Pop-up Beeston shop goes electric

The Pop-up Beeston shop

40 Beeston High Road

I did another stint at the Pop-up Beeston Shop yesterday afternoon and enjoyed the company of a steady stream of visitors, including two very special ones, not that I knew this at first — that came later in our conversation...

The extra special visitors turned out to be Steve and Lynn Hallam who own the shop. The other person in the pic, which was taken by Dan Walker of C.P. Walker & Son is me (Robert Howard).

I thanked them for their support and explained what we were trying to do; that it had all happened so quickly, that we were all volunteers, and we hoped the experience gained in their shop would enable us to work with Dan Walker when shops become empty in the future.

Steve Hallam was originally a Beeston lad (he's not related to the town's other Hallams) and his great-grandfather, a baker, Philip Wells Glover, came from Kegworth (follow this link to the Beeston-Notts History website).

Until Steve and Lynn came in none of us knew who the landlord of the old Thornton chocolates shop was or who we had to thank for our good fortune.

Later Steve and Lynn came back with Dan Walker and inside the shop was lit for the first time, which enabled me to take some better photographs. As this pic shows the lights being on even softened this exterior view and made the shop look more inviting. I also found more people came into the shop during the hour or so the lights were on; the whole shop was just so much more inviting.

The shop just looks better as these three pics show…

As I have mentioned in a previous post about the pop-up Beeston shop there is a need for what I call 'PUB commandos, to help us keep the shop open. A mix of 2–3 hour sessions Monday to Saturday covering the hours 10am–4pm will be more than enough. I say this based on previous experience in Lenton helping to run the then Crocus (community) Gallery for three years in a empty shop owned by Nottingham City Council (the flats were going to be demolished together with Church Square, where the empty unit, next to the Crocus (community) Café).

By the end of this week I will have done six sessions. I prefer to stay in the shop waiting for visitors to come in and when they do it is often to ask what is happening to the shop or to share reminiscences. The local historian in me believes the latter is reason enough, together with the We Are Beeston panels. Tomorrow (Saturday) I will take a contact notebook along to the pop-up shop.

Visitors who ask for more information about the shop are being directed by me to the excellent Exploring Beeston's History website, which has a section devoted the High Road and an entry for no.40, which is the pop-up shop. Follow this link.

I have taken the liberty of capturing this image of the shop from the website.

With thanks to the Exploring Beeston's History website

A lady came in last week and said she started worked in the 1950s in Ferrands when she was 15 and clearly remembered her time there with fondness. 

But there is a downside to running a pop-up shop — you need money to pay for electricity and water. That's about it, but in a shop such as this it will not be cheap. Beeston & District Civic Society is going to take the lead, but they will need our help and support.

I see this very much as a community venture drawing in local folk of all ages and by this I mean anyone who lives, works or has an interest in Beeston.

So over to you. What can you do? What would you like to do?

For now contact me via the comments section, but I will change this bit ASAP to a proper contact.

This is an exciting venture — be part of it and share the pleasure.

A Beeston wander to see a bus

It was Susan who suggested yesterday that we go for a walk around Beeston. "Not very far, just far enough to stretch our legs". I happily agreed because I wanted to catch one of the last Trent-Barton 18's, by which I meant take a photograph, so after lunch we set off on our wander.

1. A developer is trying to fit a mini-mansion onto a postage stamp size plot on Bramcote Drive. The present house on the site is being given a makeover; having dormer windows fitted in the roof. The site overlooks the golf course. The front will probably be given over to hard standing. Along the whole length of our wander houses were being extended or having loft extensions.

The announcement at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham of a London Docklands style development corporation for the Toton – East Midlands Airport Corridor must have had housing developers wetting themselves in excitement at the thought of the money to be made over the coming decades. 

I would cancel HS2 in a minute if the decision was mind.

2. I have only included this pic after some thought. This metal gorilla sits in someones garden on Devonshire Avenue, not in full view but its head can be seen from the pavement, so I came to the conclusion that that puts this work of art in the public domain.

3. One of two out of use bus stops on Devonshire Avenue. Who else remembers when Nottingham City Transport's No.14 bus route ran down the road on its way to the city from Chilwell?

