Monday 25 February 2013

Event - Great Sheffield Flood Anniversary Walk (Bradfield)

Bradfield walkers are marking the anniversary of the Great Sheffield Flood with two guided walks.

The first will be held on Monday, March 11. This will start at 10.30am from Low Bradfield car park to Dale Dyke, returning around 12.30pm. Then, after lunch at 1.30pm, the walk will head to High Bradfield to view flood graves and church, returning around 3.30pm.

On Tuesday, March 12 take part in a walk around the Loxley Valley. It will start at 10.30am from Malin Bridge tram terminus and finishing around 1pm at Damflask Reservoir embankment.

Additional info

Address: Sheffield S6 6HE

Tags: Great Sheffield Flood Anniversary, guided walk, Bradfield

Web link: http://www.bradfield-walkers.org.uk/GuidedWalks.html

From: http://postcodegazette.com/news/9003080452/great-sheffield-flood-anniversary-walk-AT-sheffield-bradfield/

Saturday 23 February 2013

Event - Church centenary needs your help (North Anston)

NORTH Anston Methodist Church is preparing for its centenary celebrations next month - and needs YOUR help.

An exhibition full of memories from the past 100 years will be set up in the church over the weekend of Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March.

It will be officially opened at 10.30am on the Saturday 9th by Superintendent Minister Rev Peter Sheasby.

Later that evening the celebration will continue at a centenary concert, with Double Octave set to perform at 7.30pm.

Officials are keen to hear from anyone who was married or christened at the church - or attended any of the clubs or group that are held there.

Jim Hardy, of the church’s social outreach group said: “Plans are moving forward to make the centenary a memorable event therefore we are searching for past friends who used to attend chapel or have been associated in any way.”

“Were you married or were your children christened at the chapel, did you attend Sunday School, were you a Sunday School Queen or in the Girls Brigade? If so, then please let us now.”

“Around the outside walls are many names of which we do not know of, therefore we wonder is there anyone out there who may be related or can help us in any way.”

“If there is anyone, we are looking for old photographs of events, weddings or any stories related to the chapel which would be of interest to display in an exhibition.”

The church is home to a host of groups including the Girls Brigade, The Wells Singers, Shoe Box Drop In Centre and Messy Place.

The building as it stands today, on the Wells, off Main Street, was originally planned as the school room with the main church due to be built at a later date. But due to costs, the development was abandoned.

A small extension was later built to the rear along with a number of alterations inside.

Anyone who can assist with the exhibition, no matter how small, should contact any member of the social outreach group - Elsie Daniels on 564774, Sue Boyles on 567159, Jeanette Street on 563614, chairman Margaret Moore on 550071 or Jim Hardy on 563079.

Tickets for the concert are £6 and are available from Jim on 01909 563079. A donation will be made to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
 
From: http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/church-centenary-needs-your-help-1-5427398

Event - Local Finds and Their Preservation (Worksop)

The next Priories Historical society talk takes place on Thursday March 7th.  Sam Glasswell from the Bassetlaw Museum in Retford comes to talk about artefacts found in our local area and the techniques used to keep them in good condition.

The talk starts at 7.30pm at the BCVS Old Abbey School building next to the Worksop Priory (S80 2BU). Entrance is still only £3 (or £2 for members) Free tea/coffee and biscuits are provided at each meeting. Membership remains the same at only £5 per year.

PHS website is at  http://priorieshistoricalsociety.btck.co.uk/

Thursday 21 February 2013

News - Nine homes for Roman remains site (Southwell)

Nine luxury, three-storey homes could be built on a site in Southwell believed to contain Roman remains of national importance. 
 
New plans for the Church Street site, which contains the remains of a Roman villa and a Saxon burial ground, have been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council.

It comes more than a year after previous plans for 29 homes, including apartments, were rejected on the grounds they were unsuitable for a site next to the minster and in the town’s conservation area.

The new application shows large homes, most with five bedrooms, and each with a garage. There appears to be no lower-cost housing included.

It said: “The site is sustainably located in Southwell and will enable the redundant Minster School land to be brought into an appropriate alternative use, delivering high-quality housing and positively contributing to and reinforcing the historic character of the area.”

