Lenton Times

The Magazine of Lenton Local History Society

Entrance to the old Lenton Boys School, at the junction of Lenton Boulevard and Sherwin Road.

The architect's drawing for Lenton Girls School

A 2005 view of Lenton Boulevard taken from its junction with Osmaston Street and looking towards the junction with Castle Boulevard and Sherwin Road.  The school complex on the other side of the Road is Lenton Primary School although part of the building facing on to Lenton Boulevard now provides a base for the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum.

At the beginning of the 1990s Adam Campbell opened a fruit and vegetable shop at 15 Lenton Boulevard.  It operated for a number of years but insufficient trade forced its closure and the groundfloor area was then used as a store for items of tool hire belonging to Mitchells, based across the road.

 The shop shown in the previous photograph is no longer open for business - the security grill remains permanently down, at least for the time being (2006).  But the New Lenton Post Office which also features in the next two photographs is still very much with us.

One of the former New Lenton postmasters was Ken Gulliver, shown here standing in the doorway to the shop in a 1987 photograph.
See The Lenton Listener article in Issue No.47

 The junction of Lenton Boulevard and Trinity Avenue in the 1920's with New Lenton Post Office on the right and the tower of what was then Lenton Council Infants Department on the left.

This 2004 photograph focuses on the Boulevard properties between Church Street and Trinity Avenue.  But for the foliage on the trees the Post Office shown in the previous photograph should have been visible in the far distance.

 The site of Lenton Boulevard Petrol Station in October 2000.  The steel work is being put in for the block of shops on the Boulevard.
See also Church Street Gallery

Lenton Boulevard's new block of shops in 2004.  The occupants at the time of the photograph are Blockbusters, Ladbrokes, and Jacksons.  Ladbrokes had moved there from the old co-op building at the corner of Church Street and Lenton Boulevard. Jacksons, now acquired by Sainsburys, occupy the Church Street end of the block and its arrival meant that other existing shops on Lenton Boulevard found they couldn't compete and simply ceased trading.

An undated picture postcard published by J. Spree showing the view along Lenton Boulevard on the approach to the junction with Church Street.  Both the buildings seen either side of the junction are still with us although there have been several changes of use since the building on the left housed the No.2 branch of the Nottingham Co-op and the building on the right was a bank.

This photograph was one featured in an early series of picture postcards entitled 'Hall's Views of Lenton' which were published about 1904.  Looking south along Lenton Boulevard this particular one shows the Church Street junction in the foreground.  As can be seen in this shot the stanchions for the tram wires were situated in the middle of the road.  Later they would be moved to the sides as can be seen in the previous photo.

Part of the block of shops at the corner of Lenton Boulevard and Church Street. Photograph taken in 1998.
Robinson's sweet shop used to be housed in the shop on the right that was unoccupied at the time of the photograph and up to the present day
See also Robinson's Sweet Shop
See also Church Street Gallery

The annual Versaki celebrations in Nottingham involve a procession through the streets as members of the Sikh community make their way to each of the principal gurdwaras in the city.  Here part of the procession is seen making its way along Lenton Boulevard in May 2005.
More of Jonathan Devlin's photographs can be found at www.flickr.com

Angela Spencer, the current proprietor of Lorna's florist shop poses for her photograph in 2006.
See our feature on the shop in Lenton Times No.24 - also see www.lornaflorist.co.uk

The property at the south west corner of Lenton Boulevard and Derby Road taken in 1998.  In the early part of the century it had housed a doctor's surgery.
See also Derby Road Gallery

The same building in the early 1900's.  The tram is on its way along the Boulevard to Radford and the terminus on Hartley Road.  For more on Lenton and the tram system see Issue No.8.
See also Derby Road Gallery

Lenton Boulevard - East side returning from Derby Road to the junction with Sherwin Road
Click on each photograph below  to show the enlarged version

Bickley's the jewellers at 72 Lenton Boulevard in the 1980s.  After Jack Bickley's departure the premises were altered for the present occupants, Burrows and Close, the chemists.
See also Lenton Listener Article - The Shop that Jack Built

A 1980s view of Lenton Boulevard taken from the tower of Holy Trinity Church.  The vicarage garden now houses the new vicarage and the petrol station has since made way for the new shops.

La Grenouille restaurant situated at the corner of Mettham Street and Lenton Boulevard.  This became an established part of the Lenton scene in the 1980s. The property is also supposed to be the birth place of Albert Ball VC.
See Lenton Listener No.14

Lenton Boulevard at its junction with Mettham Street.  Photograph taken in 1998.

This dinky set of two- storey properties always seem rather dwarfed by the adjacent properties either side of them.  In all likelihood these preceded their three-storey neighbours' arrival and were probably constructed soon after School Street (the forerunner of Lenton Boulevard) was constructed in the early 1870s.

When you access the large version of this you will discover the 'location' of the Lenton School of Dancing.  The presumption is that 18 Lenton Boulevard was in fact the home address of Mr Renals rather than the actual location at which the dancing lessons took place.  If anyone can tell us more, please get in touch.

The junction of Lenton Boulevard and Hart street in 1998.  
See also Hart Street Gallery

The shutters are down on Lok's takeaway but it would have been open later in the evening whereas Mitchell's ironmongers is very much open for business as evidenced by the products displayed on the forecourt.
A feature on Mitchell's shop is featured in Lenton Times Issue No. 14

When first opened this building, situated at the junction of Lenton Boulevard and Sherwin Road, housed the Lenton Unsectarian Schools. Now it is Edna G. Olds Nursery annexe.   Photograph taken in 1986.

 Lenton Boulevard - Derby Road to Ilkeston Road
Click on each photograph below  to show the enlarged version

On the right is part of the Marcus Garvey Centre housed in a portion of the old Raleigh head offices.  Police were called out to an attempted burglary in one of the houses on the left of the photograph which subsequently led to the shooting of PC Rachel Bown  over in Radford on 14 February 2006.

An aerial shot showing this portion of Lenton Boulevard in 1931.  The Raleigh offices had just been built and the Cottesmore Schools, visible in the foreground, were also nearing completion.  This is a portion of an aerial photograph that appeared in Lenton Times No.22.

St Paul's Catholic Church, Lenton Boulevard
Map

Exterior view of St Paul's, Lenton Boulevard (on 1st November 2003) . There has been some rebuilding over recent years.  The entrance and main part of the church are original, with the tower and adjoining hall added more recently.

Original entrance to St Paul's, Lenton Boulevard.

Interior view of St Paul's - looking towards the alter. The original part of the church has the arched roof supports. The new part of the building can be seen around the altar area.

Interior Views of St Paul's - looking towards the altar. This section is relatively new.

Interior View of St Paul's - looking back towards the entrance door. The small chapel containing the font can be seen on the bottom left.

 Interior of St Paul's showing the font. This area is situated to the right of the church, as you look toward the altar.

Exterior of St Paul's, showing the church sign - unfortunately covered by adverts for a jumble sale.