Event - Clowning around with circus history (Sheffield)

Pictured is Professor Vanessa Toulmin with exhibits from the new cirus history exhibition at Sheffield Universitys,Western Bank Library

ROLL up, roll up - for a spectacular new Sheffield exhibition celebrating all the excitement of the greatest show on earth.

Costumes, props and memorabilia from 250 years of British circus history go on display from tomorrow at Sheffield University’s National Fairground Archive at the Western Bank library.

Circus Showmen: Innovators Who Shaped the Circus has been put together by Professor Vanessa Toulmin and fellow academic Amanda Bernstein.

It will take visitors back in time to the late 18th century when circus content and performance first developed as an awe-inspiring art form.

The exhibition begins with ‘the father of modern circus’ Philip Astley and moves chronologically to one-time fairground showmen Lord George Sanger, Bertram Mills, Billy Smart and finally to Gerry Cottle, a stockbroker’s son from London.

Their stories will demonstrate that the circus has always been the place to which the most talented artists and performers often ran away.

And no circus exhibition can be complete without including history of the most famous venue for circus in the UK – Blackpool Tower.

The event features a collection of posters dating back to the 1810s, two full-sized models of Coco the Clown and Charlie Carioli loaned from Clowns International, and two original This is Your Life books which were presented to Billy Smart and Charlie Carioli.

Professor Toulmin said: “We are thrilled to be given the opportunity to show our circus collection which includes our fantastic posters dating from 1810 to 1990.

“The Bertram Mills posters in particular are wonderful pieces of art, dating from 1930s.

“This exhibition is a celebration of the world’s greatest-ever showmen who shaped the circus and created magical and exhilarating world-class shows and events.

“I am extremely excited to be curating and producing this must-see exhibition.”

The exhibition is open 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 12pm to 6pm Saturday and Sundays, and runs until the end of April.

From: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/clowning_around_with_circus_history_1_4196322

Event - Airmen killed in village crash are gone but not forgotten (Staunton)

THE remarkable lives and tragic deaths of seven men killed in a Second World War plane crash are depicted through a new public information board.

The interpretation board has been installed yards from the memorial to the seven men who were killed when their Lancaster Bomber crashed into a field in Staunton.

The board also tells the tale of how each of the men were tracked down, as featured in last week’s Grantham Journal.

It all began when Annie Hogg’s grandfather, Sid Baggaley, found part of the wreckage of the plane.

Annie said: “I would love for him to be able to see it as he would have been so proud but it is nice for me, as his granddaughter, to be able to carry it on.”

The information board was paid for thanks to a grant from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Improvement Scheme.

Coun Richard Butler said: “Hopefully this will be here for many generations to come and future generations will be able to look back and remember what happened.”

Sunday, February 19, will see Snowdrop Sunday return to Staunton for the first time in four years. People will be invited along to Staunton Hall where to see the memorial, an exhibition on “The Last Crew of the Lancaster W4270” and much more.

Annie said: “Our whole research team will be there so people will be able to talk to everyone involved in the project about how we did it.”

Next year will be the 70th anniversary of the crash and Annie is hoping an event can be organised to mark the occasion.

She said: “Hopefully we might be able to get all of the relatives of the men together next year. I would love to do that.”

l Admission for Snowdrop Sunday is £3.50 with children under 12 entering for free. Parking is free and all proceeds will go towards helping repair the church tower. The event will run from 11am until 4pm.

From: http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/community/community-news/airmen_killed_in_village_crash_are_gone_but_not_forgotten_1_3469222

News - Newark's £5.5m Civil War museum plans move forward

Plans to turn historical buildings in a Nottinghamshire town into a £5.5m national centre about the English Civil War have moved a step closer.

Newark and Sherwood District Council wants to restore Newark's Magnus buildings into a museum incorporating exhibiting about the 17th Century war.

The authority has now submitted a bid for £3.5m of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

It will learn if the application has been successful in May.

'Exciting time'

Councillor Roger Jackson, the district council's cabinet member for leisure and culture, said the museum and learning centre could be opened in 2014 if the funding bid was successful.

