We’re too modest (From Malvern Gazette)

We’re too modest

4:21pm Friday 10th August 2007 in Letters

WE have the figure of Edward Elgar on Belle Vue Island and the Morgan Motor centenary group is to be situated nearby. These are things which do something towards making the identity of Malvern visible. Malvern Hills District Council has done a good job in rescuing a semi derelict bank building and thereby giving real status to the town's Tourist Information Centre. In contrast, the closure of the well designed Open Air School by Worcestershire County Council points in the opposite direction.

It is now some weeks since Michael Burgess (Your Letters, June 29) sounded alarm bells quoting the Book of Proverbs: "Where there is no vision the people perish". The conception of the school, 40 years ago, by the county's distinguished director of education was a remarkable achievement. It is a great loss. It seems to be characteristic of Malvern to give birth to conceptions of vital originality and then instead of celebrating the birth of its offspring, we are overcome with modesty.

Who could guess that the radio telescope was conceived at Malvern's T.R.E. Sir Bernard Lovell, now the Astronomer Royal, brought in a new astronomical era when he built the Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank.

The Malvern Hills Earth Heritage Geo Park Trust tells us the Hill's uniqueness goes back for thousands of millions of years. Let us announce this. Let us bring our talents to the light "Without vision the people will perish", is our town centre dead? Let us bring it to greater life.

Catherine Moody, Sling Lane, Malvern.