Heritage groups in Southwell have been vehemently opposed to any kind of development on the site and wish to see it preserved as a heritage park.

They have submitted plans for a heritage park to the district council.

Mr Mike Kirton, on behalf of Southwell Heritage Park Campaign, said: “Our views are shared by the 3,000-plus people who signed the petition in 2011.

“The report from the archaeological survey has reinforced our views that this site should be saved from development and become a heritage park.

“This is one of the most important historical sites in the county and we have urged English Heritage to re-appraise the area covered by the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

“We hope the district council will take the new evidence into account when considering this latest application for nine substantial properties.”

The plans will also be considered by Southwell Town Council and Southwell Civic Society.

The chairman of the civic society, Mr Brendan Haigh, said: “This application has just come in and we giving urgent consideration to it.” 
 
From:  http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Nine-homes-for-Roman-remains-site

Saturday 16 February 2013

News - Historic photo website reaches 100,000 milestone

The 100,000th historic photograph capturing yesteryear in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire has been added to the Picture the Past website this week.

The not-for-profit project also marked its tenth anniversary at Nottinghamshire County Council Archives on Wednesday evening. This photograph (Photo 1) of a Whit March in Arnold from 1890 was selected as the milestone image to be added to the website.

‘Picture the Past’ is a not-for-profit project, started in 2002, that aims to make historic images from the library, archives and museum collections across the whole of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, available via a completely free-to-use website.

Initially funded for three years with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the scheme is now managed and funded by Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council.

There are photographs, postcards, engravings and paintings on the website showing how life has changed in the region over the last few hundred years giving a fascinating insight into the work and lives of the people who lived there.

The event was attended by guests including Coun John Cottee, Culture Committee Chairman for Nottinghamshire County Council, Picture the Past Chairman Robert Gent, representatives from the other local authorities and Professor John Beckett, in the Department of History at the University of Nottingham who is an expert in the history of the East Midlands. Professor Beckett gave a short speech about the importance of preserving historic images digitally.

Picture the Past’s Project Manager, Nick Tomlinson, said: “It is wonderful Picture The Past is now entering its second decade and the public interest continues year after year. Our web pages currently receive around 100,000 views a month.”

Coun John Cottee, Culture Committee Chairman for Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Picture the Past is a popular website and a fantastic resource which helps librarians and archivists to preserve pictures from our past in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

“As well as the photographs which are stocked in our collections, people contribute images which they find in attics and elsewhere to be digitised on our systems.”

Picture the Past’s offices were founded at Heanor Library in 2002, moving to the Record Office at Derbyshire County Council three years ago.

You can see all 100,000 images on the Picture the Past site by visiting: http://www.picturethepast.org.uk. For more details about events at Nottinghamshire Archives telephone: 0115 977 4401.
 
From: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/historic-photo-website-reaches-100-000-milestone-1-5417210?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Event - Life of Workhouse woman explored at new Southwell Workhouse exhibition

THE role of women in The Workhouse’s recent past is being brought to life during a new exhibition at the poular National Trust attraction .

The Woman in The Workhouse exhibition opens on 8th March to mark International Woman’s day.
Drawing on oral history archives, the exhibition focuses on the involvement of women in a wide range of areas through testimonies, including those of a former matron, nurse, seamstress, hairdresser, cook and inmate, to vividly tell the tale of life at the harsh Workhouse.

Visitors can discover moving accounts from those who have lived, worked or provided services to The Workhouse, which have been collected by volunteers over the past 15 years. 

It is hoped that the exhibition will act as a stimulus to visitors to share their memories of the institution.

Samantha Ball, a volunteer who has been closely involved in researching the exhibition, said: “Oral history provides a realistic record of the good things and the bad, the kindness and the cruelties and seemingly insignificant details which help us interpret the real story of the workhouse.”

Those who are inspired to find out more about workhouses in their own area can search a special database and discover what became of these imposing buildings.

Women also played an important role in bringing about change within the workhouse system through their involvement as social reformers and Guardians.

The exhibition is brought up to date with current staff reflecting on their roles and what The Workhouse means to them.

