Category: History Group

The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our indoor meetings are held at Central Methodist Church on the 3rd Wednesday of the month commencing at 2.00 pm.

I have been busy revising the list of meetings and visits again and a copy is below. I will photocopy it for the first meeting we can attend. Incidentally we need to consider ideas for next year’s visits and speakers so please let me know what your thoughts are ASAP.

Local news: The old Co-op Bakery has been demolished with plans for houses on the site. The Dispatch Office is looking much better now the frontage has been refurbished. ‘Romans’ is an ongoing sore on Annesley Road however a message from the architect explained that the County Council (part which deals with roads) has changed over to another provider and the developer is waiting for them to set up barriers, etc. to enable contractors’ lorries to clear the site.

I am working on the 100th issue of Hucknall Torkard Times which is to be a ‘special’ one with extra pages to mark 25 years of publication. As we have been in lockdown, with less people shopping, I have been saving unsold copies to bring to the first meeting we can attend.

Bye for now, Maureen

HUCKNALL & DISTRICT U3A HISTORY GROUP PROGRAMME
Meeting dates: 3rd Wednesday of the month. For this year only I include July, August & December.
Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church.
Time: 2.00 pm prompt.
This year meetings do depend on the Covid situation, government tiers and vaccines. Dates have been booked.

REVISED LIST.
July 21st 2021 If a meeting is allowed??? I will organise something.
August 18th 2021 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’. (He says it is a fascinating story.)
September 15th 2021 Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)
October 20th 2021 Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30pm, Return Hucknall 5.30pm (ish) Cost £11.
November 17th 2021 Visit to Richard lll & Leicester Cathedral. Leave Hucknall10.30am. Leave Leicester 4.00pm. Return Hucknall 5.30pm (ish)
December 15th 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee)Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.
January 2022 John Tedstone coming to tell us about the U3A High Street project. Plus a member’s Hucknall High Street project.
June 2022 Visit to Doddington Hall and Gardens. Leave Hucknall 9.30 am: Leave Doddington 4.00pm. Return Hucknall 5.30pm(ish) Cost £20 -Price cut to the bone.

To contact Maureen, please use the form below:-

Error: Contact form not found.

The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our indoor meetings are held at Central Methodist Church on the third Wednesday of the month commencing at 2.00 pm. I am hoping this year the first meeting will be July 21st with Kieran Lee talking about the Bennerley Viaduct.

We need to be booking speakers and visits for next year to make sure the best come to speak in Hucknall and we visit the best. Ideas please.

Since I last ‘spoke’ to you, I have had enquiries about the Green Dragon pub. I have been researching it discovering that the name goes back many years but the present Green Dragon was built within my mum’s memory. If you can help with information or have anecdotes of happenings or celebrations in the building it would be good to know for an article in Hucknall Torkard Times. Incidentally I am now working on the 100th issue. What a surprise. Something I never thought I would accomplish when I began 25 years ago. Some people think Hucknall has no history but still new articles are written which fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw.

While I am thinking about pubs what about The Bowman? Nothing I know of has been written about the building would you like to volunteer? It has had various other names such as The Lodge and The Blue Boar but originally of course it was Broomhill House. Were you an early visitor? I hear stories about the Blue Boar Scooter Club but wasn’t a member myself. Should dedicate one of our indoor meetings to the history of – or – our memories of public houses?

T.T.F.N. & God bless from Maureen

2021 HUCKNALL & DISTRICT U3A HISTORY GROUP MEETING DATES

Meeting dates are the third Wednesday of the month. Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church. Time 2.00 pm prompt. We do not usually have indoor meetings in July and August but this year things are different. I am really hoping all will be well for us to meet in July and August and have rebooked the speakers accordingly.

July 21st 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee)
Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

August 18th 2021 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about
‘When the Balloon went up’.

