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SPRING, 2008
Queen Mary University had attempted to buy Bancroft Library in 1990, as reported in the EAST LONDON ADVERTISER - (
read it here). In 2008, as the negotiations between Queen Mary University and Tower Hamlets Council are being finalised, the EAST LONDON ADVERTISER again discovers the plan to 'dispose' of Bancroft Library to Queen Mary University. In advance of a Council Cabinet Meeting decision, scheduled for 30 July 2008, the ADVERTISER's reporter TED JEORY alerts local historians including resident and former teacher TOM RIDGE and CLIVE BETTINGTON of the JEWISH EAST END APPRECIATION SOCIETY. Also, the WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY, ISLAND HISTORY TRUST, the RAGGED SCHOOL MUSEUM and EAST of LONDON FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY.
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MAY, 2008
BBC London News Report:
A SHAKE-UP AT THE TOWN HALL
by Angela Saini
Tower Hamlets has a new mayor, council leader, rejigged cabinet and an extra councillor following a radical set of changes.
Mohammed Abdus Salique, ward member for Bethnal Green North, has been elected as the new Mayor of Tower Hamlets. Bow East Councillor, Ahmed Omer, has been appointed his deputy.
At the same time, Councillor Denise Jones has been dropped as the leader of the Labour group on Tower Hamlets Council in favour of Councillor Lutfur Rahman. He has already made sweeping changes to his cabinet.
"I've put together an administration that I believe reflects a balance between experience and fresh new thinking," said Cllr Rahman....
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JUNE, 2008
TOM RIDGE starts a petition and a campaign which becomes the CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES AT BANCROFT ROAD and the EAST LONDON ADVERTISER launches a national campaign: SAVE OUR HISTORY:-
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TOM RIDGE writes letter to
EAST LONDON ADVERTISER
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JULY 8, 2008
Clive Bettington (JEWISH EAST END CELEBRATION SOCIETY) organises local meeting where all agreed
- That Bancroft Road Library should be retained as the local history library
- that the collection including the archives should be retained in its entirety
- that the present staff should be retained
- that substantial sums should be expended by the Council in refurbishing the building and improving the collection.
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JULY, 2008
EAST LONDON ADVERTISER launches an e-petition to the Prime Minister on the Downing St. web site. In the four week period 1,320 people sign. (The EAST LONDON ADVERTISER goes on to win the CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR AWARD in in the UK Press Gazette Regional Press Awards. Their report on the Award is on our
Publicity page.)
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JULY 10, 2008
LBTH council officer STEPHEN HALSEY (Corporate Head of CLC - Communities, Localities & Culture) responds to novelist and campaign supporter Sarah Wise:
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JULY, 2008
Campaign NEWSLETTER No: 1
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JULY 28, 2008
DR. NICK BARRATT writes a
letter to the new Leader of the Council, CLLR LUTFUR RAHMAN asking that the Bancroft Library building not be sold and offering to put his, "....time and effort..." into the creation of a... "...new lease of life for Bancroft Road."
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AUGUST 12, 2008
Campaign NEWSLETTER No: 2
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AUGUST 18, 2008
CLLR. Dr. ANWARA ALI declares her past and future support for the Campaign to Save Bancroft Library:
"Please rest assured that I have been and will continue to fight for Bancroft Library. I myself spent many an hour during my medical school yrs and after carrying out research into our local hx at the library. A final decision has not been made and hence there is every chance to win. Important to fight hard and keep the campaign strong."
Cllr Dr Anwara Ali
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AUGUST 19, 2008
Campaign
NEWSLETTER No: 3
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AUGUST 21, 2008
Daily Telegraph publishes letter on the future of the Local History Library and Archive at Bancroft Road:
CULTURAL VANDALISM
Sir - Tower Hamlets council is due to vote on September 10 on the future of the Local History Library and Archive, at Bancroft Road, Stepney.
Yet many of us fear that the decision to sell off the building (for £1.2million) to neighbouring Queen Mary College, split up the collection, and replace the expert and dedicated archivists and librarians has already been made.