Visitors to The Workhouse can see the exhibition as part of their house tour from 8th March to 3rd November 2013. 

Normal admission price to The Workhouse is £7.50 for adults and £3.75 for children. National Trust members are free of charge.

The Workhouse, Southwell opens to visitors for the 2013 season on Wednesday 27 February. 

from: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/life-of-workhouse-woman-explored-at-new-southwell-workhouse-exhibition-1-5416450?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Facebook - Friends of Sheffield Castle

A new group page has been set up by the Friends of Sheffield Castle.

With the imminent demolition of Castle Markets in April who knows what wonders of Sheffields history will be uncovered (probably no kings though!)

Event - Share your stories about Castle Market (Sheffield)

Archaeologists will be standing a stall for a week at Castle Market from Monday, February 18, to speak with shoppers about their memories of the market.

Entitled ‘Trading Histories,’ the year-long community heritage project about markets in Sheffield is led by ArcHeritage, which is the Sheffield office of the York Archaeological Trust.

The project aims to record the history of markets in this area of Sheffield, roughly stretching between Commercial Street and High Street and Castlegate and the Victoria Quays, a history which spans over 700 years.

The stall in Castle Market next week is a way for the archaeologists to gather stories about Sheffield’s markets which are in living memory.

Hannah Baxter, community archaeologist at ArcHeritage and project officer of Trading Histories, said:

“It is a project everyone can be involved in – not just about the building, it is about the people that have brought Castle Market to life, traders and shoppers.

“Everyone will have a story to tell that creates the heritage of the Castle Market. We are creating a vibrant record of the market through working in the archives, with photography and with oral history.”

From Monday to Friday, February 18-23, from 10am to 3pm, Hannah and a group of volunteers will be on the lower ground floor of the market, next to the hardware stall.

Postcode Gazette readers with a story to tell about Castle Market are encouraged to visit them and share their memories and photographs with the team.

On Tuesday, February 19, the bard of Barnsley, Ian McMillian will also be on site. Working with volunteers, he is writing a present day markets charter for The Moor Market.

Within living memory, this area of Sheffield has always had strong connections with markets.

Sheffield’s Corn Exchange and the Haymarket were located near the canal basin, the foundations of which, today lie under the roundabout at Park Square.

In 1899, a group of market traders even established the first trade association for market traders, housing themselves in The Corn Exchange.

This organisation was to become the National Market Traders Federation, an organisation which today has 30,000 members across the UK and is still headquartered in South Yorkshire.

The Moor Market is set to open in November and Castle Market is earmarked for demolition in April 2014.

Hannah Baxter can be contacted by email at hbaxter@yorkat.co.uk

Click the link below to follow Trading Histories on Twitter

Additional info

Address: Waingate Sheffield S1 2AG
Tags: Trading Histories, Sheffield, Castle Market, ArcHeritage, archaeology, market traders, Corn Exchange
From: http://postcodegazette.com/news/9003070676/share-your-stories-about-castle-market-AT-sheffield-castle-market/

Thursday 14 February 2013

Events - Designed to Shine exhibition (Sheffield)

One hundred years ago stainless steel was discovered in Sheffield by Harry Brearley.

This development revolutionised the modern world and shaped Sheffield into the city we know today.

To mark 100 of Stainless Steel in Sheffield, partners from across the city are collaborating on a programme of exhibitions and events.

A new exhibition, Designed to Shine, opens at the Millennium Gallery on Saturday, February 16.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Freshgate Trust Foundation and explores a century of design and innovation using stainless steel. 

Additional info
Address: Arundel Gate Sheffield South Yorkshire S1 2PP 

From: http://postcodegazette.com/news/9002996310/designed-to-shine-exhibition-AT-sheffield-millennium-gallery/

News - Could Scots king be buried under the Post Office? (Doncaster)