4. The war memorial recalls the death of a Beeston soldier who had the misfortune, like so many to die, from sickness. In the 19th century all too many soldiers died before they got to see combat.

5. The reason for our wander. There was another 4 or 5 Trent-Barton route Eighteen buses before the service was withdrawn. It has been taken over by Nottingham Community Transport as their first commercial service. More in a post next week.

5. Broxtowe Borough Council are being very bullish about what is going to happen on the old Beeston Bus Station site. A cinema and shops and flats all 'Opening 2020' if the poster is to be believed. They are going to do all this is just under 15 months? Of course not, but Conservatives do like to make promises they know they can't keep. Let's hope come next May, the Borough Council election sees the Conservatives being replaced by Labour.

6. Inside the old Thornton's chocolate shop which C.P. Walker & Son, the local estate agents, have allow The Beestonian, We Are Beeston and Beeston Civic Society use as a pop-up shop for a couple of weeks. I did four afternoon stints last and will be doing Thursday and Saturday afternoons the coming week. In my book its been a great success and points an exciting way forward for promoting local groups and events. 'Pop-up Beeston' is probably a venture in itself and one that I will actively support.

7. We stopped off for tea and cake at Christine's Delights before walking the last fifteen minutes home. They were full and overflowing onto the pavement outside, which has to be good — and explains why I have used a pic I took within a few days of their opening.

8. And, finally, on Marlborough Road a big 'thank you' to the person responsible for this wonderful Sunflower display!

All in all, a good wander, nothing really happened, but we got some exercise and saw things we had missed fifty times before — like the Sunflowers above!

Pop-up Beeston going well and the perfect lunchtime snack in Beeston

Rosie Lea's Tearoom on Wilkinson Avenue was where I had a quick lunchtime snack today and in my book no one in Beeston does poached eggs better!

It's everything a teashop should be and is one of my Beeston 'go to' eateries. The other is Jo at the Local Not Global Deli on Chilwell Road, where yesterday I had a stilton cheese baguette. The best stilton in the conurbation, only rivalled by Park Stores on the Derby Road, close to The Park Estate entrance. I'm just sorry I didn't take a pic. Next time I will.

Below is a banner about to be made for use with the Pop-up Beeston shop locations. Unless the shop in the former Thornton's chocolate shop continues into next week, this banner will have to wait for its first outing.

Having been there for three afternoons I can say that it has been a great success. I will be there tomorrow (Friday). At the moment we're not sure if the pop-up shop will be open on Saturday. I hope so.

The banner has still to be finalised, small things, but it is coming soon.

How ‘community commandoes’ can help occupy PUBS in our town

The old Thorntons chocolate shop on Beeston High Road is now home to Pop-up Beeston space for the next few days at most.

I've spent the last couple of afternoons is the old Thornton's chocolate shop on Beeston High Road, which has become a 'pop-up' home of sorts for the
'We are Beeston' display panels, plus banners promoting the Blue Plaque guides and my Beeston pubs, cafes and shops map. We've also had copies of the latest Beestonian to give out. I was there this afternoon with Judy Sleeth, the Chair of Beeston and District Civic Society, and Matt Turpin, one of the founders of The Beestonian and progenitor of the 'We are Beeston' project.

An inside view of the old Thornton's chocolate shop.

The focus has been on students, especially new ones, but what I picked up on as well was the number of 'day-trippers' from places like Arnold, Bulwell, Bilborough and Sherwood, some by The Tram, others by the little L11 LocalLink bus; then there were the locals stopping to look at the 'I am Beeston' panels, (one lady exclaiming at the sight of a friend 'I know her!', then me reading out the text to her about her friend, which prompted a laugh and 'Well I never'). Such a simple exchange, but one which amply demonstrates the value of the work being done by Matt and his colleagues, who are driving the wonderful 'We are Beeston' project (there is crossover between 'I am Beeston' and 'We are Beeston').

I will in the o;d Thornton's chocolate shop again tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) and Friday. With luck the pop-up space will still be open for visitors on Saturday between c.11am and 4pm. Beeston's friendly estate agent, C. P. Walker & Son, have been supportive as ever, working with the landlord to provide the shop. 