September 15th 2021 Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)

October 20th 2021 Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30pm, Return Hucknall 5.30pm (ish) Cost £11. I am still awaiting confirmation from the museum and will book a visit elsewhere or have a speaker if there is a problem.

November 17th 2021 Rescheduled visit to Richard lll Centre & Leicester Cathedral. Leave Hucknall 10.30am; Leave Leicester 4pm; Return Hucknall 5.30pm (ish). Cost £18.

December 15th 2021 Although the date is close to Xmas we could have a social ‘Faith Tea’ meeting if you wish. Please let me know.

January 19th 2022 Members’ Meeting. John Tedstone is coming to give us an update on the U3A High Street Project and we look at High Street in times past.

June 15th 2022 Visit to Doddington Hall

I will photocopy this list for the first meeting we can attend.

To contact Maureen, please use the form below:

Error: Contact form not found.

The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our indoor meetings are held at Central Methodist Church on the 3rd Wednesday of the month commencing at 2.00 pm. I am hoping this year the first meeting will be July 21st with Kieran Lee talking about the Bennerley Viaduct.

Only two people replied to my question last month about Doddington Hall both thinking the best thing to do would be to change it to 2022. This made me realise that we should be booking speakers and visits for next year to make sure the best come to speak in Hucknall and we visit the best places. Ideas please.

Since I last spoke to you I have filled in my 2021 Census form. I am assuming you all got one for your household. While sitting there, black biro poised, did you give a thought to your ancestors who filled in their forms? Could some of them even fill the paperwork in themselves or were they illiterate? Did you think about the enumerators slogging round the streets collecting the forms when you pressed the button to send yours online or pushed it into the postbox? Enumerators had to help the householders by writing details in for those who couldn’t so I guess they would have headaches, be footsore and weary when they returned home to write up all the information into the census books. Something else I have considered is how my descendents will look at the information about me 100 years from now; what will they think and what will they do with it. Then thinking of a wider angle what will Hucknall look like in 100 years?

I am hoping the government will keep upgrading the records enabling them to be read on the different devices which will be available in the next century. It is only 30 years since my first computer and information from it can’t be read now.

Incidentally until the 1870 Education Act which allowed local government to set up School Boards it was not compulsory for children to go to school. Beardall Street was the first Board School in Nottinghamshire, built in 1872, opened January 13th, 1873. In 1891 a new Act made education free for all children until then schooling had to be paid for each week.

It occurred to me to check the history of British Summer Time or Daylight Saving Time as we alter the clocks again the end of March. It was first thought of by a chap called William Willett in the early 1900s – then the idea resurfaced in the Great War when the Summer Time Act was passed in the UK on 17th May 1916. In World War II in 1941 it was changed to Double Summer Time, then back to normal in 1945 but because of the severe winter of 1946/47 back it came for a while. Who remembers Double Summer Time when it never seemed to get dark? Info. very briefly from www.historic-uk.com

T.T.F.N. & God bless from Maureen

2021 Meeting dates

We do not usually have indoor meetings in July and August but this year things are different. I am really hoping all will be well for us to meet in July and August and have rebooked the speakers accordingly.

July 21st 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct (Kieran Lee)
Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

August 18th 2021 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about
‘When the Balloon went up’.

September 15th 2021 Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)

October 20th 2021 Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30pm, Return Hucknall 5.30pm (ish) Cost £11. I am still awaiting confirmation from the museum and will book a visit elsewhere or have a speaker if there is a problem.

November 17th 2021 Rescheduled visit to Richard lll Centre & Leicester Cathedral. Leave Hucknall 10.30am; Leave Leicester 4.00pm; Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish). Cost £18.

December 15th 2021 Although the date is close to Xmas we could have a social ‘Faith Tea’ meeting if you wish. Please let me know.

I will photocopy this list for the ‘first’ meeting we can attend.

