The first open day on Saturday, May 21st, was a huge success and allowed the general public into the JR for the first time. The first visitors, Doreen and Ken Townsend, had travelled all the way from Buckinghamshire.
Doreen and Ken Townsend outside the Jubilee Room
Over forty people visited the archives during the course of the day, a good response!
Here are some pictures from this event. We were delighted to welcome Carol and Nicholas Bennett who helped to set up the Museum Committee [which became the CDLHS] back in 1973. Also David Littlewood, Conservation Officer from Nottingham County Council and John Parker, Chairman of the Nottingham Local History Association.
We welcomed members of the Collingham Parish Council to the Jubilee Room to thank them for their help in enabling us to develop this facility for our archives.
It was wonderful to show off the refurbished JR to past members of the CDLHS committees, responsible for collecting so many of our archives.
Despite the tremendous wind, we managed to maintain our gazebo minus the cover!
Around 40 people attended a talk in the Memorial Hall on ‘Newark’s Black Friday’, the story of the 1941 bombing of the Ransome and Marles’ ball bearing and munitions factory in Newark. Speakers Trevor Frecknall and Shaun Noble, authors of the book, ‘Newark Black Friday’, spoke for an hour about the event. Their talk was supported by pictures of the damage caused in the aftermath, and photographs of some of those killed such as 21-year-old Edith Makins of The Thatched House, South Collingham. Shaun Noble also filled in details about the background of the German crew who had dropped the bombs on the factory. The speakers were thanked by Helena Pielichaty
Trevor Frecknall (hidden) and Shaun Noble. Shaun’s collection of shells and cartridges kept everyone on their toes!
‘Newark’s Black Friday’ is available for sale in WH Smith, Newark. Price £9.99
A World War One commemorative plaque dedicated to John William Bacon and found in a coal shed in Low Street, has been reunited with the Bacon family.
22-year old ‘Jack’ Bacon, a Lance Corporal in the 11th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, was killed in action on the Somme on September 3rd 1916. Before enlisting he had lived with his widowed mother, Mary Ann, and his siblings in part of the house now called ‘Cleave Cottage’, owned by Mr and Mrs C Allen.
After finding the slightly damaged bronze plaque in his coal shed, which was formerly the pig sty, Mr Allen put a notice in Fleet magazine and descendants of Jack’s family came forward.
Mrs Brenda Sills (left) of Saxilby and Mrs Alice Bellamy of Collingham. Mrs Sills’ grandmother was Jack’s younger sister, Florence (born c 1898). Mrs Bellamy’s grandmother was Louisa Bacon, Jack’s great-aunt.