Three of our board members had a very valuable and informative meeting last Friday with Jeff Cowton, principal curator at Wordsworth Grasmere. Charlie Lambert, Janice Brockbank and Sue Dawson had the chance to tap into Jeff's own experience of running a literary house, as well as enjoying a tour of Dove Cottage. We're really grateful to Jeff for giving us his time and passing on a lot of advice on a range of topics.
Jeff Cowton (left) with Charlie, Janice and Sue at Dove Cottage
3/5/22
Members of Millom 41 Club joined us for a tour of Nicholson locations and poetry readings yesterday. It was particularly atmospheric reading Sea to the West by Norman's grave as the sun set.
Let my eyes at the last be blinded
Not by the dark
But by dazzle.
Thank you to Mark Duckworth on behalf of the 41 Club for a very kind donation to our GoFundMe page which now totals £11,319. All money raised through GoFundMe will be matched by the Architectural Heritage Fund, up to a maximum of £20,000.
28/4/22
Let my eyes at the last be blinded
Not by the dark
But by dazzle.
Thank you to Mark Duckworth on behalf of the 41 Club for a very kind donation to our GoFundMe page which now totals £11,319. All money raised through GoFundMe will be matched by the Architectural Heritage Fund, up to a maximum of £20,000.
28/4/22
We were pleased to welcome MA students from the University of Cumbria to the house on Friday (April 8th), as part of their studies of Nicholson's work. They were able to explore the environment that inspired Nicholson and heard an audio recording of him reading his poetry in his attic bedroom, the place where he did most of his writing. The group, headed by their programme leader Dr Penny Bradshaw, visited other significant locations in Millom including the site of the Ironworks, Hodbarrow, and St George's Church where they saw the Nicholson memorial window.
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11/4/22 pictures courtesy ofJanice Brockbank and Dr Penny Bradshaw
The project to buy and renovate the Millom home of the Cumbrian poet Norman Nicholson has chalked up a major success thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund.
The AHF, which works to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, has awarded the project Crowdfunder Challenge status. This means they will match pound-for-pound all money raised by Nicholson House's online crowdfunding campaign.
Chair of Norman Nicholson House Charlie Lambert said: 'This is wonderful news, especially because the AHF are backdating this award so that all the money we've raised so far has doubled overnight. Our GoFundMe campaign has just hit its initial target of £10,000 and we will now extend that target, knowing that every donation immediately becomes worth twice as much'.
It means that the project has now secured over £126,000 from a range of sources towards its aim to turn the house in St George's Terrace into a place that will make a lively contribution to the community, as well as celebrating the life and work of the poet. Charlie said: 'We are well on our way, but we are still talking to funding organisations because this is a sizeable and ambitious project.'
Donate through the Crowdfunder campaign - and your money will immediately be doubled by the Architectural Heritage Fund.
19/1/22
The AHF, which works to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, has awarded the project Crowdfunder Challenge status. This means they will match pound-for-pound all money raised by Nicholson House's online crowdfunding campaign.
Chair of Norman Nicholson House Charlie Lambert said: 'This is wonderful news, especially because the AHF are backdating this award so that all the money we've raised so far has doubled overnight. Our GoFundMe campaign has just hit its initial target of £10,000 and we will now extend that target, knowing that every donation immediately becomes worth twice as much'.
It means that the project has now secured over £126,000 from a range of sources towards its aim to turn the house in St George's Terrace into a place that will make a lively contribution to the community, as well as celebrating the life and work of the poet. Charlie said: 'We are well on our way, but we are still talking to funding organisations because this is a sizeable and ambitious project.'
Donate through the Crowdfunder campaign - and your money will immediately be doubled by the Architectural Heritage Fund.
19/1/22
Audio recordings of Norman Nicholson reading his own work are now available to anyone who downloads the walking trails app which was launched by Norman Nicholson House last year.
This new addition to the app features two of Nicholson’s most loved poems, The Shadow of Black Combe and On the Dismantling of Millom Ironworks. The recordings were originally made in the 1980s by another Cumbria poet Mike Smith, who has generously given permission for their use.
Chair of Norman Nicholson House Charlie Lambert said: ‘Nicholson’s poetry strikes so many chords and to hear it being read by the man himself in his own environment is a wonderful experience. We are grateful to Mike for allowing us to use his recordings’.
