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Derby
UN C O V E R E D Find out how hypnotherapy can change your life See Pages 50 & 51
BORDER COLLIE TRUST GB
Find us on page 78 Issue 7
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire JOIN OUR JOURNEY
Join us on a journey as we set out to revitalise city-centre properties in Derby – particularly in the historic Cathedral Quarter – for community use.
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DERBY IN PICTURES
Mark Miley from derbyinpictures.net returns with another fantastic article in his series that investigates the history of various Derby locations
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PENTRICH REVOLUTION
PJ CARS 01332 202010 PRIVATE HIRE DERBY
Learn all about the Pentrich Revolution – England’s last attempted revolution – which took place in 1817.
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CARE & COMPASSION FOR YOUR FAMILY, AS IF IT'S OUR FAMILY Ashmere is a family run business providing the very best care across Derbyshire. Our ethos is that we are here for everyone, from our residents right through to the families too. When the time comes to find a care provider we know that there are many questions that need to be answered and our personal approach ensures you get the opportunity to speak with our care team directly and addresses all the questions you may have.
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Ashmere is a family run business providing the very best care across Derbyshire. Our ethos is that we are here for everyone, from our residents right through to the families, too. When the time comes to find a care provider we know that there are many questions that need to be answered and our personal approach ensures you get the opportunity to speak with our care team directly and address all the questions. Ashmere currently has seven fantastic care homes to choose from, specialising in the following areas; residential care, nursing, dementia and daycare. All of our care homes have friendly, professional and dedicated teams that work tirelessly to make sure each one of our residents are provided only the best care possible.
Residential Care Dementia Care Nursing Care Day Care D/deaf Facilities
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Derbyshire Derby
UN C O V E R E D
CONTENTS FEATURED ARTICLES PAGE 5
DERBY UNCOVERED CIC
Join us on a journey as we set out to revitalise city-centre properties in Derby – particularly in the historic Cathedral Quarter – for community use. PAGES 6 & 7
THE JONES BROTHERS
PAGES 26 & 27
LAYERS AND LAYERS OF HISTORY
In our regular Layers and layers of history feature we look at some stunning photos of bygone Derby shops and businesses – once again with the help of W.W Winter.
PAGES 46, 47 & 48
27 QUEEN STREET
Richard Felix tells us all about the history of one of Derby's most historic and at risk buildings. PAGES 50 & 51
FISH IN WATER
How two men went to the ultimate lengths to avoid a public execution.
PAGE 29
Change can be brilliant, and you can learn how Sarah Roach can help you with that change with both coaching and hypnotherapy.
PAGES 8 & 9
Read about the local gardens open for charity in the upcoming weeks and months.
PAGES 54 & 55
Over sixty years old and still going strong, we look at the history of a Derby institution – Anderson Electrical.
PAGE 30
ANDERSON ELECTRICAL PAGE 10
ROYAL CROWN DERBY
Elizabeth Woledge tells us more about the fascinating history of Royal Crown Derby – part of Derby’s history since 1750. PAGE 12
KALWINDER SINGH DHINDSA Derby author, poet and creator Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa shares his work and thoughts with us. PAGES 14 & 15
“I AM A DEAD MAN”
We look at the true story of a fatal duel that killed a young village doctor in Derbyshire in 1821. PAGE 16
LOCAL STUDIES LIBRARY
Find out how to discover your history with the help and resources of Derby Local Studies and Family History Library. PAGES 22 & 23
TRUE CRIME
HADDON HALL
Keep yourself up to date with the very latest from Haddon Hall - 'the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages’.
PAGE 24
CATHEDRAL QUARTER CHRISTMAS
The final part of our look at the life of one of Derby’s greatest artists - Ernest Townsend - is brought to us by one of his grandsons – Jim Townsend. PAGE 58
We look at the bizarre yet true story of how a couple met in Derby in the 1600’s.
Find out more about all the upcoming festive entertainment in Derby’s historic Cathedral Quarter this year. PAGE 34
ARTISANS UNCOVERED – THE RETURN
The event that brings you the very best in Derby and Derbyshire creators, makers, and artists is returning in March 2024. PAGES 35, 36, 37 & 38
DERBYLAND
Come see the incredible Derbyland – a passport to incredible wonders and well-hidden secrets – from cool Theatres and Bars to Art and Design, History and Innovation!
DERBY IN PICTURES
PAGES 60 & 61
STAR MUSIC HALL
In the second of two parts, Ted Bottle and Elaine Pritchard tell us the storied history of the Star Music Hall in Derby. PAGES 70 & 71
FAMOUS FOOTPRINTS
We examine the life of Alfred E. Goodey and the paintings he collected that became known as the Goodey Collection. PAGES 72 & 73
THE PENTRICH REVOLUTION
Learn all about the Pentrich Revolution – England’s last attempted revolution – which took place in 1817. PAGES 76 & 77
Mark Miley from derbyinpictures.net returns with another fantastic article in his series that investigates the history of various Derby locations. PAGE 42
We look at three family businesses that have merged to create one of Derbyshire’s largest independent property brands.
ERNEST TOWNSEND
IT ONLY TAKES A PEBBLE
PAGES 32 & 33
PAGES 40 & 41
We look at a time when William Marwood – the state executioner – visited Derby to execute a man who had committed a brutal murder.
COPE&CO
NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME
NUTRITION AND RETREAT
CLIPPINGS FROM THE PAST
We go back to 1898 and look through the editions of the Derby Mercury that year, examining various adverts in the build-up to Christmas.
Time to reflect, re-energise and be inspired. Reflect on Nature. Re-energise from Nutrition. Be inspired by us.
A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO PATRICK GRIFFIN WHO HAS OVERSEEN ALL THE EDITORIAL WORK WITHIN THIS ISSUE. HIS HELP, AS EVER, HAS BEEN INVALUABLE.
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YOUR CITY NEEDS YOU! By the time you read this newspaper, it will have been twelve months since the very first edition of Derby Uncovered was released... and what an amazing twelve months it has been! Whether it’s been through the newspaper, our social media, or through our events and walks we’ve been lucky enough to talk to, and engage with, so many of you and share our thoughts and opinions about Derby’s wonderful history and heritage with you, and today we’ve got something else we’d like to share with you.
This time though, it not about the past – it’s about the future. As some of you may already have seen, we’ve set up a new company – Derby Uncovered CIC – and you might be wondering why. We want to answer that for you right now. Well first things first, absolutely nothing is changing with the Derby Uncovered you know. We will still be bringing you the newspaper every two months, we will still be hosting Artisans Uncovered, we will still be publishing books and we will still be organising walks and events. Derby Uncovered CIC - though it shares very similar branding and is brought to you by the same people who brought you Derby Uncovered - is an entirely separate legal entity and we thought we'd let you know what it's all about. So, why set up Derby Uncovered CIC if you already have Derby Uncovered? Derby Uncovered CIC has been set up as a Community Interest Company with the specific intent of using it to revitalise city centre properties particularly those in the Cathedral Quarter - for the benefit of the community. To do this we will need substantial funds.
What is a Community Interest Company (CIC)? A CIC is a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. All CICs are asset locked - this means that the company’s assets will only be used for its social objectives. In addition to this, dividend payments are capped to limit the amount of money it can pay to its shareholders. So why set up a CIC? Derby Uncovered CIC has been set up as a fully regulated company that is eligible to apply for, and receive, grant funding from organisations such as the National Lottery. With grant funding we can achieve much more and at a much greater pace.
would, of course, be appreciated and we will also need volunteers with spare time to help us fundraise. Our contribution to fundraising can also be ‘in-kind’ as well. This means that if any local businesses or tradespeople provide their time to us free of charge, that may count as donated funds - so if you feel you can help that way then we'd be very grateful. What sort of people are you looking for to get involved? Quite simply, we're looking for positive people. Derby has both a wonderful history and heritage and a great deal of things that we can be proud of. Let's take that pride and use it as a driving force to make positive changes. Do you have any initial ideas for community-led premises? Yes. If you visit our website www.derbyuncoveredcic.org - you'll be able to see the initial projects we'd like to undertake. Are we already looking at properties within the area? Yes we are. We are in negotiations already in an attempt to secure a Cathedral Quarter property on a short-term basis to enable us to move forward with our projects and are also looking at other properties in the area. We are confident that there are various options or suitable locations within the area for everything we want to achieve and with your support we can aim big. What if I have more questions or want to get involved? Then please get in touch. You can email me directly at david@derbyuncovered.com and it would be great to hear from you. Together we are stronger and together we can make a positive difference. If you would like to visit the CIC website you can find it at:
www.derbyuncoveredcic.org
Have you begun to apply for funds already? Yes. We very recently passed the Expression of Interest stage of the Community Ownership Fund. This means we can now apply for funding of £250,000 from them in the Winter 2023 application stage. How can I help? There's a lot of ways you can help. Though our intent is to source funding, often that funding requires that we raise a certain amount ourselves, so donations
Your Derby ...YOUR PAPER
5
Derby U N C O V E R E D
Agitated to an amazing degree
How two men went to the ultimate lengths to avoid a public execution The prisoners day room within the County Gaol in which the brothers were held - now a wonderful museum on Friar Gate, Derby.
As much as we try, sometimes it can be impossible to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes – certainly when we are talking about people from past eras. There are certain things that we – in 2023 – have never, and will never, personally experience and it’s therefore hard to say exactly what we’d do. Perhaps it’s fair to say that there’s no way we ever would know unless it had happened to us. How we’d react upon receiving the death penalty and being given the knowledge that we would be hanged in front of a large crowd must certainly count as one of those things.
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If we were to even attempt to put ourselves in the shoes of two brothers condemned to hang in 1784 we must do it with one very important caveat. In days gone by, the length of time between the sentence being passed, and the execution taking place, was much shorter than we might think after hearing of various stories such as people being on death row in the USA for many years. The two brothers in question here were,
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
An excerpt from the Derby Mercury on 29th July, 1784 reporting on the death sentence of the Jones brothers.
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for example, found guilty when they were tried on August 3, 1784 and told they would hang just 17 days later. The two brothers were John and Benjamin Jones and there was no dispute at all that they were criminals, after an accomplice of theirs turned King’s Evidence and testified against them to avoid a potential death penalty for himself. Amongst the crimes they lay accused of committing with the informant, were: a burglary committed by John and the informant at the house of widows at Nuns Green; a burglary with both brothers and the informant in the village of Culland, near Brailsford; A contemporary illustration of the County Gaol. a further burglary in Ashbourne on March 28, 1784; another burglary in On August 3 their trial was short and ended Culland; a burglary without Benjamin present inevitably with the sentence of death by at a warehouse near St. Peter’s Church in Derby hanging. With the evidence of their former and a burglary at the house of a Mrs Roe in St. accomplice, the footprints, John’s blackened Peter’s Parish on April 14. face and the fact that they had nobody there to speak on their behalf, it was never going to end It was to be the burglary at the house of any other way. Mrs Roe that brought about the end of their criminal exploits. Their execution date was set for August 20 but it would ultimately never take place. That fateful night, the men had disguised themselves and blackened their faces and On their way back to the gaol from the trial, gained entry into Mrs Roe’s house. Once inside, both brothers were initially full of bluster and they had brandished their pistols at Mrs Roe’s bravado and John was heard to boast that “as niece and forced her to hand over valuables they had stood their trials like men, he hoped that included silverware and cutlery and £38 they should die like men”. Benjamin too, in cash – around £4,500 in today’s money seemed unmoved by the situation they were before escaping into the night. now in. This was soon to change once they The manner of their capture was alarmingly simple. Whilst the burglary was taking place, fresh snow had fallen outside and the neighbourhood had little difficulty in following the tracks. Once found, it seems that although they had washed their blackened faces, John Jones had failed to clean his thoroughly and the men were arrested and charged.
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Dressed only in their shirts, the brothers were found facing each other and were both hanging from the cord used to secure their chains. Though we will never know what was said during their conversation beforehand, it seems obvious that the brothers felt that dying by their own hands was much more preferable to dying as part of a public spectacle. Either way it resulted in both men leaving a widow behind, and in the case of John, three children. The story doesn’t end there however, and what happened next says rather a lot about the justice system at the time. Upon discovering the men, the turnkey raised the alarm, and a surgeon was hurriedly called. The hope was that the brothers could be revived, after all they needed to be officially hanged on the prescribed date. The men were “bled” – a procedure of bloodletting that was widely used at the time for a variety of ailments – but the surgeon was unsuccessful in restoring life.
were placed in their cell.
They had been placed in a cell together and when the door was opened the following morning all the boldness of the brothers had dissipated. John, in particular, had – according to contemporary literature – “lost all fortitude” and wrung his hands as he cried bitterly. Later the same day, the men were visited by the Reverend Mr Henry, and they prayed with him for some time before being locked up once more.
The masthead from a contemporary broadside produced about the brothers upon their death.
An hour after that, the turnkey was ordered to let the men out for some air and was presented with what was referred to as “an awful sight”.
A list of executions from 1732 to 1847 published in the Daily Reporter on April 2, 1847 mentioning the suicide of the brothers.
Ultimately then – and via death at their own hands – the brothers had successfully cheated the hangman. They didn’t truly escape the gallows itself however – as they were buried beneath it. The contemporary literature of that time spoke of the hope that the fate of the men would act as a “warning to youth, to shun those paths of vice, which has brought them to ruin.” It didn’t. Before the end of the 18th century had even arrived another nine men had been launched into eternity.
Your Derby ...YOUR PAPER
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
OVER SIXTY YEARS OLD AND STILL GOING STRONG
The Anderson's team in 1979 with Guy Anderson's grandfather and the founder of Anderson Electrical George Anderson on the far left, his father John Anderson in the middle and his uncle Ian Anderson on the far right.
By David Turner.
When George Anderson started a business in Forester Street in Derby in 1959 under the name ‘Vacuum Cleaner Services’ he was perhaps not, understandably so, looking into the future and wondering what would have become of the business sixty years into the future. If he had of been however, he’d have been very pleased with what he saw.
