News
A Time of Change on Council
It was good to be at Colston Bassett for the Society AGM - this was the venue which we had intended to visit when Covid-19 intervened, so it felt like catching up with unfinished business. The Society presented its usual account of events and also proposed the first change in membership subscriptions since 2017. The Society has done its best to avoid raising these throughout the Covid-19 period and its aftermath and has continued to meet the increasing costs of postage, room hire and one-off projects, such as the long-delayed digitisation of Transactions and the re-ordering of the Society's DD/TS deposit at Nottinghamshire Archives, out of its general funds. Unfortunately, the Society is now in a position where a subscription increase is necessary and we hope that members will continue to feel that membership represents value for money.
The body which oversees all the Society's dealings and approves its expenditure is its Council. Some members remain unclear about what Council is and how it operates so a reminder may be helpful. Council is the elected body which runs the Society. It is composed of up to 15 members, who are elected at the AGM (usually serving for 3 years) and, in addition, those officers of the Society who are on Council ex-officio (by virtue of their office). These officers do not include the Chair and Vice-Chair of Council, who are elected at the first meeting of Council, after the AGM, in May. This meeting also appoints representatives for various bodies with whom we have a close connection, such as the NHBPT and NLHA. The Council meetings in October and February review progress on Society business and receive reports from our representatives. The February Council meeting also reviews and approves the Annual report, the financial accounts for the preceding year, and approves the nominations and resolutions which are to be put forward at the AGM.
Council has undergone some significant changes this year, as a number of long-serving members retire and new members join us. This year, we are saying farewell to three members and welcoming their successors. Below is information on each of them, commencing with our three retiring members.
David Crook has been a member of Council for two lengthy periods with a gap inbetween. He was general editor of the Record Series from 1986-97 and he returned to Council following his retirement from The National Archives (formerly The Public Record Office) in 2007. He has contributed 24 articles to Transactions since 1976 and is intending to write several more in the near future. One of them was researched in the late '80s and early '90s and delayed by losing track of the location of his voluminous notes on the sources for several years! David is one of the few remaining Life Members of the Society, having taken this out around 1976. He continues to sit on our Research and Publications committee.
Adrian Henstock is, as most members will know, one of the longest serving officers of the Society. He is staying on Council for a further year, as General Editor of the Record Series, to oversee the transition to his successors, but will become Consultant Editor (outside Council) from 2025. He served as the Society's President for 10 years, from 2014-24, and completed a truly heroic stint as the editor of Transactions before 2008.
Alan Langton retired from Council at the AGM, having joined it in 2008. He was responsible for reviving and organising the Thoroton excursions programme from 2014 until Covid-19 intervened. He joined Thoroton as a 'student member' at the age of 14 when The Becket School was affiliated to the Society, and the Head suggested that he should join. There was a long gap while he was a student, and then his teaching career left little time for other things, although he has always remained a member and became more involved after his retirement in 1994.
Our review of new members of Council begins with David Barton, who has lived in Nottinghamshire for the past 50 years, in Newark and Radcliffe - on -Trent. Until his retirement, he served as the International Education Manager at Nottingham People's College. As an amateur historian, he has taught, written on, and organised, local history for many years. He is currently Secretary of the NLHA and one of the organisers of the talks for the Radcliffe on Trent Local History Society. His involvement in the local Nottinghamshire community has included as Life President of Radcliffe U3A, Chairman of Radcliffe Parish Council, Leader of Newark Town Council, Newark and Sherwood District Councillor, and a member of the Lord Chancellor's Nottinghamshire Committee.
Andrea Moneta is a trans-disciplinary practitioner and academic. His activities are all strongly informed by his expertise in architecture, scenograph, and urban sustainable design. He has a particular interest in socially engaged spatial practices in heritage contexts in the intersection between theatre and architecture in real and virtual worlds, and he is actively involved in researching and teaching in these areas. As an academic, he developed research-led teaching as adjunct professor of Scenography at University of Rome "Sapienza", and is currently senior lecturer and Course Leader of BA (Hons) Design for Theatre and Live Performance, and research lead of Design for Performance at Nottingham Trent University. He is a member of SBTD (Society of British Theatre Designers), IFTR (International Federation of Theatre Research), ASC (Associazione Italiana Scenografi, Costumisti e Arredatori), and co-founder of Archabout, a research collective in the field of architecture, urbanism, and spatial practices. He is reviewer for Routledge/Taylor & Francis, AMPS (Architecture Media Politics Society), and Archnet - IJAR (International Journal of Architectural Research).