He said: "It's a very exciting time for Newark. We've got a business plan put together and hopefully we could generate an income from having the museum. 

"Hopefully it will bring a lot more people into the town as well and bring more money into the town."

The council has been working with the HLF to put together plans to renovate the Magnus buildings, part of which date back to 1529.

The Royalists surrendered Newark following a siege in 1646 towards the end of the civil war, which resulted in the defeat of King Charles I by the Parliamentarians.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16808781

Excavation - Hopes to unearth 'magical' lost well (Nottingham)

PLANS to excavate a site of "great historical importance" in St Ann's have been welcomed by residents.

The old St Ann's Well, believed to be beneath the site of the demolished Gardeners Pub in The Wells Road, was a spring once thought to have magical healing powers and which lent its name to the St Ann's area.

There are 17th century records of an annual Easter procession to the well made by the Mayor of Nottingham, aldermen and local officials, accompanied by musicians.

Thurcroft Ltd, a private building company, has been granted planning permission to build nine houses on the site with the condition that, before building work begins, an archeological dig will take place.

Christine Taylor, 70, of nearby Kildare Road, welcomed the idea of unearthing possible remnants of the medieval well.

She said: "It would be nice if they found remains of the well because it is special. But I hope it doesn't mean lots of works traffic and noisy diggers."

An historical study of the site was carried out last year by an archeological team at the University of Leicester.

They found the well gradually took on more of a secular appeal over the years, becoming "a sort of pleasure ground and public house for the amusement of the local population" by the 19th century. The University of Leicester team will be conducting the dig this year.

Resident Richard Pearson, of Belleview Court, recently wrote to Channel 4 asking them to excavate the site.

He said: "I think it would be appropriate for Channel 4 to participate in an archaeological dig of the site, or come along and make a TV programme – it's perfect material for the Time Team.

"There are a number of mysteries to be solved about the well.

"For example it would be good to locate the actual site of St Ann's Well to uncover any artifacts that may have been thrown into the waters as gifts to St Ann."

Wells Road resident Caroline Tracey, 66, also thought it would be "impressive" if remains of the so-called magical well were uncovered.

She said: "It would be nice because it might become an impressive site of national importance.

"But if it is too noisy and disruptive or it goes on for too long I think people living nearby would get annoyed."

A Nottingham City Council spokesman said: "As part of planning permission for the site the developers are to organise an archaeological field evaluation to establish the presence or not of remains of St Ann's Well and associated buildings.

"And the developers will also be talking with the city council about a suitable memorial to highlight the significance of the site."

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Hopes-unearth-magical-lost/story-15062126-detail/story.html

News - Community pride in military hero (Bingham)

Around 100 people heard of the pride that a community had for a soldier who earned Britain’s highest military honour for his refusal to leave a wounded colleague.

Veterans were among those in Bingham Parish Church on Sunday to pay tribute to Harry Churchill Beet as a plaque was unveiled to mark his heroism in the Boer War.

On April 22, 1900, while at a farm outside Wakkerstoom, in the Natal Province of South Africa, Corporal Beet came across a wounded corporal from the Imperial yeomanry and, refusing to leave him behind, stayed to protect him.

He dragged him to cover, bandaged his wounds, and continued to fire throughout the afternoon to stop the Boers from overrunning them.

After darkness fell, a medical officer, Doctor Wilson, reached them and between them they dragged Corporal Basil Burnett to safety.

Corporal Beet was awarded the Victoria Cross by the Duke of York in 1901 and was promoted to sergeant.

The Mayor of Bingham, Mrs Maureen Stockwood, said: “This is a memorable day for Bingham.”

Mr Tony Higton, chairman of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross Committee, read a transcript of a letter that Corporal Burnett later wrote to Corporal Beet, in which he said he could not remember if he thanked him at the time but he would certainly like to do so.

The Bishop of Sherwood, the Rt Rev Tony Porter, said it was a honour to pay tribute to Harry and all of those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

He said he was not sure that younger generations understood the sacrifice made so others could enjoy the freedom they had and urged a “responsibility to strain every sinew to live in peace.”