Though it started with humble beginnings – by the end of the first months trading it had earnt £8 – it soon began to grow, and within the first year the small firms takings had risen to £2,516. Consequently by 1963 Anderson Electrical had been born and was located where many of the citizens of Derby would have memories of it – The Strand – and it was from this location that the business simply went from strength to strength.
Monday-Friday 9.00am to 5pm Saturday 9.30am to 4pm Sunday Closed
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Though they sold many different lines – in fact over the years Anderson’s across their premises on The Strand and also Sadler Gate sold things such as Spanish imports and Anderson Footwear – for many years vacuum cleaner bags were their number one top seller. I have memories myself as a child of accompanying my mother into the shop on a vacuum cleaner bag buying mission and even at a young age, I was struck by how knowledgeable the staff were and how polite and attentive the service was. This wasn’t just based on one visit either. We seemed to change vacuum cleaners with an inexplicable regularity when I was younger but no matter the make and model Andersons would have us covered.
Pamela Anderson - mother of Guy Anderson - representing Anderson's at an exhibition in Queen Street, Derby in c.1971.
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In fact, demand must have certainly been even higher for their services than the younger me realised as their local advertising at the time – which covered everything from vacuum cleaner repairs to carpet cleaning machine hire – made it clear that there were four incoming telephone lines which one must assume was needed to handle the incoming enquiries. Of course, if you go down The Strand now you won’t find the Anderson store but that doesn't mean that they’re no longer around – they’re now based at Park Farm, Allestree and business is going better than ever before. Under the leadership of Guy Anderson, a relocation took place in July of this year and it’s wonderful to see their business booming. We often talk about iconic Derby stores when we reminisce and always mention the big department stores such as the Midland Drapery and Thurman and Malin, but Anderson’s are in every way just as iconic and just as much of a Derby institution and what’s more there still here and look like they will be for many years to come.
The Anderson Footwear shop at the bottom of Sadler Gate.
A wonderfully iconic image of two of the Anderson Electrical vehicles.
Anderson's last electrical shop on The Strand, Derby before their move to Park Farm, Allestree.
Anderson's first electrical shop on The Strand, Derby.
Phone: 01332 371166 33 Park Farm Shopping Centre, Allestree, Derby, DE22 2QN
anderson-retail.co.uk Some early Anderson's advertising.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
The Kedleston Vase When people visit the museum, they often spot something beautiful and ask me “who made that”? In truth this question is hard to answer because most of the items then, as now, are really the result of very effective teamwork. Modellers, casters, decorators, designers, burnishers, Kiln operators and more are all needed to create our beautiful items. The stunning Kedleston vase is a good illustration of this. The Kedleston vase was commissioned by Lord Scarsdale of Kedleston Hall in 1790, and in order to fulfil the order the factory pulled together its most talented people. Here is a look at some of the details on the vase and a glimpse of the people behind them. The handles, which are made to look like snakes, were made by the gifted modeller Mr Spangler. You may remember from previous editions that Spangler was a great deal of trouble and a petty thief, but he was also a very creative artist as illustrated in these fun and original handles. The floral swags were painted by their best flower painter Mr Billingsley, who started work at the factory as an apprentice. He soon showed an outstanding aptitude for floral painting, producing roses that were considerably more lifelike than anything done before.
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Zachariah Boreman. He was the factory’s best landscape painter and was great friends with Mr Billingsley. The two men spent many hours experimenting with different porcelain body mixtures, intent on making super translucent porcelain which was Billingsley’s passion. The painting of the figures of Virgins Awakening Cupid was painted by James Banford. He was a little too fond of his drink and he would often take his wages straight to the pub rather than home to his family. Factory manager William Duesbury tried to help by giving his wife Bernice work to take home and decorate so he could pay her directly, even though this caused friction with other staff members.
We are offering tours of the museum and archive on Saturday mornings at 10am from now until Christmas. Please book online at:
www.the-royal-crown-derby-museum.arttickets.org.uk Where you will be able to book for Weekday Wednesday mornings, Weekday Thursday and Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Come and explore over 250 years of history illustrated by stunning porcelain all hand made in Derby.
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
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11
Derby U N C O V E R E D Allow me to introduce myself…
L.A.M.
Layla Anise Mohin Kaur Dhindsa was initially named, By her father whilst listening to Derek and the Dominos on repeat, he has claimed.
My name is Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa. I am a writer, author, poet and creator. A proud Derby man. Born and raised in Pear Tree, Normanton.
Although her mother would disagree and question the tune. Choosing instead to settle upon the story of Layla and Majnun. But one thing they both agreed on was the link to the Ram. Forever grateful to Mary who helped deliver their lovely little LAMb.
Letter R.
I will be using my allocated space in the Derby Uncovered Newspaper to share my Derby related poetry and stories.
Letter G
Every article will begin with a poem from my book Derby.
Portland Street.
I am, I am a Derby man, Born and raised in Normanton. Boy from Pear Tree, Proud to be. Portland maverick, @khalsir Sikh.
In this collection of poems each letter of the alphabet is dedicated to an iconic figure in the history of Derby. In addition to this I will also include further poetry and information in relation to the iconic figure being shared. In this issue, I will share some poems about my identity. They are poems I have written about my children and what, for me, Derby will always be synonymous with.
Pardon My French.
Raman’s C.V. Raman Rohan was initially named,
The poem above is from my collection of poetry called Portland Maverick, a follow up to nor MAN ton. Another introspective collection of poetry and prose.
As a nod to Rolls-Royce and the Indian Nobel Prize Physicist ‘light scattering’ acclaimed.
Born in Derby – 1979 British Punjabi of Sikh origine.
Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman also known as C.V.
Raised with a topknot, my Mother’s decree. A misunderstood child. Es-tu une fille?
A distant relation of Ashok Venkatesh the Headmaster at Littleover Community.
Proud of my roots and all things Punjabi. A Doctor Who loving Sikh Derby boy – Toujours Pear Tree.
The poem below is also from the same collection of poetry.
If you’d like to see more about the books mentioned they can be found at Amazon - and don’t forget to check out the following: www.khalsir.com www.twitter.com/KhalSir
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www.facebook.com/PearTreeAuthor www.instagram.com/khalsir/
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
In the next Issue... The Letter J, K and V. Who could it be?
C H
The Continental HOTEL
DERBY
Issue 7
Find us on:
RESTAURANT • HOTEL • VENUE
Newly refurbished, The Continental Hotel Derby (formally The International Hotel Derby) offers relaxation in a warm, friendly and enjoyable ambience. Both leisure and business guests are able to unwind in comfort, and take advantage of the contemporary Conference facilities. The Continental Hotel is an independent hotel, currently under new ownership, which prides itself on its professional staff, who aim to provide a helpful and efficient customer experience. There are many additional benefits we offer our customers including Free Wi-Fi and Free parking. Situated just minutes walking distance from the Derby City Centre, The Continental hotel allows you to explore the area at your convenience.
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The Continental Hotel Derby 288 Burton Road, Derby DE23 6AD Phone: 01332 369321
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
I AM A DEAD MAN!
The shocking tale of a pistol duel that resulted in one man dead and another on the run.
My dad was a lover of films and he particularly loved Westerns. If, when he was channel hopping on TV, a Western was found, then it would be watched. It didn’t really matter if he’d seen it countless times before, a Western, as far as my dad was concerned, was always worth watching again. Consequently, as I grew up, I’d seen more than my fair share of characters taking part in a pistol duel and as a youngster it was something I very much associated with cowboys. As I grew older and learned more, I discovered that this duelling was a form of trial by combat which had taken place all over the world for centuries with not just guns – but often swords as well. That being said, until I first came across the following story, I would never in a million years have associated pistol duelling with a small village in the Derbyshire Dales in 1821.
Duelling had become common amongst the upper class in the 17th century, as a way of settling disputes and it was a lot more common that you may probably think. Though exact figures are hard to come by, it is thought that between 1785 and 1845 there were around 1,000 attested duels in the UK – though thankfully due to the inaccuracy of weapons at the time - the mortality rate for these duels was around 15%. Four men to hold the post of Prime Minster took part in duels and two of them - William Pitt the Younger and the Duke of Wellington – did so while actually in the post of the highest political office in the land.
Brittlebank was the son of the wealthy Brittlebank family of Oddo House in Winster whilst Cuddie was the local doctor. Cuddie was also courting William’s sister Mary. It seems that for whatever reason – though perhaps because Cuddie was a ‘lowly village doctor’ - that this relationship did not meet Brittlebank’s approval.
Many of the duels were, as you might expect, down to a perceived slight towards another’s personal or family honour and this was very much the case when William Brittlebank challenged William Cuddie to a duel in Winster.
A map of the garden where William Cuddie was shot.
Modern-day Winster.
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
William Cuddie's deathbed testimony to Philip Gell.
After a quarrel when Brittlebank confronted the couple as they were taking a stroll on May 21, 1821, the doctor, later that evening, received a note which read: “Sir, I expect satisfaction for the insult you dared to offer me at a time when you knew that my situation with a helpless woman prevented my chastising you. Name your time and place, the bearer will wait for an answer. Yours William Brittlebank, Junior. I shall be attended by a friend and prepared with pistols, and if you don’t meet I shall post you as a coward.” Cuddie made the mature decision to not reply to the note, but despite this, on the following day three Brittlebank brothers, William, Andrew and Francis, along with a friend named John Spencer, went to the doctor's house.
Though accounts vary as to exactly what happened next, a common thread amongst all of them is that William Cuddle did not want to fight. He was also unwilling to apologise for seeing William Brittlebank’s sister, and with a gun virtually pressed into his hand, a duel took place. The men separated to a distance of fifteen yards in the doctor’s garden and on a signal they both fired. Though they both fired at the same time it was Cuddie who was fatally wounded, stating immediately after he was hit that “I am a dead man”. He died the next day.
A contemporary wanted poster.
Shortly before he died, he made a declaration to a local Justice of the Peace outlining what had happened. Notably once he’d been shot, he was tended to by three of the four men. William – the ringleader – was the one that offered no help. Duelling was, at this point, illegal and had been for a while. There had been a stage where the law had not always been enforced in the case of duelling, but although this wasn’t to be so this time, William Brittlebank received a lucky break.
The grave of William Cuddie.
Although a warrant was granted to take him into custody, on the charge of having mortally wounded Dr. Cuddie, the constable holding it was prevented from executing it by a clerk of the Derby Magistrate Mr Thornhill. His basis for the refusal was that he had taken a recognisance from Brittlebank’s father for £5,000 – essentially a pledge to pay that sum in return for a guarantee that his son would attend court. On this basis William Brittlebank left the area before ultimately absconding and money was never paid. Andrew Brittlebank, Francis Brittlebank and
Edward Spencer were all taken into custody and held in the Derby Gaol. At their trial, a number of respected members of the community spoke on behalf of the three men who also spoke on their own behalf. With all the evidence pointing to the fact that the entire event had been at the behest of William Brittlebank, and with their remorse appearing genuine, the jury found all three men not guilty. Though a £100 reward – around £9,000 in today’s money – was offered, William Brittlebank was never seen again. Though some believe he fled to Australia, there has never been any definitive proof and we will perhaps never truly know what became of him.
An announcement of the £100 award for the apprehension of William Brittlebank.
Your Derby ...YOUR PAPER
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DISCOVER YOUR HISTORY Come and explore fabulous archival collections housed in one of Derby’s finest heritage buildings. Whatever your topic and level of interest, enjoy free access to a huge wealth of resources for the local or family historian!
Dig into old newspapers, books, and documents. Study maps, plans, and photographs. Our helpful and knowledgeable team are on hand to help you uncover the history of our city!
Visit Derby Local Studies and Family History Library! www.inderby.org.uk/libraries
EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH READING
Issue 7
Let somebody else handle many of life’s issues… …while you take a well-earned break Life can be stressful for all of us. It often seems that there’s not quite enough hours in the day to get things done and if, like many are, you’re balancing the pressures of home life alongside the pressures of being a business owner or executive, these problems only intensify. Even if you do manage to keep on top of the myriad of everyday tasks which must be done, it’s often at the expense of your happiness and stress levels. Cath Harrison, Founder and owner of Bee-Assisted Ltd, with her small team of professional VA’s, will quite literally create
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IT’S AN INVESTMENT If you’re a business owner, and its business support you want, then your time is far more valuable if it’s spent generating revenue whilst Bee-Assisted takes care of the rest. If you’re looking for support in your personal life, then it’s an investment in your own health and well-being. The pressures of modern-day life can, at times,
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10 hours of support for you or your business per month, this is done as a retainer package for a minimum of 3 months.
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30 hours of support for you or your business per month, this is done as a retainer package, for a minimum of 3 months.
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Any extra hours will be charged at £30 per hour.**
Any extra hours will be charged at £30 per hour.**
You choose from ad-hoc hours, or a great Package Deal “Super organised and very efficient...” If you are looking for administrative support, Cath is the lady for you! Super organised and very efficient, you can be assured that your projects will get prompt and expert attention, freeing you up to focus on other areas JulieT-411
Findern, Derby, United Kingdom
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
18
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
We are here for you every step of the way We are not your normal accountancy firm, where you see us once a year and we invoice you for our time! We are there for your business ALL year round and we get involved in the nitty-gritty, everyday essentials to keep your business finances on track. What businesses tell us they need is someone to be there to hold their hand, help them set up the systems and be at the end of the phone when they have a query. That is the service we deliver! We love working with new businesses and start-ups, to give you the advice and assistance you need to start your business correctly and on a good foundation. We help you avoid the main mistakes that crash so many new businesses. We also love to work with micro and small businesses where our input makes a real difference and allows you to run your business and leave your financial management in our safe and experienced hands.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
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www.pjcarsderby.co.uk 20
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
A DOGGED DETERMINATION NOT TO DISPLAY ANY EMOTION.
An old plan of the County Gaol showing the layout of the buildings within it.