The walking trails app features two routes around Nicholson’s home town of Millom, taking participants to significant landmarks and places of interest, accompanied by text, photographs and audio, all available on a smartphone. The app was launched in March 2021 thanks to funding from Millom Towns Fund. It is free to download and can be accessed through Google Play or the App Store. Search for ‘Norman Nicholson’s Millom’, or check the details HERE.
10/1/22
This new addition to the app features two of Nicholson’s most loved poems, The Shadow of Black Combe and On the Dismantling of Millom Ironworks. The recordings were originally made in the 1980s by another Cumbria poet Mike Smith, who has generously given permission for their use.
Chair of Norman Nicholson House Charlie Lambert said: ‘Nicholson’s poetry strikes so many chords and to hear it being read by the man himself in his own environment is a wonderful experience. We are grateful to Mike for allowing us to use his recordings’.
The walking trails app features two routes around Nicholson’s home town of Millom, taking participants to significant landmarks and places of interest, accompanied by text, photographs and audio, all available on a smartphone. The app was launched in March 2021 thanks to funding from Millom Towns Fund. It is free to download and can be accessed through Google Play or the App Store. Search for ‘Norman Nicholson’s Millom’, or check the details HERE.
10/1/22
A very happy Christmas to all our friends and supporters. Thank you to everyone who has supported our project this year, especially The Architectural Heritage Fund, Museum Matters, Millom Towns Fund, Copeland Borough Council, all those who've downloaded our walking trails apps, and everyone who has donated to our GoFundMe online campaign. The prospects for 2022 are looking bright! Here's to a successful year ahead.
24/12/21
24/12/21
We've just completed a really valuable consultancy with museum/business specialist Jennie Pitceathly of Museum Matters, who has provided us with detailed information and recommendations regarding the Nicholson display section of the house, and the way we will present the whole house from the cafe on the ground floor to Norman's famous attic room. Jennie has a fantastic track record in the sector, having also worked with Wordsworth Grasmere, Blackwell, Windermere Jetty and Pennine Lancashire Museums among many others. Her input has been immensely beneficial as we prepare to approach funders in the coming weeks. Jennie's consultancy was funded mainly by a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund with the balance coming from donations to Norman Nicholson House. We are immensely grateful to the AHF for their support, and also to everyone who has donated.
14/10/21
14/10/21
Millom Arts & Heritage Centre, which has undergone a very impressive revamp over the last few months, is offering 10% off any of Norman Nicholson's books to anyone who can show them that they've downloaded our walking trails app. This is a great chance to buy a Nicholson book and take it with you as you follow the poet's footsteps along either of the two trails - which start at the Centre. Thank you to the Centre for promoting the app! The trails can be found by downloading the app from either the Apple Store or Google Play - iPhone users click on Apple Store; for android devices click on Google Play. Search for 'Norman Nicholson's Millom'.
14/9/21
14/9/21
The Government has announced that Millom is to receive £20.6 million in investment thanks to an application by Millom Town Deal Board submitted through Copeland Borough Council. Our project has been included in the Millom Board's discussions and we await further information as to whether Norman Nicholson House will be one of the projects invited to develop their plans further. Read the announcement from Copeland Borough Council HERE.
15/7/21
15/7/21
A former student at Barrow Sixth Form College KAREN SEWARD has made a wonderfully generous donation of £5,000 to our GoFundMe campaign, in memory of her former English teacher WILF KIMBER who died last year at the age of 97.
Karen, who attended the Sixth Form College from 1981 to 1983, is now global head of litigation at the London-based Allen and Overy law firm. She said: ‘Wilf Kimber was an inspirational teacher who gave me a lifelong love of the wonderful work of Norman Nicholson. Nicholson was a brilliant poet and has not achieved the recognition that he so richly deserves’.
Anyone wanting to help the GoFundMe campaign reach its target of £10,000 can donate at www.gofundme.com. Money raised will contribute to the overall cost of buying and restoring Nicholson’s home. We are currently approaching major funders for the lion’s share of the total costs.
The GoFundMe page is a small part of this, but it shows potential funders that Nicholson enthusiasts are willing to put in money of their own to make it happen.