A SCOTTISH king who ruled nearly 700 years ago could be buried beneath a Post Office in Doncaster town centre.
That’s the amazing verdict of historians and archaeologists who believe one time King of the Scots Edward Balliol could have his last resting place in the town.
The news comes hot on the heels of the discovery of the remains of English King Richard III beneath a car park in Leicester in a story that has gripped the globe.
And the news that we could be queuing up for books of stamps on the grave of a monarch of the glens adds further fuel to speculation that Doncaster could be part of Scotland.
Last year, the Free Press exclusively revealed how our town was seized by the Scots nearly 900 years ago - and may never have officially been handed back.
Now experts have discovered that Edward Balliol, who ruled north of the border from 1332-36, died in Doncaster, with speculation mounting about where his bones could be.
Peter Robinson, museums officer in human history at Doncaster Museum said: “We know that Edward Balliol lived here for a while and died here, but the location of where he was buried, and where his body is, are now are uncertain.
“It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack but not impossible for someone with the means and interest to be able to conduct enough research into where he might be.”
Edward, son of John Balliol, briefly ruled Scotland during the late Middle Ages, before being de-throned in 1336.
In later years, he lived in the Wheatley area of Doncaster - possibly in the medieval Wheatley Hall, roughly where the Parklands Sports and Social Club now lies on Wheatley Hall Road, and died here in 1367.
But that’s where the trail runs cold. There are no burial records and the location of his grave remains unknown - but Peter says there a number of locations in Doncaster where he could rest, including underneath the town’s main Post Office in Priory Place.
He said: “The current Post Office is built on top of a huge burial ground and at that time, that’s where a lot of eminent figures would have been laid to rest. At that time, the area was home to a large Carmelite friary and that’s one of the places where Edward could be buried.”
However, there are a number of other locations scattered across the borough where Edward’s remains could be - including Doncaster Minster and Conisbrough Castle.
Added Peter: “His mother was Isabella de Warenne, and the de Warenne family owned Conisbrough Castle so that’s another place that would fit the bill.
“One of the other most obvious locations would be the Minster as again, a lot of key figures would have been buried there.”
But like Richard III, whose remains were unearthed from beneath a car park, Edward too could be another monarch who shares his final resting place with scores of vehicles on a daily basis.
For another potential burial site could be the Greyfriars car park, sandwiched between the Church View Tesco supermarket and St George’s Bridge - also the site of a friary - hence the name - in bygone days.
Said Peter: “There is no archaeological evidence to say he is actually buried in Doncaster. There has never been any excavation which has turned up anything that suggests exactly where he may be buried.
“He may well have been taken and buried elsewhere, or even back to Scotland - this may just be one of those mysteries that remains forever unsolved.”
Historian Michael Brown of St Andrew’s University and an expert in Scottish history, said that Edward was not a key figure in the nation’s past, unlike Robert The Bruce and William Wallace.
He said: “He’s not really well known and there hasn’t been a great deal of research about the Balliol family in the past.
“We know that he was ejected from Scotland and spent time living in estates and castles in Yorkshire and the north east.
“Edward was never fully accepted as the Scottish king and he had to fight hard to be recognised as such. He was very much regarded as a puppet of the English king at the time and we do know he was regarded as a not very popular figure.”
Mr Brown added that the monarch was however regarded by historians as an “effective and energetic leader” and in his later years, broke into the Queen’s park near Knaresborough where he was caught poaching deer.
“He was certainly rough around the edges by all accounts and spent his retirement in and around the Doncaster area before his death at Wheatley.
The news strengthens Doncaster’s claim to be an enclave of Scotland with the town under Scottish rule for 21 years from 1136 to 1157. But while the town was officially signed over between the kings of England and Scotland, it seems it was never formally handed back.
Last year, tourism bosses were hopeful the revelation would spark a Tartan Army invasion.
Tourism manager Colin Joy said: “I love it - it is an intriguing story. It would be wonderful if Doncaster had its own answer to Richard III.”
From: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/lifestyle/features/could-scots-king-be-buried-under-the-post-office-1-5407840

Ha ha!

