website’s Governance page, it states:

In 2009 we used these objectives to develop our vision statement:
Leading the world’s enjoyment and understanding of Shakespeare’s works, life and times.”

On 17 November 2012, the full board of Trustees will discuss the Shottery development. They own the land that the developers need. So to sell or not to sell? That is the big question.

Following the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government’s (Eric Pickles) October 2012 decision to overturn a unanimous vote from Stratford District Council to block the building of 800 homes on land adjacent to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery, after an appeal by the developers, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust released the following statement to the media and posted it on their website:

“We are extremely disappointed to learn that the Secretary of State has granted the appeal. The Trust has been an objector to the proposed development, on the grounds of the potential irreversible harm it poses to the setting of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and the registered park and garden which surrounds it. Our position is unchanged. As the charity charged by Act of Parliament to preserve the Shakespeare houses for the benefit of the nation, our overarching responsibility is to protect this unique part of our national heritage. We will consider the content of the Secretary of State’s decision carefully before making any further comment.”

That's the public line, but little birds are saying in private that they will release the land.

How the Trust thinks that leading the world’s enjoyment and understanding of Shakespeare’s works, life and times is promoted by driving a ring road and 800 homes through it is beyond belief.

We would like the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to abide by its public position and transform it into action that shows they mean what they say. Namely, to refuse to take the developers’ dirty money. And make this new position public.

It is a moot point whether Shakespeare Birthplace Trust needs the money from the sale of the land. As of 2011, the Trust was worth £21 million, with a licence to mint money from every tourist visit to Stratford upon Avon in perpetuity. However, we are not going to argue with them about their ‘need’.

If it is all about the money, money, money...there are other ways to provide the wherewithal to safeguard the land for future generations. Millions of Shakespeare lovers around the world would be prepared to stump up money to conserve Shakespeare’s heritage.

But, beyond this, we would like to remind the Trustees of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust of their duties under the 1961 Act – particularly to maintain and preserve the Shakespeare properties for the benefit of the nation.

What a great opportunity for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust this is! It hasn’t had a promotional opportunity like this for decades. A chance to be the hero of the piece, instead of the villain.

This opportunity is in its hands. But it won’t take that unless people act right now.

We’re not going to let decision makers hide behind a corporate body, are we? Sign the petition.

The Trustees are as follows:

Executive Committee:

Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman), formerly Chief Executive of Shakespeare Globe
Bennet Carr, Headmaster of King Edward VI School, Stratford upon Avon
Margaret Cund, National Trust Midlands Advisory Board
Prof. Michael Dobson, Director, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman), Chief Exec of
Brian Hyde Ltd, (retail construction and DIY industry)

Helen Keays, Management Consultant
Ralph Bernard CBE (ex-broadcasting industry)                                                                                                       John Russell 

Representative:

Kristian Jensen, Head of British Collections, British Library
Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director, Royal Shakespeare Company
Neil Constable, Chief Executive, Shakespeare's Globe
Cllr Rev Neville Beamer, Stratford-upon-Avon District Council
Stephen Jolly, Director of External Affairs and Communications, University of Cambridge
Prof. Tiffany Stern, Professor of Early Modern Drama, University of Oxford
Prof. Carol Chillington Rutter, Director, The Capital Centre, University of Warwick
Cllr Ron Cockings, Warwickshire County Council.

Ex-officio:

The Rt Rev Christopher Cocksworth, The Bishop of Coventry,
Sir William Dugdale, The High Steward of Stratford-upon-Avon
Martin Dunne, The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
The Rvd Martin Gorick, The Vicar of Holy Trinity Church
Cllr Keith Lloyd, The Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Life Trustees:

Sir Eric Anderson KT
Sir Geoffrey Cass
Prof. Ann Jennalie Cook
Dame Margaret Drabble
Prof. Kate McLuskie
Peter Nicholls
Dr Roger Pringle
Neville Tarratt
Prof. Stanley Wells
Michael Wood

Local:
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
VAP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
AP Bird OBE
Dr Paula Byrne*
Richard Hyde (Deputy Chairman)*
Helen Keays*
Peter Kyle OBE (Chairman) *
VAPAA
AP Bird OBE, MD, The Bird Group (property).

Are you a Shakespeare lover?


“Discover where the young William Shakespeare courted his future bride Anne Hathaway at her picturesque family home,” says the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust flyer.