Karen said: ‘The Nicholson House project will, I am sure, go a long way towards cementing for Nicholson the reputation that should be his by right, as one of the greatest of British poets’.
17/5/21
Karen, who attended the Sixth Form College from 1981 to 1983, is now global head of litigation at the London-based Allen and Overy law firm. She said: ‘Wilf Kimber was an inspirational teacher who gave me a lifelong love of the wonderful work of Norman Nicholson. Nicholson was a brilliant poet and has not achieved the recognition that he so richly deserves’.
Anyone wanting to help the GoFundMe campaign reach its target of £10,000 can donate at www.gofundme.com. Money raised will contribute to the overall cost of buying and restoring Nicholson’s home. We are currently approaching major funders for the lion’s share of the total costs.
The GoFundMe page is a small part of this, but it shows potential funders that Nicholson enthusiasts are willing to put in money of their own to make it happen.
Karen said: ‘The Nicholson House project will, I am sure, go a long way towards cementing for Nicholson the reputation that should be his by right, as one of the greatest of British poets’.
17/5/21
OUR WALKING TRAILS APP IS LIVE! An app which will guide people on two walking trails around the Millom area has been launched. The app can be downloaded free of charge to the user’s smartphone and uses GPS technology to navigate the two routes.
It has been produced by Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company, which aims to raise funds to buy and renovate the Millom home of the 20th century poet Norman Nicholson.
The two trails are a 1.5 mile walk around Millom town centre and a 6.5 mile route from the town to the Duddon estuary, the site of the town’s former Ironworks, and Hodbarrow RSPB nature reserve.
Users of the app will find information and photographs for each location along the way, along with an audio description, and extracts from Norman Nicholson’s writings.
They can also hear a welcome from Lord Melvyn Bragg, president of the Norman Nicholson Society, and personal memories of Millom’s past from lifelong local residents Brian Maggs, a former employee at the Ironworks, and Dorothy Richardson, whose father was the harbourmaster in the days when Millom was a busy port.
Funding for the app, costing £20,000 for a five-year maintenance and development deal, has come from Copeland Borough Council through the Government’s Towns Fund strategy. The contract includes the potential for further trails to be added in the future. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Chair of Norman Nicholson House CIC Charlie Lambert said: ‘The app is brilliant. It’s free to download, easy to use, and it takes users on a journey through time as well as along two fascinating and uplifting routes. I’m very grateful to Copeland Borough Council for funding this and to everyone who has contributed towards making it happen.’
The trails can be found by downloading the app from either the Apple Store or Google Play - iPhone users click on Apple Store; for android devices click on Google Play.
At the same time Norman Nicholson House is unveiling a Crowdfunder campaign to raise some of the money needed for its project to buy Nicholson’s old home. Charlie Lambert said: ‘All contributions are really welcome. You can chip in by going to GoFundMe.com and search for Norman Nicholson House.’
Digital development of the app is by Agnes Control of Workington and Llama Digital of Sheffield. Graphic design by AR Graphic Design of Maryport. Content created by Norman Nicholson House CIC. Heritage consultant Marshall Mossop.
It has been produced by Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company, which aims to raise funds to buy and renovate the Millom home of the 20th century poet Norman Nicholson.
The two trails are a 1.5 mile walk around Millom town centre and a 6.5 mile route from the town to the Duddon estuary, the site of the town’s former Ironworks, and Hodbarrow RSPB nature reserve.
Users of the app will find information and photographs for each location along the way, along with an audio description, and extracts from Norman Nicholson’s writings.
They can also hear a welcome from Lord Melvyn Bragg, president of the Norman Nicholson Society, and personal memories of Millom’s past from lifelong local residents Brian Maggs, a former employee at the Ironworks, and Dorothy Richardson, whose father was the harbourmaster in the days when Millom was a busy port.
Funding for the app, costing £20,000 for a five-year maintenance and development deal, has come from Copeland Borough Council through the Government’s Towns Fund strategy. The contract includes the potential for further trails to be added in the future. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Chair of Norman Nicholson House CIC Charlie Lambert said: ‘The app is brilliant. It’s free to download, easy to use, and it takes users on a journey through time as well as along two fascinating and uplifting routes. I’m very grateful to Copeland Borough Council for funding this and to everyone who has contributed towards making it happen.’
