After Over 100 Years, Still Serving Beeston

The Blue Plaque Scheme has now been running in Beeston and other parts of the southern Browtowe District for over two years. Since the scheme got under way in August 2010 - when the first plaque to Thomas Barton, the bus pioneer, was unveiled - the group has already delivered sixteen plaques, with two more expected to be in place before this year is up.

This scheme - which marks places in the District which are associated with prominent people or events from the past with a blue plaque - is very worthwhile, as it reminds us all of these individuals and events and how they have helped shape the community.

Last Wednesday, 7th November, we gathered to inaugurate a plaque that has been fixed to the 'wavy-wall' that surrounds the Tesco car park on Station Road, Beeston. It is erected there to mark the position of Beeston Lads' Club which stood there from 1913 until it was displaced by redevelopment in 2007.  It also marks the outstanding contribution made by Stephen Hetley Pearson who re-founded the Boy's Brigade in Beeston in 1909 and, through his untiring efforts, made the building available for the training and development of generations of Beeston boys - and, later, Beeston girls.

After an introduction by Peter Robinson, Chairman of the Blue Plaques Scheme, the story of The Lad's Club and its founder was ably described in turn by John Green, for the Old Boys' Association and by Neville Bostock, a former Boys' Brigade officer and now a Beeston & District Local History Society Committee member.

Although a Boys' Brigade had been formed in Beeston before 1900, by 1909 it had largely faded out - such that Arthur Stephen Rogers, a hosiery manufacturer and its first Captain, encouraged his nephew, Stephen Hetley Pearson to take on the task of reforming the Brigade. This he did with his characteristic enthusiasm and efficiency and, after securing the use of a room in the Anglo Scotian Mills, it was an immediate success when over 120 boys enrolled on the first night - a number that had more than doubled by 1913, when it was realised that larger, more suitable premises were needed. An appeal was made to the people of Beeston to each contribute one shilling and, when a factory on Station Road became available. it was acquired, with substantial financial help from the Pearson family. This major achievement was celebrated by the company marching, led by its band, through all the streets of Beeston, from its old to its new headquarters (shown above, right).

Only a year after this move, in August 1914, Britain went to war with Germany.  By then, membership of the Beeston Company had reached 300 and there was a very high level of comradeship and patriotism amongst the membership and its Old Boys' Association. These Old Boys responded to the Country's call immediately - encouraged very actively by Stephen Hetley Pearson. In late August 1914, he led an initial contingent of 27 which marched from the club to a Recruitment Centre in Nottingham. More were to follow over the following four years of war. Sadly, 42 of these fine young men were among those who were never to return. By the end of 1917, this had included Stephen Hetley Pearson himself, killed while leading his men, as a Second Lieutenant with the Grenadier Guards, at the Battle of Cambrai.

His legacy was to live on in Beeston, where generations of lads - and eventually girls - were to regard the building on Station Road as a key element of their lives. There was something happening there seven evenings a week and, as well as the excellent programme of training, there are many who have happy memories of the Saturday social evening and the annual pantomime in particular.

The original premises, known as The Lads' Club,  were later enlarged and were to remain the headquarters of the Company until they were cleared as part of the Tesco development in 2007. This made possible,  a move to excellent, purpose-built premises on Nuart Road, where the Centre's excellent work with the young people of Beeston continues.

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Iris White paid tribute to the contribution made by the Lads' Club, the Boys' Brigade and the Girls' Brigade to the development of  many generations of young people locally, a sentiment which was echoed by Linda Lally, on behalf of Tesco, who then invited the gathering to a small reception where memories and experiences of the Lads' Club were exchanged.

Shown left to right in the photograph are, Neville Bostock, John Green, Linda Lally, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Iris White and Peter Robinson.

40 Years Old and Counting ...

Last Wednesday evening we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the formation of Beeston & District Local History Society and it was a very happy and enjoyable occasion.

