One of Bourne’s tireless voluntary workers and stalwart member of the Civic Society, Jim Jones, was named by the Queen in her Birthday Honours List in June 2009 for services to the community with the award of the MBE. This decoration is well deserved for someone who has devoted the past 30 years for the benefit of the public, in particular the Heritage Centre at Baldock’s Mill in South Street.

Without him, many of the projects would not have come to fruition and in past years he has spent most of his spare time helping to make the centre such a success. It began with the conversion work from mill to museum followed by the establishment of a permanent gallery to the memory of the international racing car driver and designer, Raymond Mays (1899-1980) who was born in this town and which attracts visitors from all parts of the world. He and his wife, Brenda, were also the prime movers of an exhibition to mark Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in June 2002 and much of the work was carried out by them, including giving the building a spring clean, fresh paint on many of the walls, and new displays.

In May 2002, the couple received the The Local newspaper's Rose Award for their dedication to the Civic Society and to the countless hours they spent in keeping the mill in trim while their major achievement came in 2006 with the opening of the Charles Worth Gallery devoted to the life and work of Charles Worth (1825-95) who was also born here and achieved fame as a Paris fashion designer and founder of haute couture. Jim and Brenda spent several weeks fitting out the gallery and at one point even used their own money to pay some of the bills in order that the project could be brought to a successful conclusion. Not having an actual Worth dress, they visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and obtained details of one of Worth’s creations and then recruited a team of ladies who made a replica which is now one of the main attractions of the display. The gallery has since been featured on television several times and in 2007 was honoured by the Lincolnshire Renaissance Awards when it was named as the best new exhibition in the county.

Jim and Brenda were both born in Liverpool in 1940 but in 1976, when work became scarce, they chose to move to Bourne with their two young children to seek new opportunities. He had trained and worked as a qualified engineer and soon life took on a different aspect, both through employment and particularly through their outside activities. They became founder members of the Civic Society in 1977 and Jim has served as a committee member and unpaid custodian of the Heritage Centre since it was opened in 1981 while Brenda is now chairman.

They keep the place clean and are often there at 6 a m polishing and sweeping and are always in attendance for visitors, special groups and school parties who wish to come outside hours. Jim also carries out most of the routine maintenance work and often cleans out the Bourne Eau that runs past the building at the back, while both can often be seen walking the area with black plastic bags picking up wayside litter.

They are also active members of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and the Abbey Church in Bourne and fund raisers for the Lincolnshire Old Churches Trust, often participating in their annual cycle ride around the parishes, taking in as many churches as possible between 10 a m and 6 p m on a Saturday in late summer and contributing to the trust's funds through sponsorship. In addition, Jim has trained himself to use a laptop computer, digital camera and projector, to enable him give illustrated talks to clubs and organisations on a variety of heritage and conservation topics whenever required. He also designs the Civic Society and Heritage Centre literature and has produced a set of postcards for sale to aid society funds.

Jim is now retired and has just celebrated his 70th birthday and the couple are soon to celebrate their golden wedding but he continues with his voluntary work, always on hand with practical help and advice, a perfect example to all small towns which thrive on enthusiasm and unpaid assistance to keep its various organisations running. His MBE is therefore well deserved and the award is equally bestowed on Brenda, in spirit if not in name, in recognition of their unselfish and dedicated service to the community over the past three decades and to those people and organisations with which they are associated because they are also honoured.

WRITTEN AUGUST 2009

See also

Brenda Jones     A royal picnic