In our last issue, we told you the story of the murder of Eliza Morrow by Richard Thorley and of his subsequent hanging – the last public execution in Derby. Judging by the response, it seems we have quite a few true crime fans amongst our readers, so we thought what better than to follow up on the article with the story of the man whose execution followed Thorley’s – this time within the prison walls and away from the watching eyes of the public. The man in question was Benjamin Hudson. Benjamin - from Handley near Chesterfield - was only 24 years old at the time of his execution in 1873, but from the reports at the time it seems that the murderous outburst that would result in the death of his wife – Eliza – was a ticking time bomb that was just waiting to explode. Benjamin and Eliza had been married for three years but it had been a fundamentally unhappy marriage. Rows were common and were often about either unpaid bills or Eliza’s three
illegitimate children that she’d brought with her into the relationship. Benjamin – much like Richard Thorley in our previous article – was also a jealous man who suspected his wife to be having an affair, and it was in this environment that murder would ultimately be committed. Though it was Eliza’s murder that would lead to Benjamin’s execution, it was far from the first of his outbreaks of violence. His treatment of his wife was so bad in fact that, after a particularly brutal episode, Eliza had fled their marital
home for good and had moved back in with her father in Eckington. Benjamin reacted to their legal separation by wrecking the family home, selling the furniture and going to live with his relatives. Once separated, Eliza earned money as a charwoman - a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office – and it was whilst returning home from working on April 24, 1873 that she was confronted by Benjamin whom it seemed had been waiting for her.
The remaining facade of the County Gaol on Vernon Street where Benjamin Hudson was held.
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
the short drop method, and also much easier to witness in regard to the prison governors and staff who were required to witness executions at close quarters following the abolition of public executions by the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868. Though executions were now no longer in public – and perhaps also because it had been eleven years since there had been an execution of any kind in Derby – people were still to be found loitering outside the gaol as early as the evening before it was scheduled. There was to be no public spectacle though.
A headline regarding Benjamin's execution from the Derby Mercury.
Hudson – where he again confessed to the murder and, after reaffirming his intention to commit suicide, headed out to an adjoining wood. At the woods it seems that his alleged suicidal tendencies abated, and he first returned to the house of George Coupe to talk to relatives gathered outside before going once more to the house of his Uncle Hudson where he settled down by the fireside.
Behind the doors and walls of the prison on the morning of August 4, Benjamin arose at 5.30 a.m. to wash before eating breakfast and thanking the governor, the chaplain and the warders for “their kind attention.” As the time of his execution drew closer, all of the male prisoners of the gaol were brought into the exercise yard and Benjamin passed before them – waving as he did so.
It was here that the law finally caught up with him when PC Hukin of Barrow Hill arrived to arrest him. When apprehended, Benjamin said simply “I’m the man” and once charged by the PC responded with “I’m guilty. I did it.” With their being no dispute about his guilt – and with his defence failing to reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter - Benjamin was soon found guilty and sentenced to death. Whilst he awaited his execution which was scheduled for August 4 of that year, he was sent to the gaol at Vernon Street. Throughout all of this, it was Benjamin's executioner - William Marwood - was the British state said by the local papers that he showed executioner at the time and hanged 176 people overall. “a dogged determination not to display any emotion” though as the time until The only person to see exactly what happened his execution grew closer, he “began to exhibit when Eliza was confronted was Benjamin some symptoms of remorse, and to have a himself, but it was only minutes after Eliza painful realisation of his awful position.” had been murdered that her body was discovered by a man called George Gosling. Unusually - and due to internal alterations According to the Derby Mercury, she was found that were taking place in the gaol at that time “lying near the stile, in a pool of blood, and – Benjamin was placed in the debtors’ block of frightfully wounded on the head and right side cells and not a traditional condemned cell. of her face.” Nearby was a thick hedge stake Benjamin would ultimately become one of covered in blood. 176 people that the executioner of the time – Though there had been no witnesses, it was William Marwood – would launch into eternity. apparent that Benjamin had no intention In some ways this was a fortunate thing as it whatsoever of trying to get away with what he’d is Marwood who developed the technique of done. In fact, immediately after he’d committed hanging known as “the long drop”. murder he went to the house of his uncle – The long drop aimed to ensure that the George Coupe – in West Handley “and openly prisoner's neck was broken instantly at the end stated he had broken his wife’s skull” before of the drop, resulting in the prisoner dying of affirming his intention to kill himself. Biding asphyxia, but while unconscious. This was both George goodbye he then visited another uncle much more humane for the condemned than who lived in the neighbourhood – a man named
The long-drop table used to calculate the length of the drop at the execution.
With the execution scheduled for 8am, members of the press were admitted into the gaol thirty minutes before that. Fifteen minutes later they were admitted through an interior gate and the dreaded scaffold came into view. Carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand and his prison cap in the other hand, Benjamin remained composed even as he stood on the trapdoor. When Marwood pulled the lever and Benjamin plunged to his death, he dropped the flowers but continued to hold the cap. Though the local press described his death as “quite easy” it in fact took two and a half minutes. His body hung for an hour before it was cut down and placed in a coffin alongside his prison cap and flowers.
Your Derby ...YOUR PAPER
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Derby U N C O V E R E D residential sales, as well as selling current investment properties to investors. A new block management service will also be launching next January as part of the exciting new merger.
the new name for thriving Derby property business Three family businesses have merged to create one of Derbyshire’s largest independent property brands, Husband and wife team, Daren and Susan Cope, alongside their son and daughter James and Annie, are bringing their two estate agencies, James Cope Homes and Amber Homes, under the same roof as their residential, sales and property letting business, Professional Properties.
James, the company’s Sales Director, and Annie, who is Operations Director, will be taking a much more prominent role moving forward after dedicating their time to Professional Properties, James Cope Homes and the recently acquired Amber Homes in Alfreton.
It is the first time the company, which has its HQ in Canterbury House on Stephensons Way, has undertaken a major merger and rebrand since it launched nearly 25 years ago.
Susan Cope, the company’s Managing Director, said it was The Cope family. time for the family-run business to reflect on a key milestone in its own history, blend the trio of successful businesses and celebrate the company’s growth. She said: “We want to bring all the strings of our business together and now is the time to do it. Daren and I have worked tirelessly to build the company and we decided that coming together, under one brand, was the way to progress. “Family means everything to us, and we are proud that James and Annie will work as hard as us to grow cope&co.
Marketing Derby Bondholders, Daren and Susan Cope launched Professional Properties almost 25 years ago and started from a small office in Derby’s Old Blacksmith Yard, just off Sadler Gate. The business rapidly grew as the couple ploughed their time and energy into building one of Derby’s most successful businesses within the property industry. Susan said: “As the business developed, we moved around to accommodate the growth in staff. It soon became clear that our customers liked the way we worked, and we became business leaders in lettings and property management. “Right now, we are one of the largest, independent letting agents in the area and I think it’s because we are so passionate about what we do. “We have strong family values, and every member of the team works in the same way. James and Annie, share our ethos and drive and they are hugely knowledgeable in the property sector.” The business has already launched its new website at www.copeandco.co.uk and will celebrate its official launch with an open day early in January, 2024. Daren, the company’s Finance Director, said: “Our new brand is a reflection of our amazing journey so far as a family, but it also marks our aspiration to continue growing as a business. “We are proud of our family name – so why not celebrate it? “It has been a real team effort. We are delighted with the outcome, and we now welcome people to cope&co, the new name in property in Derbyshire.”
“What they are achieving is phenomenal and we can’t wait to continue celebrating their successes.” The new cope&co brand launches this month with an exciting new website and look and feel, which will become a regular sight across Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.
James Cope, the company’s Sales Director, and Annie Cope, Operations Director.
Under its new identity cope&co is one of the largest independent letting and estate agents in the local area offering bespoke lettings and property management services,
Corporate Podcasting – Featuring the Cope family, James and Annie, and their parents and business founders, Daren and Susan Cope.
Derby
Alfreton
Burton
Canterbury House, Stephensons Way, Derby DE21 6LY
Unit 4, Keypoint Office Village, Keys Road, Alfreton DE55 7FQ
St George’s Court, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9PB
T: 01332 300100 E: derby@copeandco.co.uk
T: 01773 749972 E: alfreton@copeandco.co.uk
T: 01283 384384 E: burton@copeandco.co.uk
24
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
WINTER
SALE
STARTS 27TH DECEMBER
LIVING | DINING | BEDS & BEDROOM | FLOORING | KITCHENS | HOME DESIGN | CAFE Hunters, Babington Lane, Derby. DE1 1SY 01332 349285 huntersfurniture.co.uk
For this issue’s Layers and layers of history we look at some incredible photos of some of Derby’s bygone shops. As before we are indebted to W. W. Winter’s for these incredible images of times and premises gone by. As well as being the owners of one of the greatest single photographic records of bygone Derby, Winter’s also offer many modern-day services including portraiture; the copy and restoration of old negatives, slides, and prints; picture framing and passport, visa, and ID headshots. Check them out at wwwinter.co.uk
Although the exact date of this photograph is unknown, it is certainly pre-1912 as we can see the premises of R.M Sangster standing where the old Boots Building stands today on the corner of East Street and St. Peter’s Street. Dominating the view is of course the iconic Midland Drapery.
Another picture with the exact date unknown, this picture still a fascinating image – this time of Lancaster & Thorpe on St. Peter’s Street. You can see that as well as being opticians they also sold quite the collection of barometers.
Creating timeless portraiture since 1852. Let Winters create yours! Take a look at our website www.wwwinter.co.uk or call us for more information on
01332 345224
Experts in Photography since 1852 45 Midland Road, Derby DE1 2SP Tel 01332 345224 Email office@wwwinter.co.uk Website wwwinter.co.uk
Here we have a stunning picture of the premises of W.W Winter’s themselves after they had moved there in 1867. Winter’s are still in the exact same premises, although the metal signage was cut down and used in the war effort during World War Two.
Here we can see Frost’s butchers shop on Sadler Gate c1900. On our Clippings from the Past feature in this issue you can also see an advert of theirs in the build to Christmas in 1898.
W. W. W I N T E R
Derby Shops
Layers and layers of history
Alf Goodere’s newsagents was on the corner of Nightingale Road and Hawthorn Street and here we can see it in c.1930. As with many of the shops of this type in that era, we can see various tobacco-related advertisements on the shop front.
Though the Shot Tower takes prominence in this photo, nestled at the bottom of the tower we can see the premises of Hutchinson’s corn, flour and meal store. Everything you see here was demolished as part of Derby’s 1932 Central Improvement Plan.
Taken in c.1930 this photo shows The Direct Fisheries on Osmaston Road, Allenton. Look closely and you can see a sign on the van that states quite clearly that they have “no connection with any other firm.”
Here’s a wonderful view of George Wilcox - a tobacco wholesaler on London Road in c.1930. Whether it was cigars, cigarettes, or tobacco, and whether it was selling to the public or wholesale, it seemed that George had it covered.
Creating timeless portraiture since 1852. Let Winters create yours! Take a look at our website www.wwwinter.co.uk or call us for more information on
01332 345224
This image is quite possibly a works outing for J Jones & Son – a furnishing firm on Derby’s Market Place. To the left of them we can also see the premises of Peacock & Wetton the wholesale drapers, and on the right of them we can see G. Potter & Sons decorating firm.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Experts in Photography since 1852 45 Midland Road, Derby DE1 2SP Tel 01332 345224 Email office@wwwinter.co.uk Website wwwinter.co.uk
Tel: 01773 827 508
www.duffieldartgallery.co.uk
“The End of the Day” by James D Preston
Open Hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – Closed by appointment only Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday – 10am til 4pm 7 Bridge Street, Belper, DE56 1AY T: 01773 827508 M: 07432524083 E: jill@duffieldartgallery.co.uk | www.duffieldartgallery.co.uk
The Grow Outside Garden will be open for the National Garden Scheme on the 2nd of August 2024.
National Garden Scheme
Growing an interest... Over the years the National Garden Scheme has become known for its beautiful gardens to visit, from suburban hidden gems to grand houses. It’s a lovely day out and visitors often enjoy a slice of cake, all raising funds for nursing and health charities. You might have an impression in your mind of what a garden opening for charity might be like, however in recent years the National Garden Scheme has evolved to include diverse gardens and aims to raise awareness of the health benefits of gardens and demonstrate how gardens are a gateway for people to enjoy nature and the environment.
The Grow Outside Garden, situated at Butterley Station, Ripley - growoutside.co.uk - is a community horticultural social enterprise based on organic no dig principles, and includes a social enterprise cut flower business. They will be open for the National Garden Scheme on the 2nd of August 2024 and will be offering family friendly nature bases activities.
We are therefore delighted that three new gardens will open in Derbyshire in 2024 which perfectly demonstrate these aims and encourage the next generation to appreciate gardens and nature too.
The Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow thenightingalecentre.org.uk - is a ½ acre garden including living willow structures, veg plot and greenhouse and will also be offering activities for children at their open day on the 1st of September 2024.
Firstly, the Dronfield Heritage Trust garden dronfieldhallbarn.org - which has evolved from a muddy field to a much-loved community space will open on the 21st of April 2024 and will include child-focused activities, including a bug safari.
The Grow Outside Garden is a community horticultural social enterprise.
If you work at or know of other community gardens who might be interested in working with the National Garden Scheme, do get in touch. There’s more information on our website
The Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow will be offering activities for children at their open day on the 1st of September 2024.
The Dronfield Heritage Trust garden has evolved from a muddy field to a much-loved community space.
The Dronfield Heritage Trust garden will open on the 21st of April 2024.
Coming up in future articles we will be exploring the real ‘secret gardens’ that open for the National Garden Scheme and private gardens which are only open to the public on a handful of occasions each year – including picture postcard cottages, allotments, grand houses and inspirational suburban spaces.
The Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow.
