From
The Windsor, Slough and Eton Express, September, 1930.
MR.
ERNEST A. STICKLAND
Thirty-three
years as Borough Engineer
His
Career and Some Reminiscences
Mr. Ernest Albert Stickland,
Borough Engineer and Surveyor of Windsor, retires from office
on the 30th September, at the close of over 33 years' public
service in the Royal Borough. Mr. Stickland, who is 69 years
of age, is to be succeeded by Mr. F. Newberry McRae, aged 38
years, who comes from Watford, where he is at present Deputy
Borough Engineer.
On Monday
morning Mr. Stickland was at his desk in the Corporation Offices,
at Alma Road, when an Express representative called to
see him.
"I
am retiring," he said, "on the 30th September, but
though I am 69 years of age, I feel as fit as I did ten years
ago. When I hand over to my successor, I am going to the other
side of the Chiltern Hills, beyond Wycombe, where I shall be
600ft. above sea level, compared with 60ft. above the sea at
Windsor."
Mr. Stickland
is a native of Budleigh Salterton, Devon. He was educated at
the Public Grammar School, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and it was there
that he commenced his career as a pupil of the late Mr. A. M.
Fowler, who, at that time, was the City Engineer. After a period
of service at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Mr. Stickland went as an assistant
at Stockport. By that time Mr. Fowler had retired from his public
office as City Engineer at Newcastle-on-Tyne and had gone into
private practice at Manchester. Stockport and Manchester being
separated by a distance of only six miles it was only natural
that tutor and former pupil should be in close touch with one
another. So it came about that Mr. Stickland frequently met Mr.
Fowler at Manchester and, by a curious coincidence, he assisted
Mr. Fowler in his design for the present Barnes' Pool Bridge,
at Eton. That was long before Mr. Stickland came to Windsor or
knew that he would ever be likely to do so. When he left Stockport,
Mr. Stickland was engaged on railway survey work for the London,
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railways and later he
carried out a drainage scheme at Blackburn. He afterwards gained
further experience in the municipal city offices at York and
then went to Reading for about the same length of time as an
assistant. It was in 1889 that he was appointed Surveyor of Newbury.
Barnes'
Pool Bridge, Eton. Mr. Stickland assisted Mr. Fowler in its design.
"I came to Windsor
in 1897," said Mr. Stickland, "and here I have remained
ever since. During the years that have elapsed an enormous amount
of work has been done. Even at Windsor I came again into contact
with Mr. Fowler, who carried out the Clewer Drainage Scheme.
Since I have been in the town the whole of the main roads have
been reconstructed. There were cobble stones all up the sides
of Thames Street and Peascod Street. They have been taken up
and new paving and kerbing have been laid in the whole of the
main streets of the Borough. Thousands of pounds have been spent
on the roads, and the reconditioning of the Albert Road is a
case in point. I can recall that the Windsor Corporation were
one of the pioneers in dust-laying trials, and people came from
far and wide to see the work that was done in those days. When
I came to Windsor the Corporation Yard was at the back of Love
Lane which is now covered by part of Victoria Barracks. The extension
of the Barracks necessitated the erection of new offices and
a depot in Alma Road. The Corporation also built the dust destructor,
and it was my privilege to prepare the plans. The layout of the
Alexandra Gardens and the riverside was work all carried out
in the Surveyor's department. The much maligned Borough Police
Station was built under my supervision from the competitive design
of a Bristol architect. Other things have involved the Corporation
Housing Scheme, which has been under my supervision and the making
of the new Car Park on the site of the old River Street area.
My design for the car park was accepted by the Corporation and
also the design for the conveniences beside the entrance to the
car park.
"The
Car Park is still unique. So far no other town has anything like
it and there should be an income of over £2000 from it
in the present financial year. I see the day coming when the
Car Park will have a roof over it and it will become one of Windsor's
finest assets in eight, nine or ten years' time. People come
from all over the country to see what we have done here in order
to meet the exigencies of present-day motor traffic."