The oak plaque was unveiled and the Bishop gave the Act of Dedication. Helen Sutton played The Last Post, two minutes’ silence was observed, and she played Reveille.

After the war, Corporal Beet emigrated to Canada with his wife, Mrs Annie Beet. He died in 1946, aged 70, and is buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum, Nottingham Castle.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Community-pride-in-military-hero

Event - V bomber crew sought for reunion (Newark)

Newark Air Museum is appealing for former V bomber personnel to get in touch ahead of a reunion.

The V bomber force was established in the 1950s as part of the UK’s Cold War nuclear deterrent.

The museum is holding a reunion of former personnel in April. It will mark 60 years since the formation of the force, 50 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis, and 30 years since the Falklands War.

It previously held reunions in 2004 and 2010.

More than 100 people have already registered their interest, but the museum is keen for more to get in touch.

It is particularly interested in contacting people who served at RAF V bomber bases at Coningsby, Cottesmore, Finningley, Gaydon, Honington, Marham, Scampton, Waddington, Wittering and Wyton.

The museum includes the Vulcan XM594, which was part of the force, among its exhibits.

Anyone interested can find an inquiry form at www.vforce reunion.co.uk

The event, on April 28 and 29, is also open to the public.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/V-bomber-crew-sought-for-reunion

News - Call for Ollerton Colliery memorial at Tesco store

Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for a memorial at a supermarket built on the site of a former Nottinghamshire colliery.

Former miner Carl Pickering and his wife Maureen are calling for a tribute to miners who worked and died at Ollerton Colliery, which shut in 1994.

They want a memorial put up at the entrance of the Tesco store, which was built on part of the former pit.

Tesco said it was working with the town council to find space for the tribute.

'Very dangerous'

Mr Pickering, who worked at the colliery for 20 years from 1973, said it was important for future generations in the town to remember the colliery.

"It was very hard work, very dangerous work at times," he said.

"It's trying to remember where the village comes from. Things do progress but if you forget where you've come from how are you going to think about where you're going to?

"Whatever form it takes, if it's a memorial to those who died and worked there I'd be quite happy," he said.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "We are committed to working with Ollerton Town Council to find a space for a miners' memorial at our New Ollerton store and recognise how important this is for residents who live in the local community.

"We have plans to build an extension to the store and want to make sure that the memorial's position will not impact on any new road layout that would be required by the county council."

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16758535

News - ‘Give our museums fair funding’ plea after snub (Sheffield)

SHEFFIELD’S politicians have rallied round to lobby the Arts Council to reconsider its decision to refuse £4.2 million of funding to the city’s museums trust.

Rejection of the bid by Museums Sheffield for a share of the Arts Council’s major grants pot worth £20 million a year for the next three years comes as the trust’s existing Arts Council funding comes to an end.

The trust says it will mean an end to its ability to host national and international touring exhibitions, a 30 per cent budget cut, 45 job losses and ‘greatly reduced’ educational work.

The Arts Council’s refusal of funding comes despite it recognising Sheffield had a strong bid – and acknowledgement that Sheffield receives the lowest Arts Council funding of any major city per head of population. Under existing arrangements Sheffield gets just £4.62 per person, compared to £20.32 in Leeds.

Museums Sheffield’s chief executive, Nick Dodd, has approached Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to help appeal the decision and push for a share of £23 million a year in additional Arts Council funding yet to be handed out.

A spokesman for Mr Clegg said he has asked to meet the Arts Council to make Sheffield’s case for more funding.

The city’s Labour MPs are also contacting the Arts Council asking it to reconsider. Sheffield Central Labour MP Paul Blomfield, whose constituency includes all three of the trust’s museums, said: “I will be pressing the Arts Council about why Sheffield gets such a small share of funding.”

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts added: “It’s extraordinary that somewhere the size of Sheffield should have no funding.”

Sheffield Visual Arts Group also attacked the Arts Council’s decision. The campaign group, formed to fight last year’s decision to cut gallery opening hours, said: “The jobs of the majority of the curators are now under threat.”

