News from Coleorton Heritage Group September 2020

2020 Vision

Here we are September already. It's been a very strange year so far and looks like it may continue in the same vein. We've had:

The "will we, won't we" of Brexit and final exit from the EU (almost).
President Trump faced impeachment
The tensions in the Middle east when the US attacked and killed the Iranian Major General and for a while it looked like things could turn nasty
Would the Australian bushfires ever be controlled?
Massive rain and flooding everywhere

and that was all before March 23 and lock-down.
Now there seems to be only one topic of news - Covid-19. We are let out on long leashes and in masks and worry we will get locked up again!

We all have different experiences of being confined to barracks. The children of Viscount Beaumont School and Messy Church drew pictures and wrote poems and essays about how their life had changed. You can read some of them on St Mary's Parish email newsletter here >>

For a lot of us it was the pain of not being able to visit family and grand-children, others not able to pursue hobbies and activities. Learning how to use Skype and Zoom brought some relief but it's not the same as meeting in the flesh.

Some have suffered with losing jobs or their businesses and are facing a new and more financially precarious life, others have been able to seize opportunities to enjoy time at home with families and undertaking projects not possible with the usual working regime.

This is a time we will remember and it would be worthwhile making a visual or written record for those that come after and don't remember 2020 so they will understand what we have all gone through and how it has changed the way we live.

We are social history in the making!

If you'd like to share your story of lock-down and life with Covid-19 email Sandra heritagegroup@coleorton.org.uk or phone 01530 440000.

Stories

We regularly contribute articles about Coleorton history and heritage to St Mary's Parish News which is normally printed each month. However, while the printers weren't at work and the usual delivery people stuck at home St Mary's parish news has gone on-line. Our August story tells of the laying of foundation stones for local National Schools by Lady Paula Menzies Beaumont and Rev. Canon W. R. Beaumont, illustrated with photos of the actual ceremonial trowels used. Read it on-line here >>

One of our members Terry Ward has written for Community Voice which is a free magazine distributed around Coleorton and neighbouring villages. The August issue carried the story of the hanging in 1820 of Joseph Varnham for horse-stealing. Read it here >>

Other articles include:

Spitfire tragedy at Lount
Wartime Memories from the Derbyshire Tomboy
Childhood Memories in WW2 from Elaine Oldham
Laying Foundations stones for local National Schools
Turning the first turf for New Lount Colliery in 1924
Celebrating 250 Years since William Wordsworth's Birth

If you missed them in Community Voice or St Mary's e-newsletter you can read these and previous articles here >>

The Millennium Garden

The Garden is was initiated by the Coleorton 2000 Committee (fore-runner of the Coleorton Heritage Group) to commemorate the Millennium. It has since been maintained by Coleorton Parish Council, and this year - 20th anniversary - they have given it a real spruce-up. The hedges have been cut back, shrubbery has been tidied, the brambly plants along the fences have been removed and the grass reseeded. The Covid business has put a temporary halt to other activities such as repairing the benches, replacing the brass dedication plaques and replanting the area under the sign.

The Heritage Group Garden Committee let by Marian Walsh, who headed up the original design team, is planning the replanting and will be getting out and restocking the Garden as soon as restrictions allow.

More about the Millennium Garden >>

Families

The enforced isolation has brought Family into the forefront of our minds. Either we haven't been able to see them for weeks or we've all been on top of each other indoors!

Collecting stories about our families is an important part of researching and recording our local heritage and we are starting to collect a number of stories. There are lots of stories in our Memories of Coleorton book and also on our website.

Sue Pufialito has sent us a piece about her family - the Bensons - who lived in the Woolrooms and round about for many years. See item on website >>

We'd love to hear about your family history or recollections. Give Sandra a call or email.

VE Day 75 commemoration

8 May was the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces in 1945, ending World War II in Europe.With the enforced isolation and ban on groups and parties we weren't able to celebrate this event as it deserved. But it's worth remembering that the 6 years of WW2 were a pretty awful time for the active military and also for those at home.

Two of our members, Marian Walsh (The Derbyshire Tomboy) and Elaine Oldham have written about their experiences as children growing up in the war.
Read the articles on our website >>

The article by Terry Ward about a Spitfire crash at Lount elicited some replies from local people who have extended our knowledge of what happened and raised some interesting questions! A further article will ensue.

8 May 1945 must have been an amazing day for the people of Britain who had endured so much and especially for those like Marian who could now look forward to her father coming home from the navy.

Do any of you remember or have stories about celebrations in Coleorton at the time? Let us know and we can share.

History Walks

This September we haven't been able to hold our usual "History Walks". Physical on-site activities with the NWLDC Hello Heritage fortnight were cancelled and some villages and history groups have created virtual "Heritage on your Doorstep" events with information boards from 5th - 20th September. Griffydam, Worthington and Swannington are taking part this way. See Hello Heritage website >>

We are planning to resume History Walks around Coleorton in the Spring of next year and we are looking forward to the lively conversations and exchange of information that we generally have with participants. Coleorton History Walks >>

If you have any questions, heritage/history-related stories or ideas or would like to get more involved with Coleorton Heritage Group you're very welcome. Please email heritagegroup@coleorton.org.uk or phone 01530 440000.

Sandra

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