Cropwell Bishop Village Parish Plan

The last year - and 400 years of knitting (20-4-10)

Almost 40 people attended the AGM of the Cropwell Bishop Heritage Group this evening.

Lesley Barlow, Ann Mansell and Mike Lowe retained their key roles in leading the Group forward and several new people took over the committee places of those who retired.

The balance sheet showed a very healthy balance and the members present were virtually unanimous in their support of the Committee continuing their aim of saving the Old School Room.

With the formalities of the AGM out of the way, it was time for a glass of wine and a range of cheeses before the second event of the evening; a presentation by two ladies from the Ruddington Framework Knitters’ Museum. Using a projector they told the fascinating history of knitting in Ruddington.

When William Lee from Calverton (just 10 miles away) invented his knitting machine in 1589, he started a revolution in the production of stockings that resulted in the manufacture of lace eventually being a massive industry in Nottingham. And the best place to find out all about its history is the Museum at Ruddington.

It was also interesting to discover how a group of individuals in Ruddington worked hard over the last forty years to preserve the heritage of its community. Inspiration for our own village mabe?

Tony Jarrow

Memories of steam on track (19-1-10)

The ‘lost railways of Nottinghamshire’ were brought back life by Geoffrey Kingscott at tonight’s meeting of the Heritage Group. Over 50 members and guests packed the Memorial Hall for his illustrated talk and it did not disappoint them.

Supported by numerous photos taken by himself and his wife, together with many illustrations and old pictures, his talk reminded us of a past time when a journey by rail was quite an adventure.

Maybe we are forgetting the dirty windows, those carriages without a corridor and trains without heating but, even so, the wonderful images of Nottingham’s Victoria Station alongside its replacement, the Victoria Shopping Centre and flats, was enough to bring tears to older eyes.

You forget how many tracks and stations spread out from the very centre of Nottingham and wish that someone had had the foresight to see how that infrastructure could have been utilised to enable 21st Century commuters to move around Nottinghamshire with tiny carbon footprints.

Forty-seven years after the Beeching Report it is easy to say ‘they’ got it all wrong but, at that time, weren’t we all a bit guilty of yearning for a ‘better world’ of modern buildings and a space-age life where nuclear energy would be so plentiful it would hardly be worth charging for?

I suppose that if the railways had not disappeared, we would have not spent a lovely evening being nostalgic about them!

With a glass of wine on our arrival the evening got off to a good start and loosened our tongues after coping with three weeks of freezing air. After the talk, we were served delicious hot-dogs and hot drinks by the hardworking members in the kitchen.

Those who shop at Barlows Butchers in the village, would not have been surprised to be told that owner, Gary, had supplied the sausages – you can taste the difference - but to hear that he had provided then free of charge was just amazing. Thanks Gary.

If you were unable to be there tonight, take a few moments to enjoy these photos and see what you missed. Next time you could be there. Keep an eye on the Diary page for full details of future events.

Tony Jarrow

The Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop (10-8-09)

The booklet, “The Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop” by Aubrey and Ethel Harper, is a fascinating and authoritative history of the village. It was published in 1988 but has long been out-of-print.

In response to requests by several villagers, the Cropwell Bishop Heritage Group is arranging to have a reprint.

Of interest to all, this book would make an ideal Christmas present or an invaluable homework resource for young people.

The cost of a copy will depend on the number we order from the printers, but it will not exceed £9.

If you would like to order a copy, please telephone Ann Mansell on 9892770.

Tea and Nostalgia: Barbara Pugh reports (18-7-09)

There was a good turnout for the Tea and Nostalgia afternoon. Folk who travelled from as far away as Coventry and Yorkshire were particularly pleased to be served copious amounts of tea and biscuits as we began to reminisce about the good - and sometimes bad - old days.

The Heritage group had put together a compilation DVD which held the attention of the audience for over an hour. It was a bittersweet time for some, as we watched Rose Barlow, Denis Smith and Mary Baxter share memories; but there were some more recent ones too - from Harold Smith, Tony Carter, Jean Robinson, Margaret Brown and Denis Smith's sister, Pat.

