Founded to promote the study of Academical Dress

The Burgon Society

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Congregation and AGM 2008

The Burgon Society Annual Congregation will take place in the Great Hall of the Charterhouse, London, EC1 on Saturday 11th October 2008 at which the admission of new fellows will take place.

Congregation will be preceeded by the Annual General Meeting at which Officers for the forthcoming year will be elected.

The programme for the day will follow shortly.


Burgon Society Annual Garden Party

Saturday 5th July 2008

The Annual Burgon Society Garden Party will again be held at St George's College in Weybridge this year.

The programme for the day is as follows:

From 12.30Arrival and welcome at the Old Georgians' Clubhouse
13.00Lunch
13.50Organ recital by Philip Aspden FRCO in the Chapel
All DayHood quiz
15.00Short talk and auction of academical dress
15.30Tea
15.00Carriages

Dress: Any academical dress that you are entitled to wear.

Transport: There is a train that leaves Waterloo at 11:42 and arrives in Weybridge at 12:11. This service will be met by a minibus. Please contact registrar @ burgon.org.uk if you plan to be on this train so that the minibus driver knows who to expect. If you plan to arrive by car, you should not park in the first car park, but continue round the internal one-way system to the supplementary car park (look out for a row of white minibuses) which is 100 yards from the Clubhouse. There is very limited parking at the Clubhouse itself.


Academic Dress on BBC Radio 4

Tuesday 3rd June 2008

Burgon Fellow and former Chairman of the Burgon Society, the Revd Philip Goff, was recently interviewed on the subject of academic dress for the BBC Radio 4 programme, Making History. The interview formed part of the edition that was broadcast on Tuesday 3rd June.

Further details of the programme and the ability to listen to it again, can be found on the BBC Radio 4 website.


Visit to Canterbury Christ Church University

Saturday 17th May 2008

The Burgon Society has been invited to Canterbury Christ Church University on Saturday 17th May 2008.

The programme for the day is as follows:

11.00Coffee in Christ Church Chapel Foyer; Welcome by the Vice Chancellor
11.15Presentation on the academic dress of the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University
12.00Demonstration of the Chapel Organ by the Organ Scholar of Christ Church
12.30Lunch in the Christ Church Food Hall (purchase from menu)
13.15Proceed to the Cathedral via the Christ Church Gate
13.45Guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral (£5 for Fellows/Members; £10 for guests)
15.00Robe and take seats in Quire
15.15Welcome by the Dean of Canterbury; Choral Evensong sung by the Cathedral Choir
16.30Depart from Canterbury Christ Church

Dress:
For Presentations - Black gown
For Evensong - Black gown and hood, Dotors wear Scarlet


Spring Fellowship Study Day

Saturday 12th April 2008

After last year's successful Study Day in the V&A, Fellow and Council Member, Colin Fleming has kindly agreed to host a similar event this spring at Deloitte, 180 Strand, London, WC2R 1BL. The nearest Underground stations are: Temple (on the District & Circle) and Holborn (on the Central & Piccadilly); and the nearest bus stops are: Aldwych/Royal Courts of Justice and Aldwych/St Mary le Strand.

The programme for the day is as follows:

11.30Arrival, tea and coffee; Welcome & Introduction
11.45The Academical Dress of the University of East Anglia by Nick Groves
12.30Lunch (£10 for Fellows/Members; £15 for guests)
13.15Scottish Academical Dress: Stirling and Beyond by Colin Fleming
14.15Secrets of a successful FBS by a panel of FBS examiners and recent fellows
15.00What's that Stuff? The material culture of academical dress by Susan North
16.00Discussions with the Dean and examiners on individual FBS subjects
16.30End

Dress: Black Gown


New Year's Honour for Burgon Member

Tuesday 1st January 2008

Donald Buttress, senior partner at Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams Architects, and member of the Burgon Society has been awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours List for his work in restoring Cathedrals. He has worked on Westminster Abbey, and the cathedrals of Chichester, Llandaff, Bangor, Sheffield and Leeds.

Members who came on the Burgon Society visit to Chichester in June 2006 will remember that he gave a presentation on his former role as surveyor of the Fabric to Chichester Cathedral.


Death of Len Brown

Monday 10th December 2007

It is with great sadness that the Burgon Society must report the death of Len Brown, FBS. The former Director of Joshua Taylor and Production Consultant at Ede & Ravenscroft was awarded fellowship of the Burgon Society in 2003. His funeral took place at Girton Crematorium on Tuesday 4th December.

A trbute to Len will appear in the next Transactions of the Burgon Society.


Two new Fellows admitted

Saturday 20th October 2007

At the Annual Congregation of the Burgon Society on Saturday 20th October 2007, two new Fellows were admitted:

  • Mary Shaw (honoris causa);
  • Arthur Casey (honoris causa).

After the formal proceedings, Nick Groves introduced the robes left to the Society by George Shaw; and Arthur Casey was in conversation with Alex Kerr recounting his memories of some of the leading figures in the study of academical dress including Charles Franklyn and W.N. Hargreaves-Mawdsley.

Prior to this at the Annual General Meeting there were a few changes to the composition of Council.

Two founding Fellows decided to step down from Council this year. The Revd Stephen James, Chairman for the past two years decided to resign from Council due to his appointment to a new parish in Wales. Likewise the Revd Philip Goff, the Society's first Chairman also decided to step down again due to pressures of his parish duties. Tributes were paid to both former Chairmen and their contribution to the Society in its formative years.

Two new fellows elected to Council were Liz Scott, who had previously been co-opted as Communications Officer; and Colin Fleming, who fills one of the ordinary positions on Council.

The full results of the elections to Council were as follows:
Chairman - Bill Gibson
Registrar - Thorsten Hauler
Dean of Studies - Bruce Christianson
Treasurer - Ian Johnson
Membership Secretary - duties performed by the Registrar
Publications Editor - Alex Kerr
Communications Officer - Liz Scott
Ordinary Members of Council - Colin Fleming, Nick Groves, John Horton and Michael Powell.
Peter Durant was appointed ex-officio as Webmaster and also as Archivist in a caretaking role.