To many people the idea of lightning being anything other than a threat to life and property would be unthinkable; but in a recent blog on their website, Nottingham-based Lightning Strike Ltd have pointed out that in many ways lightning can have a positive impact on the natural world.

The blogger reveals: “It may seem a strange statement, considering a direct lightning strike can destroy a tree, but it’s what happens afterwards that can benefit the land around it. While spring’s warm temperatures and rainfall both help to boost plants’ growth, bringing the landscape back to life, lightning gives nature an added boost, whatever the time of year.”

David Armitage, the founder and chairman of the award-winning York Handmade Brick Company, is celebrating 60 unbroken years in the brick industry.

David joined the industry in 1961 as an apprentice fitter with his family firm George Armitage & Sons, based at Rothwell, near Wakefield. He moved into sales in 1963, eventually becoming Sales Director and later Marketing Director when the business boasted a £20m turnover.

Embedding heritage-led regeneration within wider investment programmes aimed at revitalising high streets and enhancing local and regional infrastructure, will more effectively drive the growth and renewal of Britain’s historic town centres, says a new report from national planning and development consultancy, Lichfields.

The ‘Historic Opportunities’ report comes at a time of changing fortunes for the nation’s historic towns and sheds light on the environmental, economic and social contributions that heritage-led regeneration can deliver long-term for hundreds of locations across the country.

APi Sound & Visual are leading designers and installers of audio-visual systems for churches, community centres and heritage buildings in the South West and beyond.

Founded in Exeter in 2003, the team at APi Sound & Visual pride themselves at making technology work for people. Specialising in the design and installation of projection, sound and streaming systems; they are also installers of hearing loop systems and CCTV.

Michelmersh is proud to announce that it won four awards and was highly commended for another four at Wednesday night’s 2021 BDA Brick Awards. With stunning trophies designed by award-winning designer, architect and researcher, Maria Gasparian, the 45th Brick Awards received a record number of entries. In her final year as Head Judge, Hilary Satchwell led a team of 14 esteemed judges with the unenviable task of selecting the best of the best.

All categories received superb examples of brickwork, taking friendly rivalries to a new level and showcasing the best talent the UK Brick industry has to offer.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS) – the trade body that represents the lightning protection and specialist access industry. To celebrate this poignant milestone in its history, ATLAS takes us on a journey through 75 years of history in a new video, comparing landmarks in its history to worldwide events.

They include England winning the World Cup and the first Concorde flight – starting back in 1946 when the federation was founded and taking us right through to the current day, demonstrating how much the industry has progressed over the past 75 years.

by DAVID WOODALL, South West Area Manager of Oculus Building Consultancy and the Assent Group

Fire and heritage sites don’t mix well. You need only think about significant fires at heritage sites in the past 40 years and you could probably name the three main ones that have made the news: Notre Dame, Windsor Castle and York Minster.

However, that only scratches the surface of the real story. Every year we lose heritage buildings to fire. Some are uninhabited or derelict, but many are in use today and the fires cause damage that is often irreversible, meaning that we lose more of our history.

Shrewsbury Abbey has a fascinating history dating back almost 1,000 years. It was founded in 1083 by Roger de Montgomery, one of William the Conqueror's principal counsellors. In the 20th century the Ellis Peters character Brother Cadfael was portrayed as a Benedictine monk and herbalist at Shrewsbury Abbey.

During August, shortlists for the highly commended and prestigious Brick Development Association’s (BDA) Brick Awards 2021 were announced. Michelmersh is thrilled to have featured 19 superlative shortlisted projects be announced in November. The Awards recognise excellence within design and construction.

Each year hundreds of entries are submitted, and 18 prestigious trophies awarded. With an exceptional number of shortlisted projects in over 12 categories, Michelmersh is hopeful for another year of success. Proud to be sponsor of the Commercial category the British manufacturer is very much looking forward to celebrating the best of brick architecture and to congratulate the winners of this year’s Architect’s choice and Supreme Winner categories too.

John Williams & Company (familiarly known as JW & Co) is a well-known name in the roofing and slating trades and has been for well over a century. In fact, the firm celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.

The date of 1870 as the establishment of the company lies in Whitaker’s Red Book of Business, published in 1907. The entry tells us that JW & Co was established in 1870 especially to transport slate from the Dinorwic slate quarries in North Wales.

Specialist heritage insurer Ecclesiastical Insurance has pledged a further £72,500 to University College London (UCL) to support the development of heritage leaders. 

Since 2004 Ecclesiastical Insurance has donated over £350,000 to UCL to offer scholarships that support students studying the Sustainable Heritage MSc. 

The Sustainable Heritage MSc teaches heritage management and conservation best practice. The course introduces students to conservation policies, projects, methodologies and practices in the context of historic buildings, sites, landscapes and collections.

Vacant property security specialist SafeSite Security Solutions has joined The Security Institute’s network of Corporate Partners.

Commenting on the alliance, Gabriella Pemberton, General Manager, SafeSite Security Solutions said: “The Institute’s Corporate Partners represent many different areas in the security sector and we look forward to supporting its members through our partnership.

The Morton Partnership were engineers for the refurbishment and enhancements to the Minster, including works to the Undercroft, Chapter House yard building and the approach to the South Transept and the repair of the Great East Window and East Front. In addition, further projects included assessment of the Aculn Library, fire damage at the Stoneyard and several other properties owned by the Dean and Chapter, as well as the setting up of a ‘watch survey’ for the Minster.

Michelmersh is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Sustainability Award at the RIBA Regional Awards 2021. RIBA’s Regional Awards are comprised of various awards, including Project Architect of the Year, Sustainability Award, Conservation Award, Building of the Year, Client of the Year Award, and region-specific awards. Over recent weeks, winner announcements have been filling social media feeds, congratulating and commemorating worthy winners.

The photographs in this article illustrate two ‘messages’ regarding the virtues of planting trees alongside heritage buildings. They are taken from a project recently carried out at York Minster by arboricultural and landscape consultants Barnes and Associates. It involved a tree survey, a health and safety assessment, an assessment of replanting opportunities and a management plan.

The photograph on the left demonstrates how the planting of small, out-of-proportion trees may distract from the magnificent structure of the Minster. They provide habitat, cooling and water retention – but are they the right trees in the right place?

Founded in 1795, James Chapman Bishop’s first workshops were at York buildings in Saint Marylebone. He soon became well established and took on the premises of 250 Marylebone Road as his workshops.

J. C. Bishop quickly built a good reputation and became widely known as a master organbuilder whose attention to detail and expert knowledge, combined with ingenuity and craftsmanship, produced some of the finest English organs of the nineteenth century.