The Trust describes Anne Hathaway’s Cottage as ‘the most romantic Shakespeare house.’ Imagine it with a link road over the hedge alongside 800 houses.

Everything the great man experienced was grist to his mill. What plays would he never have written without his time at this iconic place?

 

If he were around today, Shakespeare would be writing about a very different Merchant of Venice.

 

Exit pursued by a bare-faced lie.

 

                                Act now. Sign the petition. Tell the world.

 

Are you a Nature enthusiast?



“Escape into a peaceful oasis of English Oak and Norwegian Spruce woodland,” urges the SBT’s flyer for Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

Shakespeare, alongside many people for the last 450 years, had that opportunity.

 

He loved nature. His plays and sonnets are full of fauna and flora. He was an unusual man who loved both city and rural life.

 

Anne Hathaway’s cottage has managed to sit in a tranquil setting for centuries. Now, following two decades of threat, we come to a week when all this may change forever.

 

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: “Enjoy beautiful gardens in Stratford. Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a thatched farmhouse with stunning grounds and gardens, which overflow with beautiful blooms, and traditional shrubs. The cottage is in Shottery, a hamlet within the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon.”

 

                                Act now. Sign the petition. Tell the world.

 

Are you a believer in Democracy?


Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, doesn’t want you to have your say. New buildings are more important than Localism.

Rich development companies with expensive lawyers do not want you to have your say. Profit in somebody else’s parish is more important than what anybody else thinks.

 “We are the world’s leading charity in promoting the works, life and times of William Shakespeare,” says the SBT on its website.

Prove it, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust!

You are a charity operating under the terms of the 1961 Shakespeare Birthplace Act. It’s your duty to maintain and preserve the Shakespeare properties for the benefit of the nation.

If you think democracy can go hang and that this decision is none of our business, it really is up to everyone who believes that the life and times of William Shakespeare should be preserved through his houses to stand up and have their say.


                                Act now. Sign the petition. Tell the world.

Are you a supporter of Underdogs?


“As an independent charity we receive no public subsidy or direct government funding. We depend entirely on income generated through our supporters: our visitors, volunteers, donors and Friends.”

In case you’re feeling sorry for the Shakespeare BirthplaceTrust, victims of unscrupulous developers, whose money they just cannot refuse, just who is the underdog here?

As of 31 December 2011, the Trust’s latest financial figures show a balance sheet of £42,596,000, around half of which are reserves.

Every year, the Shakespeare properties get hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. With just about the most marketable cultural icon in the world, the Trust effectively has a licence to print money.

Alone, Stratford District Council and the people it represents cannot save Shottery for the nation, for the world. They couldn’t afford the Public Inquiry. They cannot really afford to go to the last place of legal resort, the High Court, for Judicial Review.

One thing they, the nation and the world certainly cannot afford is to allow developers to ruin the legacy of Shakespeare because its caretakers had neither the foresight nor imagination to run an international fundraising campaign that would make it a hero.

                                Act now. Sign the petition. Tell the world.

Tweet and Retweet


 
 
It ain’t over till the bird stops singing.

It’s important to tweet to your world and people directly associated with this.

This is how to do it:

Follow us @SaveShottery

When sending a Tweet, use one of these hashtags and get it trending:

                #saveshottery

                #hathasay

#annehathanotherway

#noshotterysellout

Copy in one of:

 @ShakespeareBT

 @DianaJOwen

Go to our Contacts list and copy in someone else.

Here are some sample Tweets:

@ShakespeareBT can stop developers building a road and 800 houses in Anne Hathaway’s back yard #saveshottery http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/shakespeare-birthplace-trust-no-sell-out-save-shottery

Stop @ShakespeareBT selling out to developers next to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Sign the #saveshottery petition: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/shakespeare-birthplace-trust-no-sell-out-save-shottery

Could @DianaJOwen tell us why @ShakespeareBT should sell out to developers when #annehathanotherway http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/shakespeare-birthplace-trust-no-sell-out-save-shottery

Does @ahrcpress support @ShakespeareBT in selling out to property developers? #saveshottery  http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/shakespeare-birthplace-trust-no-sell-out-save-shottery

 
 

Save Shottery via Facebook


 
 
Tell your Facebook friends about the Save Shottery campaign today.

Leave a message. Sign the petition. Get your friends to sign the petition.

