Andrew Lloyd Webber

Glittering Awards Ceremony

Arnos Vale featured on BBC Culture Show - 28th October 

Sixteen local groups have been chosen to go forward to the finals of the English Heritage Angel Awards, supported by Andrew Lloyd Webber, in London on 31^st October.

English Heritage experts met recently to sift carefully through more than 200 applications received since the competition was launched by Andrew Lloyd Webber in June. Looking for passion, perseverance and imagination as well as the scale of the challenge and how well it had been tackled, they came up with the following shortlist of four outstanding projects for each of the Angel award categories of which Arnos Vale is featured: 

Best Rescue of 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

The shortlisted candidates have all been informed and invited to attend a glittering award ceremony at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End which will be hosted by TV Presenter, Clare Balding.

Arnos Vale is looking lovely and Autumnal - so it was perfect timing for the BBC Culture Show crew who filmed interviews at Arnos Vale as well as the lovely scenery as part of coverage for the English Heritage Angel Awards. The show will air on Friday 28th October

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t6c5

Clare Balding said: "I was thrilled when Andrew asked me to present the inaugural Heritage Angels Awards.  Having grown up in a racing yard that was built in 1879, I have a strong appreciation for buildings that combine heritage and practical use.  Through working on 'Britain's Hidden Heritage' for BBC1, I have seen the hard work and thoughtfulness that goes into restoring a building while retaining its essential magic.  I am delighted to be involved in recognising those who have breathed new life into all sorts of historic sites and hope that it will encourage others to do the same."

The candidates will meet Andrew Lloyd Webber and the other judges at a private reception at the theatre before the awards ceremony itself takes place in front of an audience of celebrities and heritage supporters.

The judges, whose task is to whittle the shortlist of 16 down to just one winner in each of the four categories, are Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, Charles Moore of the Telegraph, historian Bettany Hughes and the Bishop of London, the Right Revd Richard Chartres. The winners will be announced on stage at the awards ceremony.

The Telegraph is the media partner for the English Heritage Angel Awards and BBC 2’s Culture Show is making a series of films about the shortlisted candidates to be screened each Thursday evening from 29 September. Highlights from the awards ceremony will feature on the Culture Show on Thursday 3 November.

The English Heritage Angel Awards are co-funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com 

To read Andrew Lloyd Webber’s article announcing The English Heritage Angel Awards and to see the announcement of the shortlist visit www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/angel-awards

Or www.english-heritage.org.uk/heritageangelawards