Yes, it really was 40 years since a small group of us met at the Manor House in Beeston to form a committee and discuss how we could get things off the ground. As it turned out, we had little need to worry as, within a year, membership had come close to a hundred and carried on climbing. Today, it remains a thriving and active society, one of the largest in the County, with regular meetings every month and a programme of outings to interesting places. Under the leadership of the present Chairman, Alan Clayton - who, has carried out that role for some 14 years - the Society has co-operated with other local history societies in the area and with the Beeston Civic Society, to erect blue plaques to mark local locations connected with prominent people from the past, as well in other joint ventures. The society has a growing collection of photographs and local artifacts which it uses for research and displays at local heritage and community events.

The guest speaker for the evening was Sir Neil Cossons who was born and raised in Beeston - and went to school at Church Street, where his father, Arthur Cossons, was Headteacher. His outstanding career included 13 years at Ironbridge Gorge Trust as its first Director, 14 years as Director of The Science Museum and for the six years up to his retirement in 2007, as Chairman of English Heritage. In retirement, the many calls on his experience and expertise keeps him busy but he maintains a keen interest in local initiatives around the country, has always kept in touch with his roots in Beeston and, three years ago, he agreed to become the Society's President.

The subject of his talk - memories of his early life in Beeston - was perfect for the occasion and it was delivered with an insight and in a witty style that perhaps surprised some but captivated and entertained everyone who heard it.   So much has changed in the last 60 years - and the rate of change has recently accelerated at, for some, an alarming rate and looking for the landmarks from the past can be a challenge. The site of the family home on Union Street is now part of Tesco's carpark, his father's school is now the site of a modern apartment development and the fields where he worked in first first summer job, as a 'tier-in' - following the 'budder' up the seemingly never-ending rows of rose plants on Lowes nursery, all for £3 18s a week - are now given up to residential use.  But the railway station survives - although it way it now operates is but a shadow of what it was in the 1950's when the young Neil worked there in holidays while in the 6th Form and to supplement his university grant. Nowadays it is just a passenger stop with a booking office, then at the station - and the surrounding rail workings - there was a payroll of 50 and - this was the big difference - a large traffic in parcels, in and out of the town.  Parcels, large and small, arrived from all the local businesses on their way to their customers and others arrived daily for distribution throughout the Beeston area and the railways own distinctive delivery trucks. For Neil, with an inside view of all this, it was an insight in what made business in Beeston tick. But, working at the station had its more bizarre side - with the rituals of painting the platform edge, lighting the gas-lighting, sweeping the platforms and keeping the fires stoked in the porters' room. It was a world away from the way his career was to develop - but there was much to learn about life at Beeston Station in that era! A most enjoyable talk!

The evening ended with the cutting of a cake, which members and guests sampled with a cup of tea or coffee, mingling, greeting old friends and recalling their memories of the forty years. It was an excellent evening, a worthy celebration by a society which has served the Beeston area well and will, no doubt, continue to do so.

If you wish to learn more about the Society and possibly become a member, you can find out more on its website here.

Bendigo - a Boxing Legend

Tuesday, 11th October 2011 - we were to learn - was a memorable day for one of Beeston's worthies from the past. As near as could be seen, it was the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Victorian bare-knuckle boxing legend, William Thompson, better known as 'Bendigo'.

Once again there was a good crowd of local people to witness the unveiling of the latest local blue plaques to mark the time, during his later life, when Bendigo lived in Beeston.

We all gathered at the Pearson Centre where, fittingly, we were joined for the occasion by a modern-day local boxing champion, Jason Booth, currently the holder of the British and the Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles. We also welcome the Mayor of Broxtowe, Councillor Jacky Williams as well as a representative of Nottingham Castle Rock Brewery  which had recently launched a 'Bendigo' beer.

