Heritage Open Day at the Pearson Centre

I spent this morning at the Pearson Centre, where local groups with stands were taking part in the Beeston Heritage Open Days weekend. I went along to help Judy, the Chairman of Beeston & District Civic Society, but in the end she had plenty of helpers, so I was able to wander off and look at the other stalls and chat with folk. It was all very enjoyable and I took a few photographs. Because I am a 'happy snapper', I do end up with duds and this morning was no different. This time it was Trent & Peak Archaeology and the Boys Brigade who I didn't manage to take decent photographs of. The good news is that I got enough to share here.

Apart from helping to move the Civic Society display a few times, I went outside and help Judy improvise a display of bunting tied to a wheelie bin, in the absence of signage by the Library or on Wollaton Road. The sad truth is that not many folk came to the Pearson Centre, even though is a fantastic venue for this kind of thing. I am absolutely sure that next year will be much better.

This is one part of the Civic Society display. I think it would be better on banners with larger text and images, with a table free for information. Trent & Peak Archaeology did this better than anyone else, but my photograph turned out blurred, so I cannot illustrate the point I am making. Having said this, the Civic Society did a fantastic job organising the History Open Days.

I spent some time talking to Iris Martin of the Beeston Camera Club (above) about an impressive display chronicling the coming of the tram to the west side of Nottingham, with lots of fine photographs, from Toton Lane, through Chilwell and Beeston, across to University Boulevard and beyond the QMC. 

Because it has been (and continues to be) a work in progress, photographs are being added to this very special and important collection regularly, so this was the  biggest display yet. The photographs have been taken by Iris and her husband Derek. I really hope that at some point in the near future some outside body with the money and resources talks to them about sponsoring a proper exhibition. Perhaps Nottingham Express Transit (NET) should. A truly wonderful collection of photographs.

Alan Dance (above) was on the Beeston & District Local History Society tables selling his own historical novels. The only two I was aware of until today were Narrow Marsh and Leen Times. Now I know there are others: The Westbrook Affair; Canary Child and The Chilwell Ghost. You can learn more by visiting Alan's website at www.arundelbook.co.uk.

In the centre of the large Pearson Centre hall was a working model railway, complete with a small working steam engine. This little boy was able to get this close by standing on a box. It was such a pity that so few children came into the  Centre whilst I was there. The happiness on this little boy's face says it all really.

BeestonWeek has always had a link to the Greening Beeston website and I have seen them at other events. I am full of admiration for what they are trying to do. They were selling yummy cakes and I managed to catch Jill serving a customer. We spoke about working on a map together, something for me to do when I go into hibernation during the cold and cough months. I like their ideas.

I had a lovely long chat with Steve Austin on the Beeston U3A table. He told me they had nearly 500 members (or was it 400?). Whatever the number was, it is truly impressive by any measure. They run lots of groups, including a local history group and a writing group, and it is this 'apartness' which makes me suspicious of them and I wonder in what way the existing local history and writing groups in Beeston were failing, that U3A felt the need to set up its own 'rival' groups?

As a group they have always given me the feeling that I would not be good enough for them. The Green Party has a similar exclusive air about it, despite having such an outgoing and inclusive person in Caroline Lucas as their MP. Steve contradicts all my feelings about U3A and he is a great ambassador for Beeston U3A.

Finally, my last photograph from this morning and if I had taken no other photograph I would be over the moon. Betty Cliffe is long-time Secretary of the Beeston Workers' Educational Association Branch and I have known her for a good few years now. We attended the same WEA writing class in the Beeston Centre for a long time until Susan and I moving house got in the way and, somehow, I have yet to find the time to go back. 

The WEA is more for the likes of me and I have been attending WEA classes on and off since I was a teenager in Wembley. I am going to attend a course about maps this autumn in the Pearson Centre and Susan is going along to a family history course in Beeston Library.

Betty is a great role model and someone I hold in high regard. I always enjoy her company and this photograph is very much the Betty I know. I think her personality shines through and I am very pleased with it. When I think about today in the future I will think about Betty and the little boy so happy to be watching the model train and clapping his hands every time the engine passed by (another photo which was blurred I am sorry to say).