It is in the nature of 'pop-ups' that they can disappear as quickly as they appear. Judy and Matt deserve our support for their enterprise and commitment. Between them they inspire much of what I do — hence my volunteering at short notice to help out.

What Judy and Matt need is a team of 'community commandos', who can be called upon to volunteer at short notice to look after 'pop-up Beeston' spaces is shops like Thorntons. When the displays have to go, Matt and Judy have no idea where he next 'Pop-up Beeston space' will be — hence the need for what I am calling 'PUB Commandos'! It is the kind of volunteering which suits me perfectly and there must be others like me who have routines — in my case it is doing the chores in the morning, leaving afternoons free to do what I want to do — hence my helping out this week at short notice.

'PUBS' are different to charity shops. They are local, they are topical and they are not fund-raising ventures. Attention grabbing yes, and if they get the Civic Society new members, and adverts for The Beestonian and my next map then that is a bonus.

As for advertising PUB locations, that is for those with Facebook or Twitter like skills. I only blog — which I know limits my ability to communicate with more people.

Someone may just see this blog post and pop along to the old Thornton's shop on Beeston High Road. It's a good display for such short notice and I'm confident they will get better with every PUB event.

in the meantime a big 'thank you' to Judy, Matt and C. P. Walker for what they are doing, and others, like Hairven and Simon at Pixel & Graphics, who are very supportive as well.

Beeston banner looks good and some thoughts of engaging with students

Simon at Pixels & Graphics on Chilwell Road worked his usual magic by taking my artwork and turning it into a banner. It was deliberately designed with space at the bottom for the name of a sponsor, someone who will help cover production costs. In this case it was Simon who gave me a discount, for which I say a big 'thank you'.

I spent Saturday on the Beeston & District Civic Society stand, at the annual Beeston Festival in Broadgate Park, folding and handing out the 2018 edition of my Beeston pocket map. The feedback was generally good. My mistakes seemed to go unnoticed, but I suspect some will come to light on closer examination. My maps are created in 'layers' which can be moved up and down, with the result that I sometimes bury parts of of the map, so they cannot be seen. My other problem is that I habitually do everything in a rush!

The banner is in the care of Judy Sleath, the Chair of the Civic Society, so you should see it about because it has been made to be seen.

Looking at my map and comparing it with the information on the Let's go to Beeston website it is possible to see what each of us misses or information which is out-of-date. If I do it again next year I may well include inset maps (for the stretch between City Road and Regent Street for example). I'd like to extend this version of the map beyond the station as far as Beeston Canal and the Trent, and down as far as Nottingham University's west entrance (as I have done with previous maps). As I have explained before, losing these areas was the price I paid for creating a map which enables me to mark every retail unit in the Beeston town centre area.

If you would like to borrow the map so it can be displayed at a meeting or in a building I'm sure this can be arranged.

A BEESTON FESTIVAL FOOTNOTE.

I am sure that the timing of the event has historical roots, but Beeston has changed and continues to change. If the Festival was held on a Saturday in May, Beeston's large (and growing) student population would still be about, able to attend and participate. You would also miss clashing with large sporting occasions, such as Wimbledon and international football tournaments which occur every other year.

A 'WELCOME TO BEESTON' EVENT?

I know from my years in Lenton that a good few students like to get involved with the local community, if given encouragement and the opportunity, but for this to happen there has to be engagement. Perhaps there is still time for some kind of 'Welcome to Beeston' event in late-September / October this year? It could take place on one of the market days at The Garage? The Middle Street Resource Centre would also make a good venue.

Middle Street Resource Centre, its café (oops), Beeston's forward thinkers and remapping our town

Yesterday evening (Monday 6 November) I went along to the annual public meeting of Middle Street Resource Centre and took with me some A1 size copies of my Beeston maps (the first time I'd seen them so large). Simon at Pixels & Graphics on Chilwell Road printed them. Here they are on display in the Centre:

There was quite a bit of interest. One of the maps was 'exclusive' in the sense that it was a blank master, which I have never made public before.