During
the past 20 years Mr. Stickland has had control of the Windsor
Waterworks and the Sewage Farm. He pointed out that the steam
plant at the waterworks had been discarded and electricity had
been installed. The same thing had occurred at the sewage farm,
where a great many improvements had also been effected. There
had been the construction of a large storm water bed, some five
acres in extent, and tanks which were for many years out of action,
had been brought into everyday use. These tanks sifted out all
the silt, which settled in the tanks, and prevented it from being
distributed upon the sewage beds, thus increasing their life
and utility. The Corporation had bought 50 acres of additional
land to provide for the eventuality of sewage beds becoming "sewage
sick." Owing to the tanks having been brought into commission
it had not so far been found necessary to utilize the 50 acres
of ground which had been purchased, and thus a very material
saving had been made in expenditure.
There
are probably few appointments where a man is more open to public
criticism than that of a town engineer or surveyor. The work
that he does and the policy that he adopts come directly under
the eye of the burgesses in every street and highway. His operations
are not, for the most part, confined within the compass of four
walls, to which the people have but little access. Mr. Stickland
has not been without his critics, but the work he has carried
out for the town will remain as a record of his ability, energy
and devotion to his job. On the Corporation he has many friends
who will regret the retirement of an official who has stood by
his convictions, though others may have opposed his views on
this or that question of policy. When Mr. Stickland leaves Windsor
he will take with him the good wishes of the very many people
who have been in close touch with his work during the passing
of the years, who really understand the full merit of the work
that he has been able to do.
From
The Windsor, Slough and Eton Express, October, 1930.
PRESENTATION
TO
MR. E. A. STICKLAND
A Cheque and
an Illuminated Address
On Wednesday evening
Mr. E. A. Stickland who retired from the appointment of Borough
Engineer of Windsor at the end of September, was the recipient
of an illuminated address and a cheque for £64.17s., handed
to him by the Mayor (Lieut.-Colonel Stephen Wright) in the Council
Chamber, at Windsor Guildhall. There were 59 subscribers to the
testimonial. His Worship was supported by the Town Clerk (Mr.
J. Hambridge), Alderman Sir William Carter (Deputy Mayor), Aldermen
G. Mitchell, A. Harris and W. J. Duley, Councillors R. White,
A. Wells, E. N. Bartlett, Mrs. Carteret Carey, and G. E. Short,
Sir John Soundy, Mr. E. C. Durant (formerly Town Clerk of Windsor,
Messrs. W. Dodds (Borough Accountant), J. A. Williams (Secretary
to the Windsor Education Committee), Francis Arnold (Borough
Sanitary Inspector), C. Frail, S. Hulls, R. C. Tennant, H. Spink,
G. H. Williams, E. R. Foreman and H. Burfoot and Chief Constable
Carter.
The Mayor
said they had met to do honour to an old friend and to show their
appreciation for the services he had rendered to the town. he
(the Mayor) had only known Mr. Stickland for three years and
he would ask others who had known Mr. Stickland for a longer
time to address the meeting. This was not a Council presentation,
but was from 59 subscribers. The total amount contributed was
£70.8s.6d., and after deducting the cost of the framed
address there was a balance of £64.17s. During the two
years he had been Mayor he had always found Mr. Stickland a thorough,
reliable and trustworthy official in anything and everything
he had had to do. He had given a prompt attention to detail and
his experience of Mr. Stickland had been that nothing had given
him the smallest trouble. He extended to Mr. Stickland their
goodwill and wished him long life (hear, hear). He asked him
to accept the address and cheque as a memento or reminder of
the valuable services he had given to the town of Windsor (applause).
The illuminated
address, admirably executed by Mr. F. W. Barry, surmounted by
the Borough arms read:
To Mr.
Ernest Albert Stickland, A.M.I.C.E.
After
thirty-three years of loyal service as Surveyor and Engineer
to the Royal Borough of Windsor, the subscribers to your testimonial
ask your acceptance of the accompanying cheque and desire to
place on record not only their high appreciation of your valuable
services, but their further recognition of your willingness at
all times, and often under difficult circumstances, to assist
in any work which might be for the well-being of the Borough.
It is
sincerely hoped that both Mrs. Stickland and yourself may be
spared for many years to enjoy your retirement and your new home.
Signed
on behalf of the subscribers,
STEPHEN
WRIGHT, Lieut.-Colonel,
Mayor.
Windsor,
October 29th 1930.
