Battle of Worksop Skull now at Wakefield

Great! now that the Battle of Worksop is coming up to its 550th anniversary and I'm trying to get as many people interested as possible, someone's decided it would be a great idea to send our skull to Wakefield for their exhibition!

I suppose the only good thing to come out of this is more people may become aware of the skirmish but what about the people around here? Do we deserve to just give up our history quite as easily?

Not only have we had the indignity a few years ago of loosing the museum in Worksop but we now have lost one of our only glimpses into our medieval past too (Although there is a debate on it's age but that's not the important issue)!

If you want to see the skull it's in Wakefield Castle.  Fellow Battle of Worksop fan Helen Cox has written a blog about her visit http://helencox-herstorywriting.co.uk/#/blognews/4539783941

Community History Workshops at Worksop Library

Wednesday 8th December

10.00 - 11.30 / 13.30 - 15.00

Come along and find out how to add your own photos, documents and memories of the local area to our new Community History Website Our Nottinghamshire.

Please bring along your old photos/documents (e.g. your memories) to scan (or ideally ready saved on a memory stick) and we'll show you how to add them to the website.  In connection with the BBC Turn Back Time programme, focusing on the old High Street, we are especially interested in gathering information/memories/photos of old shops in the local area (can be anywhere in Nottinghamshire)

Places on the workshops are free, but are limited to a maximum of 8 people per session and will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Booking essential: to book your place please call the library on 01909 535353 or email helen.fox@nottscc.gov.uk

Community Archaeology - Nottinghamshire 2011

Update from Community over their 2011 projects:

 Much of our funding over the next few years will focus on the ‘Trent Vale’ area.  This includes riverside parishes and communities along the Trent, from Newark to Gainsborough.  For those of you who were able to attend the Time Travel Trent Vale event in the summer at Newark Castle, this was the official launch of the project. 

We will still be doing projects when they arise across the rest of the county, but this is where our focus will be for the next two years.  We have included here some background to the project, and some information on what will be happening as part of it.   We hope you find it interesting, and that you see something that you would like to get involved in.

We are still looking for project ideas and suggestions, both in Trent Vale and the rest of Nottinghamshire, so please send them in!

Trent Vale goes live!

The River Trent in the Trent Vale, once an integral part of life for those living on its banks, is now often hidden from view and difficult to visit.  Trentside communities have, in many places, become disconnected from this natural feature that has influenced where and how they and their ancestors lived.  Industry, agriculture and canalisation have all made their mark, and what we see as the river now is a very different picture to what people would have seen even a few hundred years ago.

Trent Vale focuses on the riverside communities of the Lower Trent Valley , between Newark and Gainsborough, in both Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire .  It has been awarded money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to be spent on a wide range of projects and schemes over the next few years.

Projects include (amongst others):

• Riverside Audit – to map and record archaeological features on the riverbank; including everything from ruined barges to clapper gates.  We are looking for volunteers for this project NOW!  So please let us know if you want to be involved.
• Roman Roadsides and River Crossings – this is an extensive fieldwalking project that will be looking to shed light on Roman settlement in the Trent Vale.  There are a number of well-known sites in the area, but relatively little is known.  The fieldwalking will take place either side of Roman roads, and aims to provide a good body of evidence to help us to understand the pattern of settlement in the area.
• Archaeology Clubs – We will be running a series of archaeology clubs for children, at locations across the Trent Vale area, during school holidays.  Children will get the opportunity to try all sorts of activities based on the archaeology and history of the river.
• Workshops, talks and guided walks – It’s not just children that get to have fun with Trent Vale!  We will be putting on workshops, talks, and guided walks around the area for people of all ages to get stuck in to. 
• Excavations – there are a number of excavation opportunities over the next few years.  Watch this space!
• Graveyard Surveys - Some of you have already joined us on the 'Graveyard Shift', to record the information and condition of gravestones in various churchyards.  We intend to start looking at churchyards in the Trent Vale area, so there will be plenty more opportunities for you to come along and take part.  All welcome, from green beginners to hardened veterans.

How To Get Involved

If you are reading this you are already on our general email list, in which case you will receive regular news updates and information.  If you have an interest in any projects in particular, or have questions or suggestions, please get in touch.

Everyone is welcome to join in, and because the range of projects is so wide we should be able to find something for everyone, of all ages and abilities.  Join us for a day, a season, or longer!  No experience is necessary and training will be provided.