As simple as this looks it is something I would re-build and may well do so. Given the time available to me it may take a few months, but I am tempted to do it so that others can use the map more easily. When I say 'others' I mean in and of the community. Commercial companies wanting to use the map will have to pay a negotiated fee, which I will use to publish my bus maps or short stories.

I deliberately left the detail on the Nottingham University Campus inset map and it was only whilst I was at Middle Street yesterday evening that I realised the Centre had no café icon, so I have added one. Here is the amended section of my map close-up:

My reason for going to the meeting last night was to link up with Resource Centre volunteers involved with the Let's Go 2 Beeston website, which the Centre took over a couple of weeks ago. I met Karen and Colin and look forward to working with them. Councillor Pat Lally encouraged both of them to address the meeting, which they did briefly. They clearly have the vision to take it beyond Beeston High Road and its retail emphasis. Councillor Lally told those present that he thought the website had the potential to do much for the Centre and I'm sure he's right.

Beeston does need a web focus and this could well be it. Anna Soubry and Broxtowe Borough Council both publish forthcoming events, as does the Beeston Express, but not online, and this is one of the points made at yesterday evening's meeting more than once — that a good few folk are not into web and online social media. Bringing the two together is the challenge and partly explains why the Beeston map cover makes a reference to web based media:

The Beeston map as presently designed does not mark hotels or B&Bs, nor nurseries. It has to be about more than attracting shopper, it has to be about attracting visitors to search the town's Blue Plaques, to use Beeston as a holiday base. The town needs to promote its connectivity (which is something my Beeston centred public transport map tries to do) and we should remember 'connectivity' goes more than one way.

Karen and Colin understand this — as do Judy Sleath, Chair of Beeston Civic Society, and Matt Turpin of The Beestonia. For connectivity to be a success this is where it has to begin. With forward thinkers. There are others of that I am sure, but they have to be 'outside the box' by which I mean not naturally of 'The Establishment' in all its manifestations. 

Middle Street offers a good starting point in so many ways. Its users and owner for one and off the community. My blank Beeston map heading challenges viewers to 'See Beeston a little differently' followed by 'What would you put on this map?'

I would actually like to take the exercise back a step and invite Beestonians of all ages, interests, groups to sit down with a sheet of A3 paper and map there own take on Beeston, where they place themselves on the map they create? This exercise tells you a lot about what people like, want and where they spend most of their time. I know this from experience. For 21 years I was a supported housing regional, then national, Housing Management Officer and I would bring staff and tenants together in towns as diverse as Nottingham, Newark, Mansfield (to give you local examples) to create such maps. It really did help us to improve the quality of lives, especially in terms of individual and group support.

It is easy to miss the obvious and it is difficult to know if others are equally as blind as me or are terribly polite (eg. my Middle Resource Centre café slip)? Mapping tells you such things. It is an amazing way of learning I promise you.

And with this thought I will leave you, plus a reminder to visit the Middle Resource Centre café soon!

Beeston maps get Pokémon Go

I have updated my Civic Society Blue Plaques map to show changes to Y5 and Y36 bus routes plus drawing attention to how Pokémon Go uses blue plaques, war memorials, pubs, churches etc. as locations. I discovered this when our 17 year old grandson came to stay a couple of weeks ago and he whizzed around Beeston zapping Pokémon balls using the previous addition of the map.

To enlarge the maps below, just click on the map.

Local not global deli days out and new Civic Society pocket companion map.

I have recently created a map for Jo at the Local not global deli on Chilwell Road (click to enlarge):

I was quite strict with myself and did not include Skylink days out because this would involve a walk down to Queens Road, whereas this map is all about where the buses and tram travelling along Chilwell Road in Beeston go. Add in Skylink and list grows by 50%:

Sawley Marina

Castle Donington Musuem

East Midlands Airport Aeropark

Donington Park Grand Prix Museum

Diseworth Museum

Kegworth Museum

Loughborough Town Hall Art Gallery

Loughborough Great Central Railway.

I have also created an extended version of my original Beeston & District Civic Society Pocket Companion map. The 2016 version includes an inset map for Stapleford town centre and the map has been extended to the west to include Toton and to the the est to include Wollaton. To do this on an A3 sheet of paper, the map has to be distorted if you want to include any detail.