Alan Dance outlined the story of Bendigo's  life and career as a boxer. Like modern-day celebrities, the story of his life has become confused by much repeated flowery 'facts'. Although it is generally believed that he was one of triplets born to Mary and Benjamin Thompson, only William and his brother Richard were baptised at St Marys Nottingham on 16 October 1811, and Richard died about two weeks later. And the story that he was the last of 21 born to the couple is also difficult to square with the facts - they were married, apparently, in 1805 and only a relatively small number of their children - perhaps seven - are recorded in the baptismal register.

But doubts about the details cannot take anything away from his remarkable career as a prize fighter which started after his father died when Bendigo was 15 and he and his mother spent time in the workhouse. Determined to support himself and his mother, he turned to the boxing ring - where winners could take away large purses, sometimes £300 or more - and great acclaim.  So it was to be with Bendigo whose career took in many grueling contests, each lasting as many as 96 rounds and all attracting a huge following. These included three marathon fights with his local rival Ben Caunt. The second of these contests was the only fight that Bendigo lost - and then only on a disputed technicality - and in his final fight, aged 39 and fittingly against his old rival Caunt, he was able to finish with a dramatic win.

His flamboyant style and agility and athleticism in the ring earned him a huge popular following, something which was to continue for the rest of his life. At first, his retirement years were spent following his love of fishing but he soon became a heavy drinker and became involved with the Nottingham Lambs, a violent, politically motivated mob. Now a drunken mess, he was committed 28 times to the House of Correction.

To escape this life, he became interested in religion and moved to Beeston - to a cottage on what is now Wollaton Road, immediately to the north of Anglo-Scotian Mills. This cottage, now demolished, had another claim for fame - its chimney, which can still be seen in the side of the mill building, was reputed to be the tallest house chimney in the land.

Bendigo now threw all his energies into preaching - in his own indomitable style - attracting great crowds, eager to see and hear their hero.

He died at Beeston on 23 August 1880, following a fall on the stairs of his cottage. His funeral procession, reputed to be a mile in length, took him to his final resting place in what is now Bath Street Rest Gardens, where his distinctive memorial survives.

Following Alan Dance's outline of Bendigo's life, we walked around to a spot opposite the site of his cottage where the plaque had been fixed to an adjacent pillar to watch its unveiling by Jason Booth (shown second from the right in our photo, accompanied by, left the right, Alan Dance, the Mayor and the representative from Castle Brewery)

The purpose of the blue plaque scheme is to link people with place and to make people aware of the importance of both. And, it seemed to have an immediate effect  - a young woman stopped as she passed and told the writer that she thought that she was related to Bendigo and would be certainly looking into it.  It seems, the plaques are working well !

More Blue Plaques

Unfortunately, I was away when the plaque was unveiled to mark the factory in Beeston where Thomas Humber made bicycles and where Humber motorcycles and eventually cars were made. By all accounts it was an excellent occasion so I was sorry to miss it. All the more reason to make sure not to miss the latest unveiling.

There will be many Beeston residents who will not have a clear idea - if any - of the life and work of this latest Beeston person to be commemorated with a plaque. They may have wondered about the origin of the name of 'Clifford Avenue' in Beeston and they may also be unsure why Nether Street School was renamed The John Clifford School.  They may have spotted the date stone on the building when walking through the short piece of Nether Street that is on the west side of Station Road - ' Erected  in 1806, Enlarged in 1836'.  Its put to good use today as a nursery but they may have wondered what it was built for and what happened there all those years ago This latest plaque will put person and place together and help to answer those questions.

We were welcomed by the nursery's owners, Roy and Hilary Ruddock who take much pride in the history of their building and the way they had been able to rescue the building and convert it for an excellent modern use. Although drizzling rain threatened the ceremony and there was a possibility that the ceremony would have had to be indoors, everyone was determined to do it properly and gathered around the site of the plaque to hear Professor John Beckett give an outline of the life of John Clifford.