Star readers also opposed the funding snub. Paul Ibbotson said: “Why do we always have to be second best to places like Leeds and Manchester?” Chris Cliff added: “It’s a shame when we have wasted many billions on the Olympics yet rob our kids of the education of museums.”

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/give_our_museums_fair_funding_plea_after_snub_1_4180324

Event - Cutlers’ Hall opens to reveal treasures (Sheffield)

The Cutlers’ Hall is throwing open its doors to give Sheffield people an insight into the wealth of treasures it contains and the history of the 388 year old Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

Master Cutler Pam Liversidge said: “The Cutlers’ Hall is a very important part of the city’s heritage yet there are people who have lived here all their lives and have never visited it.

“Sadly, there are some who do not even know of its existence. Now we hope to change that and encourage everyone to take pride in the history of Sheffield.”

The free open day takes place on Wednesday, February 15, during half term, so that children get a chance to see the Hall and its collections and Cutlers’ Company staff will be on hand to answer any questions.

The Company, which was established by an Act of Parliament in 1624 to oversee the production of cutlery in the area and these days acts as a spokesman for the region’s manufacturing industries, is also arranging for wheelchair access and setting up a temporary café to provide refreshments on the day.

There has been a Cutlers’ Hall on the present site since 1638. The current Hall was built in 1832 at a total cost of £8,066 and was then extended in the 1880s.

It has long been used for events and activities. Many people living in South Yorkshire today have attended lunches, dinners and dances there as well as business meetings and may even have sat exams there at one stage of their career, but this is the first Heritage Day. Features include panelling and lighting from Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic, an overmantel, table and chests in the Master’s room that date from the 17th century and a silver collection of some 900 items to which a new piece, hallmarked in Sheffield is added every year. Some of this silver can be viewed in the Muniment room, which also houses the Norfolk Knife - a work of art designed to display the cutlers’ skills that was made for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and examples of the first stainless steel cutlery ever made, after Harry Brearley discovered how to produce the material.

 

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/cutlers_hall_opens_to_reveal_treasures_1_4176388

News - Memorial talks set to start (Ollerton)

Tesco has agreed to meet representatives of Ollerton Town Council to discuss the building of a miners’ memorial on land near their store. 

It follows strong criticism of the supermarket at December’s town council meeting when it was accused of insulting the people of Ollerton by objecting to a memorial.

Town clerk Mrs Karen Wakefield said Tesco had since contacted her to arrange a meeting between the council and Tesco corporate affairs manager Mr Jonathan Simpson and property manager Kelly Jay.

Mrs Stella Smedley welcomed the progress, but said it was long overdue.

“What a shame it has taken so long,” she said.

“Tesco still has a long way to go to restore trust in their behaviour.”

Tesco said it was against siting the memorial at Forest Road/Edison Rise, the entrance to the former colliery.

However, Jackson Design Associates, on behalf of the town council, has submitted a planning application to Newark and Sherwood Distrioct Council for a memorial at that location.

Campaigners have been trying to get a memorial for years.

Mr Ben Wells felt Press coverage had finally helped secure a meeting with Tesco.

“I would like to thank the Press, because I think they have assisted us in getting this movement,” he said.

Mr Jason Ferguson said: “I want to thank the public for their support, because that is why we have pursued it for so long.”

Residents Mrs Elizabeth Tilstone and Mrs Maureen Pickering, who first collected a petition for a memorial in 2008, were at the meeting.

Mrs Pickering said: “It is just a shame that we couldn’t have reached this stage a lot sooner.”

There is no guarantee that Tesco will agree to a memorial at the former mine entrance. It told the Advertiser last month that it may need the land for future projects, but would discuss alternative locations. 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Memorial-talks-set-to-start

News- 'Priceless' Nottinghamshire war hero plaque stolen (Worksop)

A brass plaque honouring a Nottinghamshire war hero has been stolen from a park.

The memorial was a tribute to Victoria Cross recipient William Johnson, who was wounded in France in 1918 while attacking a German machine gun nest.