Save Shottery with Pictures


 
Be part of the Save Shottery campaign. Put yourself in the picture via Flickr.

Download the logo and make your own protest picture. 

Get the message out there.

Snap a shot of yourself outside a Shakespeare building or with a Shakespeare book and upload on Flickr.
Re-pin pictures from our Pinterest Board to yours.

Donate


Surprised by this one?

Yes, we are asking you to donate to Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

As far as Save Shottery is concerned, developers’ money is dirty money.

If the SBT sells out Shakespeare’s Shottery, the Trustees will have blood on their hands.

They’ve been saying all along that they’re opposed to the development. But, it's been all talk and no action.

OK, land is not cheap. But we urge them to find another way to raise the dosh.

So, please make a donation and tell the SBT what it’s for: to save Shakespeare’s Shottery for the nation and the world.

We’ve done it. You can do it.

Thanks

About us


This is no anonymous campaign - real people have set it up!
Debbie and Mark Griffiths live in Stratford upon Avon, about half a mile from Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery.

They are passionate supporters of Shakespeare, local democracy, the environment and cultural heritage.


They have been part of the local battle against the attempts of developers, Bloor Homes and Hallam Land Management, to attach a village-sized housing and road development known as West Stratford, adjacent to the world-renowned Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, owned and managed by Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Debbie and Mark’s passion and commitment go beyond the effect on their own business, health and lifestyle. Save Shottery is an independent social media campaign run by two people in Stratford upon Avon, but with local, national and global significance.

Debbie and Mark bring all the training, determination and spirit they learned from working closely with Dame Anita Roddick, at The Body Shop, in the early 90s. Anita often quoted this: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try going to bed with a mosquito.”

Debbie and Mark would like the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and all those who support this totally inappropriate and potentially damaging development to know that these are two mosquitoes who will not die off in cold weather. For this is the winter of their discontent.

We ask for nothing more than that the world should support us in our quest to save Shakespeare’s Shottery.

Contacts


If you would like to get in touch with Mark and Debbie Griffiths, post a message below.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has supporters all over the world, from the American Friends of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to the Shakespeare Institute in Shanghai, China.

It’s important that, whatever your interest in saving Shottery, you contact the relevant people. Here’s a list to get you going. Many of the contacts are Twitter – we think it’s one of the quickest and most effective channels to reach people.

Contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust directly:

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6QW +44 (0) 1789 204016.     Twitter:  @ShakespeareBT                                          Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ShakespeareBT                                                                                   

Diana Owen, Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust  Twitter: @DianaJOwen   Email: diana.owen@shakespeare.org.uk

Stanley Wells, Honorary President of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust   Twitter: @stanley_wells

Delia Garratt, Head of Collections and Interpretation, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust  Twitter: @DeliaGarratt   Email:  delia.garratt@shakespeare.org.uk

Paul Edmondson, Head of Research and Knowledge, Shakespeare BT  Twitter:


Lynn Beddoe, PR Manager, Direct Line 01789 207134, Mobile: 07887 661770
Email:
lynn.beddoe@shakespeare.org.uk

Bennet Carr, Trustee, Headmaster of King Edward VI School, Stratford upon Avon  Twitter:  @KES_Headmaster

Catherine Mallyon, Trustee and Executive Director, Royal Shakespeare Company   Twitter:  @c_mallyon

Neville Beamer, Trustee and Conservative Stratford District Councillor

Ron Cockings, Trustee and Warwickshire County Councillor
Contact SBT’s partner organisations:

UK:

In the UK, please be sure to let the following organisations that fund SBT know what you feel about this proposed development:

Arts and Humanities Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FL              Twitter:  @ahrcpress

Aurelius Charitable Trust, Briarsmead, Old Road, Buckland, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7DU                               

The John S Cohen Foundation, Ms Diana Barbara Helme, PO Box 21277, London W9 2YH:                       Tel: 020 7286 6921           Fax: 020 7286 7841

The Gatsby Charitable Trust, Peter Hesketh, Director, The Peak, 5 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1AP. Tel:  020 7410 0330 | Fax: 020 7410 0332

The Oakley Charitable Trust, Geoffrey M W Oakley,  10 St Mary’s Road, Harborne, Birmingham B17 0HA     Tel: 0121 427 7150

