MC/13/3/2

MC/13/3/2

File

Spire Appeal Scrap-book 2

VOL. II May '86 .. Jan. '87

May 1986 - Jan 1987

1 volume

One of a series of six clothbound purpose-made scrap-books with marbled paper covers containing material relating to The Salisbury Cathedral Spire Appeal, 1985-1993. Four of the books have a label on the inside back cover: "Hand Marbled Designed and Produced by Compton Marbling Tisbury, Wiltshire England". The spine of this volume has "VOL. II May '86 . Jan. '87" printed in gold. The Spire Appeal sought to raise £6.5 million to save the spire and tower of Salisbury Cathedral from collapse and to restore the West Front, and was said to be the largest ever appeal of its kind in England. In Sep 1986, as variously reported in this volume, the Appeal reached its first target of £1 million. At the launch of the Appeal in Apr 1985, Dean Sydney Evans had challenged the Diocese to raise the first £1 million in 18 months, after which the Appeal would be launched nationally and internationally. That first phase was now achieved. Accordingly there is a cutting in this volume from The Milwaukee Journal. 4 Sep 1986, recording the visit of HRH Prince Charles to Chicago to raise money for the Appeal. The main event covered in this volume is the visit of HRH Prince Charles to "Save our Spire Day", a "fund raising extravaganza" held at Salisbury Racecourse on 8 Jun 1986; HRH Prince Charles also returned in Sep 1986 to attend a symbolic "parish purses" service in the Cathedral, marking the contributions made to the Appeal by parishes in the Diocese. Otherwise this volume contains newspaper cuttings and other printed material relating to the Spire Appeal and to fundraising events, including: a "roadshow" held in Warminster at which Dean Sydney Evans and Roy Spring, Clerk of Works, explained the work of the Salisbury Cathedral Spire Trust; a "special edition" of the Gibbs Mew brewery's "Bishop's Tipple" ale, labelled "Spire" ale; a sponsored trek along the Penine Way by a local gamekeeper; an auction of promises; a sponsored cycle ride through Chalke Valley; an amateur production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Wilton House; a pageant at Fonthill Abbey ("Beckford's Folly"), the tower of which collapsed several times, lastly in 1825, after which most of the Abbey was demolished; an exhibition and auction of paintings featuring the cathedral, "in the steps of Constable"; an open day at a farm, the owner of which, a former bomber pilot, had had a near miss with the Spire during the Second World War; a letter sent to 900 schools in the Diocese, encouraging them and their pupils to adopt the Spire Appeal as their charity for fundraising events; the first performance of John Rutter's Requiem, conducted by the composer in the Cathedral; a garden party to mark the rerirement of Dean Sydney Evans, attended by former Prime Minister Lord (Harold) Wilson and Lady Wilson; the donation of computer equipment to the Appeal office by the newly opened MicroAge Business Centre, presented on its behalf by former Prime Minister Edward Heath; the Salisbury Cathedral Spire Appeal Auction by Woolley & Wallis at Wilton House ("Country homes plundered for auction"), which raised over £80,000; the installation of the steel girdles to support the Spire; a Cathedral performance of Messiah which raised over £2,000; "A Sacred Concert at Christmas in aid of the Salisbury Cathedral Spire Trust", including readings by Sir Michael Hordern and Dorothy Tutin, presented and broadcast by the BBC, the illustrated programme for which is included in thsi volume; a Christmas Concert by the Sarum Chamber Orchestra and choir in Malmesbury House, conducted by Edward Heath.

English