News in brief
Nottinghamshire maps and statistics online
A vision of Britain through time (www.visionofbritain.org.uk), has been re-launched with more historical maps, information and statistics about an ever widening range of topics and subjects, which can be searched by place. There are now population statistics, Parliamentary election results since 1833, boundary maps and land use. This is an easy to use website with good search facilities. Type in 'Retford' and you are taken to information about East Retford, which includes information of historic travel books, historic maps and statistical information, plus related websites. To find out more about locations in Nottingham city, you first enter 'Nottingham', from where links take you to information about such places as Basford and Sneinton for example. Well worth exploring from time to time as it is always being updated.
The Media Trust in London is funding 26 'Community Voices' projects 'which use digital media to give disadvantaged and isolated communities a voice'. Grants range from £1,500 to £14,000 and your project must start on 1 April 2010. For more details contact Sam Gillett, Media Trust, email: sam@mediatrust.org, www.mediatrust.org/communityvoices.
Andy Nicholson's 'Notts History' blog has news of two new blue plaques in Nottingham this spring (http://nottshistory.blogspot.com). As we have mentioned before, Andy also has a website devoted to Nottinghamshire history at www.nottshistory.org.uk. Both are well worth visiting on a regular basis.
The Friends of Newark Cemetery have an online blog at http://newarkcemeteryuk.wordpress.com. Recent postings have been about war graves and remembrance.
The online Nottinghamshire Heritage Gateway (www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk/), which is managed by the Thoroton Society and 'is designed to provide a guide to the heritage resources of the county, and a history of Nottinghamshire featuring the latest research', lists recent additions to the site on its home page. Another site worth visiting every few months to see what's new.
An exhibition examining the connections between the four-times Prime Minister William Gladstone and the county of Nottinghamshire can be seen at the Lakeside Arts Centre, in Highfields Park, Lenton, Nottingham, until 21 March 2010. Open: 11am–4pm Mon–Sat, 12–4pm Sun, admission free. The Djanogly Art Gallery is close by. Easy access by bus from Nottingham city centre (NCT routes 13,14 and 34; Trent-Barton routes 18, 20 and Indigo). Also routes 228 and 229, Beeston–Hucknall/Eastwood operated by Doyles for Notts County Council.
BADJER is the acronym used by the community group Building And Developing Jacksdale and Westwood's Environmental Resources, which is dedicated to promoting 'the history and heritage of Jacksdale and Westwood. Their website, www.jacksdale.org.uk, is full of news and information about the area. Their populist approach may offend some, but as many of photographs and reports on the website show, they can bring out the crowds — and that has to be a good thing!
The Crossing on Newcastle Street in Worksop is a new social enterprise venture which includes meeting facilities and a café. Room hire charges are from £12 per hour, with 'significant discounts for regular bookings'. For more information contact: The Crossing Church & Centre, Newcastle Street, Worksop, Notts S80 2AT, tel: 01909 473375, www.thecrossing.co.uk.
Our First World War heroines: The Canary Girls of Chilwell is the title of a talk which will be given by Maureen Rushton at the Nottingham Mechanics Institute, 2 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham at 1.30pm. The talk has been arranged by the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Labour History Society. The nickname ‘Chilwell Canaries’ was given to the women workers who developed yellow hands and faces after working with the explosive powders. Maureen undertook her original research in 1996/7 during a Local History Course at Nottingham University, the subject of her dissertation being Women Munition Workers in the First World War. At the time of the 90th anniversary of the great explosion Maureen expanded her research into a book. (The Canary Girls of Beeston, 2008, 96pp, ISBN: 978-0-9541485-1-5, £5.99+£1.01 p&p: cheques should be made payable to Beeston and District Local History Society and sent with orders to the author at 16 Cumberland Avenue, Beeston NG9 4DH.)
