News - Mining memorial bid gets cash boost (Hucknall)

A BIG cash boost was given this week for a memorial to miners who died working at pits in Hucknall and the surrounding area.


Hucknall members of Ashfield District Council agreed to make a total grant of £2,400 for the highly-praised project, which has been backed by the Dispatch.

The decision was made at a meeting of Hucknall Area Committee.

The proposal is to record the names of the pitmen who lost their lives. As part of the scheme, memorial stones owuld be placed on the site of the iconic miners’ statue on Station Road, Hucknall.

The campaign was started by former miner Barrie Lewis, of Hucknall, whose father, Lawrence (34), was killed in an accident at the former Hucknall ‘Top Pit’ on Christmas Eve 1960, and has received full backing from the Dispatch.

A suggestion is for the memorial to be backed by a book featuring the names of those killed at the two Hucknall Collieries or Linby, Bestwood, Newstead and Annesley Pits.

On Friday and Saturday, November 9 and 10, Barrie will sit at a table in Hucknall Library to meet members of the public and raise awareness about the campaign.

“I hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to find out more about what the project is all about,” he said.

Area committee chairman Coun Jim Grundy (Lab) said he hoped the grant would act as a catalyst to attract further funds for the scheme.

A total of £9,000 or £10,000 is needed and donations so far received include £500 from the grant-making Nottinghamshire Community Foundation.

Barrie said he hoped the work would be completed in time for the proposed memorial to be unveiled at a ceremony next summer.

A report to the committee stated that publicity in the Dispatch had shown ‘considerable support’ for the project. The work will be carried out by a stonemason and other contractors.

Research into the names of miners to be remembered had been a painstaking task carried out at such locations as libraries and archive offices, the report added.

From: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/mining-memorial-bid-gets-cash-boost-1-5093317

Events - Lunchtime lectures return (Eastwood)

LUNCHTIME lectures will return to Eastwood this month with a presentation on the history of Annesley at the DH Lawrence Heritage Centre.

Local historian, David Amos will talk about Annesley Hall, the Chaworth and Chaworth-Musters families, as well as the newly renovated ruins at the Grade 1 listed Annesley Old Church.

The talk on May 18 will start at 11am and displays will be on show for the Annesley Old Church Project. The Project Story Group will be doing a story telling session from 1.30pm.

Standard admission costs just £2.50, £2.00 for Broxtowe Leisure Card Holders and £1.50 with a DH Lawrence Annual Membership.

from: http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/news/eastwood-kimberley-news/lunchtime-lectures-return-1-4509871?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Event - Ashfield Heritage Bus Tour (September)

8th/10th & 16th September

A rare opportunity to visit interesting and exciting historic sites across Annesley, Kirkby, Selston, Skegby, Sutton and Teversal with a running commentary. The tour includes several stops and a lunch break at Teversal. You can bring your own picnic lunch or purchase a snack at the Teversal Trails Visitor Centre. It is essential to book a place as there are limited spaces on the minibus. FREE

Ashfield Heritage Bus Tours are organised by Ashfield District Council and last for about six hours and take you through the main heritage aspects of the district with the exception of Hucknall. Check our Events Guide or our Events Page for dates and further information or email tourism@ashfield-dc.gov.uk or phone 01623 457426 for more details

From: http://www.ashfield-dc.gov.uk/cfusion/events/more2.cfm?more=1922

News - Lottery revamp for ruined Annesley village church

A RUINED church in Annesley with links to Lord Byron and DH Lawrence is to be transformed with the help of £450,000 of lottery cash.

All Saints’ Church - known locally as Annesley Old Church - is set for a new lease of life following the award by the Heritage Lottery Fund, with Ashfield District Council also contributing cash.

The church, built in 1356, is in a sorry state after falling into major disrepair since the building of the newer Annesley All Saints’ Church in 1874, a response to the needs of miners working at Annesley Colliery.

The roof collapsed decades ago and the site is normally off limits to the public because of safety issues.

But now there are plans to bring the site into the 21st Century by making it safe for visitors and using its redevelopment to provide training and skills for local community groups.

Dennis Hill, heritage development officer for Ashfield District Council, said: “This is fantastic news and we cannot wait to get started on the project.“

The site’s historic links to the poet Lord Byron stem from his romantic involvement with Mary Ann Chaworth, who lived yards from the old church at Annesley Hall.

Mary ended up marrying another man, John Musters, in 1805 at the church. Lord Byron wrote about Annesley in some of his early work.

The church also gets a mention in the work of Nottinghamshire writer DH Lawrence. In The White Peacock, published in 1911, he has some less than kind words to say about the ‘rotting’ old building.

The church held its last service in 1942, despite being in poor condition and was sold to Ashfield District Council in 1981.

The authority lowered the roofless walls and part of the tower.

