Severn Hulks Campaign Continues, Maritime Art Talk

Severn Hulks Campaign Continues
The campaign to protect the Purton Hulks on the River Severn has received report for Dr. Mark Horton, archaeology lecturer at Bristol University. The campaigners hope to petition the Secretary of State for Media, Sport and Culture, Andy Burnham to have the hulks protected. The Gloustershire Gazette has more details on this story.

Maritime Art Talk
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth is holding a free gallery talk by Dr Christiana Payne of Oxford Brookes University on the meaning behind the famous seascape “Christmas Morning, 1866″ by the painter John Brett. No booking is necessary. For more details see the exhibition flyer.

MAG Blog Goes ‘Live’, Scottish Marine workshop, British Warships Overseas- Seminar, Access to new Register of Historic Assets, Reappointment to ACHWS

The MAG Blog is Official!
After a few months trial the MAG Blog is now officially up and running.

Do you dimly remember reading a MAG Update about an interesting conference or news item? You can now search all the MAG Update blog posts to find the post you are after using simple keyword searches using the search box on this page. Rather than checking your Email Inbox for updates you can subscribe to the MAG blog via RSS feed, or if you are an email die hard, you can set up a feed to notify you by email when MAG puts up a new post. MAG has noticed that sometimes large attachments can stop messages getting through so members from time to time, and occasionally MAG Updates are intercepted by anti-spam software so if you don’t want to miss an important piece of news, check the blog just in case.

There are no plans to stop MAG Update Email list for now, but do let us know what you think of the blog so we can make improvements where possible and make sure the content is useful to you all. You can also leave comments on the posts (these will be moderated mind you).

One last advantage is the ability to post images with posts, so if you have any images that help illustrate an item you want to see featured on MAG, send them on (just make sure you make it clear we have permission to use them – all images will of course be credited)

Enjoy the blog!

Workshop on the Marine Historic Environment in Scotland
You are invited to participate in a Workshop on the Marine Historic Environment in Scotland on Friday 7th March 2008 at the RICS 9 Manor Place, Edinburgh EH3 7DN.

The need for the Workshop stems from two highly important processes that are currently in train in Scotland. Firstly, the Scottish Government is currently consulting principal stakeholders about the potential content of a Scottish Marine Bill. Secondly, Historic Scotland is about to publish a draft SHEP on the Marine Historic Environment, and wish to consult widely on its content.

The Workshop will include discussion of the main proposals in the SHEP, but will go wider to look at broader management issues related to the marine historic environment, some of which might be tackled within the Marine Bill, and some of which will feed into thinking about the operation of MSP and an MMO. A report of the Workshop will be made available to participants and also on the BEFS website, which will inform others in engaging with the consultation on the SHEP and the passage of the Bill. This is an extremely important opportunity for key historic environment stakeholders and practitioners to influence a highly significant piece of legislation and the Government policy that will underlie it.

If you would like to register a place at the Workshop, please complete the details below:

TO BOOK A PLACE:
If you and/or colleagues would like to attend: please reply to awilkinson@befs.org.uk, completing the contact details below.

1. Please RSVP by 5pm, Monday 3rd March 2008.
2. They will confirm receipt of your booking.
3. Further details will be sent to you by email in advance of the workshop.

Name:
Position:
Organisation:
Address:

Telephone:

Email:

Special dietary requirements:
Special access requirements:

BEFS will hold these contact details on a database in order to let you know about BEFS activities/information that we think may be of interest to you. BEFS will not pass this information on to any third party. Please indicate whether you are content for BEFS to retain these details: YES / NO

Forthcoming Seminar: Shared Heritage: Joint Responsibilities in the Management of British Warship Wrecks Overseas
This seminar is to be held at the University of Wolverhampton 8th July 2008. Its main aim is to enable a discussion to open new lines of communication, promote best archaeological practice, and develop cooperation between different countries sharing a common heritage: in this case historic British Warships wreck sites. Admission is free but pre-registration is essential. To register please contact: Julie Hayward, Wolverhampton University, E-mail: j.hayward@wlv.ac.uk.
More details are available on the Shared Heritage flyer.