I was going to meet Susan at the Wollaton Road allotments at one o'clock, but the heavens opened and in the thirty seconds it took me to put my waterproof jacket on I got soaked, so instead I went into the Allotments, bought two sausage burgers and took them home — hence my posting these pics so soon.

Today is one of those days I will always remember, when asked the question 'Where were you the day Jeremy Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party'. We also have a friend's 70th birthday gathering this evening. Someone I have worked with closely over the years in countless community campaigns during our thirty-five years in Lenton. 

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).

Allotment heaven on our doorstop

Doing another poster for the Heritage Open Days next month prompted a quick visit to the Wollaton Road Allotments to get a few photographs. Susan and I plan to go along on the Heritage Open Day and will write more about that come the time. Our next door neighbour goes to the Allotments for bacon cobs — which she says are fantastic. Anyway, for now, enjoy a few pics and the poster:

Len on the allotment stall at the gate sold me some apples and plums, then sold the plums again, so I waited whilst his mate Paul went and picked me some more. Just a £1 for each bag and I really can say 'the fruit came straight of the trees'.

This is a pic of Len's allotment. He only took it over a few months ago and it looks fantastic already. He told me it was his 7th plot in thirty years.

What really blew me away though was this view. You could be forgiven for thinking it was in the middle of the English countryside when it is actually within a few hundred yards of Beeston town centre!  What prompted this discovery was the need to have a few pics of Wollaton Road Allotments for my Civic Society poster. The allotments had a great atmosphere. I am looking forward to our proper visit on 12 September. I hope the poster and these three pics tempt you to come along as well and don't forget the bacon cobs (there were cakes today as well and they all looked yummylicious). 

A new market comes to Beeston

I enjoy life in the slow lane. Always have. Rush along and you miss things. Even I miss things going slow, as I will explain later. Right now, join me on a Saturday morning amble last weekend into Beeston to get fresh fruit and some Sicilian Treats to take to my daughter on the Sunday to have with our tea after a day spent canal walking in North Warwickshire, where she lives.

I couldn't resist the chance to photograph David selling his runner-beans on the Wollaton Road at the entrance to the allotments and two ladies stopping to buy some of his lovely looking beans. If it were not for the fact that I grow my own runner-beans I would have bought some too. I could write a whole story about how important runner beans have been to me throughout my life. Perhaps I will.

At the bottom of the hill, where Wollaton Road becomes Station Road is The Square or is it Beeston Square. It is called both, even Town Square and across from the side I was on I could see the market. When I first began shopping in Beeston in 1996, the market was tucked away behind (Beeston) High Road. In some ways I liked it more. Nothing fancy or twee about it. Then the middle classes left bread and pies to working-class bakers and butchers. Hallams,  Barnsdale and the Homemade Bakery on the High Road still have this quality, but a good few of the stalls in The Square (which is what I call it) are middle-class 'artisan', who give the impression that no customer is ever quite good enough for them. They have a 'I will serve you if I must' attitude and their bread and pies are fancy and clever. They are playing at trade and that is what I do not like about them. Rant over, but I mean every word.

On the left side of the entrance to the Tesco car park off Station Road is this blue plaque. I wonder how many of us notice it? I added Beeston's blue plaques to my town pubs & cafés map a few months ago, but there were still a couple I had not located and my search for them added another reason to my Saturday amble. 

But I was drawn to Tesco's not just to shop, but because I knew they were hosting a new 'indoor' craft market, charging stall holders a small sum and then putting the income towards local good causes. There were still a few spaces available as you can see, but this was the first one and it is August. Come the autumn and Saturdays begin to get colder, I am sure all the available stall spaces will be taken.

There was Lisa with her 'JaneyDesigns' card stall, who caught the mood perfectly. A lovely looking stall.

Next to her was Capricorn Woodwork run by Chris Hopkinson. The picture below captures some of the detail and I was sorely tempted by the large bowl, but where would I put it? There comes a point where surface space is one's home is limited and we reached it long ago. These objects are tactile, to be held and stroked.

