Crown Estate Commissioners unveil memorial to famous Fochaberians and open new woodland walk

Crown Estate Commissioners unveil memorial to famous Fochaberians and open new woodland walk Crown Estate Chairman Sir Denys Henderson, and Commissioners Sir Ian Grant, Sir Donald Curry and Hugh Duberly, will travel to Fochabers on Thursday 30th May 2002 where they will join Gordon Baxter of Baxters of Speyside to unveil two seven-feet-high standing stones and a commemorative garden to the famous Fochaberians (1), and will open a new community woodland walk.The unveiling and opening ceremony will take place at 12.30pm at the commemorative garden in Fochabers (2). Members of the media are invited to attend. The commemorative garden has been established through funding from the Gordon Baxter Trust (3) on land donated by the Crown Estate. The community woodland walk has been funded by the Crown Estate (4) and Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise. Both the memorial and garden, and the woodland walk, have also enjoyed the support of a large number of local organisations, including: Fochabers Community Council, Fochabers in Bloom, Lennox Community Council, Moray Council and Moray Training, as well as individual members of the local community. Crown Estate Chairman, Sir Denys Henderson, said: "The Crown Estate would like to pay tribute to all of those who have worked so hard to bring these terrific projects to fruition, including Gordon Baxter for his generous funding of the commemorative garden and memorial, which reflect his family's long ties with Fochabers. I am especially pleased to be able to open the new community woodland walk, which provides a wonderful new area for people to enjoy the magnificent River Spey and the surrounding scenery, including new footpaths, parking and picnic facilities." Gordon Baxter, retired Chairman and Chief Executive of Baxters of Speyside, said: "We were looking to create something in the village that recognised those who've gone before us, and that conveyed their important contributions to the wider world. The Baxter family has a 250 year heritage with Fochabers - it is a special place to us, not only as the home of Baxters and its products, but for what has been produced here before. I am veryu pleased to be able to pay tribute to the famous Fochaberians." The Crown Estate Commissioners' visit to Fochabers for the unveiling and opening ceremony forms part of their programme of visits to all of the farms on the Crown Estate's 12,000 acre Glenlivet Estate. - ENDS - For further information, contact: Stan Blackley in the PR Office at the Crown Estate on (T) 0131 226 7241 ex.224 (M) 07770 742449 (E) stan.blackley@crownestate.co.uk Editors Notes 1. The memorial to the famous Fochaberians will honour 21 individuals with their roots, or with strong connections, in the Fochabers area, who have gone out into the world in the last 250 years and made a significant contribution to humankind in their specialist fields. The indioviduals include: · William Marshall (1748 - 1833) - composer, astronomer, clockmaker and steward to the 4th Duke of Gordon, dubbed "the greatest composer of Strathspeys of his age" by Robert Burns. · Sir James Sivewright (1848 - 1916) - telegraph and railway pioneer in South Africa, Cape Colony politician and a member of Cecil Rhodes' Cabinet · Sir James Cantlie (1851 - 1926) - founder of the London School of Tropical Medicine and a medical adviser to the first President of the Republic of China, Sun Yat Sen · William Alexander Baxter (1877 - 1973) and Etheldreda Adam Baxter (1883 - 1963) - joint founders of W A Baxter & Sons Ltd, Fochabers · George Gibson (1904 - 2001) - artistic designer in the Hollywood and ollywood film industry and Director of Art at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1934 - 1969 2. The unveiling and opening ceremony will take place at 12.30pm at the commemorative garden, Fochabers which is signposted from the A96 as you approach from Elgin. 3. The Gordon Baxter Trust was set up to promote and support cultural, historical and educational interests in the Fochabers area. Further information on the Gordon Baxter Trust can be obtained by phoning 01343 820393. 4. The Crown Estate is a UK-wide property organisation and is part of the hereditary possessions of the Sovereign 'in right of the Crown'. It is not Government property and does not belong personally to the Queen. The Crown Estate is managed under the Crown Estate Act 1961 and since 1760 has returned its profits to the Treasury to help meet the cost of civil government. Crown Estate Commissioners have a legal duty under the Act to maintain and enhance the capital value of the estate and the income generated from it. Photographic images available Call Mark Williamson on (M) 07831 355496 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/28/20020528BIT01140/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/28/20020528BIT01140/wkr0002.pdf