There were empathetic groans from some of the older members as the 'terrible teacher' was mentioned by a number of the interviewees, as well laughter and murmers of 'I remember that!' from the engrossed audience. Childhood memories were refreshed for many; and we look forward to the next instalment!

Doctor Leadley remembers: Barbara Pugh reports (28-4-09)

The half hour preceding the main event of the evening, Dr Martin Leadley ‘Remembering’, was taken up by the AGM; business was dealt with swiftly, succinctly and with the committee being re-elected with no trouble at all!

Then Chairman, Leslie Barlow, introduced Dr Martin Leadley, who needed no introduction to most folk present, as he hasn’t changed one bit over the years- apparently it is all down to bowling and Adele Davis’ book on ‘You are what you eat’, which has been his companion for the last half century (and which many of his patients found equally interesting, informative and helpful over the years).

He galloped us through his early years as a probationary GP to Drs Croft and Wade.(I remember Dr Wade as a tall, gentle, man with a mop of greying fair hair who always wore a grey suit on the – numerous – times I encountered him; and Dr Crofts as a bristly moustached, tweed jacketed, ex-army sort of man who looked as though he would have been more comfortable striding across a grouse moor with a gun under his arm than handing out advice and potions in his surgery in the front room of his Long Acre, Bingham, home.) Dr Leadley reminisced about pouring out cough mixture as a cure all – different strengths of pink mixture had varying amounts of opium in them, apparently; and how when a lorry stopped at the cross roads of Long Acre and Tythby Road, the entire surgery would shake in time to the lorry’s idling engine, and all conversation and examination had to pause until it had passed!

He then rushed us through his original opinion of Cropwell Bishop – very nice; and his opinion of the inhabitants – extremely friendly, and he became quite emotional as he shared a story of mentioning to one chap that he was looking for some cabbage plants, only to look out of his bedroom window at 7.15a.m. the following morning to gaze upon a row of freshly set cabbage plants and the old chap and his son just planting the last few. So, perhaps we owe his long association with the village to a row of cabbage plants!

He worked hard to expand the practice, becoming personal physician to the RCAF estate at Radcliffe on Trent, and assisting at Saxondale Hospital; then, when dear old Dr Roache retired from Colston Bassett to go back home to Ireland and fish his beloved rivers, how that practice came into the ‘family’, and the practice covered much of the vale from Bingham to Stathern as well as Cotgrave. That meant taking on more staff; and he shared his dilemma of meeting the one who would be his ‘right hand man and load sharer’ for the next period of his practice: you see, Martin Leadley comes from Yorkshire, and his partner comes from Lancashire! Wisely, that fact did not impair their excellent relationship.

The trials of surgery premises in Cropwell Bishop was mentioned with fondness. From a front room with chairs (hard, straight backed, unyielding) and magazines (old – naturally) on a table in the middle and the surgery in the room next door; to the first purpose built one at the bottom of a kind villager’s garden (opposite the Co-Op) with ‘state of the art’ equipment and a separate examination room.

He then answered questions from the audience; and there were many reminiscent smiles on the faces of the audience as we remembered the ‘former days’!

Leslie thanked him; the appreciative audience applauded him, then it was time for the general notices, the ‘100’ Club numbers and raffle to be drawn, and the socialising to begin.

The ‘village folk’ and farming fraternity were delighted to see one of the erstwhile pillars of the local area amongst them; and there became a queue of folk waiting to shake the hand of Phil Harrison, late Blacksmith of Cropwell Butler, now 88 years old and on holiday back on his old stamping ground. Leslie was honoured with a hug – Phil always did have an eye for an attractive young lady!

Cropwell Bishop during the War (17-10-08)

At tonight's meeting of the Heritage Group, local historian Bob Hammond recalled his own experiences as a child evacuee during the last World War. Local people also added their own memories of those years. We even had the chance to sample food from the period - although I suspect that it didn't taste as good 68 years ago. The Memorial Hall was so packed that Ann Mansell warned that rationing was a possibility. Fortunately, the threat proved unfounded and both food and wine flowed freely. A hamper of food was won in the raffle and everyone walked home content. Another successful village event.