This was the StashApparel stall with its wonderful mannequin. A sign described their clothes as 'Trendy, edgy womans wear'. From the empty hangars I could see that they had attracted a few buyers by the time I arrived, just before mid-day.

The last stall might be described as a temporary Saturday branch of My Fabric Place, who have a shop on (Chilwell) High Road. In charge were Iain and Emma, who had brought along what seemed like a lorry-load of fabrics. The picture below os of the fabrics on the table Iain and Emma are standing behind.

There was also a face painting stall with a couple of youngsters being turned into animals and aliens, and I had passed several out in to town, as I had made my way to Tesco, but we live in an age when photographing children has become a no no, for understandable reasons, and children are being air-brushed from  history. It is something I have written and blogged about in the past. Perhaps it is another topic I need to re-visit.

By the main Tesco entrance from the car park were singers Percy and Rob, who go by the name of 'Adoring Fan' in honour of the one fan they know that have. They were belting out the songs and good with it. They told me that they were involved with a local charity called Mindset, which 'seeks to run a variety of social and activity groups for the benefit of socially excluded people, drawn on the skills, experience and knowledge of socially excluded people themselves. We aim to provide opportunities for people in Nottingham and the surrounding area and to improve their mental health through musical, creative and gardening activities'. 

I left Percy and Rob, very impressed with what Tesco was trying to achieve and full marks to them. Tesco is making a real effort to wins hearts and minds in Beeston and, with me at least, they are succeeding. Their glass, atrium like. walkway beside Station Road, opposite the now closed bus station, makes a great communal space and I wish their Saturday craft fair venture every success. I am sure it is a space which could perform many other functions.

Earlier on I mentioned that I was also going to try and find a couple of Beeston blue plaques I had yet to locate. Thanks to a Beeston Civic Society member involved with the scheme, my missing blue plaque location on Nether Street was located. Nether Street crosses Station Road and had I looked at the street signs this would have been obvious. The openstreetmap website also shows this, so I have no excuse for not finding the missing plaque on my own.

The sign above the first floor windows reads 'General Baptist Chapel, erected 1806, enlarged 1856'. To see the photograph larger, just click on it.

On the wall in front of the old chapel, now a day nursery, you will see this plaque. I think it speaks for itself. To find out more about Beeston's blue plaques visit the Beeston & District Local History Society website.

I walked back via Foster Street so I could visit the library and took in the full glory of the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption. It is one of the finest buildings in Beeston and I love how it stands there, solid, making a statement. I have yet to go inside, but I will before too long. I have mentioned it before. And around the back of the church is a little oasis of quiet. As I mentioned in a recent blog, I am not religious (I do have a faith and have a piece I am working on about why Socialism is a faith and a way of trying to live).

Next to the church stands another building I am never quite sure what to call. Is it Broxtowe or Beeston Town Hall, or just 'Council offices'? On top of its roof is what I would describe as a bell tower. I have no idea what it houses, but it is a pity that the Council has chosen to surround it with radio masts and other clutter. I would have then down tomorrow if I was in charge. It is little things like this which tell you a great deal about those in charge.

From the town hall/council offices  I crossed the road and into the library before walking down Quart Road, pass the Pearson Centre, over Wollaton Road and onto Albion Street in search of my final 'missing' blue plaque, which I found in plain sight, opposite Sainsbury's petrol station. How could I have missed it for so long? Now I will see it every time!

I walked up Wollaton Road and home, having got what shopping I needed, discovered a new market and found two missing blue plaques. I met a few folk along the way. David was gone, having sold all his runner beans I am sure. At some point I would like to walk around the Wollaton Road Allotments. I see that the Allotments are taking part in the 2015 Heritage Open Days scheme and will be doing guided tours between 9am and 4pm on Saturday 12 September. Susan and I will go. In the morning I am helping the Beeston Civic Society with the stall in the Pearson Centre. Something to look forward to and blog about.

Heritage Open Days Eco Houses Poster

I have created another poster for Beeston & District Civic Society:

This is the one opportunity Susan and I want to take advantage of. We have missed previous open days.