The trails can be found by downloading the app from either the Apple Store or Google Play - iPhone users click on Apple Store; for android devices click on Google Play.
At the same time Norman Nicholson House is unveiling a Crowdfunder campaign to raise some of the money needed for its project to buy Nicholson’s old home. Charlie Lambert said: ‘All contributions are really welcome. You can chip in by going to GoFundMe.com and search for Norman Nicholson House.’
Digital development of the app is by Agnes Control of Workington and Llama Digital of Sheffield. Graphic design by AR Graphic Design of Maryport. Content created by Norman Nicholson House CIC. Heritage consultant Marshall Mossop.
29/3/21
MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE LAUNCH OF OUR TRAILS APP
- Whitehaven News report: https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/19197001.new-app-launch-celebrates-millom-nicholson/
- News & Star report: https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19195214.new-app-launch-celebrates-millom-nicholson/
- Cumbria Crack report: https://cumbriacrack.com/2021/03/31/norman-nicholson-walking-app-launches-for-millom/
FUNDING AWARD FROM AHF We're delighted to announce the award of a grant of £7,800 from the Architectural Heritage Fund. The money is earmarked for specialist consultancy work as we continue our efforts to breathe new life into Nicholson's old home. It will enable us to tap into the expertise of specialists in museum design and business planning.
The AHF is a registered charity which promotes the conservation and sustainable re-use of heritage buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK.
Chair of the Project Charlie Lambert said: ‘We are very grateful to the Architectural Heritage Fund – not just for the money, which of course is very welcome, but also for showing such faith in a project which is quite different from the majority of schemes which they support. This shows that a Victorian terraced house in a street in Cumbria has a value and a story which are well worth preserving and celebrating.’
18/2/21
The AHF is a registered charity which promotes the conservation and sustainable re-use of heritage buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK.
Chair of the Project Charlie Lambert said: ‘We are very grateful to the Architectural Heritage Fund – not just for the money, which of course is very welcome, but also for showing such faith in a project which is quite different from the majority of schemes which they support. This shows that a Victorian terraced house in a street in Cumbria has a value and a story which are well worth preserving and celebrating.’
18/2/21
MAYOR OF COPELAND Mike Starkie has described our Nicholson Trails App as 'an exciting and important project for the Millom community.' Mike's very encouraging comment comes as Copeland Borough Council issue a news release confirming funding for the project. See full statement here.
17/11/20
17/11/20
'I CAN'T IMAGINE A MORE IMPORTANT CULTURAL STEP' Our project to buy Norman Nicholson's house and turn it into a genuine community asset has received a wonderful endorsement from the director of the Brantwood Trust, the organisation which looks after John Ruskin's house overlooking Coniston. Howard Hull has contacted us to say: 'I cannot imagine a more important cultural step for Cumbria or a greater joy for Millom than that Nicholson’s legacy should be fully celebrated in the very building which was so much a part of his life. As the Director of the home of one of Cumbria’s other great cultural figures, John Ruskin, I know how powerful and important is the influence of the actual dwelling of a great writer'. Thank you Howard - this means a lot!
9/11/2020
9/11/2020
MORE SUPPORT! the Architectural Heritage Fund is backing us by funding Project Advisor support over the coming weeks. We're really grateful to the AHF for this very positive move.
BIG NEWS TODAY! we're to receive funds from the Government's Towns Fund through
Copeland Borough Council to create a state-of-the-art app, providing trails around Norman Nicholson's home town of Millom and the beautiful surroundings. Our sincere thanks to the elected mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie, Copeland Borough Council, and the Millom Town Fund team. Read Copeland Council's statement here . Updates on the progess of this exciting project will be posted on this page and on our social media.
25/9/2020
Copeland Borough Council to create a state-of-the-art app, providing trails around Norman Nicholson's home town of Millom and the beautiful surroundings. Our sincere thanks to the elected mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie, Copeland Borough Council, and the Millom Town Fund team. Read Copeland Council's statement here . Updates on the progess of this exciting project will be posted on this page and on our social media.
25/9/2020