I am thinking of including hotels and b&bs in the next version. Space is always the decider.

The Civic Society map will be made available this coming Saturday at the Beeston Festival and the Lakeside History Fair on the south side of the University of Nottingham main campus beside Highfields Park. It is a pity the two events are on the same day, but such is life!

Another version of the map will appear shortly with all the Heritage Open Days in the area this coming September marked. Watch this space.

Broadgate welcome

Just found out that Judy Sleath, the Chair of Beeston & District Society, has pulled off the near impossible with help from Simon at Pixels & Graphics on Chilwell Road and Steph at Beeston BID. 

At 10pm last night  (Thursday) Judy asked me if I could do a 'student' version of my Beeston Pubs & Cafes Map for first thing this morning so that they could be printed today (Friday) and distributed tomorrow (Saturday). Just heard that 3,000 have been printed and will go to students in the Broadgate flats.

A White Lion regular.

Hopefully, a few of you living in Broadgate will find your way to this old fart's blog. If you are one of them, welcome. I hope you enjoy your time at university and living in Broadgate, which is on the wrong side of Tottlebrook to be in Beeston (and the Borough of Broxtowe). It is actually in Lenton (and the City of Nottingham), but even old Lentonians like me have always accepted that Broadgate and Lenton Abbey look to Beeston when it comes to shopping and going to the pub.

D'Oliva's a great place for lunch.

Beeston is a remarkable place by any measure. My wife Susan first came to Chilwell and Beeston as a history & archaeology student in 1969 and lodged in Chilwell vicarage for two years before spending her final year in Florrie Boot Hall.

I met Susan in Birmingham when I was a very young Birmingham city councillor and she was a very young museum curator. It was love at second sight and we were setting up home together a fortnight later and I have been an incurable romantic ever since (!).

Table 8 on Wollaton Road another lunchtime haunt.

For two years Susan walked to and from the University through Beeston to her digs in Chilwell vicarage. Work took her (and me) to Mansfield, then in 1975 we found our way to Lenton because, by then, I was a national officer for a well known charity and wanted to be near a mainline railway station.

It was not until 1996 that we started to come to Beeston every week, so when we finally decided to downsize from Lenton in 2013, it was going to be either Chilwell or Beeston. in the end, being within a few minutes walk of Beeston shops won out over being close to the tram.

The new home in town for coffee lovers who like variety.

The Broadgate flats, in terms of location, have to be close to the best in Nottingham - as I hope my pocket map demonstrates. You are less then five minutes away from some of the best pubs and cafés you will ever visit. One thing is for sure, you will remember these times.

Right now, if you have got this far, welcome to Beeston, I wish you well. See you about.

Robert Howard, beestonweek blogger.

Bramcote Old Church Tower Heritage Open Days

Another one of the great visiting opportunities beong offered by Beeston Civic Society's Heritage Open Days programme in September:

Coming 10–13 September, Beeston Heritage Open Days

I have created this map for Beeston & District Civic Society showing Beeston Heritage Open Days, where and when they are in Beeston.  Click on the map to see enlarged.

You can find more details about Heritage Open Days in and around Beeston on the Civic Society website (see link above map).

Two Civic Society posters

Matt of The Beestonian kindly gave me a plug on his Facebook page at the end of last week and I have a post in the pipeline, once I have time to work on the images. In the meantime here are a couple of posters for Beeston & District Civic Society, which I enjoyed doing. If they are any good, I need say no more...

Beeston Churches Walk poster — Sunday 19 July @ 2.30pm

http://beestoncivicsociety.org.uk

Highfields Park walk poster prompts a trawl of my 'archive'

The poster below came from the Beeston & District Civic Society. Unfortunately the same day as my first game of lawn bowls this year, but just to let you see more of the park, I have put a few pics below the poster:

My 'archive' selection shows some of the park's 'hidden' delights, which often go unnoticed. I am sure it will be an enjoyable afternoon out, especially if you end with tea and cake in one of the two Lakeside Arts Centre cafes.