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Nearly
500 years old - and Izaak walton still arouses passions. What are your feelings
about him? Post your message
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Walton page
2004
(newest comments at the top)
izaak
Hello I have been viewing your Izaak Walton web page. I know the "Izaak Walton
Cottage" very well. I do not know where the thatched cottage in the picture that
accompanies the text is, but it is definitely not "Izaak Walton Cottage" at Shallowford,
Near Stafford. Regards
Bob Guiver
Oh!
Can anyone identify the cottage on these pages? |
Saving
Walton's Cottage
It makes me proud to see comments from others on what you and the
new IW cottage chapter are doing to save the cottage for the generations to come.
It's not an easy task that has been undertaken. God willing, we will save
the cottage!
Roger C. Sears
Poolesville, Maryland 20837 USA
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walton
I have spent a couple of days last weekend 25/26 oct 03 at TRENTHAM
GARDENS AT THE BRITISH FLY FAIR.
Fly fishers and Fly tyers, from around the
world attended and the fair had a very strong IZAAK WALTON THEME. 2003 being the
350th anniversary of the publication of Waltons book THE COMPLEAT ANGLER.
Tony Bridgett and his colleagues from the English Chapter of the Izaak Walton
League of America were there to raise funds to try and avoid the closure of WALTONS
Cottage at SHALLOWFORD near ECCLESHALL. Whilst many bodies had celebrated the
350th anniversary of the Great Book, and the generous way that Izaak had given
the Cottage to Stafford Borough Council in 1693, the council considered that their
part would be to close the Cottage. Unbeleavable but true!
The efforts
made by Tony and the support from others should ensure the place remains a shrine
to be visited by anglers, and other interested people from around the world.
Stafford Borough council, you should ! be ashamed of yourselves!
gerry
Endon near Leek
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british
fly fair
Today I have been to the BFFair at Trentham Gardens.
The fair
was a tremendous success and much interest was shown in the IZAAK WALTON COTTAGE
STAND run by Tony Bridgett and his colleagues.
Tony is trying to get sufficient
funds to avoid the closure of the Cottage at Shallowford. The show exhibitors
have all donated prizes for the daily raffle.
To close the cottage would
be a disgrace, which the Stafford Boro Council want to do. Keep up the good work
Tony.
Gerry Allcock
Leek
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cottage
closure question
I just caught the tail end of radio stoke's chat with someone from the Friends
of Izaak Walton Cottage and I heard my name mentioned.
That is Mike Smith
the Stafford Borough Councillor with responsibility for the Leisure portfolio.
It is true the previous Labour Administration did consider closing the cottage
in their round of budget considerations last year. They decided at that time not
to close the cottage but to make significant savings from elsewhere within the
Leisure budget. This year the new conservative administration is faced with making
a similar level of cuts to balance its budget.
The reasons for this were adequately
explained by Mike Woolf this morning because amongst other things we in Stafford
have also had our grant from central government reduced. The cottage costs us
£41,680 a year to run and has an income of only £4,000.
Despite what was said
the cottage is advertised in all the Tourist information we produce and even with
free entry it only attracted 3,337 visitors this year and when you take out the
special events days only 1534 casual visitors arrived. There are some days when
the staff don't see a single visitor.
If the friends have ideas how we could
improve attendance we would be pleased to hear them.
The Friends and their
American colleagues managed to raise less than £10,000 up to Oct 2003 and as you
can see such a sum is only a quarter of the annual running costs. We have decided
this summer to open the cottage at weekends which is when the majority of visitors
arrive. I hear the Friends are trying to arrange a meeting with me and the officers
but other than the mention on your show no one has yet contacted me. Regards
Mike
Smith
stafford
|
izaak
WWW.troutflyfishing.net have just released their latest video/DVD
called 'The Derbyshire Limestone Streams.
There is a section about Izaak
Walton, including an interview with Tony Bridgett on the river Dove, Footage of
the Museum at Shallowford, The bust in St Mary's Church in Stafford, Filming of
a genuine 1st edition of the Compleat Angler printed in 1653 - the year, incidentally,
that Oliver Cromwell dissolved parliament and proclaimed himself Ruler of England
and of course the beautiful rivers he and Charles Cotton fished.
David
Impey
| 2003
izaak
We are very proud of the history that Izaak Walton is famous for,
when
he died, he left his cottage to the town of Stafford, from the rent collected
from this property, many poor local people benefited (ie coal was bought)
we have just produced a greeting card with a picture of his cottage on.
marie hillman
|
Izaak
Walton Cottage Chapter, Shallowford
It was a pleasure to see my letter on Izaak Walton printed. More
than ever, the legacy of Walton was reconfirmed at our national convention this
July 2003 in Pierre, South Dakota.
It was certainly due , in large part,
to our guests at the convention, Pauline and Tony Bridgett of Leek.Tony was our
banquet speaker and gave a wonderful after dinner speech on Walton.
A check
for $10,500 was presented to the Bridgett's for the cottage endowment. WE WILL
SAVE THE COTTAGE!
Tony
Bridgett is the president of the new Izaak Walton Cottage Chapter and for membership
information, he can be reached at 34 Windsor Drive, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 6NV.
Roger C. Sears
Poolesville, Maryland
20837
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| fact
.. one for a trivia quiz is: what is the third most published book
in English after the Bible and the Works of Shakespeare?
The Compleat Angler!
It foxes peopel every time!
john landy
morecambe
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| pub
If you want yet another reference to walton, there's a pub named
after him at caverswall near Blythe Bridge. It's a lovely b&W building with
a thatched roof.
Good food too!
marie claes
blthe bridge
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| stret
name
You'll find an "Izaak walton Way" in Madeley in North
Staffordshire too, which is a bit surprising but I believe he was friends with
the lord of the manor there
markia
madeley
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| bust
statue of walton's
head and shoulders can be seen in St mary's Church
Stafford
You should also mention that he fished the River Meece which is near
Eccleshall
john wiliams
stafford
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