Sir William Carter said
he had known Mr. Stickland during the whole time he had been
in Windsor, which covered a period of 33 years. He had always
found him very trustworthy in every respect and a man who always
went for what he thought to be right, whether what he suggested
pleased or not. He had known both Mr. and Mrs. Stickland for
years, and he hoped Mr. Stickland would live till he reached
the age of 90. Their best wishes were extended to Mr. and Mrs.
Stickland and their family (hear, hear).
Mr. E.
C. Durant thought he could speak as well as anybody with regard
to Mr. Stickland's work. Mr. Stickland and he were officials
of the Corporation for somewhere about thirty years.During that
time he found, as everyone else on the Council found, that in
Mr. Stickland they had a splendid officer (hear, hear). It had
always been an extraordinary thing to him that Mr. Stickland
was able to get through all the work he had to do. At times when
there were public enquiries and matters of that sort in hand,
when plans and detailed accounts had to be produced at short
notice, he only had to ask for them and they were always forthcoming.
They all most deeply regretted that Mr. Stickland was leaving
the town, but the time came when they had to make way for other
people. He left the town with the very best wishes of everyone
who knew him, and he desired to associate himself with the Mayor
in wishing Mr. Stickland and his wife and family a happy time
in their home in West Wycombe (applause).
Sir John
Soundy remarked that although he had left the Council for something
over 20 years, he was an active member when Mr. Stickland was
appointed, and he could speak of the splendid work Mr. Stickland
accomplished when he took office. Things were then not everything
they could wish and Mr. Stickland worked very strenuously to
pull things round. He congratulated the town on having had such
splendid services from Mr. Stickland. He had been, in many respects,
a model officer. He could never be bribed, would never accept
a present, and the head of one firm, when speaking to him, said
of Mr. Stickland: "He will never take anything. He will
not even take a cigarette." He (Sir John) considered this
to be a splendid testimonial in Mr. Stickland's favour and it
had been of great advantage to the town. He had always admired
the work of the Borough Engineer; he had always been a worker
and never a shirker, and he very much regretted the time had
come for him to leave them (applause).
Mr. Stickland
said he found it very difficult to formulate words in which to
thank the Mayor, first of all, for the kindly feeling he must
have entertained towards him in initiating the testimonial. He
also thanked the kind friends who had contributed to the testimonial.
After 33 years in one town, one naturally had a great knowledge
of it. When he came to Windsor there were 24 members on the Council,
and today three of those members were still sitting. During his
period of office he had seen more than 100 gentlemen come into
the Council Chamber for the first time and make their bow to
the Mayor. He was very pleased Sir John Soundy had spoken as
he had done. Those of them who remembered Windsor 33 years ago
must admit he did not want to take any extra credit that the
town today was in a vastly superior condition and state than
it was then (applause). He had carried out many improvements
under the instructions of the Council; they were too numerous
to mention, but he considered Windsor today could claim to be
quite up-to-date. With regard to the cleanliness of the streets
of the town, this cost money, but he felt that the first impression
a person had on coming into a town was gained from the cleanliness
of the streets and roads. He knew it cost money, but Windsor
lived practically on its visitors. During the whole time he had
been in Windsor he had received the greatest kindness and consideration
and assistance from the various members of the Town Council while
they had been in office. He thanked Mr. Durant for his kindly
references, for he was a man who, if one could oblige him, one
always went out of his way to do so (hear, hear). It was a great
wrench to leave Windsor after having been so closely connected
with it. He offered his thanks to the subscribers to the testimonial.
The builders and traders of the town and he (the speaker) had
always got on very well together, and if at any time there had
been any structural or building work to be done, and any alterations
had been necessary, the work had been carried out with quickness
and there had never been any friction (hear, hear). Concerning
the officials with whom he had worked, their relations had always
been amicable and the greatest friendship had prevailed., In
conclusion, he begged to thank all most sincerely for the handsome
address and cheque presented to him (applause).
Sir John
Soundy proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding,
and the proposition was carried with applause.
A book
belonging to Mr E A Stickland
is returned to his family in 2006
The above
book, on the subject of Sewerage and Water Works and signed by
Ernest Stickland on the inside cover, was found in Windsor in
2006 and returned to his grandson Peter Stickland. The book,
in remarkably good condition, must have been brought to Windsor
by Mr Stickland in 1897 and retained on the Borough Engineer's
book shelves, initially at Alma Road depot and subsequently at
Kipling Building. We are delighted to return it to Mr Stickland's
family.
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