Gregory Pickup, grants officer for the Heritage Lottery Fund, said the project would have a number of benefits for the local area.

“This is going to be a project that will involve the whole community,” he said “Credit must go to Ashfield District Council who put the time and money into putting the application together for this grant.”

Ashfield district councillor Steve Carroll said: “We must thank our officers who worked so hard to secure this money.”

Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero said it was time more local groups benefitted from lottery cash.

The district ranks 339th in the country in terms of total grants received since the Lottery scheme was set up in 1995. Mansfield is ranked 225th and South Nottingham is 31st.

“This is a great deal of money and it is about time this area started to get its fair share. We have got so many areas of huge historical interest which need this funding.”

from: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/lottery_revamp_for_ruined_annesley_village_church_1_3545980

News - £450,000 boost for historic site (Annesley)

A CHURCH is set to be given a new lease of life after receiving a £450,000 grant.


All Saints Church – known as the Old Church – in Annesley dates from the 12th century, and formed part of the Annesley Estate.

It is one of only two Grade I Listed buildings in the Ashfield District.

The grant has been awarded to the church by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The money will be used to fund a project to conserve what remains of the church buildings, making the site more accessible for visitors and to enhance the value of the area for wildlife.

It will also include activities to engage with the local community and provide training and skills for local community groups.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/pound-450-000-boost-historic-site/story-12877142-detail/story.html

News - New library plan not good enough (Notts Libraries)

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to reduce opening hours at libraries across Ashfield say a council rethink to inject more cash into the service is still not good enough.

Huthwaite Library had been earmarked to have its hours cut from 19 to eight hours – but Nottinghamshire County Council has now proposed to set aside extra funding to take it back up to nine-and-a-half.

The news has been given the thumbs down by villagers and the Huthwaite Community Action Group, which took part in a two-hour read-in ‘protest’ at the library as part of national Save Our Libraries Day on Saturday.

Sutton West district councillor, Ray Buttery, said the small extension to opening hours would not make any difference and fears the library could eventually close.

“If the hours are cut so much people will not bother coming,” he said. “Once the footfall goes they will close. Elderly people will not want to jump on a bus and go to Sutton.

“I just wonder if it will stay open on a Saturday. All the councillors have surgeries here on a Saturday and if people are working during the week the only time they can get to the library is at the weekend.

“We have a children’s reading corner here. They need to have reading books because computers just are not the same.”

More than 50 people – including Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero – attended the read-in on Saturday and Coun Buttery said it had been a successful event.

“Lots of people came and some took out 18 books to emphasise the fact that the libraries should not be shut. It was a brilliant morning and everyone was together – that is what it is all about.

“Many people signed a petition, which we have given to the county council. Now we have to wait and see.”

Annesley Woodhouse, Jacksdale, Selston and Skegby libraries would also all have their hours reduced – but not by as much as had been expected due to the county council setting aside more than £70,000 for libraries following a public consultation.

But Ms De Piero, who is also Shadow Libraries Minister, dismissed the cash injection and pledged to keep up the pressure on Ministers to do more to save libraries.

“These cuts are directly as a result of budgets set by the Tory-led government in Westminster,” she said. “While I understand that difficult decisions have to be made, I have a particular issue with how Nottinghamshire County Council is distributing these cuts.

“The council says it has listened to feedback from the community but Huthwaite Library is still having its hours slashed by 50 per cent. At the same time, Ken Clarke’s rather more affluent constituency of Rushcliffe seems to be faring better – the council is spending £4.9m there on the library in West Bridgford.”

Under previous county council proposals, the annual book fund was reduced from £1.6m to £387,000. This has now been revised and 25 per cent of the fund restored, taking it to £793,000.

Added Ms De Piero: “I’m also worried that halving the book budget will mean libraries are left with older books on the shelves. Libraries need investment to stay alive and thriving, and new books draw people in to libraries – people who can’t necessarily afford to go out and buy the latest bestseller.”

The county council’s assistant head of libraries Philip Marshall said it was heartening to see the strength of feeling among folk who ‘valued their libraries so highly’.

He added: “We appreciate their concerns and also their right to publicly protest against the reduction in library hours.

“However, you’ll appreciate that with the severe financial pressures the council is under, we’ve had to make some tough decisions – we need to make savings of £87m next year, reinvesting £42m of that largely in services for the most vulnerable.

“Regrettably, libraries have had to take their share of the impact, but unlike many other local authorities, we have no plans to close any of our 60 libraries and we are still investing in capital projects including the £3.4m refurbishment of Mansfield library.

“We have consulted the public on options for library opening hours and listened closely to that feedback. Recognising their value to the communities they serve, we have lowered the reduction in opening hours for 28 of our smaller libraries and also put money back into our fund used to buy new books.”

From http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/new_library_plan_not_good_enough_1_3063962