Wordsley History Society Chairman Brian Idoine welcomed 55 members and 53 visitors to the meeting, and after the usual reminders about safety, etc, he welcomed Lord Cobham whose subject was Hagley Hall – Past, Present and Future.

Lord Cobham began his talk with an entertaining, idiosyncratic look at his family’s long and complex history, starting with Thomas de Littleton (l407-81) notable for his Treatise on Tenures, seen as the first text book on the labyrinth of English Property Law.

Moving on to the 1st Baronet of Frankley, Thomas Lyttelton (title conferred in l794), we continued through the successors to that title, and from l755, those of Baron of Frankley and Lord Lyttelton. There were many intriguing anecdotes along the way through this succession of titles, and the human side of history was never lost for a moment.

All those MPs, Lord Lieutenants, a Governor of North Carolina and Jamaica, an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Gunpowder Plotters and a most prominent politician/sportsman (the Hon Alfred – ‘Poor Fred, who was alive and is dead’ – killed rather appropriately by a cricket ball) were summed up by Lord Cobham as a succession of incompetent or unlucky or accident-prone men kept afloat by a succession of highly practical, diligent and clear-thinking women.

The second half was on the restoration of the park, a huge enterprise, as became evident from the slides of the work in progress. There seemed to be no aspect of the property – the parkland, the lakes, the Palladian bridge, the Obelisk and other follies, and the Hall itself – which had not been in dire need of attention and more. In this respect the help given by Natural England and English Heritage were particularly mentioned, as was the craftsmanship of key workmen. One might not otherwise have realised that a mechanical digger could be operated with such loving care.

As to the future, the housing development, so newly controversial in recent newspaper reports but in reality going back to the early 1990s, the Visitors’ Centre, which Lord Cobham hopes will allow fun and entertainment to co-exist with the essential tranquility of the parkland, and the continuing restoration of the grounds mean that there is hope that full-time opening will be possible in two years or so.

This story, of the Lytteltons and Hagley, told impressively without notes, with candour, humour and self-effacement, left a deep impression of good motives and a commitment to attempt a literally and metaphorically monumental task.

Following this remarkable talk, Brian thanked Lord Cobham for visiting the Society and it was clear the audience had really enjoyed the presentation. He also thanked the ladies who had provided the refreshments and reminded everyone that the next meeting would be on September 11, at 7.30pm in the Community Centre, Wordsley Green, when Ken Wright’s subject will be 1914 – The Year the World Changed.

Thanking you.

Kind regards Marilyn Wood PUBLICITY