English Heritage: Access to New Historic Assets Register Focus Groups
English Heritage plans to replace the existing listing, scheduling and registration schemes (including protected wrecks) with a new single register of designated assets. As part of this work the National Monuments Record has been asked to find out more about how people want to access this newly proposed register and the ways in which they will want to search it online. EH are holding Focus Groups in various locations in March 2008 – if you interested in coming along and contributing contact: admin@jura-consultants.co.uk

Reappointment to Advisory Committee on Historic Wrecksites
Margaret Hodge, the Minister for Culture, announced earlier this month that Suzanne Pleydell has been reappointed as a member of the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites. Her term of appointment will run from 16 February 2008 to 15 February 2012. You can read the full announcement here.

MAG AGM 2008, HSE Diving Industry Committee Notes, Conservator Position Maryland USA, Submarines and Goats

MAG AGM

Our AGM will be held on Tuesday 18th of March prior to the Maritime Session at the IFA conference in Swansea.

The AGM will include a review of the Group’s work for the past year in addition to the election of positions for the committee. This year the following positions are up for election: Chair, Ordinary Committee member x 2.

We hope to see you at the Maritime Session!

Summary Notes from the HSE Diving Industry Committee

1. The List of Approved Qualifications is to be reviewed and updated in 2008

2. Differential Pressure Hazards and Helmet Protection Noise research projects proposals submitted

3. Diving Information Sheets now available on-line. The revised draft diving information sheet no 9 “Divers’ Breathing Air Standard and the Frequency of Examination and Tests is attached. If you have comments on this revision please send them to Mark Dunkley at Mark.Dunkley@english-heritage.org.uk before 30 April 2008.

4. The ADC had received a complaint of a diving contractor utilising the Scientific and Archaeological Diving Projects ACOP within a wind farm during construction. ADC offered to draft guidance for ADC members and their clients. This will be cleared with HSE before publication.

Conservator Position, Maryland USA
The Maryland Department of Planning, Division of Historical and Cultural Programs. Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum is seeking a Head Conservator of archaeological materials. The closing date for applications is the 18th April, 2008. More details are available here.

Other News

SS ROBIN
The SS Robin Trust has applied for a £2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to save the Victorian steamship SS Robin, one of only three vessels in London’s Core collection, along with Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast

(from Evening Standard, 13 February, p.24)

Chichester Harbour
New sections added to the Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s website enables users to see what sediments have been deposited in the harbour over the last 10,000 years an thus learn about the changing harbour landscape

Submarine Stories

There has been a small (U?) bout of submarine stories in the media of late. If you were unaware of the link between goats and subs, you might find at least one of these stories enlightening:

The UK Navy and goats

Lost U boat fleet found in the Black Sea

U 534 to be moved

PWA Contractor Revealed, Consultation on the future of the ALSF, Guidance for Diving Discoverers.

Contractor for Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act Announced.
Wessex Archaeology has been re-appointed as the Government’s contractor for Archaeological Services in relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

The principle aim of the contract is to supply advice to English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, and the Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland to enable them to advise their respective Secretary of State, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Ministers, as appropriate, about issues of designation and licensing under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

The contract, managed by English Heritage for DCMS, runs from the 1st April 2008 to the 31st March 2011. At present there are 60 sites designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 in UK territorial seas.

Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in England: Future of the Fund 2008-2011
Members should be aware that there is a consultation on the future priorities for and delivery of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (2008-2011). The deadline for responses 28 April 2008. More information is available at Defra’s Website.

Draft Guidance for Discoverers and Visitors to Underwater Heritage
English Heritage have posted a draft guidance for divers concerning England’s rich underwater heritage. You can see the guidance here.