Derby U N C O V E R E D
Lots to look forward to this festive season at Haddon Hall
Christmas Artisan Markets, Candelight Tours, Festive Music and a Merry Christmas at Haddon There’s a lot to look forward to this festive season at Haddon Hall. Starting on November 16th, Haddon Hall will host its renowned Mercatum Christmas Artisan Market over four long weekends, bringing together some of the finest artisans in the country in a beautifully curated event like no other. One of the biggest events on the East Midlands calendar, Mercatum will feature over 90 artisans set in the magnificent grounds of the Haddon estate. With the hall beautifully decorated, each room will be designed to come to life, with community choirs,
winter scents and twinkling lights creating a sense of the unusual, combined with a grandeur befitting of this historic fortified manor. Following the final artisan market on Sunday December 10th, Haddon closes for a short time to prepare for ‘A Merry Christmas at Haddon’. From experiencing the hall’s beautifully decorated rooms, to its enchanting Candlelight Tours, festive food and drink, and its seasonal programme of music, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Open to the public December 16th-23rd, 27th29th and January 2nd-4th, with an enormous Christmas tree in the Banqueting Hall, fires roaring, baubles glistening, and each room spectacularly decorated to bring the hall to life, visitors can spend their time exploring, before making their way to Haddon’s restaurant to enjoy some wonderful seasonal food. This year, Haddon’s well-loved Candlelight Tours also return, giving visitors a chance to enjoy a guided tour of the hall at its most atmospheric. Guests will enjoy a warming glass of mulled wine and a fragrant mince pie before the roaring fire in the Banqueting Hall, before setting off with a guide to explore each room in all their festive beauty, softly lit by flickering candlelight. There is also the option to book a Candlelight Tour to include a delicious Afternoon Tea or a wonderful evening meal in the restaurant.
Opening times for
‘A Merry Christmas at Haddon’
Open to the public December 16th-23rd, 27th -29th and January 2nd-4th.
Before heading home there is also a chance to do some last-minute Christmas shopping at Haddon’s Mercatum Artisan Gift Shop in the Gatehouse, which is full to the brim of beautiful and unusual gifts, created by some of Haddon’s favourite makers. Throughout the Christmas season, Haddon continues to offer a 30% entrance discount to Derbyshire residents, which can be redeemed at the ticket office on arrival. This offer cannot be redeemed online.
A magical day out for all the family, to find out more and book your tickets, visit www.haddonhall.co.uk 30
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
An Ice Rink, Santa’s Grotto, free giant snow globes and performances by dancing Christmas elves will sprinkle Derby with festive cheer this December. Family-friendly entertainment, including stilt walkers, gingerbread men and an ice king and queen, has been funded by the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BIDs) – and ‘yule’ love it!
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH FESTIVE ENTERTAINMENT FROM THE CATHEDRAL QUARTER AND ST PETERS QUARTER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IRON GATE
Adding to the festive entertainment, visitors will also find huge snow globes in Derby, ready for the perfect family photo opportunity! The snow globes are free to use; just join the queue, get ready to climb in and strike your best Christmas pose!
The ice rink is being sponsored by the Cathedral Quarter BID and opens on Saturday, December 2, until New Year’s Eve.
The giant snow globe will be set up in Derby’s Market Place on Saturday, December 2nd and 16th, and then it will visit St Peter’s Cross, at St Peter’s Street on Saturday, December 9th and 23rd. For all four Saturdays in December, they will open from 11am to 4pm.
Walk through Iron gate’s Ceiling of Light – a display of thousands of lights glowing above one of Derby’s iconic streets – and enjoy the welcome return of the Cathedral Quarter ice rink.
Last year, more than 12,000 people donned their skates and enjoyed the Cathedral Quarter Ice Rink but there’s so much more to enjoy this Christmas in Derby. Eve Taylor, BID Project Executive for Derby Cathedral Quarter BID, said: “We want to bring Derby to life this Christmas so people can enjoy the city while doing their Christmas shopping. We are celebrating the lead up to Christmas with some festive entertainment, and we know visitors to Derby will love what has been arranged.”
MARKET PLACE
Father Christmas makes a welcome return to the Cathedral Quarter Grotto, and this year you’ll find him at Derby QUAD. Step into a realm of pure enchantment as you enter the extraordinary grotto, festooned with a mesmerising Northern Lights experience that transports you straight into Santa’s magical grotto in the North Pole. While you wait, capture the magic at QUAD’s photo station where you can enjoy a special moment with a family snapshot. Each child will receive a unique art-themed gift from Father Christmas, and tickets are just £4 per child. Santa’s Grotto will be open on weekends, December 9 and 10, and 16 and 17, between 11am and 5.30pm. It will also be open on weekdays from December 18 to 22, from 12pm to 7pm.
Visitors will also encounter walk-round Christmas themed characters in both BID areas, allowing for even more photographic fun and Christmas memories. The Golden Ticket Prize Draw, which gives away a whopping £2,000 to local shoppers, makes a welcome return this year and will be available in businesses across Derby’s Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter. Golden Ticket Entry cards are available in businesses across both the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter, and shoppers can post them in any of the 20 special post boxes located across the city centre. The deadline for entries is Sunday, December 10, and winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 13. Four winners will each receive £500 worth of vouchers to spend in both Quarters’ businesses of their choice. Finally, shoppers are reminded to enter the Window Wonderland Competition in Derby – with the chance to win a £100 voucher. Businesses across the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter are taking part in the competition to create the best festive window display to excite and delight Christmas shoppers this year.
Participating BID business will be judged on their creative and festive flair by visitors and shoppers and if you vote, you get entered in the prize draw. A specially selected panel of local stakeholders will judge the entries and present a trophy to the winners in each of the two BID areas. Businesses taking part will have their displays in place from 24th November, with public voting starting on 28th November. Voting will close on 17th December, and winners will be announced on 21st December. Voting for your favourite Window Wonderland display is simple – just download the LoyalFree app and follow the special trail that takes you from display to display. Once you’ve seen them all, you can vote. There will also be QR codes in each participating window, allowing shoppers to scan and vote as they come across the best design. Brad Worley, BID Manager for the Cathedral Quarter BID said: “We have worked really hard to create a familyfriendly Christmas atmosphere in Derby during December and are delighted to offer four shoppers to each win £500 in golden ticket vouchers, but an additional chance for a family to win another £100 by doing our festive window tour. What better way to start Christmas!”. To book a visit to see Santa, visit www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/christmasgrotto
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33
Derbyshire Derby presents
AD
MIS FRE SION E
UN C O V E R E D
ARTISANS UNCOVERED
The event is sponsored by Darley Abbey Store
THE RETURN
After a fantastic debut, the event that promotes the very best in Derby and Derbyshire is returning. Back at the start of June this year, we hosted our very first physical event – Artisans Uncovered – at the Museum of Making in Derby.
The event celebrated and hosted the very best creators, makers and artists from Derby and Derbyshire and over 1,100 of you turned up to enjoy what they had to offer, making it a wonderful occasion for everybody concerned. Now for all of those who came, and for those who missed out on the event the first time, we’ve got some fantastic news for you.
Artisans Uncovered is returning!
On March 16 and 17, 2024, you’ll be able to find us on the Wardwick in what used to be the old Derby Central Library. It’s a truly beautiful building, and a very spacious room, so there will be even more fantastic people exhibiting and bringing to you the very best from Derby and Derbyshire. As with our previous event, entry will be COMPLETELY
FREE OF CHARGE so why not plan ahead and pencil us into your diaries? Together we are stronger and if you support your local businesses then you’re not just helping to keep the money local and boost the local economy, but you’re also helping environmentally by reducing your carbon footprint.
PRIVATE HIRE DERBY
As we get closer to the event, we will be releasing more details of who will be there and what you can expect, but one thing we can promise immediately, is that this will be another truly local event with everything from jewellery, food, drink, giftware, homeware and more on offer. You’ll also be right next door to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery while you’re here, so you’ve got every opportunity to visit there when you come along, plus why not check out some of the wonderful independent shops and businesses in the Cathedral Quarter while you’re here as well? Help us out by not just coming along but by also spreading the word to all your family and friends – any help you can give us with that would be greatly appreciated – and let’s make this event bigger and better than the last one.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
By shopping local you are, creating jobs, keeping money in the local economy, investing in entrepreneurship, nurturing a sense of community and supporting the environment by reducing waste and conserving energy. A Derby Uncovered Group event www.derbyuncovered.com
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PJ CARS
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Derby Uncovered are proud to support Children First Derby
Issue 7
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
Friar Gate Station
In the last issue Mark Miley – owner of Derbyinpictures.net - looked into the history of the Friar Gate Goods Depot in Derby. Following up on that in this issue, Mark turns his attention to the old Friar Gate railway station. Check out lots more history and pictures relating to Derby on his website www.derbyinpictures.net On Saturday 5th September 1964 at 10:10 in the evening, the last passenger train left Friar Gate Station, the following day the station officially closed to passengers bringing to an end nearly 80 years of railway history. A few days after the closure the Derbyshire Advertiser wrote an article about this final journey. They said that “Thoughtfully British Rail had laid on a number of extra coaches...and these were filled with enthusiasts – perhaps mourners would be a better word – anxious to pay their respects. Some carried bells which rang out into the darkness from carriage windows, others brought pistols which they fired intermittently as the train sped towards its last stopping place.”
The entrance yard and ticket of ice.
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
The old platform and track bed.
Heading east, the line commenced at Egginton running through Mickleover, Darley Park, Breadsall, West Hallam and on to Nottingham via the Bennerley Viaduct over the Erewash Valley and terminating at Netherfield. Although much lamented today, particularly by those old enough to remember the station as the starting point for East Coast holidays that were often taken on special excursion trains or a day trip to the likes of Skegness, the construction of the railway was controversial and resulted in the demolition of much residential housing. These included South Street, which was halved in length, the complete loss of Baxter Street and the demolition of all the properties on Cherry and Short Streets.
The remains of the old subway entrance connecting the street level ticket of ice with the platforms.
Once complete the station consisted of an “island platform”, with two lines running either side, the inner ones for passengers and the outer lines for freight. The station was a part of the much wider complex of buildings including the adjacent Goods depot.
This meant that the ticket office was located at street level and access to the platform entailed a climb up some steps through a subway, with passengers coming up through the floor of the platform. On this was a row of neat singlestory buildings with ornate canopies which consisted of the Station Inspectors office, Gentleman's toilet, General waiting room, Ladies waiting room 2nd class and then the Refreshment Room, a popular haunt of train spotters for many years.
Originally the whole station site was to be roofed over with the entrance on Stafford Street, however a shortage of funds resulted in the reduced design and the entrance being moved to Friar Gate.
Following WWII the popularity of the line began to wane and by the 60s it was becoming apparent that it was no longer economically viable and, following the Beeching Report it was decided to close
the line, initially to passengers and then three years later to freight as well. Following the closure the tracks were removed and, over time, the buildings cleared away, the site taken over by nature and largely forgotten by the people of Derby. Surprisingly a great deal of architectural interest survives, however Clowes have now closed the site and it is sadly no longer possible to explore. More worryingly however is that in the new plans for the site there is no mention of preserving any of this fascinating railway heritage that meant so much to the people of the town in the early years of the 20th century.
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41
Nutrition And Retreat
Time to reflect, re-energise and be inspired…
Planning for health, planet and wallet
by Marta Zaremba-Marsden ANutr
It is this time of the year again! It is getting colder, days are getting shorter, and the number of festivities increase. From Halloween, through Guy Fawkes, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Black Friday to Christmas, there is a constant flow of events enticing us to get the latest offers, buy produce in bulk and generally indulge. Unless we have an extremely strong will or solid habits, we are unlikely to refrain from overbuying or overeating. We may manage to complete our shopping as planned and avoid some of the treats, but then another social creeps into the diary. This can lead to food waste at home as we don’t get a chance to use up all the fresh produce. As we get closer to the Christmas break, it can also be hard to create new or maintain existing healthy habits. These could be linked to my previous articles on the three Ts: Time, Type and Total or our own existing routines. We focus on office outings, personal celebrations and dinners over the Christmas period, and so our healthy lifestyle ambition takes a back seat. Here I list some tips that could be especially useful this time of the year to enable you to minimise food waste and overindulgence while being gentle to the planet and your wallet. Once at home, pay Start with planning. attention to storage. Even if it is just a rough Fresh herbs, if you don’t idea of how many grow your own, will keep meals you will make longer, if stored either in at home and for how a glass of water or dried many people, it’s a good in an air-tight container. guidance. You don’t Try to keep similar need the full recipes at produce together. Most this point, though these fridges indicate which can be useful, but decide space is best for which on the centre piece of category of foods. It is each dish. Now create linked to the variation in your shopping list, temperatures across the keeping in mind what fridge. When you freeze produce are in season. anything that is not in the During late autumn and original packaging, make winter, most fruit and sure you label these to be vegetables are quite able to identify quickly hardy and long lasting what it is and when it was e.g., apples, pumpkins, A snippet of the 30-day meal plan I put together. purchased or prepared. squashes, cabbages, onions, potatoes, When it comes to the carrots, parsnips, and other root veg. Also remember cooking order, try to use up any fresh produce first. to check your cupboards to make sure you don’t Raw leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and berries end up with too many of the same or none of an will perish quicker than your brassicas or root veg essential ingredient. Make sure you have your so use these first. To make your raw ingredients last staples like oils, vinegars, grains, pastas, tinned or longer, pre-make some dishes and freeze these. pickled veg or fish and condiments. You can also These could be pasta sauces, pesto, stews, stocks or crumbles. Any leftovers from one dinner, throw in some frozen fruit and veg, if you have could be used for breakfast or lunch the next day. space in the freezer. This will make your shopping As an example, if you have a little ratatouille left, last you longer and maybe even help you avoid last you could make a variation for shakshuka with minute panic shopping among the crowds.