David Needham, BSc (Hons), MA, MIFireE. David began his working life as a laboratory technician assisting a research chemist. He joined Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service in 1978 and served for thirty years at various stations and at the Service Training Centre. He retired as a Divisional Officer having undertaken multiple operational, fire safety and training roles. He was also a specialist fire investigator and in 2003 he received a Crown Court Commendation for an investigation which led to the conviction of a serial killer. From 2008 he worked in the NHS as the manager of the Environmental Compliance Team at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. David's interest in history led to him researching the role of Civil Defence and the Fire Service in Nottinghamshire during the Second World War. He spent several years recording first-hand accounts of events, and this information was eventually used, alongside other official records, for his book Battle of the Flames. In 2010, David began a project which led to a memorial for civilian services personnel being placed in St Mary's churchyard on High Pavement. It was unveiled in 2013 by the Princess Royal. David planned and organised the 75th and 80th Anniversary commemorations of Nottingham's heaviest air raid as well as the closing ceremony and commemoration of 76 years' service at Central Fire Station in 2016. He continues to document fire service history in the county, including first-hand accounts by those involved. David has also published Nottinghamshire Air Crashes, and is currently researching the Fairfield disaster at Edwalton in 1974 as well as other aircraft accidents in the county.
We are delighted to have so many talented members on Council and thank all those who continue to offer their time and expertise willingly. I am delighted that Alan Langton and Adrian Henstock have accepted Honorary membership of the Society (the successor category to Life Membership) and to welcome St Mary's Church, Car Colston, as an Honorary Institutional Member of the Society.
Richard A. Gaunt
Chair of Council
SPRING MEETING AND AGM 2024
Our Spring Meeting and AGM at Colston Bassett Village Hall took place on Saturday 27th April. It had been planned to hold the 2020 Spring Meeting there, but Covid intervened and that year we held an on-line AGM. So it was good to finally, four years later, make it to Colston Bassett. We were relatively lucky in the weather because it had been forecast to rain all day but it did not, remaining very chilly but allowing the use of the field adjacent to the hall as the car park. Members of the Colston Bassett Local History group had made the hall more interesting for us by displaying documents, maps and photographs relating to the history of the village.
Forty-nine members attended, collecting their copies of Transactions vol 127 on entry, and some of them saved us postage by taking a copy for another member. Our outgoing President, Adrian Henstock, formally opened the AGM by welcoming everyone. As usual, Adrian added some remarks of his own on the venue. He regards Colston Bassett as his favourite village, and remembers when he used to cycle up to 50 miles around the Vale of Belvoir on Sundays, always calling in at Colston Bassett. The village is remarkable for its medieval market cross, which was refurbished in the nineteenth century, and for having Methodist, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches. It is also unusual in having two Anglican churches - the ruined medieval church of St Mary and the nineteenth-century church of St John. The village is well known for the famous Colston Bassett Dairy and its Stilton cheese. Adrian regards it as not necessarily an improvement that it has now become a smart place to live, resulting in some new and very expensive houses appearing. Adrian also later reflected on how cheese making was developed in the area, and on his and his wife's surprising encounter with Colston Bassett cheese whilst on a trip to Amsterdam! Once the official business of the AGM was over, the Chair, Richard Gaunt, made presentations to Alan Langton and David Crook on their retirement from Council after many years of service in various capacities, and to Adrian Henstock on his retirement as President. Each was presented with a card showing a montage of photographs from the archives put together by Andy Nicholson, and with a book token of substantial value from donations made by members.
Dr Denise Amos gave a most interesting and relevant talk on how cheese manufacturing came to be a feature of the area, and in particular of Colston Bassett. Cheese making was originally done on a small scale in villages using raw (unpasteurised) milk, with the process only known to those who did it and varying from place to place. It was totally different from modern cheese. Denise spoke about the development of different types of regional cheeses, and how the processes differed resulting in cheeses with different characteristics. Cheshire cheese was produced from the sixteenth century in areas where there was plentiful access to salt. Cooking the curds was a significant development in its production, and by 1900 cheeses such as Derby, Dunlop, Leicester and Gloucester were being produced using a similar method. Cheddar cheese was produced from 1635 and was very popular with the aristocracy. In 1726 R Bradley wrote that he had tasted an excellent example of the famous Stilton cheese made near Nottingham. It was, in the eighteenth century, a very expensive cheese eaten by the rich. In the nineteenth century the co-operative large scale production of Stilton cheese began in south Derbyshire and from there spread to a wider area of the East Midlands. Today there are three main Nottinghamshire Stilton producers in Cropwell Bishop, Long Clawson and, of course, in Colston Bassett - which is the reason why we invited Denise to speak on the subject. Our grateful thanks to her for agreeing to do so and for taking questions after her talk.
