Book Review: Calne in Camera, Calne in Pictures, Calne in Focus by Peter Treloar

I have decided to review this trilogy of books together as they follow a very similar format and content.

This series of books really should be considered a triumph for Calne as they show the changes of Calne throughout time, and that people cared enough about the town to not only take these photographs, as well as preserve them for such a long period of time.

Many of the photographs in these books are well over 100 years old, with some displaying the town and its residents in the late 1800s. The author, Peter Treloar, has chosen some wonderful photographs to display the Changing Face of Calne, Haulage and Transport, Events and Celebrations, Commerce, and Groups - along with other topics. But these photographs without context would be meaningless to today's audience as many are beyond living memory. This is where the well written captions of the author bring life to the photographs for readers such as myself.

These captions really shine in the third book, Calne in Focus, as they are longer and provide much more detail. Another great development by the third book is the comparison photographs the author took. By taking an old photograph and placing it alongside a current (1984) photograph taken at as close as possible to the same location and angle, we can easily see the changes that have happened during the intervening time period. Treloar describes the changes between the two as only a knowledgeable local could.

A great read with fantastic photographs.

The books were reprinted in 2003 and some are for sale in the Visitor Information & Community
Information Centre as well as the Calne Heritage Centre. They are also available to loan from Wiltshire Library.

The Calne Flag

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Calne Town Flag, which was accepted to the United Kingdom Flag Registry on 24 September 2009 and certified by Graham Bartram (Flag Institute Chief Vexillologist).

In 2009 a new flag was unveiled an at official ceremony with councillors, residents and John Bentley School students in attendance at the town gardens.

The flag was adopted by public competition by Calne Town Council and was designed by Kevin Hatchman.

This abstract design was chosen from nearly 20 entries and now flies alongside the Union flag and the Wiltshire County flag at the small park on Curzon Street.

The blue represents the River Marden, while the green represents the countryside surrounding Calne. The gold band that links the colours harks back to the discovery of Oxygen by Joseph Priestley while he was living in Calne. The white band symbolises the chalk landscape - which it what made the nearby Cherhill White Horse possible.

In 2011 The Springfields Academy reported that 2 of their students, along with 2 students from different schools had flown out to Yanbu school, China. The Town Council had asked them to take the new flag with them on their trip to China. This was presented to Springfields by the Town Crier. (Springfields.wilts.sch.uk, 2011)

I really like the following quote by Kevin from the Gazette and Herald and hope that the flag does help Calne residents internalise pride in their town and residents:

"I thought it should be an emblem representing where our town has come from, offer pride in what it has become and inspire the community to believe in its future."

I have added a Google Streetview, so you can see where the flags stand and to make visiting it easier.


Resources:
Springfields.wilts.sch.uk. (2017). February | 2011 | The Springfields Academy. [online] Available at: http://www.springfields.wilts.sch.uk/2011/02/ [Accessed 13 Sep. 2017].
The Flag Institute. (2017). Calne, Wiltshire - The Flag Institute. [online] Available at: https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/calne/ [Accessed 13 Sep. 2017].
The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. (2017). New Calne flag trumpets heritage of town. [online] Available at: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/4647386.New_Calne_flag_trumpets__heritage_of_town/ [Accessed 13 Sep. 2017].

Calne's Twinning Trees

In 2000, three indian bean trees (Catalpa bignonioides) were planted to celebrate the friendship between Calne and its three twins: Caln Township, Charlieu, and Eningen unter Achalm. Here's a bit about the trees and where to find them.

History

Eric Porter, during his time as Mayor of Calne, first noticed the Indian Bean Tree when visiting Charlieu (Calne's first twinned town). He put the idea of planting these trees to the Council and Twinning Association, who agreed that this was a good idea. Spaces were available in the town centre and Market Hill, so the trees were planted there in 2000.

Many thanks to Miriam Trotman for this information. 

The Indian Bean Tree

The indian bean tree is a native of the southeastern United States, but has been a popular tree for town centres in England for over 100 years due to its ability to absorb dirt and dust - so a great choice for Curzon Street where there is a lot of traffic. The RHS has awarded this species their Award of Garden Merit along with their Perfect for Pollinators designation. The tree displays large ovate leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that are white with coloured stripes and blotches on the inside. Later in the year, the pendulous bean pods appear, green at first and turning brown as the year progresses to winter. I find this to be a very decorative tree, that provides year round interest and a cool place to shelter in the summer sun.

The Art

The cast-iron tree grills were designed by David Reeves and feature these wonderful squirrels. Unfortunately only the Calne-Charlieu tree on Market Hill retains its grill as the trunks of the other two trees have outgrown theirs. Where the redundant grills are now, I don't know, but would like to.

The slate lettering was designed by Caroline Webb.

The seating was made by Alan Tilbury and the design reflects the proximity to the river Marden. The bench seats are made from Iroko, a hardwood that is native to the west coast of tropical Africa, it is known to live for 500 years. The seats are around the Caln and Eningen trees as well as placed near the library, as seen below.

The Tree Locations

Calne - Charlieu Tree, Market Hill

Calne - Eningen unter Achalm Tree, outside the Lansdowne Strand Hotel

Calne - Caln Tree, outside Bank House

To find out more about Calne and its twin towns, check out the Calne and District Twinning Association Facebook page by clicking here.

Wordless Wednesday: St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, Calne

Jan Ingen Housz: Anniversary of his death at Bowood, 7 Sep 1799