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a poached egg for breakfast. Alternatively, use it as a sauce by adding some pasta and tinned or smoked fish for dinner. Freezing is always an option, but we don’t always have freezers big enough. If you are up for an extra challenge, you could even try to go all the way and try to be fully waste-free. Cook and eat skin-on to maximise the nutrient content. This works perfectly with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot and other root veg, but also most fruit including kiwi. It might be a bit more challenging, when it comes to squashes, bananas or citrus fruit. However, the internet is your friend. You would be surprised what can be done even with these. Citrus fruit rinds can be preserved to serve as ingredients in baking, banana peel can be used in a curry and squashes roasted in skins are also an option. Don’t be afraid to experiment and explore what can be done with items you would normally throw away. These are some basic steps that we can all take to minimise waste, maintain a healthy diet and hopefully shop less by sticking to what we need. I am not one for rigid meal planning as I like experimenting in the kitchen. However, I had to create my own detailed meal plan for the upcoming four weeks. We are going away for Christmas so I need to use the ingredients from the freezer. Looking at the contents a couple of weeks back, I was confident that it wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, soon it become apparent that I would not be able to go through my frozen basics without a strategy. I put together a 30-day plan factoring in any pre-Christmas outings that had already been planned. You can see a snippet of the plan here. It is so far working perfectly. If we stick to it as we approach our travel date, nothing will be wasted. We are already being invited to some other socials, which means we need to be either strict and only go out for drinks or re-imagine the plan to use some of the dinner products for breakfasts. My contingency will be gifting some of the home-made meals to neighbours or friends. Good luck with your meal planning and have a very merry Christmas!
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44
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
East Street, Derby (Formerly Bag Lane) B Y A L F RE D J O H N K E E N E
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
27 Queen Street An incredible hotspot of Derby history that needs saving. In our last edition Richard Felix took us through some wonderful history regarding the tunnels under the Derby Guildhall. In this edition he takes us through the history of a Derby location that plays host to a truly incredible amount of history and urges everyone to help save it from further decay so it’s there for future generations to enjoy.
John Flamsteed lived here, John Whitehurst lived here, Joseph Wright lived and died here, Smith of Derby made clocks here, Derby Post Office was here, The Acorn Inn was here, Benjamin Franklin stayed here, John Hope - Mayor of Derby - lived here, John Hudson - Master of Derby Grammar School - lived here. Joseph Pickford designed the previous façade of the building at 27 Queen Street. C.H. Aslin CBE re-fronted the building at 27 Queen Street. It stands on part of Saxon Derby and the prime meridian was meant to go through the back garden of the building. Squatters now live here. The building is not even listed. It was due for demolition in 2000 and it was dubbed as the Ugliest Building in Derby. This sums up the City of Derby and it’s general apathy to it’s incredible history and heritage which is not just of local importance but also international importance. I’m not blaming the folk of Derby - they were not taught local history at school. I am blaming those in charge over many years for the disgusting, wanton destruction, and the lack of interest in preserving and promoting what is still left of our once historic city. My Grandfather and two Great Uncles were Derby Town councillors in 1947 when the Mayors Parlour, one of the most important four gabled medieval town houses in the Midlands, was demolished. Towns and cities with far less have done far more than we have. Come on Derby wake up and smell the coffee! The ghosts of the following Derby Superstars are begging you to save the building at 27 Queen Street that they once inhabited.
The blue plaque at 27 Queen Street, Derby.
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Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
JOHN FLAMSTEED (1646 – 1719) John Flamsteed FRS was the son of Stephen Flamsteed, a maltster and ironmonger of St. Werburgh’s parish. Born accidentally at Denby in 1646, as his family were moving out of their home at 27 John Flamsteed. Queen Street due to the plague raging through Derby, he was educated in Derby Free Grammar School and took a keen interest in mathematics and astronomy. He soon discovered that many of the facts in his schoolbooks were incorrect. “The tables differ from the heavens”, he wrote. He spent nearly thirty years living in Queen Street and as a child he spent his time peering through the windows with his homemade telescopes at the stars. In 1666 and 1668 he accurately calculated two solar eclipses. He also made the earliest recorded sightings of Uranus by an astronomer. Between 1668 and 1719 he accurately catalogued the positions of over three thousand stars. After eventually getting into Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis. It was the largest and most Cambridge, he became a fellow accurate star atlas that had ever been published. of the Royal Society where he met many great scholars and scientists including Sir Isaac Newton who fell out with him after being told by a young upstart from Derby that many of his calculations were wrong. Working on a Prime Meridian in 1668, Flamsteed chose Derby due to its location in the centre of England. His calculations positioned the Meridian running through the back garden of his house in Queen Street and he sent a paper to the Royal Society which included a strong recommendation for the Prime Meridian to be drawn through Derby.
“I hope you will not account me culpable for having adapted the calculations to the Meridian of a place no more famous than Derby. Although London be the seat of wits. The Meridian passing over Derby is nearer the middle of England than that of London and that its Latitude bisects it nearer than any yet stated. So this town which is seated in Umbilico quasi Regni (the navel of the country) must be the most convenient place that can be elected whereon to fix our calculations. I remain your obedient servant. John Flamsteed.
Unfortunately, being a maritime nation, it made more sense to fix the Prime Meridian through a naval base at the coast, but until 1674 all Flamsteed’s recorded calculations and observations were taken on the line of his Derby Meridian. Wow! We would have had Derby Mean Time; We should have DERBY MEAN TIME! King Charles II was shown one of Flamsteed’s updated tide charts and a barometer made by him. The King was so impressed that he ordered all books and charts on Astronomy to be revised using Flamsteed’s calculations. In 1676 Charles II commissioned Christopher Wren to design an observatory at Greenwich, where Flamsteed could have a permanent base for his further studies of the skies. Flamsteed was appointed to first Astronomer Royal in 1675. “No John Flamsteed, no Greenwich Meantime!”
JOHN WHITEHURST (1713 – 1788) John Whitehurst came from Congleton to Derby. He had served an apprenticeship with his father as a clockmaker and moved to Derby around 1735 where John Whitehurst - painted he set up shop in by Joseph Wright. Iron Gate, becoming a very notable clockmaker, but he was also a mechanical engineer and a hydrologist. His most important achievement was in geology with his theory on the origin and formation of the Earth, which he published in book form in 1778 entitled “An enquiry into the Original State and Formation of the Earth.” This revelation An enquiry into the Original State and Formation of the caused him and Earth by John Whitehurst. many members of the church much soul searching as he was also Church Warden of The Great Church of Derby (All Saints) only a few yards from where he lived. According to Dr Samuel Johnson, as laid down in the Bible, the Earth was six thousand four hundred years old. Not according to Whitehurst’s theories on the stratification of rocks, fossils and volcanos putting their ages in the millions. He has been hailed as the father of modern geology. He, with Erasmus Darwin, was the co-founder of the Lunar Society. He also played an important part in the development of James Watt’s Steam Engine.
He designed the heating and ventilation systems for St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, the Bank of England, and the Birmingham Infirmary. Whitehurst counted amongst his personal friends and fellow members of the Lunar Society, Erasmus Darwin, James Ferguson the astronomer and mathematician, Josiah An absolutely Wedgwood the potter and stunning Whitehurst entrepreneur, James Watt clock. the engineer, inventor and chemist, Matthew Boulton the pioneer of the engineering industry, Joseph Wright the painter and Benjamin Franklin the inventor, scientist and American patriot, who stayed with him on three occasions at his house in Derby. He left Derby for London to become the first “Stamper of Money Weights” at the Royal Mint. His nephew John came to Derby to run his uncle’s clockworks. His claim to fame was to perfect The Watchman’s Clock. The quality and expertise of Whitehurst’s of Derby was so great that John Whitehurst III was commissioned to build Big Ben, but he died before starting the job and E. W. Dent of London took over.
JOHN SMITH (1813-1886) An apprentice to John Whitehurst III, John Smith founded the clockmaking firm in 1856. Little Tom, St Paul’s Cathedral, Trinity John Smith c.1863 - kindly College Clock reproduced with the at Cambridge, permission of Smith of Derby. clocks on the Seif Palace Kuwait, St Pancras Station – Smiths have manufactured over 12000 clocks worldwide and service over 4000 clocks in the UK and abroad and are “a major player on the timekeeping world stage.”
The Smith Clockworks c.1866.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D JOSEPH WRIGHT (1734 – 1797)
candlelight and fire. Living in Derby, he was well positioned to paint the people and events which created the Industrial Revolution, recording for the first-time mills, factories and forges with lights burning all night and furnaces lighting up Derbyshire’s night sky, turning night into day.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706 – 1790)
He created a fascinating series of scientific paintings including the Orrery (A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery) and the Alchemist (The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus). He captured the interest in science and philosophy established by his friend and personal doctor Erasmus Darwin. Wright’s enquiring mind extended to the links between engineering design, electricity, and resuscitation techniques. Wright’s own brother - a contemporary of Darwin – who was a surgeon who also dissected murderer’s bodies in the Shire Hall on St Mary’s Gate under the Murder Act of 1752, also lived at 27 Queen St.
A Joseph Wright self-portrait c.1780.
Joseph Wright was born at 28 Irongate Derby (now demolished) in 1734 and is one of the most underestimated painters of the 18th Century for three reasons. Firstly, because he turned down election to the Royal Academy, secondly because he chose to live in Derby and not London and thirdly because he came from Derby and Derby does not celebrate its famous sons and daughters. A few years ago, Derby Telegraph did a Vox Pop about Wright and the front-page headline was Joseph Who? He was the first professional artist to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution which started in Derby. His father was a prominent solicitor and Town Clerk of Derby, and he was educated at Derby Free Grammar School where his talent for painting and drawing was apparent from an early age. He went to London to learn the art of portrait painting and on his return started picking up commissions for his work. He was influenced by the experiments being carried out in Derby by two members of the Lunar Society - Erasmus The Alchemist Discovering Darwin and John Phosphorus by Joseph Wright. Whitehurst - and the pioneer industrialists like Jedediah Strutt and Sir Richard Arkwright, all of whom he painted. He was fascinated by the effects of light and shade, specialising in pictures depicting
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Wright created landscapes which also featured geological rock formations and volcanoes, inspired by another friend - John Whitehurst the father of Geology. His paintings of the birth of science based on the meetings of his friends and associates from the Lunar Society are a significant record of science against religion in the period of the Age of Enlightenment. The largest collection in the world of Wright’s painting is in the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. His paintings are also found around the world in Los Angeles, Connecticut, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boston, London and St Petersburg, the Ashmolean Museum, Leeds and Liverpool.
Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin – an American statesman, scientist, Freemason, member of the Lunar Society and one of the Committee of Five who drafted the American Declaration of Independence had two influential friends from Derby, Erasmus Darwin, and John Whitehurst.
Franklin visited Derby seven times, staying with John Whitehurst in Queen Street on three occasions. Whilst in Derby he visited the Crown Derby Works and the Wonder of the Age, Derby Silk Mill.
CHARLES HERBERT ASLIN CBE (1893 – 1959) Charles became the Borough Architect for Derby in 1929 and was responsible for the planning of major changes in the layout of Derby. Designing the Bus Station, Police Station and Magistrates Court, The Council House, the River Gardens and Exeter Bridge he was also responsible for the Queen Anne Style front of 27 Queen Street.
JOSEPH PICKFORD (1734 – 1782) Joseph Pickford arrived in Derby after completing an apprenticeship in London working on Horse Guards in Whitehall and the University Library Joseph Pickford - painted by Joseph Wright. in Cambridge. He was an ambitious man who soon built up a reputation as a builder and architect of quality, building up a circle of Lunar Society friends including Darwin, Wright, Whitehurst, and Josiah Wedgewood. Such contacts provided him with many prestigious commissions, including Wedgewood’s own house and factory at Etruria in Staffordshire, plus his London showrooms and also Calke Abbey, Foremark, Kedleston, Chatsworth, Longford, Darley and Markeaton Halls, the Mansion at Ashbourne, the County Hall Nottingham (now the Galleries of Justice), Friar Gate and St. Helens House. All these bear the signs of Derby’s most talented builder and architect.
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
What a history this building has. We should be ashamed of ourselves. My plan for the last fifteen years has been to somehow acquire the building with its quarter of an acre of garden and create an Educational/Tourist experience called Time – all based in the building that played such a huge part in Time.
Issue 7
BOOKER TREE CARE
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
All paths lead to people... I think before I try and convince you of the value of coaching (and hypnotherapy, although I trust David’s article opposite has gone some way to do that), I want to tell you why I have been so driven to follow the calling I had to follow this new career path. Not all of it was new though. I’ve enjoyed a career in Project Management now for 16 years after various roles in both private and public sectors after gaining a degree in Business Studies. But what did I enjoy the most? That the intent of the work was to improve things. If I am not progressing in any aspect of my life, I get frustrated and bored. And I question what value I am adding. That’s key to me. My highest personal value is the appreciation of beauty and excellence. What I did find frustrating though was that quite often the impact on people was forgotten; I started learning more about and then doing roles that are termed “change and adoption”, which is basically saying that if the people who are going to have to use this new IT system or process don’t feel engaged in it, it will take a lot longer for the new ‘thing’ to be used, and that also means you don’t reap the benefit this new ‘thing’ is intended to deliver. Covid impacted my perspective on life too; I did more personal development in that 18 month – two-year period than I had done in the past 20 years. And that led me to talking
therapy as a possible career path... and to where I am now. But of late that drive has taken on new meaning. The focus on mental health has increased and I am more aware now of the impacts on me of poor mental health. My own mental health has been a challenge, and continues to be; my personal development work has helped me to manage it well. But what has brought me to coaching? I realised only recently that the experiences of three men in my life and the impact on me are my motivation.
I feel very strongly that if all three men had been able to open up and start having conversations about their lives, their dreams, their motivations, their values and been able to take concrete steps to address areas of their lives they were unhappy with, there would have been different outcomes. If I as a coach can change one life and prevent that person from carrying on a path of
self-destruction, then mission accomplished. For that really does feel to me like my mission, my purpose. Coaching is a great place to start if you are feeling a little lost, or even just a little dissatisfied but have got to the stage where you acknowledge there is something to deal with and want to sort it; it provides you with clarity, an action plan, and small, realistic steps to take to achieve progress for you. I can offer you packages of support to suit you, which can also include hypnotherapy, if it’s appropriate for you. Get in touch, let’s talk, I’ll listen – no obligation; if we feel we can work together then I very much hope to be of value to you, and to help you get back on top of life and help you steer the path you have always deserved.
One is still living and I don’t have the right or permission to relay that story but the impact on me lasted 35 years. The second, a very dear ex colleague who ended his own life – completely out of the blue and left me in pain and grief and bewilderment that I still feel to some extent today. And thirdly, my father; I believe strongly that he suffered with depression for years. Sadly, he used social drinking to mask, to distract. He will have been gone 20 years on 20 December this year, after succumbing to cirrhosis of the liver.