Wednesday 13 February 2013

News - Gallery threat due to Museums Sheffield loan repayment demand

MUSEUMS Sheffield has warned that the future of venues including Graves Art Gallery could be at risk due to council demands for a £650,000 loan to be repaid.
Senior officials at the trust which runs Graves, along with the Millennium Gallery and Weston Park Museum, have made the warning in confidential paperwork.
Sheffield Council, which is already reducing Museums Sheffield’s main grant by £200,000 to £1.8 million in 2013/14, wants the loan to be paid back in five instalments of £130,000 a year from 2014.
The loan was given to the trust in 2010 to help it cope with a cash shortfall.
Museums Sheffield’s Business Plan Summary 2013 to 2015, put together by chief executive Kim Streets and finance manager Helen Morris, said the trust ‘cannot begin to pay the loan until it is generating surplus from commercial and charitable activity’.
Currently such income - around £500,000 a year - helps to cover basic ‘open the doors’ costs - which will be hit if the loan has to be repaid.
The report said: “Closing sites and reducing opening hours is an option Museums Sheffield must face if it cannot afford basic costs.
“However, closing sites sends out a wider message about the economic state of the city, the way we value culture. Reducing hours has a major impact on visitor footfall, school bookings and retail income.”
The trust, which employs 74 people, is making a ‘small number’ of redundancies among its visitor services team but creating new retail jobs and inviting staff to apply to transfer.
Ms Streets said: “Closure of any of Sheffield’s museums and galleries is not a realistic option – it’s not in the best interests of the city nor us as an organisation, and that’s why we’re working hard to reduce costs and increase our trading income to support the service we provide.”
Coun Bryan Lodge, Sheffield Council’s cabinet member for finance, said the authority has yet to hear from Museums Sheffield.
From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/gallery-threat-due-to-museums-sheffield-loan-repayment-demand-1-5403101

News - Letter reveals desire to protect historic Sheffield building (Sheffield)

PLANNING officers strongly urged Sheffield University to retain a historic city building only six months before its demolition was approved.
Emails and letters between Sheffield Council planning officers, the university and its agents have been revealed to campaigners hoping to save the Grade II-listed Edwardian wing of the Jessop Hospital.
In a letter to the university’s consultants about the £80 million engineering block planned for the hospital site and neighbouring land, principal planning officer Dinah Hope called the university’s plans ‘disappointing’.
She branded the proposed engineering building an ‘ungainly big box that has no relationship with its setting’, adding the hospital’s Edwardian wing should be ‘retained, and influence the footprint and massing’ of the new block.
Ms Hope also warned loss of the Edwardian wing could leave the remaining Victorian wing of the hospital ‘weak and out of place against the backdrop of a new building’.
Nick Roscoe and Valerie Bayliss, of the Save Jessop Hospital campaign, said: “The picture that emerges is, leading up to the letter to the university, the planning department were dealing with this application firmly and showing no signs of accepting the demolition of the Edwardian building was necessary.
“The university would not have been happy with this letter – and obviously achieved a more compliant response from officers in the end.”
The council approved the plans in December, but Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has the final say because of the wing’s listed status.
Campaigners have collected 2,500 signatures on a petition at www.jessophospital.org.uk, which will be sent to Mr Pickles urging him to save the wing.
From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/letter-reveals-desire-to-protect-historic-sheffield-building-1-5402207

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Community Archaeology - Graveyard Survey (Coddington)

Monday 4th March - Friday 15th March (excluding weekends)
10am to 3pm
Meet in the churchyard.
 
The memorials in Coddington graveyard, near Newark, are being mapped and recorded as part of a Local Improvement Scheme project.  The survey involves transcribing the inscriptions on the headstones, photographing them, and recording their condition.  It's a very rewarding thing to do, as each record sheet forms part of a permanent record, accessible by future generations.  If you want to see some pictures of graveyard survey underway just follow the link below...
 
Notts CC Community Archaeology are looking for people who are interested in coming and helping record gravestones at Coddington on the above dates.  No experience is necessary.  There are toilet facilities nearby, but please bring your lunch and adequate fluids.  Dress appropriately for being outdoors; keeping in mind that it is fairly stationary work and you are likely to get a bit chilly around the edges!  You might also like to bring a fold-up stool or chair, or a blanket/kneeling mat for the sake of comfort.
If you would like to come along please let them know what day or days you would like to come.   I need to know who is likely to be coming in case we need to cancel or change arrangements for any reason.