Though he was not born and did not die in Beeston, his parents moved their family here from Sawley when he was very young and it was undoubtedly the influences of his early education, his time as a lad in the local lace factories and his conversion and commitment which arose from his membership of the local Baptist chapel - which was then based in the very building where we had gathered - that shaped his life.  It was this chapel community that sponsored his time at theological college from where he went on to a lifetime ministry in west London. It was from that base that he developed as a national and, indeed, an international figure for social issues, in particular as a campaigner for non-denominational education. Rev Kevin Dare, the present Baptist Minister in Beeston, then read an extract from Dr Clifford's sermon which he delivered on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ministry, which illustrated clearly the power of his oratory and his commitment to his life's beliefs

The plaque was then unveiled by the Deputy Mayor of Broxtowe, Councillor Margaret Handley (accompanied by her husband on the left of our photograph, which also shows, left to right, Rev Kevin Dare, Hilary and Roy Rudduck and Professor John Beckett) 

Now, thanks to this simple memorial, the contribution of Rev Dr John Clifford and the part paid by Beeston, and particularly this building, will surely not be forgotten. Those interested to learn more about this, might wish to read our account of his life and work.

Blue Plaques for Beeston

It is very pleasing to see real progress with the local joint initiative by Beeston Civic Society, Beeston & District Local History Society and Stapleford & District Local History Society, to mark those who have historic links to the local area with a blue plaque. These plaques, already familiar in London and other major centres, link the person with the place with which they were associated very effectively and its good to see the idea being taken up in smaller towns - and in the wider Beeston area in particular. The first was placed in Chilwell earlier this year to commemorate the life of Thomas H Barton, the local bus pioneer and, in Stapleford, a plaque for Arthur Mee, the writer and journalist, has been unveiled - with more, we understand, in the pipeline.

On Saturday afternoon last, there was an excellent gathering to witness the latest placing, this one on Church Street Schools, Beeston - now, of course, converted to apartments - to commemorate the life of teacher and historian, Arthur Cossons and the exceptional contribution he made in Beeston over many years.

We all gathered at the Methodist Church hall, where Alan Clayton, the Chairman of Beeston & District Local History Society welcomed three generations of the Cossons family headed by Arthur Cosson's son, Sir Neil Cossons and his daughter, Hilda Stoddard. Peter Robinson, Chairman of the local blue plaque project, spoke of its objective of linking 'person with place' - and today it was the well deserved 'person', Arthur Cossons, and the 'place', therefore, undoubtedly Church Street Junior Boys' School. For Sir Neil it was a time to remember their father in the context of his own early life in Beeston and his time at his father's school and the family home on Union Street, now lost through redevelopment.

We had also gathered to witness the unveiling of an associated plaque to mark the remains of the Village Cross which had, until about 1860, it is said, stood in the area previously known as 'The Cross, where the War Memorial now stands, until it was taken down and used as part of a nearby wall. It was there, in 1929, that it was rediscovered by Arthur Cossons, who had it erected next to the school. During his lifetime, there is no doubt that he made sure that his pupils and the wider population of Beeston were aware of what it was but now, with memories fading, there was a need to add an explanation of what it was. Professor John Beckett set out the evidence to the audience. While there was no evidence that Beeston had held ancient rights to hold a market, the old name for Middle Street - Market Street - may point to its local use to mark a corn market and its proximity to the Church pointed to its use as a focus for processions at Harvest time.

We all then walked around to Church Street, with plenty of opportunity to compare our experiences of Arthur Cossons time at the school there. We readily agreed that there was no doubt that his enthusiasm and dedication to local history has had a lasting effect on local people and their continuing interest in their town's history.

The unveiling itself was performed by Sir Neil, assisted by Hilda, his sister (left) and the other members of the family. On his right are (left to right) Alan Clayton, Peter Robinson and Professor John Beckett. The plaque is fixed to the side of what was the caretaker's house at the school, as the building which housed the Boys' Junior School - of which Arthur Cossons was Headmaster - which stood to the rear of the site, adjacent to what was Church Lane - as distinct from the fully restored original Board School building on Church Street - was demolished as part of the redevelopment.