I did find frustrating ‘‘ What though was that quite often the
’’
impact on people was forgotten.
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And there isn’t a day when I don’t think of him and have those conversations ‘with him’, knowing the advice he would give me, the quips and jokes he would be making, regretting all the music gigs we can’t go to now; I did a charity stand up comedy performance on Sunday raising funds for Brain Tumour Research. I think he would have enjoyed that too.
impacted my perspective on life too; I did more ‘‘ Covid personal development in that 18 month – two-year period than I had done in the past 20 years. ’’
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
Issue 7
It was the last thing I tried... ...and I wish it had been the first.
Sarah explained to me how we would tackle the part of my subconscious that was responsible for my catastrophising and how we would look to address the issues that way.
down a couple of hours later I was utterly exhausted. It was the first of multiple vertigo attacks over a period of time.
Over the span of a few sessions, we slowly took the hypnosis further and the progress was undeniable. As well as feeling my catastrophising fade and dissipate I began to actively look forward excitedly to the sessions.
By David Turner.
As with everyone I’ve got certain memories that stand out clearly in life – some good and some bad. If I was to sit down and write a list of some of my worst moments though, then my very first vertigo attack would definitely be making an appearance. I’d been having problems with my right ear for a couple of months beforehand, and on occasions they’d been accompanied by mild bouts of dizziness, but my first full-on vertigo attack was a real game-changer for the worst. It started as any bout of dizziness had but this time it didn’t abate – it just got worse and worse. I was very lucky in that I was with a very good friend at work at the time and he took me straight home, but even at this stage I had to be physically held up to get to the car as my vision was doing a bloody good impression of being on the circus waltzes. I certainly wanted to scream, but I definitely didn’t want to go faster! At home my spinning vision led to me being incredibly nauseous and spectacularly sick – think Linda Blair in The Exorcist – and by the time everything died
I feared going outside in public. My fear and anxiety to me was totally logical. What if I had a vertigo attack in public? Whilst I kept attending my appointments to find out exactly what was wrong with me – six doctors appointments, two ENT appointments, two MRI’s and one set of blood tests leading to a tentative diagnosis of vestibular migraines – I’d only go out when necessary and only with someone else, but I knew this wasn’t a long-term solution. As with most problems I’ve faced, I dug my heels in mentally and fought the problem as hard as I could. Starting with little trips
my first full-on ‘‘ But vertigo attack was
a real game-changer for the worst.
’’
Now if this sounds awful, it strangely enough wasn’t the worst part of it. That would be the anxiety that followed in the days, weeks, and months afterwards. I had various appointments – including a beautifully pointless telephone appointment with my doctors – but outside of all of that, something new was now the bigger issue.
to the shop by myself, I slowly expanded where I’d go until my ‘circle’ expanded, but although practically I improved in what I could do, mentally it was a strain as I’d spend the overwhelming majority of those walks worrying about potential vertigo. Simply put I was constantly catastrophising – and that’s where Sarah from Fish in Water enters the story. Sarah is somebody that I’ve got to know better and better over a period of time, and I can quite confidently tell you that she’s an absolutely wonderful person. Sarah had been specialising in coaching and change management ever since we first spoke, but I became intrigued when I found out she was in the process of adding a new string to her bow – hypnotherapy. I wouldn’t call myself a fullon sceptic when it came to hypnotherapy, though I was definitely a doubting Thomas, but the more I thought about giving it a go the more it made sense. After all, what had I got to lose? When I asked about it Sarah immediately put my mind at ease. Explaining that I would be in control throughout the sessions,
The sessions can be done entirely online – mine were – which means you can fit them conveniently into your routine and Sarah’s warm and friendly personality means that you instantly feel at ease and able to properly engage with the sessions. Without hesitation I would absolutely recommend getting in touch with Sarah if you feel that you have a problem or obstacle, and you feel there’s a chance that she could help you with it. It’s okay to be doubtful too – I was – but I’d urge you to still give it a try and if you do I believe you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. I know that for me my catastrophising has entirely gone when I go out in public. A relatively short time ago hypnotherapy might have barely made it on to my list when I needed help with something – now it’s right up there at the top of the list.
hesitation I would absolutely recommend getting ‘‘ Without in touch with Sarah if you feel that you have a problem or obstacle, and you feel there’s a chance that she could help you with it.
’’
A little about me
I call myself a change coach and consultant – and any kind of change, personal or work related. I’ve worked across the public and private sectors, in various roles, but most recently worked in big change projects, often where IT systems are being changed, supporting programme directors keep everything on track. And over that time, I saw that people beats process every single time. But quite often people are an afterthought. I work hard to remind people involved in and leading big change projects that if you don’t involve and take people with you, your project won’t achieve the benefits you need it to. On an individual basis, change can often be hard – get yourself change fit with me. I help busy people who have unrealised ambitions, clarify and plan action to realise their potential.
E: sarahroach@fishinwater.org | T: 01332 492565
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
Darley Abbey Store
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Also available Bluebell Dairy Luxury Artisan Ice Cream
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PARCEL SHOP
OPEN DAILY
Freshly ground coffee, hot chocolate, home-made cakes, sandwiches and savouries to take away
Issue 7
Charity Background
The charity was established in 1974 by local Derby resident Milly Wigley after reading about the death of a neglected child. Originally called “Concern Association Derby”, it acted as a meeting place for parents to attend and discuss any issues they may have been facing. The charity opened its Family Support Centre at 13 Leopold Street, Derby, in 1987. The centre provided the charity with offices, a day nursery for children, and facilities for parents. The charity continues to operate from its premises on Leopold Street, and currently provides three bespoke services; Supervised Contact, Family Support and Mentoring services.
Our Mission
Our founding aim is to relieve the distress and suffering experienced by families and children. Our charity works to benefit vulnerable children, young people and families, making life improvements by: ■
Responding to the needs of children where stress within the home may adversely affect their welfare or development
■
Providing support for children who are regarded as vulnerable and who may be at risk of social exclusion
■
Delivering community services designed to foster the general wellbeing of families with children
■
Providing services for parents which will enable them to better respond to the personal needs and financial support of their children
13 Leopold Street, Derby DE1 2HE
Tel: 01332 341516 Email: enquiries@childrenfirstderby.co.uk
How you can help
£20
A donation of £20 would cover the average cost of one for one of the positive activities that a Children First Derby mentor might engage in with their mentee. This could include a visit to a climbing wall, a museum, the cinema, a sporting event or taking part in an arts activity.
£10
A donation of £10 would cover the average weekly travel costs for one of our family support volunteers to visit and support their family at the family’s home.
£5
We provide our family support, mentoring and supervised contact coordinators with dedicated mobile phones so that our service users and volunteers can contact them easily. A donation of £5 would cover the monthly charge to Children First Derby for one of these essential phones.
To donate visit
www.childrenfirstderby.co.uk
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
ERNEST TOWNSEND
THE DERBY ARTIST 1880-1944
PART 4
In Issue 6 of our newspaper, we looked at a family relocation and Ernest’s immeasurable contribution to the war effort during World War Two. For the final part in this wonderful series, we hear about just what life was like for Ernest while he made his living an as artist in Derby.
A self-portrait of Ernest Townsend, 1929.
MAKING A LIVING AS AN ARTIST IN DERBY
The business of being a portrait artist during Townsend’s time was not easy. It was not always a case of ‘art for the sake of art’; the harsh reality is that artists such as Ernest did, and still do, need to sell their works month-in, month-out to pay their bills and feed their families. Ernest, whilst not a natural socialite, recognised that the prospective commissioners and patrons of his work were the town’s wealthy. Ernest was of strong political conviction, a lifelong Mason, and an active Rotarian; coupled with this, his interest in local history and art brought about a wide range of connections with Derby’s most prosperous of the day. Vase of Mimosas and Thistledown (Tansy and Hemp Agrimony).
Still Life.
of these were commissioned works, mainly portraits. These commissioned portraits were typically secured through his connections within Derby society. Portraits of mayors and other civil dignitaries would often be funded by a wealthy individual who supported their cause. Today, some of these formal portraits appear a little sombreand perhaps hide some of Ernest’s more creative talents; but at the time and most importantly to Ernest, they paid the bills! Patrons such as Alfred E. Goodey would commission works or purchase speculative paintings.
Alfred E. Goodey, the Derby philanthropist.
Following extensive research and superseding that which had previously been published on the subject, it is now thought that Ernest painted approximately 1100 pictures, about two thirds
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Still life paintings have proven more difficult to trace given their non-specific nature. Ernest painted very few, if any, before 1920, but I suspect there were more than 200 such pictures painted by Ernest in the period 1920-1943. These were rarely commissioned, but the nature of their subject readily facilitated sales. Ernest would typically sell his non-commissioned pictures at exhibitions such as those held annually by the Derby Sketching Club. Sometimes, during these exhibitions, Ernest would participate in the public viewing sessions
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
and listen to their personal critique of his works, never revealing himself, but for fun he would often point out the shortcomings of his own work to the commentators! Perhaps some of his most memorable paintings are those of Derby town scenes of which forty original Ernest painting Sir Edwin Ann in 1906 of the Midland Drapery and works have been Mayor of Derby. identified to date. Again, these were mostly non-commissioned works and sold at exhibitions. Most of his works were completed in oil, sometimes he used pastel for portraits, and very occasionally watercolour.
Issue 7
The influential of the time were great supporters of local artists, and Ernest had forged long-established friendships with many of these families. This is illustrated in his paintings for Sir Edwin Ann (of Derby’s Midland Drapery) and his family, Alfred E. Goodey (the philanthropist), the Cholerton’s (of the Derby shoe shop), the Newtons (Newton Bros of Alfreton Road) and the Bemrose’s (printers of Derby) for whom he painted a combined total over 50 pictures, mainly portraits. Ernest and his family, like many of the era, made do, they were not wealthy and often worried about where the money would come from week-toweek. During the last ten years of his life, portrait commissions had slowly reduced, leaving the family in a difficult financial position. Ernest suffered a fatal heart attack in January 1944 while on his way home to Birchwood Farm in Coxbench. He was tired from overwork and had long-suffered with illhealth. Following his death, his wife Doris, was left with debt and little in terms of income. There was a Memorial Exhibition held in 1944 at the Art Gallery in Derby, this contained his major works and paintings that were awaiting a purchaser; practically serving to bridge the gap in Doris’ finances. Doris continued to sell what remained of her husband’s work into the 1970s. Doris was further looked after by the generosity of the Masons who provided a limited pension for the duration of her life. Ernest Townsend is buried at Nottingham Road Cemetery in an unmarked grave, where he rests with two of his children that did not survive into adulthood. Doris continued to live at Birchwood Farm in Coxbench raising their son, Bruce. Doris and Ernest were strong spiritualists, regularly holding séances. This belief in the afterlife was lived out after Ernest’s death, whereby, for many years, every evening at circa 9pm, the time when Ernest would have normally arrived home, the family and their guests would be sat around at Birchwood Farm and the door handle would rattle, met by a chorus of ‘there’s Ernest’.
Ernest’s decision to return to Derby in 1912, was one that defined his career. He opted to become a regional artist, rather than be attracted to the prospective wealth that a career centred in London could perhaps have offered an upcoming portraitist. However, it is to the benefit of the City of Derby that he did return, recording the faces of our forefathers and mothers, capturing atmospheric scenes across the town, and playing his role in the war effort.
may go for a few hundred pounds if you’re lucky at auction. It all depends on how many buyers and how deep their pockets are! Prior to buying, I suggest you validate that the signature matches with Ernest’s and are not confused with the American artist of the same name. Always seek professional advice if in doubt of the authenticity. Happy hunting.
REMARKABLE PAINTINGS OF DERBY
There has not been an exhibition of Ernest Townsend’s work in Derby since 2005. From time-totime, a small number of his paintings are displayed in the Art Gallery and the Museum of Making. Sadly, the majority of his works that form part of the Art Gallery’s impressive Goodey Collection, don’t see the light of day for decades, spending their life in storage.
As previously mentioned, it is known that Ernest painted at least forty pictures of Derby, Ernest captured a town of which, some of which is longgone and other parts are still familiar. Ernest was fiercely proud of Derby, and campaigned for the preservation of historic buildings and promoted the regeneration of civic areas.; influencing the influential where he could and getting frustrated with those who, in his view, were sometimes shortsighted modernisers.
VALUATIONS
Interest in Ernest’s work has grown significantly during the past 20 years, partly due to the inherent interest of the people of Derby in their heritage, and saleroom prices have continued to grow. For the collector, or those wishing to sell on their paintings or maybe acquire new artwork, the inevitable question is ‘what is it worth/what do I have to pay?’ I am not an art critic nor a valuer but have followed saleroom prices for the past 25 years. The answer to this seems to depend on several factors. Typically, sombre portraits of officious looking gentlemen are of less interest within the market, whereas local scenes, larger still life, subject and the sensitively painted portrait pictures have a much wider appeal. Major works, when they occasionally come to market, may attract a five-figure number, others largely attract a four-figure number, and small still life and the aforementioned austere portraits,
LOCAL EXHIBITIONS
I strongly suspect that many of the people of Derby would be greatly interested in a permanent exhibition of works that illustrate and capture the fascinating history of Derby and its people; painted by broad range of Derby’s leading artists. Whilst I cannot speak on behalf of Derby Art Gallery, museums and galleries make content choices based on what they believe will drive visitor numbers; and as such, space is always of a premium. Do you think there should be permanent exhibition of Derby Artist’s work in Derby, would there be long-term public interest and if not, what are the alternatives to better share our wonderful city’s art heritage and history? It would be great to hear your thoughts on this. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Ernest Townsend’s life and works. I’m very keen to uncover some of the ‘lost gems’ of Ernest’s work, of which there are many. As I continue my research, it would be great to hear from you if you have any stories about Ernest, his family or if you have one of his paintings. If you do then please get in touch at info@derbyuncovered.com
Ernest’s Derby paintings have created an invaluable and beautiful record of bygone Derby and here we can see some of his artwork including a view of Queen Street during widening, showing St Michael's and St Alkmund's churches (1926), a wonderful painting entitled ‘Scene in Derby Marketplace during Gun Week, November 18th to 23rd’ (1918), a view of the sadly demolished Mayor’s Parlour (1909), ‘Back way to George’s Inn (1907)’ which captures a long-lost scene in the streets to the rear of the George Inn/Jorrocks and an atmospheric picture of the paraffin lit stalls of the Fish Market (1922).