This truly is a collection of international standing. Here, you can find the stories of the Irish, Jewish, Huguenot, German, Chinese, Bangladeshi and British provincial immigrants, among many others, who came to the area to make their way in the world. The East End has a global diaspora, and the descendants of Eastenders come to Bancroft Road from far and wide to research their ancestry.
It seems an act of wanton destruction to make a library homeless and render redundant its archivists and librarians.
We call on Andrew Motion, appointed last month to a four-year tenure as chairman of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, and on Andy Burnham, Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, to intervene to stop this cultural vandalism.
Professor Bill Fishman, Ed Glinert, Bernard Kops, Rachel Lichtenstein, Melanie McGrath, Gilda O'Neill, Sukhdev Sandhu, Iain Sinclair, Father William Taylor, Sir Arnold Wesker, Professor Jerry White, Patrick Wright, Sarah Wise, Benjamin Zephaniah
London E1
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2008
Campaign
LETTER TO SCHOOLS
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2008
Campaign has stall at the annual event in BOW, the
ST BARNABAS COMMUNITY FETE, gathering over 100 more signatures on our petition.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2008
Campaign
NEWSLETTER No: 4
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SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
Campaign
NEWSLETTER No: 5
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SEPTEMBER 27, 2008
Campaign holds
PUBLIC MEETING.
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Over 150 people attend and vote unanimously to agree
RESOLUTIONS 1 &
RESOLUTIONS 2 based on our VISION for a TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY* at the former Bancroft Library. Many then march to Bancroft Library to show support. Local press and tv cover the event.
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OCTOBER 8, 2008
Meeting with Council Leader and Councillors
Campaign representatives are asked to the Town Hall and present our Resolutions 1 & 2 and Vision for a Tower Hamlets Local History Centre to the Leader of the Council, CLLR. LUTFUR RAHMAN and his cabinet colleagues: CLLR. ROFIQUE AHMED (Culture & Leisure), CLLR. MARC FRANCIS (Housing & Development), CLLR. ALIBOR CHOUDHURY (Employment & Skills) and CLLR. JOSHUA PECK (Resources & Performance). We also meet CLLR. Dr. ANWARA ALI.
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OCTOBER 10, 2008
Leader of Tower Hamlets Council, CLLR. LUTFUR RAHMAN releases
STATEMENT with his decision that the, "....Council will retain Bancroft for the Local History Library and archive."
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OCTOBER 15, 2008
Campaign
NEWSLETTER No: 6
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OCTOBER 30, 2008
Campaign PETITION closes. Joint petition with East London Advertiser has nearly 5,000 signatures.
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OCTOBER 29, 2008
Meeting with Council Officers
Campaign representatives, including supporter Dr. Nick Barratt, meet council officers JUDITH ST. JOHN (Head of Idea Stores) and HEATHER BONFIELD (Interim Head of Culture) to discuss the Leader of the Council, CLLR. LUTFUR RAHMAN'S instruction for. "....council officers to try and identify external sources of funding to help finance...works...." and his request that we continue our efforts in lobbying bodies for these funds and help.
The Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, the Heritage of London Trust Operations, the MLA (Museum, Libraries and Archives council) and the World Monuments Fund are put forward by the Campaign.
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NOVEMBER 13, 2008
"The Sacrifice of Isaac" painting attributed to Claude Vignon is removed by LBTH from the Entrance Hall at Bancroft Library. After we raised our concerns, the Campaign was assured that it will be returned to Bancroft Library after the restoration of the building.
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DECEMBER 24, 2008
A Campaign representative attends a visit to Bancroft Library by CLLR. LUTFUR RAHMAN, CLLR. ALIBOR CHOUDHURY, CLLR. MARC FRANCIS, CLLR. ROFIQUE AHMED and officers JUDITH ST. JOHN and HEATHER BONFIELD with their surveyor PETER FOX.
Various options for the refurbishment of the building are outlined by the officers.
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