The History Group always welcomes all U3A members. Our indoor meetings are held at Central Methodist Church on the 3rd Wednesday of the month commencing at 2pm. Please note changes of dates for talks & visits. Due to Government restrictions regarding moving out of lockdown visiting Doddington Hall on 16th June 2021 is not possible. We have options to consider:-

1. I can rebook the visit for June 2022.
2. I could rebook for October 20th 2021 but as the garden is something special (I’m told) it might be better to go in the summer time.
3. I could rebook later this year late summer on a Saturday.
4. I could cancel altogether.

Please let me know what option you think is best.

Very recently there have been email queries and I am having a ‘ponder’ so I’m not really passing the buck but wonder if any of you have more knowledge than I. At present the Libraries and Archives Office are closed so hands on research is a bit difficult.

The first was from a lady who told me her father came to Hucknall to work for Byron Horticultural Engineering which later became Landmaster then (I think) Bonsers Engineering. It was located between Byron Street and Orchard Street.

The second, again from a lady, (makes me wonder if all women are nosey parkers like me) was asking if there was ever a church on the land close to the Police Station. There was. It was a Baptist Chapel which in fact is still there in disguise as a garage. But I’m thinking I have missed something? Is the Police Station to be demolished and the land to be cleared – again?

Third, from a man this time, was about the building on High Street which now sells take away food but is remembered by myself as a clock and jewellery shop – was it Crawleys? It was originally part of the Coffee Tavern. This building is an article waiting to be written and really aught to be at the top of the list. What do you think?

Meeting Dates 2021

Meeting dates are the third Wednesday of the month. Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church. Time 2.00 pm prompt. We do not usually have indoor meetings in July and August but this year things are different. I am really hoping all will be well for us to meet in July and August and have rebooked the speakers accordingly.

July 21st 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee) Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

August 18th 2021 Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’.

September 15th 2021 Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)

October 20th 2021 Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15 pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30 pm, Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish) Cost £11. I am still awaiting confirmation from the museum and will book a visit elsewhere or have a speaker if there is a problem. Or possibly rebook the visit to Doddington Hall.

November 17th 2021 Rescheduled visit to Richard lll Centre & Leicester Cathedral. Leave Hucknall 10.30 am; Leave Leicester 4.00 pm; Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish). Cost £18.

December 15th 2021 Although the date is close to Xmas we could have a social ‘Faith Tea’ meeting if you wish. Please let me know.

I will photocopy this list for the ‘first’ meeting we can attend.

T.T.F.N. & God bless from Maureen

To contact Maureen, please use the form below:-

Error: Contact form not found.

Meeting dates: 3rd Wednesday of the month except July August & December.
Venue for Indoor meetings: Central Methodist Church.
Time: 2.00 pm prompt.

This year, early meetings do depend on the Covid situation, government tiers and vaccines. All dates have been booked.

March 17th 2021 – Attempting to re-schedule this visit at present for later in the year. July, August or November?

April 21st 2021 – Malcolm Darroch is coming to talk about ‘When the Balloon went up’.

May 19th 2021 Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. (Kieran Lee)Coming to talk about this historic monument past and future.

June 16th 2021 Visit to Doddington Hall & Gardens. Leave Hucknall 9.30 am: Leave Doddington 4.00 pm. Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish) Cost £20 Price cut to the bone.

July & August 2021 – holidays.

September 15th 2021 – Robert Mee is coming to talk to us on Bradshaws and an early railway Tour. (He says it is the famous railway timetable and a mystery tour.)

October 20th 2021 – Visit to Sharpes Pottery and The Magic Attic. Leave Hucknall 12.15 pm: Leave Sharpes 4.30 pm, Return Hucknall 5.30 pm (ish) Cost £11. I am still awaiting confirmation from the museum and will book a visit elsewhere if there is a problem.

November 17th 2021 – Members Meeting – Christmas theme.

December 15th 2021 No meeting. Close to Xmas.

I will photocopy this list for the ‘first’ meeting we can attend.