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DERBY & DERBYSHIRE
“It’s QUADmas!!!” QUAD have Christmas all wrapped up this year with an action-packed festive programme! They will be welcoming Santa to Derby in The Cathedral Quarter Christmas Grotto as well as hosting festive cinema screenings, shows and workshops, ensuring you'll have everything you need this season to get you into the Christmas spirit! As part of the festivities, QUAD is launching a new immersive environment. The Northern Lights is a free 360-degree experience and is your chance to walk through and see the awe-inspiring Aurora! It may indeed guide you to the extraordinary Cathedral Quarter Christmas Grotto where you can meet Santa himself! There's only a few slots left to join Santa for a festive breakfast buffet as part of the 'Breakfast with Santa' promotion which also includes a visit to The Cathedral Quarter Christmas Grotto. Tickets are selling fast so grab yours in advance to avoid disappointment. QUAD is host to the classic winter tale A Christmas Carol, a unique co-production between The Lost Boys and QUAD that presents a new, irreverent take on the Dickens classic story of rebirth and redemption. This family-friendly production weaves live performance with cinematic projections to bring new life to the time-travelling, spectrefilled festive adventure. Expect deference, irreverence, wigs, audience interaction, dazzling film, animation and a sprinkling of festive magic!!! Here's one for you... what does White Christmas, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Bell, Book And Candle, and Edward Scissorhands have in common? Well, they're all being screened at QUAD of course! And a special mention to the dementia friendly screening of White Christmas on 12th December. For more information on Christmas at QUAD head over to www.derbyquad.co.uk/quadmas or call the box office on 01332 290 606
Mother Goose ■ Derby Arena ■ December 8th to December 31st ■ From £19.00
Following the success of his 2022 Christmas show, John Tams brings an all new Christmas show to Belper. Expect seasonal music, stories and laughs to start the Christmas festivities! Tickets: www.livetickets.org
The award-winning team behind smash-hit Derby Arena pantomimes is hatching a plan to make Mother Goose an action-packed adventure guaranteed to have the whole family honking with laughter! Tickets: www.derbylive.co.uk
Derby Christmas Lights Switch On & Lantern Parade ■ Derby Market Place
Hare and Tortoise
■ 4pm
■ Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton
■ December 2nd
■ December 16th to December 24th
■ Free Celebrate the start of Festive Derby with a range of entertainment including a stage show featuring local entertainment and of course, Santa! Don’t miss the magical Lantern Parade from Surtal Arts, starting at St Peter's Church at 4pm. Be the first to hit the ice rink from 11am (booking required), catch the festive characters wandering around the Cathedral Quarter, and check out the giant snow globes! There will be lots of tasty treats to indulge in, including German sausage, donuts and crepes, plus fairground rides for the children. 5.30pm for the big Christmas light switch on!
■ For ages 3 to 8 ■ From £8.00
Cinderella ■ Buxton Opera House ■ December 8th to January 1st ■ From £21.50 A magical family pantomime! You shall go to the ball, Cinderella! Working all day long, completing chores and being taunted by her ugly stepsisters is all Cinderella has ever known, that is until her Fairy Godmother makes all her wishes come true…
A musical play for 3–8 year olds and their families. Hare is always in a rush. Tortoise likes to take things more gently. Hare wants to race, Tortoise would prefer to go on holiday…Join us for this beautiful reworking of Aesop’s famous fable as we travel through the seasons with these two unlikely but loveable friends and help them prepare for their big race. Tickets: www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
It’s pantomime for the whole family to enjoy! Tickets: www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
Stuart Wood, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The BBC Big Band: The Music of James Bond... And Beyond ■ Derby Theatre
John Tams - Celluloid & Celebration ■ St. Peter's Church, Belper ■ December 19th ■ For ages 15+ ■ From £15.00
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■ January 26th 2024 ■ From £28.50 Don’t miss this unique concert, celebrating the very best of James Bond (and beyond) performed by one of the world’s finest Big Bands! Tickets: www.derbytheatre.co.uk
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Support your local creators, makers and artists Derby and Derbyshire both have a wonderful and eclectic mix of creators, makers and artists and Derby Uncovered are proud to work alongside them. Supporting your local creators, makers and artists is incredibly important for various reasons. It is of course of benefit to the local economy and also the environment, but it means that you – the customers – get a higher quality of both products and customer service. By shopping local with these wonderful artisanal businesses, you are not only getting a lovingly crafted product, but also helping to ensure that local businesses – such as the ones that you see on this page – not only survive, but also thrive. Each and every one of the businesses advertising below offer a high-quality product and an exceptional level of customer service and Derby Uncovered are very happy to personally recommend them all.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
It only takes one pebble to start an avalanche. The true – and bizarre – story of how a Civil War soldier met his future wife in Derby. Throughout the course of history there have been many stories about relationships that have survived the ages – both fictional and actual. In a literary sense there can’t be many stories as wellknown as Romeo and Juliet and in a historical sense we live in a country where a King - Edward VIII – gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee at a time when remarriage after divorce was opposed by the Church of England, in 1936. With all that taken into account though, there surely can’t be a relationship that began in England, or elsewhere for that matter, that can trace back its origins and say that on the very first day they met one of them hit the other in the head with a small rock!
The story begins in 1647 during the English Civil War when a regiment of troopers in service of Parliament marched over St. Mary’s Bridge in Derby on their way to Nottingham. To the side of the bridge as they did, they observed a young girl by the side of the river ladling water into her pail. Perhaps predictably, the troopers felt the need to shout “jokes” to the girl. Though we have no record of what they said, it’s probably fair to say that in that era her age – she was fifteen – was no barrier to the jokes being somewhat coarse. Of course, amongst all groups of rowdy men we always seem to have those who take things even further than the others - and this regiment of troopers certainly had one of these.
William Hutton's 1791 History of Derby. Dismounting his horse, this particular man thought it would be funny to throw a large stone into the river near the girl to give her a scare. Showing appalling aim for a military man, the rock flew through the air until its trajectory took it directly into the poor young girl’s head. With cries, tears and blood abounding, the girl fled home and the soldier rushed from the scene to the front of the regiment to avoid any potential consequences. It is fair to say that this event preyed a great deal on the soldier’s mind – particularly the fact that he didn’t know how the young girl had fared once she ran off. It was, after all, more than possible that she could have died. Though he rode in the regiment for a further eleven years, once he left – and out of all the places he could choose from – he came to Derby. Whilst in Derby he courted and married a young woman and in the course of their conversations something became clear – the very woman he had met in Derby was once the young girl whose head he had hit with a rock! It seems that his remorse and her forgiving nature helped them overcome that knowledge and they lived happily together on Bridge Gate having ten children together. And how has this story survived almost four hundred years so we can still recount it today? The answer is that they were the great grandparents of William Hutton – the Derbyborn historian and poet who wrote his History of Derby in 1791 – a man whose statue is one of the four that are still watching over Derby to this day on the old Boots Building. Though he didn’t recount their names, he did at least leave us with a most curious tale to enjoy – as he did with many other stories in his 1791 History of Derby.
St Mary's Bridge in Derby.
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Thank you, William!
A helping hand, a listening ear, a warm smile. Your Visiting Angel is here
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
The Derby Music Hall and the Demon Drink
In the second part of a two-part article, Ted Bottle and Elaine Pritchard continue to look at the history of the Star Music Hall – including its shocking and unexpected demise. Part 1 can be found online here: issuu.com/derbyuncovered/docs/derby_uncovered_issue_6/46 By February 1871 Neils Harris was sole proprietor of The Star. Strict standards of behaviour were listed in the venue’s newspaper advertisements: No boys under 14 would be admitted unless they were with an adult. No chorus singing, whistling, shouting or stamping of feet would be allowed and “persons in any way misconducting themselves will be immediately removed”. There were three prices for admission: one shilling to sit in the stalls, 6d to sit on the balcony and 3d in the body of the hall. Doors opened at 7.30pm for one show at 8pm. In April 1871, an advertisement for a forthcoming week of shows included:
coup at the time. In his 50 year-career he was said to have written some 1,000 songs. He was a lifelong friend of singer and comedian ‘Jolly’ John Nash who also appeared a couple of times at The Star. In August 1871 a benefit performance was held there for him.
■ Phillips and Hammonde with their trained
dogs Carlo and Hector, who would appear in a ‘new and sensational drama’ based on the Franco-Prussian War called ‘The Twin Brothers’ or ‘The Avenging Dogs of Germany’.
■ Herr Schnuffelhausen of Berlin who would
challenge Derby shoemakers to try and beat him in making a pair of leather shoes in seven minutes.
Sheet music for one of Arthur Lloyd's most famous songs.
■ Professor Shepperd’s ‘much admired
Dissolving Dioramic Views’. (A form of magic lantern show).
For the week beginning Monday September 25, 1871, the Star secured the appearance of Arthur Lloyd (1839-1904), a famous Scottish singersongwriter and comedian. This was a massive
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A benefit for ‘Jolly’ John Nash held in London in 1899.
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
In September 1871, Harris made another attempt to secure an alcohol licence, which the magistrates again refused. The same objections, and another petition bearing hundreds of signatures, were again put forward. This time, Harris’s solicitor Mr Briggs had found a legal loophole to exploit.
Issue 7
The cause of the fire was never confirmed, but the final scene of The Poor of New York included a house fire and it seems that real flames were used. Speculation was rife that perhaps smouldering embers were not fully extinguished. The fire was reported in newspapers across the country. The Star was only insured for An excerpt from the Derby Mercury on the 28th May £2,000, despite the fact 1873 reporting on the fire at the Star Music Hall. that it had cost £3,000 to build. Perhaps it was this shortfall that prevented Harris from rebuilding or maybe he had just had enough of the drinks licence wrangling.
An excerpt from the Derby Mercury on the 26th March 1879 detailing the circus fire that occurred on the site of the Star Music Hall.
There is a sad postscript to the story. In March 1879, a large travelling circus erected on the site of the ill-fated Star Music Hall, burned to the ground. This time a night watchman was killed along with a string of horses.
If you are interested in music hall and variety, why not join Derby and Nottingham Music Hall Association? Email Elaine at pritchard_ elaine@hotmail.com or visit facebook.com/ DerbyNottinghamMusicHall.
The day after their licence was refused they went to the Inland Revenue Office. Briggs knew that the Commissioners and Officers of Excise had the power to grant a retail licence to sell beer, wines and spirits in any theatre that already held a dramatic licence to perform public entertainment. So, finally, Harris had his drinks licence. Victory was short-lived. In May 1872 Harris had to apply to Derby magistrates for the renewal of his dramatic licence. It was only granted on condition that The Star did not use it to renew his drinks licence. Magistrates heard that other Derby entertainment venues: The Corn Exchange, The Drill Hall and The Lecture Hall held dramatic licences but had never attempted to obtain a liquor licence, except for occasional special events. In September 1872 the case for and against the alcohol licence was re-opened in front of the council’s Licensing Committee led by Derby’s Mayor, W. T. Cox. A large crowd gathered as the local clergy, the Temperance Society, the Band of Hope, the Corn Exchange company and the Licensed Victuallers Society came together to oppose the licence. The arguments this time focused on the unsuitability of the building because of its layout. The Mayor said he knew the hall was well-run, order was maintained, the police had no complaints and there was no drunkenness or immorality, but he could not grant the licence because of the technical specifications of the building. Pantomime, ballets and dramatic plays continued to be staged at the Star alongside variety acts. In January 1873, the Star Theatre boasted “The grandest pantomime ever attempted in Derby – The House That Jack Built”. Harris even made arrangements with the Midlands Railway Company to run special cheap evening trains from Burton and Willington for panto-goers. On Saturday, May 25, 1873, a touring drama company presented two plays: The Bleeding Nun of Lindenberg and The Poor of New York. The show was over by 11pm. The Chairman, Joe Stoner, and an assistant checked the building and locked up before leaving for the night. At around 2am, a Mr Wilkinson of Bag Lane looked out of his window and saw flames inside the theatre. He raised the alarm and the fire brigade was quickly on the scene but the wooden building was well ablaze. Just before 3am the timber supports holding up the huge, galvanised roof burned through and it fell on to the burning wooden auditorium. This did help to smother the fire by cutting off its air supply. The fire brigade remained on site hosing down the ruins for a few more hours until the entire structure was down to its brickbuilt foundations. Scenery, costumes, musical instruments and properties were all destroyed.
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Dedicate a tree in Derbyshire’s growing woodland. Established in 1988, Heritage Wood is located just off the A52, halfway between Derby and Ashbourne and nestled in the delightful unspoilt Derbyshire countryside. A mix between nature, celebration and reflection, it offers a unique opportunity to dedicate a tree in memory of a loved one, to mark a variety of occasions and lifetime events, or maybe to offset your carbon footprint, or simply to enjoy seeing your sponsored tree grow. It is your opportunity to create your own personal bond with nature. A visit to Heritage Wood provides the perfect setting for you to spend time with your thoughts, to remember happy times and to enjoy making new memories. A moment of contemplation and escapism, a pleasant walk or a picnic, or just time to sit, relax and enjoy the peaceful natural surroundings. We have 8 different tree varieties available for sponsorship. Once you have selected your tree you need
to decide on your wording which will be engraved on the plaque. Once complete, the plaque will be placed beside your tree and a certificate issued. Heritage Wood has no gates and is free to visit at any time. Our office is located just across the road from Heritage Wood at Ednaston Business Centre, located within Derbyshire Self Storage.
