The Magazine of Lenton Local History Society

Lenton Photographic Queries

Occasionally we come across Lenton photographs where we lack certain information about them. This page features some of the photographs where we want to know more. Any additional information we are subsequently able to acquire will be included in the section below the photographs.



Photograph courtesy of Stephen Tring
We know the location for this photograph - the stretch of open space between Castle Boulevard and Sherwin Road with the Albion Hotel visible on the left of the photograph. What we would like to know is more about the organisation(s) whose members are posing for their photograph. Clearly the banner mentions the Nottingham & Notts Sick and Annual Societies and there is also a reference on it to the Children's Hospital - but what other references were to be found on the lower half of the banner and does anyone have a suggestion as to when the photograph was taken?


Replies:- Ivor Williamson
I think that this photograph shows a local gathering of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes and the large banner behind them relates to their charity.

If you look on the smaller banner you will see a pair of horns, very faint but they are there.




Gavin Holman has a web site which among other things features old photographs of brass bands. This very blurred image taken from his web site shows members of the Lenton brass band which Gavin understands was certainly around in the early part of the twentieth century. He doesn't know any other details about the band and doesn't have access to a better image. We would obviously like to learn more about the band and if possible get hold of a superior copy of the photograph. Those who would like to know more about Gavin's website should click on http://www.ibew.co.uk



Photograph courtesy of Lenton Local History Society
This photograph appeared on picture postcard produced by J. Spree. It shows a steam wagon with the registration number FE-2031 after it had crashed through the garden wall of 259 Derby Road, Lenton. We would like to pinpoint the date when this accident happened then we could check out the local papers to see if the mishap made the pages of the local press. One way of assisting us is to find someone with another copy of the picture postcard but one that has been sent through the post and so has a postmark with a date on it. Then we can better gauge when the photograph might have been taken


Replies:- Ian Carney
The steam wagon shown in the photograph is an "overtype" made by Clayton & Shuttleworth of Lincoln. As far as I can tell, all their steam wagons bore the registration prefix 'FE'. I have a photograph of a beautifully restored wagon of the same type. The legend reads:-

Photograph courtesy of Ian CarneyClayton & Shuttleworth 5 ton compound wagon. Built 1920. Works no. 48510, Reg. no. FE-3344. The wagon is pictured in front of Shuttleworth House, was sold new to West Morland County Council. By 1934 it had moved to Tarroads of Battersea, London. Eventually being sold to engine dealers and scrap merchants J. W. Hardwicke & Sons of West Ewell. It passed through several owners before being purchased by the present owner D. Scott, in 1995. It was exhibited as part of the The Clayton & Shuttleworth Millennium Event at the Society's Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre, 16th and 17th September 2000, at which this picture was taken.

If Clayton's had a batch of registration numbers, then the Lenton one (FE-2031) obviously was built a little before 1920. The brightwork on the wagon appears to be quite shiny so we might assume it is not too old. I would therefore think early 1920s is probably about the time the picture was taken.

Further speculation would suggest that the wagon has rolled backwards whilst unattended. Brakes were very rudimentary and instructions to drivers at the time were to stop with the wheels chocked and into the kerb. The fact that she is still steaming, suggests that some attempt to drive her out is about to be made.



Photograph courtesy of David Greatorex
In a local second hand book shop David Greatorex came across a copy of Walter Scott's novel 'The Heart of Midlothian' which contained this sticker attached to the front fly leaf of the book. The book is described as a 'Prize Library' edition. We would be interested to learn if there are any other people with books containing this particular sticker and also whether anybody knows anything about the organisation which was handing them out or whereabouts on Lenton Boulevard they might have been based.





Photograph courtesy of John Hibbitt
John Hibbitt recently [2009] found this sign for sale in a local junk shop. We doubt very much whether this actually has anything to do with Lenton, as such, but John wondered whether anyone had any idea where the sign might have come from. The name 'Timber Hill' does feature in Nottingham's past as it was the old name for South Parade but this name ceased to be used after 1795. The paintwork on the sign looks suspiciously recent so maybe it featured in some sort of historical tableau put on in the twentieth century - if so any suggestions as to when and where?




Photograph courtesy of John Hibbitt
John Hibbitt recently [2009] came across this picture postcard. On the back the message written there was 'Best Wishes from THE SNOWDROP GIRLS (Lenton Club Girls) 25th May 1914'. If anyone can tell us who or what the Snowdrop Girls were we should be delighted to hear from them.








Photograph courtesy John Hibbit
John Hibbitt also acquired this picture postcard in 2009. The Lenton connection comes in the caption which reads '3 Speed' winning Munition 'Derby' for the Raleigh. From this we assume the postcard recorded a World War One fund-raising event possibly involving workers from local munitions factories one of which would have been the Raleigh Cycle Company which went over to the production of shell casings and the like for the duration of the war. Although at first glance the location of the photograph may appear to be the Gregory Ground on Derby Road, Lenton closer examination suggests that the buildings are not those of this particular stretch of Derby Road. Can anyone suggest a possible location for this photograph and does anyone have any additional information about the event in question?



Photograph courtesy of Jean Button
Jean Button sent us this photograph of her aunt, Emily 'Betty' Searston nee Daley taken some time in the late 1930s. She initially thought it was taken at a house in Cecil Street, off Castle Boulevard, where she was living at this period. However, on reflection, she decided it couldn't have been there, as the general scene shown in the background does not match her memory of what was at the rear of the properties on Cecil Street. Given this, does anyone have any idea where this photograph might have been taken?







Do you have any information about any of the photographs on this page? If so, email us with the details or write to us.


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