Event - Segelocum Talk 2nd May (Retford)

If you are interested in coming along to learn more about the Roman town of Segelocum at Littleborough, you need to book asap as we have been assured that it will book up fast.
 
Details
Talk: Segelocum; grains of history
7pm, Retford Library, 2nd May
To book a place please call Retford Library on 01777 708 724.  There is a 50p charge to cover refreshments.

Women of Steel - Sheffield Star Walk

THE Star Walk is making a comeback and we want you to step out and take part in a bid to help raise £150,000 for a Women Of Steel statue.
The sculpture will stand in Sheffield city centre as a permanent memorial to the city’s inspiring women who worked the steel mills during two world wars.
The statue, featuring two of the women stading shoulder to shoulder, will be given pride of place outside Sheffield City Hall.
The unique sculpture has been designed by world renowned artist Martin Jennings, most famous for his John Betjeman statue at St Pancras Station in London.
And today we are bringing back The Star Walk to kick off a major fundraising campaign to raise the £150,000 needed to complete the statue.
We want to encourage as many Sheffielders as possible to take part in the event, which is being staged in Hillsborough Park on Sunday, April 28.
Kit Sollitt, aged 93, has been one of the leading forces behind our Women of Steel campaign – taking the appeal for official recognition to Downing Street and to the Ministry of Defence.
She said: “I’m so happy our efforts in the steel factories are finally being recognised.
“Seventy years later it is about time we were recognised, and this is for all the Women of Steel including the many thousands who are no longer with us.
“I’m so happy the statue is on its way and I’m looking forward to seeing the end product.”
Sheffield Council leader Julie Dore added: “We all owe it to these amazing women to make the statue a reality.
“I’m calling on everyone out there to do what they can to help us raise money, do The Star Walk, have a bake sale, sit in a bath of beans, or just donate.
“It doesn’t matter what you do, we just want to you to get behind these wonderful women.”
Other fundraising plans are also in the pipeline for later in the year including a major concert at Sheffield City Hall.
THE STAR WALK DETAILS AND ENTRY FORM
The Star Walk quickly became a city institution when racers first took their marks in 1922.
It attracted huge crowds and was one of the highlights of the Sheffield calendar.
It hasn’t taken place since 2000 - but now we are bringing a version of it back, to raise money for The Women of Steel statue.
And we want as many readers as possible to take part.
The Star Walk 2013 is just one mile long so that as many of the Women of Steel themselves, who are now in their late 80s and 90s, can join in.
It is open to all ages and will be a great day out for all the family.
The walk takes place in Hillsborough Park, starting and finishing at Hillsborough Arena, known locally as The Old Running Track.
The four women who have been leading the campaign - Kathleen Roberts, Kit Sollitt, Ruby Gascoigne and Dorothy Slingsby - are vowing to do all they can to take part.
And they are laying down the challenge that, if they can do the walk in their 90s, then anyone can do it.
Kathleen said: “This statue means such a lot to so many families in Sheffield and further afield that we are determined to do all we can to raise the money.”
Entry is £10 for adults and £5 for children, with all money raised going to the Women of Steel Statue Appeal.
MAKE A DONATION: You can also donate to the Women of Steel Appeal at www.justgiving.com/womenofsteel.
 

Friday 8 February 2013

Event - Mercian Archaeological Services Launch Event (Kings Clipstone)

Mercian Archaeological Services CIC will be having their launch event at Kings Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, on the 23rd February between 10am and 4pm.

There will be opportunities to see a test pit being dug, to look at the finds from the excavations and to discover the preliminary results of this exciting project. Free tours of King John’s Palace - the Royal Hunting lodge that formed the heart of Medieval Sherwood Forest - will be taking place throughout the day. There will also be displays of pictures, maps and other documents from previous research and excavations at the palace site. Mercian staff will be on hand to talk about the project, the company and anything else you may wish to discuss with them!
 
They are passionate about the heritage of the region and about connecting people to their heritage through archaeological fieldwork, training and talks.

Further details about the project and open day, along with more information about Mercian Archaeological Services CIC and the services they provide can be found on their website, http://www.mercian-as.co.uk

Good luck Andy, hopefully I'll be able to make it (if my car survives its MOT!)