The Owen Family Trust, Alfred David Owen OBE,  Rubery Owen Holdings Ltd, PO Box 10, Wednesbury WS10 8JD     Tel: 0121 526 3131

The Shakespeare Institute, Michael Dobson, Director, Mason Croft, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6HP   NB: Michael Dobson is also a SB Trustee on the Exec Committee           Tel:  0121 414 9500    Fax: 01789 414 992     Twitter:  @ShakesInstitute Email: shakespeare@bham.ac.uk

USA:

American Friends of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, John Chwat, President, 625 Slaters Lane, Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22314    Telephone: (703) 684-7703     Fax: (703) 684-7594  Web: http://www.americanfriendsofsbt.org/

Besides promoting, encouraging and fostering understanding and appreciation by the American public of the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare, American Friends’ goals and objectives are to support the preservation of the Shakespeare houses and educational programs of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

If you live in the USA, be sure to let American Friends know of the threat to the peace and tranquillity of the Anne Hathaway’s Cottage setting.

Alternatively, contact the Shakespeare Guild:

Shakespeare Guild,  John F. Andrews, President, The Shakespeare Guild, 5B Calle San Martin, Santa Fe, NM 87506-7536, USA.  Phone (505) 988-9560     Email:  shakesguild@msn.com Web: http://www.shakesguild.org/index.html

CHINA:

Shakespeare Institute, Shanghai.  Professor Yang Lingui, College of Foreign Languages, College Building No.1, Donghua University, No.2999, North Renmin Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai, China.   Tel: 86-21- 67792446     Fax: 86-21-67792446 http://www3.dhu.edu.cn/english/sfl/en/teacher_department.aspx?LTS_type=B001_2&sys_type=2&LTS_id=87


Other Shakespeare organisations

Shakespeare’s Globe      Twitter: @The_Globe

The Royal Shakespeare Company     Twitter: @TheRSC  or   @RSCPress

Shakespeare Institute     Twitter: @ShakesInstitute

Shakespeare Stratford       Twitter: @StratfordPoet

Shakespeare Society      Twitter: @shakespearenyc

 

Media

Stratford Herald     Twitter: @HeraldNewspaper

Stratford Observer    Twitter: @strat_observer

Warwickshire Life magazine     Twitter:  @warkslife

Country Life      Twitter: @Countrylifemag

Warwickshire News      Twitter: @Warwick_News

Birmingham Mail      Twitter: @birminghammail

BBC Coventry and Warwickshire       Twitter: @BBCCovWarks

The Guardian   Twitter: @guardian  or @GuardianSustBiz  or @SocietyGuardian  or @lyngardner (theatre critic)

 

Heritage and Environment organisations

English Heritage     Twitter: @EnglishHeritage

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage   Twitter: @EHSimonThurley

Heritage Britain    Twitter: @HeritageBritain

The Prince’s Trust   Twitter: @PrincesTrust

Save Britain’s Heritage     Twitter: @SAVEBrit

Cotswolds AONB      Twitter: @CotswoldsAONB

CPRE      Twitter: @CPRE

Historic Towns Forum      Twitter: @HTF_

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation     Twitter: @IHBCtweet

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings      Twitter: @SPAB1877

Collections Trust       Twitter:  @CollectionTrust

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council     Twitter: @MLA_gov

Heritage Alliance         Twitter: @Heritage_NGOs

Environment Agency Midlands       Twitter: @EnvAgencyMids

 

Tourism organisations

Visit England      Twitter: @VisitEngland

Visit Stratford Team      Twitter: @VisitStratford

 

Arts and Culture organisations

Arts Council England        Twitter: @ace_national

Arts Council England West Midlands        Twitter: @ace_westmids

LiveWorkMidlandHeart        Twitter: @LiveWorkMHeart

Culture 24       Twitter: @Culture24

Stratford upon Avon      Twitter: @tweet_stratford

National Theatre     Twitter: @NationalTheatre

Local politicians

Nadhim Zahawi , Stratford upon Avon MP     Email: nadhim.zahawi.mp@parliament.uk             Twitter: @nadhimzahawi

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire CV37 6HX  Tel:01789 267 575  Fax: 01789 260 007   
Twitter: @StratfordDC                           
SDC Leader, Councillor Chris Saint    Email: chris.saint@stratford-dc.gov.uk

Jenny Fradgeley, Liberal Democrat Councillo   jenny.fradgley@stratford-dc.gov.uk