Police said it would probably be worth only £10 as scrap metal.

The brass plaque, which was attached to a stone in Worksop Memorial Park, was stolen between 16:00 GMT on 19 January and 09:00 GMT on 20 January.

Sgt Johnson's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum at Nottingham Castle.

'Priceless' memorial

 

The plaque was "priceless, being of great sentimental value to Sergeant Johnson's family and the wider community", a police statement said.

Bob Privet of the Royal British Legion said he was disappointed to hear of the theft, adding it would be replaced by the legion.

Sgt Johnson, of Worksop, was seriously injured in his single-handed attack on the gun emplacement in Ramicourt in France.

He attacked several gunners and captured two of the machine guns.

He died in April 1945 and is buried in Redhill cemetery in Nottingham.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16715062

News - Sheffield museums face Arts Council funding blow

The city's Millennium Gallery is one of the museums facing job losses as a result of funding cuts 

Sheffield's museums face "large-scale redundancies" after the Arts Council turned down a bid for £4.2m of funding, the city's council leader has warned.

Museums Sheffield had applied for £1.4m per year for the next three years from the Arts Council England.

Council leader Julie Dore said: "This is a huge disappointment for the city. 

"Large-scale staff redundancies, major reductions in exhibition programmes, and scaled-down learning provision are all now inevitable." 

The council said its failure to gain funding from the Renaissance Museum Development Fund would mean a "crushing" 30% cut in its budget from 1 April.

The Arts Council said it had received 29 "eligible" applications for a total of £116.4m in funding over three years. 

Sixteen of the applicants were successful, including Leeds Museums and Galleries and the York Museums Trust.

"One year's transitional funding will be available to unsuccessful applicants who currently receive support... to help them adjust to these changes," it said.

Museums Sheffield, which runs the city's Millennium Gallery, Graves Gallery, Weston Park and Bishops' House, said it planned to appeal against the Arts Council's decision.

'Grossly underfunded'

Chief executive Nick Dodd said: "We know we put together a compelling case for continued funding under the new Arts Council grants programme, which met all the published criteria. 

"This decision will have a devastating impact and leaves Sheffield, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands grossly underfunded by the Arts Council in comparison with other parts of the country.

"We fully intend to appeal and will be questioning the Arts Council's strategic and geographical distribution of this public money."

Museums Sheffield is still in negotiation with its principal funder, Sheffield City Council, over its 2012/13 settlement. 

Julie Dore, leader of Labour-run Sheffield City Council, said: "We know Sheffield had a very strong bid and should have been recognised for its cultural offer. 

"I want to know why we were not successful and how we compared to others. We want to stand up for Sheffield, support the appeal and will await the decision with interest."

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-16698611

News - The winners and losers of ACE's major museum funding (Notts/South Yorkshire)

Today's announcement of major museum funding from Arts Council England (ACE) is generally sound. It's reassuring that by applying strict criteria and a transparent process ACE has arrived at a pretty well-balanced portfolio of major partner museums — with one or two exceptions.

The list of 16 successful applicants includes most of the great Victorian city museums in England such as Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle (as part of Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums), several in Manchester, the Fitzwilliam and the pre-Victorian Ashmolean.

All well deserve their funding.

But there are striking omissions: in Yorkshire there's no Sheffield, Hull or Bradford. And there's nothing in the whole of the East Midlands – no Leicester, no Nottingham, which is a fairly predictable effect of the requirement for major partner museums to have a collection officially designated as of national significance. Neither Nottingham nor Leicester are designated.

There were always going to be winners and losers in the rush for the £20m of major grants funds and ACE will be working hard to fill the East Midlands gap using some of its £15m strategic support fund that still remains to be allocated.

For the next year most of that strategic support money will go to museum services that used to get Renaissance funding from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), but now are not in the major museums club.

As well as those I've mentioned already, other casualties in need of care include smaller museums that have been doing fantastic and innovative work over the past few years such as Luton, Coventry, Chatham, Preston and Colchester.

