Society

preserving Beeston’s heritage, in a Nottingham Recorder article dated June 1990. Their influence led to discussions around being considerate to neighbours when installing the monstrous erections and making an effort to disguise them in conservation areas. And do you recall the large bottle banks installed in the old bus station? Well did you know that the forward thinking civic society put a call out for glass collection sites as far back as 1980? It’s no surprise then to learn then, that BCS are supporters of local environmental group Greening Beeston. A more recent community project which you will all be familiar with ‘Beeston Street Art’, driven forward enthusiastically by society trustee Jeanie O’Shea, was platformed by BCS, who also developed the detailed map which is downloadable from their website. It was launched in 2018 as a two day festival and put Beeston on the map as one of the top UK destinations for Street Art in the UK. Its success led to Jeanie co-ordinating a further large scale project, Beeston’s very own light night – ‘#alight in Beeston’, which provided a warm welcome to the end of January 2021. Both of these community events resulted in highlighting the creativity and strong sense of community in our town, as well as pinpointing key people and events in the town’s history, one of whom is spotlighted later in this issue.

Oh, and did I mention the Blue Plaques?! Of course, you may already have worked out that Beeston Civic Society collaborated on that project, and there is a comprehensive guide on their website. But did you know that this year sees the launch of the Red Plaque…? You didn’t? Well give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram to find out more. We are sworn to secrecy on that one.

This is the first in a series of articles featuring BCS in their 50th year. A huge thanks to Tamar for providing access to archival information, and for the whole team for their commitment to making Beeston such an inclusive and pleasant place to live!

Beeston Civic Society are always happy to welcome new members, and as a charity are grateful for sponsorship and donations. If you care about where you live and would like to be able to influence changemakers in a positive way, then go ahead and join!

Be more civic.

beestoncivicsociety.org.uk/join DU

This issue: A Mowtown Legend in Beeston

Welcome me ode fruit gums to the first edition of this fine publication this year, released for your reading pleasure sealed with love, kisses and a pinch of craziness (that's just Beeston Beats!!!)

By the time the ink has set on this shiny magazine of awesomeness, the dreary clutches of winter are disappearing with each passing day, I write this article on the midpoint between winter and spring solstices, the Imbolc, each day is a little more lighter than the last, leaving a clear path for the New Year’s adventures.

My rite of passage between the seasons involves purchasing a diary for the year and marvelling at what possible adventures lie before me. It is my beacon of excitement and a glimmer of hope in the ridiculously long cold winter months. I always excitedly scan the entertainment pages and social media for events that will soon be added in delicious blue ink, on fresh new diary pages, there is so much that is yet to be added from gigs that have yet to be announced. The random days which rapidly turn into adventures that will not even have the time to grace its pages which show up unannounced and can rapidly snowball from a text, or the random chance encounters which start off as one event then another presents itself! Its all very exciting!!

This year’s diary already has in it, scrawled on the page of Friday 31st March an entry that reads Edwin Starr Remembrance Event, the info is as follows. It is due to take place at the Beeston Youth and Community Centre or as it is also known, ‘The Shed’ from 7pm, door tax is £8 before 8pm and £10 after. Four DJs pay homage to the late Starr, Sam Moore, Nev Shooter, John Poole and Glyn Sisson.

For those unaware, Charles Edwin Hatcher, better known as Edwin Starr, is an American Singer songwriter. Although he started life over in Nashville Tennessee U.S. he ended up settling locally in our neck of the woods in Bramcote, after coming to the U.K. in 1983. His biggest chart topping hit was the number one smash ‘War’, (come on sing with me, What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, sing it again!!) written as an anti Vietnam war protest song.