Prestwick Hall 1900

The 1911 Census shows that Prestwick Hall was occupied by 71 year old William Boyd and his of 40 years, 70 year old Jane Diana together with cook, Ellen Brown and 4 other female servants.

William Boyd, born in Arncliffe, Yorkshire, birth, first came to Wallsend in 1874, when he was invited to become managing director of the Wallsend Slipway Co. Under his direction the small shipyard became a major marine engine building concern, erecting the first steel boilers on the Tyne in 1878. Mr Boyd retired from management at the end of 1911.

He was involved in Wallsend local government from May 1878, when he became a member of the Local Board of Health. In April of the following year he was elected chairman of the board, and served in that position until 1894, when it was replaced by the new district council, of which he became the first chairman. Mr Boyd was elected an Alderman and first Mayor of the new council and continued to serve until October 2, 1906. On Wednesday, June 19, 1907, William Boyd laid the foundation stone for Wallsend's new Town Hall when a Freedom Ceremony was opened for him. By this time he had moved to Cheltenham, where he died in 1919.

The North East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders was founded in November 1884 at the instigation of William Geddes Spence (1860-1946) of R.W. Hawthorn's marine engine works. William Boyd (1839-1919) Managing Director of the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Works served as its first President and is widely recognised as being the leading force behind the Institution's creation.

---

Prestwick Chapel

Built 1882 demolished 1981

Ragwort can kill horses

The grass on the village green has recently been cut - but one asks why has the clump of weeds been left to spoil the effort. Prestwick has a large horse population and I'm sure their owners will not be happy to see that the weeds are poisonous Ragwort which could seed into adjacent fields where their horses run.

As detailed in a previous post the notice board had been lowered - see the posts sticking out of the top- a common fault with highway furniture. Attention to detail again! - why cut the grass and leave the tufts around the posts uncut?

Prestwick based charity accounts published

LEGACARE (UK) LTD
TRUSTEES' REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS

Legacare Accounts

None of the trustees or anyone connected with the trustees received any remuneration or was reimbursed expenses in the period. During the period Margaret Kirby's, who is a trustee of the charity, legal practice Kirbys Solicitors provided legal services by way of consultancy to the charity to facilitate the charity's objectives to the value of £33,333 which is in accordance with the governing document. This ocurred because there was insufficient funding to recruit solicitors for the charity at this time, which would also include costs for professional indemnity insurance, practising certificates, CPD training as well as supervision and monitoring. This is a temporary measure until the Charity has sufficient funding to recruit solicitors and their associate core costs.

The Prestwick Hoard

In 1890 13 bronze vessels and a possible handle were ploughed up on Prestwick Carr 350 yards north of Prestwick Whins Farm. This camp kitchen set contained a cauldron, 4 bowls, one basin and 7 saucepans. Though battered and patched, the names of two makers and three owners survived on 4 of the vessels. Of the 13, 7 were donated to the Society of Antiquaries by the landowner, Charles Loraine Bell of Woolsington. The cauldron disappeared before the publication of the group in volume XIII of the Northumberland County History (1926) and the other 5 pieces subsequently also vanished.

Very Tall People live in Prestwick!

We have recently had a magnificent new notice board erected in Prestwick by Ponteland Town Council and I'm sure all residents will be grateful for that.

But what a shame more thought had not been given to its erection. There are guidelines about "Accessibility" issues - it's far too high. Someone in a wheelchair has no chance of reading any notices posted and even tall people will have difficulty.

Ponteland Town Council Local Plan consultation

Make your submission to the Town Council before 10th august 2012.

Here is your starter for 10!

3.6.5                     In previous plans it has been recognised that Prestwick has no defined “development” boundary and that the whole of the “village” is “over washed” by green belt. It should be made clear that this case remains.

3.1.10                The plan fails to recognise the existence of area E2A in the previous plan. Omission of a policy for area E2A from the current plan could prejudice the resulting policy. This area is owned by Newcastle Airport and scheduled for industrial use.

Transport: The traffic flow figures clearly demonstrate that the amount of “bypassable” vehicles is modest and that it is East/West traffic rather than North/South. There appears to be a failure to recognise that the A696 is no longer a Trunk Road ( eg, 3.5.1) and that any bypass will have to be ‘locally’ funded. Whilst the building of a bypass in the next 30 years is going to be difficult to justify there is more chance of building a less expensive B6342/Berwick Hill link than an A696 bypass