Everyone then moved around the corner where Margaret Cooper, a Beeston historian who taught in Beeston schools, was invited to unveil the plaque which now describes the 14th Century cross.

We all then returned to the Methodist hall for light refreshments, to view a small exhibition of the life of Arthur Cossons - and, of course, to continue to chat and swap memories between friends. An excellent occasion to mark one of Beeston's worthy 20th Century figures.

Is this the centre again ?

Middle Street in Beeston used to mean what it said - and so did 'High' Road and 'Nether' Street. Though all of them haven't always had these names - High Road was the Turnpike and Middle Street was Market Street until well into the 19th century - the reason they became so named is because of their position relative to the village core. What is now High Road skirted its northern limits, Nether Street, its southern limits and Middle Street went through the middle - outside that there were open fields until they were encrouched on, progressively through the 19th century - so that today Beeston continues, largely seamlessly, to its boundaries, well beyond the old village centre.

Over those years, the High Road - and The Square in particular - has established itself as the natural centre of the town. It was a natural evolution - that's where the shops developed and that's where the Civic buildings were built so the centre it became. So the original meaning of 'Middle' Street easily became forgotten - it wasn't the centre of anything in particular any more.

Now, it seems to me - rightly or wrongly - the positioning of the new Tesco may well change Beeston's focus with Middle Street back to what it was - Beeston's center ! I agree, its early days and much depends on whether redevelopment continues on Station Road, below Middle Street but its possible. Personally, I would rather the development result in a revitalised High Road and the pedestian links from the new development may well help that outcome - I, for one, hope so.

We will just have to wait to see whether or not history repeats itself !

Election Memories

As I write, we are in the period of a General Election - although, as these things go, this one, so far at least, has been remarkably quite locally.

Its time though to recall what, for some reason, is one of my strongest memories. It is from February 1950 (I was 11) when I found myself standing in the yard of the old National Schools on Station Road - then the headquarters of 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts, now the site of the recently closed Fire Station - looking over the wall to watch the excited crowd around the door of the Station Road Sunday School hall opposite. In the centre of the excitement was Martin Redmayne, the Conservative candidate who was emerging from his eve-of-poll meeting. The next day, the 23rd February, he was elected as the member for Rushcliffe Parliamentary Constituency.

In those days - and continuing up the major boundary changes in 1983 - Beeston was part of Rushcliffe Constituency which then, as now, also included West Bridgford and a large area of rural Nottinghamshire south of the Trent. It had been that way since 1885 and, for over 30 years, up to 1918, returned a Liberal member - first John Ellis who died during the election of December 1910, followed by Leifchild (known as Leif) Jones. During the inter-war period, and continuing up the Labour landslide of 1945, Rushcliffe returned Conservative representatives - Henry Betteton up to 1934, followed by Ralph Assheton. In 1945, following the national trend, Florence Paton was elected for the Labour Party.

When he was selected to contest the Constituency for the Conservatives, Martin Redmayne, born in 1910, was seen as an ideal candidate. He had served in the Sherwood Foresters during the war, commanding the 14th Battalion in Italy in 1943 and the 66th Infantry Brigade in 1944/5. After the war he had returned to continue to run the Redmayne & Todd sports outfitters business in Nottingham and was therefore quite well known locally. When I was taken to the shop , before Christmas, probably of 1948 or 1949, to choose a present, he was serving in the shop and I remember my father speaking to him about his selection.

He was to serve as the local MP for 16 years until, in 1966, he was narrowly defeated by Anthony Gardner for Labour - who, in turn, was overturned by Kenneth Clarke who holds the Rushcliffe seat to this day. Redmayne was created a baronet in 1964 and made a life peer in 1966. He died in 1983.

So - as I look back on that moment in 1950 as the candidate emerged amongst the cheering crowd of local supporters, it seems that much of the truly local atmosphere - something that was enough to capture the interest of an 11 year-old - has been lost in the last 60 years. It is certainly in sharp contrast with today's largely national campaigns, fought on TV, on Twitter and in blogs !