Our incoming President John Beckett, having just been elected in the AGM, was then invited to make some remarks, which are reported on the next page in this newsletter. After this, tea was served and despite the absence of a caterer, did not disappoint. Marks and Spencer were largely responsible for the sandwiches and cakes, with some extra input from Sainsbury. This method of delivering the tea is dependent on a group of volunteers, and Ruth Strong, Jane Thompson, Rob James and Paul Baker are to be thanked for spending a large proportion of the afternoon laying out food, serving tea and coffee, and washing and drying up afterwards. After tea, two members of the local history group, Bunty Fletcher and Jenny Drayton, gave a short talk to members about the exhibits on the walls and some other artifacts. They then took those willing and able on a walk to the nineteenth-century church of St John. There, a recently discovered musical manuscript was displayed together with a recording of a performance of it. Also of note was the medieval font that had been rescued from the ruined church of St Mary, and a Carrara marble monument to Alice Knowles, daughter of Lord Crawshaw. Many thanks to Bunty and Jenny for this, which concluded another successful, enjoyable and well attended Spring Meeting.
Rosemary Muge
Hon Admin Secretary
THE NEW PRESIDENT
John Beckett's Acceptance Speech as the new President given at the Colston Bassett AGM on the 28th April 2024.
It is my great pleasure to be elected President of the Thoroton Society. I joined the Society in the early 1980's and was subsequently Chairman of Council for twenty eight years (1992 to 2020). When I relinguished that position in 2020, the Society was kind enough to elect me as Vice President. I served under four Presidents: Myles Thoroton Hildyard, Neville Hoskins, Rosalys Coope and Adrian Henstock. I hope that I will be able to serve the Society in a manner that they would approve of.
The duties of the President were not extensive which probably explains why two of our past Presidents served for more than 40 years. The second President, the 6th Duke of Portland of Welbeck, was president from 1898 until his death in office in 1943. He hosted a reception in the Council House in 1898 and was never seen again.
Similarly, Myles Thoroton Hildyard, who many of us remember, served for more that forty years and regularly attended the Annual Lunch, although I recall on one occasion that he turned up to the AGM thinking it was the lunch - or possibly the other way around. Unlike Portland he entertained the Society at Flintham Hall on anniversary occasions.
I hope that as your President I will be able to attend events and participate fully in the life of the Society. I hope not to be a nuisance,although I am aware that should I exceed my brief, the Chairman will remind me.
Health and wealth permitting I will serve no more than five years. I think that is enough for any President although I am aware that I am not good at counting. I have been President of the Laxton History Group for 14 years and when I asked for clarification of my term of office I was told "for life." Similarly, I recently enquired of the Beeston and District Local History Society as to how long I had served as their president and how much longer I had to go. It turned out that I had been offered three years and I had already served for five! Mr Chairman, I am grateful to the Council for electing me to the position of President of the Thoroton Society, and I hope I can fulfil at least some of the tasks and activities of the role over the next five years.
John Beckett
EXCURSIONS
SPRING AND SUMMER 2024
This year, a full programme of excursions has been planned with the inclusion of a new venture for Thoroton; the Thoroton Weekend Excursion to Oxford. There is more about this event later.
The first three excursions of the year were described in the Spring newsletter: to Laxton in May, the 1620's House and Garden in June and a D H Lawrence-connected day to Beauvale Priory and the D H Lawrence Museum in July. Reports about these trips will be published in the next Newsletter. At the time of writing, the first excursion to Laxton is imminent. Good weather has been ordered but may not be delivered.
Since the Covid restrictions were lifted, numbers joining the excursions are lower than before. Perhaps members are now less inclined to join groups? There has, of course been drastic price increases affecting life in general and including fuel. This has had a knock-on effect on coach prices. Nevertheless, excursions have had a smaller though loyal following and I hope, enjoyed.
The August excursion will be to Southwell Workhouse and Southwell Minster for guided tours on 15th August. This year is the 200th anniversary of Southwell Workhouse and Infirmary. Its history and purpose were featured in the Maurice Barley Lecture on 13th January by Fiona Lewin, Senior Collections and House Officer. Southwell Workhouse is a National Trust property so entrance is free to members.
In September, the weekend excursion to Oxford, arranged in collaboration with Paul Baker, who spent 18 years teaching in Oxford before retiring to Nottingham, is between 6th and 8th September. More detail is given separately.This excursion needs a reasonable number of members to go to make it viable. There is a small chance that it could be cancelled if numbers are low although there have been many expressions of interest. It is suggested that even if a definite commitment cannot be made, a hotel with a free cancellation facility is booked early. The hotels in central Oxford fill up quickly.
For members who do not wish to be away for a weekend, an alternative excursion on 12th September to the Museum of Timekeeping in Upton has been planned. The guided tour and browsing time in the morning will be followed by lunch and a walking tour of Upton led by Dr Richard Jones. For details of the day excursions in August and September, please see the separate booking sheets included with this newsletter.
If there is a favourite place members would like to visit or revisit, please email me at ruthstrong4@gmail.com. Excursion plans for 2025 are being made.
Ruth Strong