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...except there's one very good application from Leeds which is in with a fighting chance Helen posted an hour ago about a major Manchester building under threat. Now the shortlist has been announced of the first English Heritage Angel awards, organised by EH and Andrew Lloyd Webber – the 'angel' in theatrical terms who is co-funding the enterprise. It's one of a growing number of celeb-linked attempts to save threatened or neglected buildings which have proved effective previously - eg the BBC's Restoration series in 2003-6. More than 200 local groups entered the fray and 16 have made the final, when 'the Lord' as they always called Lloyd Webber' in his TV attempts to find new talent of all kinds, will hand out the gongs. There are three 'rescue' categories: churches or other places of worship, industrial sites and a final class of any other historic buildings. The fourth award goes to the best craftsman involved in the whole exercise. But oh dear... Where is the north in the beaming line-up of finalists? There is just one entry from all three of our regions: the former church of St Margaret of Antioch in Leeds. But at least it's a good one, and itsentry for the awards from Left Bank Leeds bears quoting in full. Here it is: Left Bank Leeds was started by a group of local Christians from different congregations with a common vision to save the building and give it a new lease of life, not only as a worship space but as an arts, music, creative, celebration space for the whole community. We were thrilled in February 2011 to finish over £700K of roof and window repairs and to declare Left Bank rain and pigeon proof! (Apart from the turrets at the east end, which still aren't quite there...). And despite the fact that there is still no heating and the toilets are a bit rough and ten minutes after you've cleaned the dust sneaks back, that's exactly what people have started doing. We have more than 120 volunteers, drawn from the local community, the Christian community and the arts community. They've helped us serve drinks, sweep cobwebs, design displays, dig the garden, take photos, research our history, make comics, sing, pray and laugh. And that's just for starters. We're still a bit freaked out by the magnitude of the job but we're determined and enthusiastic and getting better at what we do. We are proud that the pigeons have left the building, (carried out in three 8-tonne skips of dead birds and pigeon poo!). We will find the money for heating and facilities. We will design programmes of events that introduce local people to exciting artforms they've not been able to experience before and that draw people to explore their spiritual as well as their physical world.
The full shortlist is here: Place of Worship
Church of St. Peter, Shackerstone, Leicestershire
Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, Woodthorpe, Nottinghamshire
St James Priory Church, Horsefair, Bristol
The Former Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Industrial Building or Site
Brunel Goods Shed, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Colliery Winding Engine, Engine House and Backstays, Gedling, Nottinghamshire
Pleasley Colliery, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
North Leverton Windmill, Retford, Nottinghamshire
Any Other Category on the English Heritage Heritage at Risk Register
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol
The Ilam Cross, Ilam, Staffordshire
St Stephen's Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, London
The Worthing Dome Cinema, West Sussex
Best Craftsmanship Employed on a Heritage Rescue
Remains of Guesten Hall, Worcester, Worcestershire
The Smythe Barn at Westenhanger, Hythe, Kent
Tyntesfield Orangery, Somerset
Woodchester Mansion, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire You can read more about all of them here. English Heritage staff, who did the whittling-down of the initial 200-plus, now hand over to celebrity judges for the final act: Lloyd Webber, H's chief executive Simon Thurley, Melvyn Bragg, Charles Moore, Bettany Hughes and the Bishop of London, the Right RevRichard Chartres. The winners will be announced on stage at the awards ceremony at London's Palace Theatre on October 31 with BBC2's Culture Show also following the process. Martin Wainwright
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