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Handmade textile accessories, stationery and homeware with carefully curated happy prints
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Old Theatre and Shakespeare Tavern, Bold Lane B Y A L F R E D J OH N K E E N E
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Issue 7
Education: an adventure to be enjoyed
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enhance our curriculum and support the wellbeing of children, parents and staff. ■ Unique experiences in a naturally stimulating environment, surround our children with nature. Flexible sessions for 2-5 year olds
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18 Stepping Lane, Derby DE1 1GJ Phone: 01332 371769 Email: admin@ashgaten.derby.sch.uk www.canschoolsfederation.co.uk
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
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NT IUM AC BENEVOLE
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Rotten Row and Iron Gate, 1858 BY AL F R E D J OH N K E E NE
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
Famous
Out of all the facets of examining the past, looking at and enjoying old paintings and pictures is assuredly the most popular, and for our Famous Footprints in this issue, we look at both a man who over time collected a series of works of art that would end up being the most incredible collection of painted Derby scenes bar none and the collection of works itself.
Alfred E. Goodey
Born: 1878. Died: April 7, 1945.
Alfred E. Goodey - a 50th birthday portrait by Ernest Townsend.
Alfred E. Goodey listed in the 1881 census.
Alfred was born in 1878 to William Henry Goodey and Rhoda Goodey and, from an early age, showed an interest in both the creation and collection of works of art. Showing up in the 1881 census as living at Leslie Cottage, Bass Street, Derby, it is rumoured that he began collecting artworks from 1886 onwards. Educated privately at Whitworth School, he then went on to attend the Derby School of Art and, in addition to his interest in art, counted natural history, walking in Derbyshire and amateur Shakespearean acting amongst his pursuits. It was his interest in art, however, that led him to the presidency of the Derby Sketching Club and honed in him a shrewd eye for paintings that would eventually help him record Derby’s history. The word ‘collecting’ doesn’t do justice to how Alfred acquired many of the paintings he would ultimately own – he would often commission works from local artists – and amongst the paintings he ultimately brought into his collection were those of renowned Derby artists such as Ernest Townsend and Alfred John Keene – both of whose works have been featured in Derby Uncovered.
A glimpse of Derby Market Place on Carnival Day, 1926 by Ernest Townsend - part of the Goodey Collection.
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Described as a man about town in plus fours and a full beard and moustache, Alfred was often to be found in the Tudor Room of the Bell Inn on Sadler Gate with friends, which considering he was also a founder member of the Derby Shakespeare
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Society and a member of the Derbyshire Footpaths Preservation Society, was no small crowd. Goodey was particularly keen on commissioning views of buildings and streets that were under the imminent threat of destruction and, as such, his collection became what is now an invaluable record of Derby as it existed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1936 the collection numbered 512 paintings and, in a remarkably generous gesture that countless Derby citizens have benefited from ever since, he donated them to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, which still owns the collection to this day. Nine years later, and after being ill for around a month, Alfred E. Goodey passed away at his house at number 40 Ashbourne Road. His death brought both great sadness to the town and also the further bequeathment of artwork to the museum alongside a sum of £13,000 – just under £500,000 in today’s money. The money was bequeathed on the condition that it was spent on extending the Museum and/or Art Gallery within the next two years. If it wasn’t spent within that period, his will carried the instructions that his trustees should invest the sum in their names and be allowed to accumulate the income for no more than twenty-one years. If the Museum or Art Gallery extended their premises within the
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Footprints
twenty-one year period the trustees were under instructions to provide them with the original sum. The enlargement was completed in 1964.
The Goodey Collection – as it has come to be known – has very little in terms of rivals when it comes to visually charting the changing history of a city. Some of the views we see within the works of art are instantly recognisable, some are very much not, but all of them, both individually and collectively, create a gift to our city that is immeasurable in value. We all owe a big vote of thanks to Alfred E. Goodey.
Rotten Row and the entrance to The Shambles from a c.1860 photo of Richard Keene by Alfred John Keene - part of the Goodey Collection.
The Bass statue now resides in Museum Square in Derby.
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Derby from the Shot Tower c.1920 by Samuel Parkins - part of the Goodey Collection.
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Iron Gate, Derby c.1865 by Louise Rayner - part of the Goodey Collection.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
Behold the head of Jeremiah Brandreth, the Traitor!
The story of England’s last armed uprising and its Derbyshire origins.
I think I must have been about seven years old when I first went to Derby Museum and to this day there are two particular memories that remain with me the most about that first visit. One was the sight of the two mummies – particularly the exposed face of the mummified body of PypyIw, and the second was the beheading block from the execution of the ringleaders of the Pentrich Revolution. I don’t remember overly wondering at that age about what the Pentrich Revolution actually was, but I do remember being astounded that right in front of me was an actual piece of history upon which people had been beheaded.
When a poor harvest arrived in 1817 due to a wet a cold year, matters came to a head with the Pentrich Revolution. It wasn’t as if the signs for such a thing to happen hadn’t been there either. For six years previously, there had been instances of local uprisings due to the employment of unskilled workers and it was amid this cauldron of discontent that a number of secret revolutionary committees were formed.
As I got older though, I did learn more about the Pentrich Revolution and it is certainly a story worth telling. When the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1816, the country was in a severe depression. Mass unemployment was rife due to the discharging of troops and the increasing industrialisation of workplaces, the Corn Laws – which enhanced the profits and political power associated with land ownership - had resulted in huge increases in the price of bread, and the wider political picture had seen major movements towards demanding parliamentary reform.
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The masthead of the broadside produced for the execution of Jeremiah Brandreth, William Turner and Isaac Ludlam.
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The committee at Nottingham was led by a needle maker called William Stevens and the village Pentrich was represented there by a framework knitter called Thomas Bacon. In 1817 the committee resolved to take action when news reached them of a revolutionary force heading to London from the north. There was one problem with A hand-coloured etching this though – the news of Jeremiah Brandreth. was a hoax. The news had been fabricated by a man called William Oliver. William was an informer and a spy who was working for the Home Office and had already infiltrated other local revolutionary groups. Over time, he had visited places such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Wakefield and Huddersfield. In early June 1817 – and not long before the Pentrich Uprising - he was at Thornhill Lees for a revolutionary meeting that was to be held on June 6. Oliver, however, slipped away on June 4 and passed on to the commander of troops in the North – General Byng – advance notice of the gathering. The meeting was subsequently surrounded and everyone – including Oliver as part of his cover – was arrested.
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news didn’t really have the ability to travel fast at all. By the time he reached Nottingham it was only rumours about him that had arrived before he physically did, and although he was given a gruelling cross-examination that he was lucky to survive, the news that Oliver was a spy, did not reach Pentrich in time to stop its uprising. With the men resolved to join the hoax force that they believed was on its way, around 50 of them assembled at 10pm on June 9, 1817 at Hunt’s Barn in South Wingfield. With Thomas Bacon having a warrant out for his arrest at that time, Jeremiah Brandreth was appointed to be his deputy and was in charge of getting them to Nottingham. On the way they wanted to invade the Butterley Ironworks so they could ransack it for weapons. Among the group of men were Isaac Ludlam, a bankrupted farmer and William Turner, an ex-soldier.
A contemporary illustration from the execution.
Just a few short hours later, however, a tradesman spotted Oliver talking to a liveried footman. When asked how he he’d managed to escape, he gave a hurried and blustered answer and left the town at speed – heading in a stagecoach to Nottingham. It was immediately apparent that Oliver was not the revolutionary he claimed to be, but instead worked for the government. Although they say that bad news travels fast, it is important to remember that back in this era
ultimately captured over the following weeks. Twenty-three of the marchers were tried and sentenced for ‘maliciously and traitorously [endeavouring]…by force of arms, to subvert and destroy the Government and the Constitution’, with three receiving a sentence of transportation for 14 years and 11 receiving a life sentence. The ring leaders were dealt with much more severely, however.
Over the next few hours, they explored the local area for weapons and potential recruits, including at the house of the widow Mary Hepworth. Hepworth refused to open her doors to the men, which resulted in Jeremiah Brandreth firing a shot through a window which killed a servant. When the men reached Butterley Ironworks their goal was thwarted by factory agent George Goodwin and a small group of constables who stood their ground and faced them down. With morale falling among the men, a few left the party and the remainder headed to Ripley. Although more men were pressed into service, in Ripley others defected and when they were met by a small force of soldiers in Giltbrook, they scattered. Around 40 were captured and although the leaders escaped at the time, they were
Pentrich Revolution Plaque at Asherfields Barn.
Thomas Bacon, Jeremiah Brandreth, Isaac Ludlam, William Turner and George Weightman were initially due to stand trial for high treason, for which the sentence for a guilty verdict was death. Bacon, however, was now aware of the part that agent provocateur William Oliver had played in events, and to avoid him embarrassing the government with his testimony of this, Brandreth was tried as the leader alongside Ludlam, Turner and Weightman. All four were found guilty and received the sentence of the death penalty, although Weightman was reprieved due to a recommendation for leniency by the jury and received a sentence of transportation for life alongside Bacon. Sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, the Prince Regent commuted the drawing and quartering and the three men were to be hung until dead and then beheaded. On November 7, 1817, all three men were executed outside Derby Gaol with all three coffins buried in an unmarked grave at St. Werburgh’s Church. When Brandreth had been beheaded the executioner has held his head up towards the crowds and addressing the watching crowd has said "Behold the head of Jeremiah Brandreth, the Traitor!"
St. Werburgh's Church in Derby - the three men were buried in an unmarked grave here. Chris_Harris, CC BY-SA 3.0
The executions brought to a close the attempted revolution but not the urge for reform. Just fourteen years later Derby found itself in the midst of a violent riot when a Reform Bill was rejected by the House of Lords – you can read all about that in Issue 4 of our newspaper.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D Residential Care Home for the elderly
A hidden gem in the heart of Littleover Established in 1984, Linden House Residential Care Home have almost forty years’ experience in caring for persons over 65 who are frail or have physical
disabilities and also specialise in caring for patients with dementia, which is assessed prior to admission.
Located in a quiet cul-de-sac and overlooking glorious and luscious gardens, Linden House has 15 cosy and comfortable bedrooms, of which 3 have en-suite facilities. Residents are encouraged to make their rooms their own and add their own personal touches with photographs, ornaments, and furniture to make them feel at home. Pets may also
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To find out more about the home, then please get in touch with the friendly and experienced team who will be more than happy to help you.
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There are weekly visits from a hairdresser and visits every six weeks or so from a chiropodist at an extra optional cost, and entertainment is catered for with a weekly singer/entertainer as well as daily quizzes, board games, art, bingo, sing-a-long's and more. In addition, there's a regular library visit to the home to bring books, mostly in large print.
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Derby U N C O V E R E D
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Issue 7
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Derby U N C O V E R E D BORDER COLLIE TRUST GB Our work can be summed up in a few words - Rescuing and rehoming Border Collies and collie crosses thoughout the UK, but of course there’s much more to that simple phrase. On average we have between 25 and 30 dogs at our centre and unfortunately always have a waiting list for dogs needing our help. The calls can come from other rescues who may be finding it difficult to home a collie in their area, to those rescues who take in strays and may have anything from one to ten collies needing help quickly. And of course individual owners contact us who for a vast array of reasons can no longer care for their collie. Wherever the call comes from we may have to go into a ‘serious think’ mode. Priority is given to any dog in stray kennels as their very existance may be under threat if we cannot offer a place.
Details of dogs from their own homes are recorded. We try to prioritise, often giving a little advice so the situation can be ‘managed’. We also have to try and have a space or two for emergencies or any dog we have homed who may need to be returned. When a dog arrives from its own home we ask the owner to complete a questionnaire, this helps us to understand the dog and the way its owners have lived with it. This can be a very upsetting time for all. Many tears may be shed and sometimes guilt and anger are very evident. Wherever the dog has come from we can soon tell how much interaction the dog can cope with and staff will then begin to build an assessment of the dog. Areas that may need input are identified, hopefully to help the dog overcome its problems, although not all dogs have problems. The assessment is an ongoing process but can only ever be an assessment and not a guarantee. Prospective collie owner compleet our online aoption form which is trying to establish lifestyle, level of experience and what they hope the dog will be capable of. This will hopefully allow us to identify those dogs which should best meet the new owners hopes and needs. Once the ‘match’ is made, we get down to the paperwork. New owners are asked to read and sign a contract agreeing several points. Our dogs leave us micro chipped, vaccinated wherever possible, with four weeks free insurance or an insurance voucher and also a pack of useful information including vaccination and worming records. The rehoming fee we request includes the Trusts promise to try to help with any
difficulties and to always take dogs back if the need arises. Follow up calls are usually made within a couple of weeks and previous owners are informed that their dog has a new home. We are often asked if we have a non-destruction policy. The answer is yes and no. No time limits are placed on the dogs who come to us. Some will be here for months; they may be very traumatised and need time to adjust. Some dogs need a very special home and special people who want “a project” don’t come along very often. Dogs would be put to sleep on the vets advice if they have severe untreatable medical problems or if they are considered dangerous. There are hefty fines for knowingly passing on a dangerous dog and we all like to sleep with a clear conscience. Occasionally a dog arrives who cannot be helped even after months of trying. We jump through a lot of hoops before we take the decision to euthanase. We hate to fail but have to remember that we were not responsible for getting the dog into the state it was in. However, very few dogs are dangerous and many can be managed with sensible calm handling.
www.bordercollietrustgb.org.uk
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£5
£5 provides flea and worm treatment for one dog.
£10
£10 provides vaccinations for one dog.
£15
£15 will feed a dog for a months.
BORDER COLLIE TRUST GB Heathway, Colton, Rugeley, Staffs WS15 3LY Tel: 01889 577058 Email: info@bordercollietrustgb.org.uk
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For users of What3Words we can be found at: divide.avoid.timing The centre is open to visitors by appointment.
Digging Deeper into Derby and Derbyshire
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If you have denture problems – perhaps you’re uncomfortable, embarrassed when you smile, or unable to enjoy the food you like – we can help! Our expert Clinical Dental Technician’s can create all types of comfortable, secure and lifelike dentures that will restore your smile and transform your appearance.
Strictly by appointment only. All measures possible will be taken to protect the safety of our patients with the guidelines provided.
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