Jane is a well known, well loved and extremely knowledgeable local historian who is an indispensable volunteer to the Archive.  

During lockdown Jane has been supporting Bette in dealing with enquiries as well as taking on the task of cataloguing the contents of Lady Margaret Elton’s ‘Book of Clevedon Pier,’ fondly known in the archive as The Big Scrapbook. 

The scrapbook contains a vast array of material recording the story – warts and all – of trying to save and then rebuild the pier after the 1970 collapse. You can read more about the Scrapbook on this link: Save the Pier Scrapbook – Clevedon Pier Archive

Jane has been recording and listing every item, on every page of the scrapbook so that enquirers can, in future, either search to find out what is in the scrapbook or try to find particular information they are seeking.  During this task Jane has been highlighting a few fascinating snippets and these will be appearing over the next few weeks.  Here’s one just for starters…..

North Somerset Mercury
March 19th 1971

    Sir, Having seen cars running around Clevedon with ‘Save our Pier’ posters stuck in read windows, prompts me to write again to console members of our community who want to retain our historic, antique pier.

    Why not ask our councillors to seek the advice and help of the Army’s Royal Engineers.  I am sure that much bigger gaps were bridged during the last war in many places such as Burma very quickly.

     I am not sure whether such a venture would be permitted, but at least its worth a try.

Mercury August 27th 1971

An affordable ‘Save The Pier’ idea

This letter starts with the hopeful, Sir, Referring to the problem of “What to do about the Pier” I offer the following suggestion.

Read on to to learn more about the suggestion of a cable-car in the style of a ski-lift with four obvious advantages:

  1. Low Cost
  2. Practicability
  3. Uniqueness
  4. Chance to charge twice
  5. Good publicity

And here’s a link to an intriguing newspaper item in the Scrapbook about Ethiopia’s interest in saving Clevedon Pier.

Lady Margaret’s scrapbook will, when Jane has finished cataloguing, be digitised by Archive Volunteer Michael so that, when the original is returned to its owner, the public will be able to read and enjoy the contents of this treasure of a scrapbook.    Watch out for more of Jane’s Lockdown work on Lady Margaret’s Scrapbook in the next few weeks.