I empathise with these museums, and others that achieved such good things with their Renaissance funds. But in the longer term they have a good chance of getting strategic funds.

An interesting fact: apart from the East Midlands, with its big round zero, every English region has exactly two major partner museums, although in some cases these include three museum services and many more museum sites. In fact no less than six services are funded in the North West. And of 45 former Renaissance-funded museum services, only 21 are in, some as part of a consortium, and 24 are out.

In all there were 29 eligible applications for funding, seeking a total of around £40m a year against the £20m available. That £20m is to be split between 16 major partners, consisting of single museums, museum services and consortia.

The 16 are members of an elite club: not only will they be regarded as a sector leadership group by ACE, but they are all being invited to join the great and good in the National Museum Directors' Conference. They'll also get highly desirable three-year funding agreements, something the over-bureaucratic MLA has never managed to achieve.

Shockingly, not a single Renaissance hub has survived intact. The only bright, shining partnership spots are Beamish and Bowes in the North East, Exeter and Plymouth in the South West and Oxford University and Oxfordshire. From one point of view, today's announcement is a little disappointing in its robustness and safe predictability – I'd hoped the new assessment process would give just a few more imaginative and unexpected groupings.

The only innovation is in Cumbria, where two museum trusts have partnered with Carlisle's Tullie House Museum. The Cumbria group stands out as appealing, inventive and new.

Overall, there are just three new funding recipients: the two in the Cumbria consortium and Thinktank, by dint of its merging with Birmingham Museums in a new mega-trust. The lack of novelty is understandable; it would be hard, if not impossible, to support major funding for entirely new bids when so many good — even excellent — Renaissance museums have lost out.

And I remain optimistic; there's still £15m a year to play for and that can both support some of the losers and allow a few new, bright sparks in.

From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/jan/24/winners-losers-museum-funding?newsfeed=true

News - Funding crisis for canal plan(Chesterfield Canal)

The future of Chesterfield canal partnership has been thrown into jeopardy – after a local authority pulled its funding.

Nottingham County Council says due to budget cuts it will be not be paying its £13,000 share for the next financial year, which starts in April.

The news puts the future plans for Staveley Town Basin and restoration project in doubt.

Robin Stonebridge, chair of Chesterfield Canal Trust, said: “I think it is very regrettable that they are pulling out now. We need to keep the partnership together.

“It is a shame they can’t find £13,000 in a billion pound budget.”

He added: “We hope they can continue their interest and support even if they can’t find the money.”

The trust says the fully restored canal would give a huge boost to Nottinghamshire because all boats going through Chesterfield would have to pass through 28 miles of canal there.

The canal, which runs for 46 miles, links Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Since 1989 over 11 miles of the canal have been restored along with 36 locks and 11 bridges. This month Staveley Town Basin, which has been under construction for more than a year, was filled with water.

There are only nine miles left to restore – but campaigners fear that without funding the project will be put on hold.

Mr Stonebridge added: “We are making phenomenal progress at the moment and this is just a real blow.

“The partners who are able to fund are going to have a meeting in the next couple of weeks to talk about a way forward.”

Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Kay Cutts said: “Like all other councils, we are facing considerable budget pressures and are having to find savings to protect services to the young, the old and the vulnerable.

“Difficult decisions have to be made and, sadly, this means we can no longer continue to provide funding for the Chesterfield Canal Partnership.

“We recognise the considerable achievements of the partnership and we welcome any ideas on how we can work together in the future.”

From: http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/local/funding_crisis_for_canal_plan_1_4160928

Talk - The Sand House – A Victorian Marvel (Doncaster)

Richard Bell will be giving an illustrated talk at the Mansion House, Doncaster on Thursday 16^th February at 1.30pm on Doncasters Victorian marvel, the Sand House.  There will also be a book signing session for the book ‘The Sand House – A Victorian Marvel Revisited’, written by Richard and Peter Tuffrey (ISBN 9781445601175)

Tickets cost £2.50 each and include a cup of tea or coffee. And are available from Tourist Information Centre, 38 – 40 High Street and the Local Studies Library, Central Library

Website – The Sand House (Doncaster)

A new website dedicated to one of Doncaster’s strangest buildings is now on the internet.

