IT may date back to 2,500BC, but there’s a right royal 21st Century dispute still brewing over the Egyptian statue Sekhemka that’s seen the relationship between The Mack and the Friends of Northampton Museum reach freezing point.
Among the chief casualties is Gunilla Loe, the Friends’ very recently ousted chairman, now on gardening leave. Her demise, which also led to the resignation of two of the Friends’ committee, followed a robust email from the Guildhall warning about her “unprofessional” conduct in campaigning to stop the borough flogging the statue off. In simple terms, ship her out or you Friends can’t visit the museums or hold meetings there.
The Mack’s apparent stance is the statue doesn’t fit in the council’s “core collection” which focuses on the past 150 years, and the Guildhall intends to push on and sell even if the spectre of legal action from Lord Northampton – whose ancestors gifted the statue to the museum in the 19th century – is on the horizon. Sources have told Aufona that any attempt to sell it – or simply not display it – would breach that covenant and could land the borough with a civil action that, worst case scenario, would start costing taxpayers money to fight it. Attempts to loan it out to a museum in Liverpool and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge have also come to nought, presumably as that doesn’t generate income. The borough’s art collection has not been valued since 2009-10, but there are concerns the £2m price tag might actually be under-selling it. More interesting still is the alleged £800,000 shortfall from the Heritage Lottery Fund to “do up” Delapre Abbey and the deadline for that bit of business is September. Hence, the critics claim, the council’s eagerness for a quick sale. A case of watch this space...
Excitment of a sort is building in the Eastfield area of town, but not perhaps of the positive kind. We wouldn’t dream of calling it chicanery (but some have), however residents may find it very noisy indeed from June 24-30 when a fair makes its debut at Eastfield Park. Signs have been going up warning of noise and disruption from the Evans Funfair (yes, the very same company that organises the St Crispin Street Fair so beloved in Northampton every October half-term since it was revived by the Tories in 2012).
What troubles Aufona is The Mack’s lieutenant, Bran Eldred, signed the whole thing off himself without ever telling – until just a few days ago – The Friends of Eastfield Park, the local residents association, nearby ward councillors, including Tories Mike Hallam and Anna King and most of all the park’s neighbours. In an era when you can’t do much without a public consulation, this seems a bit rich.
HOPE Look East and ITV Anglia bought flowers for the Guildhall PR who kindly “covered” the EMRO debate on Tuesday. Asked by our ever-present snout why she was there, she replied through gritted teeth that she was keeping an eye on things for our local TV heroes’ late night bulletins. Just so you know...
Surely, it’s time for two more defections?
AUFONA’s ears are flapping, lamely, over the odd whisper that Naz Choudary may now be considering upping sticks and following dad Ifty with a shift over to the Tories. Naz shares an address with his old man and we assume they’re still on talking terms so Ifty may have found time to ask if his son really has been fully rewarded in the recent Labour reshuffle for knuckling down and getting on with it despite that defection. And while we’re on that subject, there’s apparently no truth in the rumour that one Tory is planning to join Purple Bev on the UKIP benches ahead of the 2015 elections. That particular red herring is John Yates. He may have fancied his chances after that result in Kingsthorpe North in the county council elections, but we understand he’d rather be saying au revoir to Kingsthorpe and Bonjour to France. A much more desirable journey than the one from Lib Dem to UKIP via a rancorous spell with the Tories.
“Leaving Northampton, may be gone for some time” tweeted Varno the other day before deleting it. The former Lib Dem hopeful for the #PCC job last November currently resides in Shanghai, according to his Facebook status and Twitter profile. But he’s still in touch with Northampton, usually via RTs such as “Sharp brings jumbo 90” TV to Europe”.
Editor’s note: In the printed edition of the Chronicle & Echo, and an earlier online version of Aufona, reference was made to Mr Varnsverry’s dog. We have since been informed that the family dogs died two years ago. We would like to apologise for this mistake and for any upset caused to the family as a result of the reference made in the column.