Trent Vale involves a lot of partner organisations, so by expressing an interest in our projects we can also link you up with projects run by our partners; such as conservation opportunities with the Wildlife Trust.

Check out the following website for more information.....

http://trentvale.wordpress.com/

This is the best place to keep up to date with what's been happening in Trent Vale.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this rather epic mail. 

All the best

The Community Archaeologists

42, King Street, Thorne up for Georgian Award

A once dilapidated house in Thorne, near Doncaster, has been shortlisted for the Georgian Group Architectural Awards.  The ex-Merchants house is one of four nominated for the 'Restoration of a Georgian Building in an Urban Setting'award which will be announced today by Baroness Andrews.  http://www.georgiangroup.org.uk/docs/awards/index.php


The building was purchased in 2005 by the South Yorkshire Building Preservation Trust (Ltd) and restored from a boarded up wreck to what looks like a very beautiful building.

Hopefully this beautiful building will win the award as very few buildings from the 'north' have been nominated for an ward.

VINTAGE FOOTAGE WANTED! by Nottinghamshire YMCA

Nottinghamshire YMCA has launched ‘A Century of Youth’ – a new film project exploring the lives of young people in the East Midlands over the past 100 years.

Combining archive footage and new interviews, it will be led by 16 young people who need your help!

Anyone with footage which could help tell this exciting story is asked to get in touch with the project team. If you have old cans of film, VHS tapes or photographs that offer an insight into growing up in the East Midlands at any point over the last century, they want to hear from you.

Nottinghamshire YMCA is working with the Media Archive of Central England to safely view and transfer relevant archive footage into digital formats, so your footage is in safe hands. Footage can either be returned to you or can be placed into safe storage and preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The young people from across the East Midlands will be led by professional film makers, who will guide them through the process of planning, filming, editing, marketing and distributing their film creations.

Over 100 people of all ages and backgrounds will share their memories and experiences of their youth for the film, which will be screened in several cinemas across the region.

If you have a hidden treasure, please call Rebecca Lawson or Thomas Hall at Nottinghamshire YMCA’s Film and Video Department on 0115 855 3365 or email film@nottsymca.org

This project has been enabled by EM Media and the UK Film Council’s Digital Film Archive Fund supported by the National Lottery.

Comments from Rebecca Lawson, Film Production Manager:

“We’re really hoping to uncover some hidden film gems, and are looking forward to seeing what people have stored away in the attic.”

“Old films and even VHS tapes are at risk of being lost forever unless they are stored correctly and copies are made. I would really urge people to dig out any footage that might be of interest and give us a call so that we can preserve this precious footage for future generations

War Memorial Desecration

I heard on Hallam FM this morning that one of the plaques of Denaby Main's war memorial has been stolen. The plaque which covered one side of the memorial has been taken leaving a unsightly gap that will probably take thousands of pounds to replace. With Remembrance Day being only days away it would be impossible to fix in time. I'm guessing the local inhabitants are outraged by this mindless desecration and hopefully these ignorant people who have taken it will return it to the community.

So not only are our churches being ripped apart by these money grabbing scum but now our countries brave heroes who died for our freedom are no longer respected. I'm not sure which names have gone but a complete list of the names on the memorial is available at http://joseflocke.co.uk/heritage/memorial.htm

If you have any information relating to this burglary please phone the local Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01302 385178 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
http://www.hallamfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=2006936&spid=25619

Flags, Robbers and Murder!!!

Flags
Nottinghamshire is going to get its own official county flag it was reported by the BBC today, three designs will be put forward for the public's approval at the end of the year by the council.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9147000/9147052.stm

Robbers
The council have also been slated by not publicising Robin Hood enough it emerged on the "This is Nottingham" website. Why this has been brought up is not clear especially after Robin Hood week which marked the release of the film. (To be honest,and this is my own personal opinion and nothing to do with the group but the council wastes way too much time on this fictional character and not enough on its real history)

Murder
A new book called ' Murders In and Around Derbyshire' by Scott Lomax has been released by True Crime (ISBN). The book contains 13 unsolved murders during the 20th century ranging from 1908 to 1982. This fascinating book for all mystery and history fans also carries the story of Samuel Fell-Wilson who was gunned down near Church Warsop in 1930. Further details are available at: http://sclomax.co.uk/unsolvedmurders.htm