 

The sand house was dug out during the Victorian age and lasted until World War 2.  Created by Henry Senior, a businessman

 

The website is at http://thesandhouse.org.uk/

News - Sheriffs ride in with pledge of support for Cold War bomber (Finningley)

ROBIN Hood played host to four sheriffs yesterday as representatives from North, South, East and West Yorkshire pledged their support for an aviation icon.

The High Sheriffs of Yorkshire’s four counties visited Robin Hood Airport, near Doncaster, to view the Cold War Vulcan bomber XH558, which is undergoing its winter service.

It is unusual for all four sheriffs to gather apart from at ceremonial occasions, but Alexandra Holford, of North Yorkshire, counts Vulcan pilot Martin Withers among her neighbours in Crayke, near Easingwold.

Mrs Holroyd said: “We were just talking at a drinks party before Christmas and we came up with the idea of getting all the sheriffs here to give the Vulcan our support.

“We all want to see her flying in the summer, but the aircraft needs a great deal of money to ensure she is airworthy for the show season.”

According to the Vulcan to the Sky Trust £300,000 is needed to ensure that the aircraft is ready for the summer show season.

Sqn Ldr Withers, who flew the Vulcan during the Falklands War, added: “We’ve spent £200,000 just on components for this service, so we really need more support.”

Donations can be made to the charity by calling 0845 5046 558

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/sheriffs_ride_in_with_pledge_of_support_for_cold_war_bomber_1_4172245

News - Rare book is sold for £5 million (Worksop/New York)

A PRECIOUS rare book which once belonged to Worksop landowner the sixth Duke of Portland sold for more than £5 million pounds at an auction in America yesterday.

The four-volume first-edition copy of The Birds of America, by John James Audubon, had been expected to sell for between $7m and $10m US dollars at Christie’s in New York.

In the end it sold for $7,922,500 - the equivalent of £5,149,625.

The book, which featured the Duke of Portland’s own ornate bookplate, was described as ‘the finest colour-plate book ever produced’.

Snapped up by an unnamed American collector, it was one of only 119 copies to have survived.

The Duke owned Welbeck Abbey at Clumber Park near Worksop and was not only a landowner but also a Conservative politician and racehorse breeder and owner. According to records, in 1911 he employed 29 live-in servants - one of whom was a 16-year-old Rotherham-born telegraph boy named George Taylor. The Duke died in 1943.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/rare_book_is_sold_for_5_million_1_4167503

Website - RAF Worksop Website requires information (Worksop)

There is currently a website under construction in memory of all those that served at RAF Worksop in Nottinghamshire.

If anyone has any information, stories or memories that they don't mid going on the internet could they e-mail Dave Cook at RAFWorksop@ymail.com

The website will be released on February 6th 2012

Time Team - Clipstone St Johns Palace

The episode featuring St John's Palace in Clipstone will be aired on 1st April 2012 according to Mansfield Museum.

Looking forward to it

News - Precious book to be sold at auction (Worksop/New York)

A RARE 170-year-old book once owned by a wealthy Worksop landowner is expected to sell for up to £6 million at Christie’s in New York tomorrow.

The copy of The Birds Of America by John James Audubon belonged to the sixth Duke of Portland. It is in four volumes known as the Duke of Portland’s Set and features his own bookplate. The tome has been given a pre-sale estimate of seven to 10 million US dollars - the equivalent of £4.5m to £6.5m.

It is one of only 119 copies of the 19th century book to have survived, and only 11 are held in private collections.

The book, published between 1827 and 1838, contains 435 hand-coloured, etched and aquatint prints, all of American birds - six of which are now extinct. It has been described as ‘the finest colour-plate book ever produced’.

The Duke of Portland lived from 1857 to 1943, and owned Welbeck Abbey near Clumber Park. He was a landowner, Tory politician and racehorse breeder and owner. Two of his horses won the Derby, in 1888 and 1889.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/precious_book_to_be_sold_at_auction_1_4156948?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed