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CITY OF DERBY RETIRED TEACHERS
ISSUE NO 81
NEWSLETTER
June
2015
Main items in this
Issue
2. In Our Thoughts - Biddy
Robinson & Ann Salt
3. There Will Never Be
Another You - Ann Salt
5. Sent to Coventry
- Bill Grange
9. Now for something
completely Different
- Rick Horth
10. Our Extended visit to
Krakow - Biddy Robinson and
Janet Isherwood
The Newsletter is edited and designed
by Bill Grange
For future issues send material to him at :
19 Elm Grove, Allestree - DE22 2HB
01332 551403
[email protected]
15. Mr Straw’s House - Diana
Grange
Visit our website:
www.codretts.co.uk
Compiled by Bert Mason
CONTACTS
Chairman: Mrs. E R Lancaster (01332) 676567
Vice Chairman: Mr R Horth (01332 551624
Secretary: Mrs. B R Ward (01332) 550383
Treasurer: Mr. F P Wilson (01332) 771658
TSN Representative: Mrs. J McGarry (01773) 607206
- NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS -
Newsletter June 2015
2
In Our Thoughts
Since the last Newsletter, we have sent
get well cards to Molly Hipkin, Mrs.
A.R. Sheard, and Chris Jowitt, all of
whom are on the road to recovery. We
send them all our very best wishes.
Chris Jowitt, a committee member, has
had a particularly difficult time and we
are pleased to know that she is now on
the mend and hope to see her soon at
our meetings and activities.
Luckily, the majority of us seem to be
keeping well and enjoying our lovely
fresh green country, even if it is not
quite as warm as we would like!! Have
a healthy and happy summer.
Biddy Robinson and Ann Salt
Contact Biddy on 01773 823954
and Ann on 01332 513412
For Your Diary
2015
The Cover Photo…
Wednesday 17th June:
Summer Outing to Castle Howard,
Yorkshire
Tuesday 7th July:
Summer Ramble - details on
page 15
Tuesday 1st September:
Coffee Morning - Guest Speaker
Richard Booth ‘Riding Route 66 on
a Harley Davison’
Wednesday 21st October
Theatre Visit - ‘Annie’ in
Birmingham
Tuesday 3rd November
Coffee Morning - Guest Speaker
Alan Hopkin, Musician ‘My Life in Music’
Friday 20th Nov To Mon 23rd Nov
Long Weekend - details in this
newsletter.
…is of Meadow Cranesbill. This mid-summer flower, which is a strong blue colour,
is one of several wild geraniums growing
in Britain. In Derbyshire, Meadow
Crane’sbill, is found quite commonly along
roadsides in locations where the soil is
alkaline. The limestone area of the Peak
District - the ‘White Peak’ - is therefore a
stronghold of this plant.
It is one of several roadside plants whose
original meadow habitat has been largely
destroyed by modern farming methods.
Bill Grange
OCTOBER THEATRE OUTING
We are pleased to say we have secured Stalls
seats for the Matinee of ‘Annie’ for
Wednesday 21st October in Birmingham.
See booking form in this Newsletter.
Newsletter June 2015
3
There’ll Never Be
Another You Part 2:
Finger Prints
can also be found on toes, soles, palms
and fingers. Once prints are taken they
are photographed and enlarged.
By Ann Salt
We and the Americans work differently
when giving fingerprint evidence. They
use pictures whereas we use ACV which
stands for Analysing, Comparing and
Evaluating - the evidence of ridge flow,
ridge path and ridge dimensional attributes such as bifurcation (when ridges
join randomly). We present evidence verbally and have to use someone with good
presentation skills to put across the information in a clear and concise way that can
be understood by everyone. When experts compare prints with a
data base of previous
criminals 4 or 5 characteristics are used
and 3 experts are
used to check all the
details.
Paul Newsham,
Forensic Lecturer
& Consultant, in his second talk to
CODRTs at our coffee morning on the
3rd February, explained the importance
of photography, finger prints and biometrics (eye retina recognition for instance is
progressing phenomenally) in solving
crime. He spent a seven years apprenticeship in order to become a finger print
expert. After working for the
Manchester police, he transferred to Derbyshire,
then Staffordshire, finally becoming a
chairman of a group
of Midland forces.
Paul is an expert of 31
years, whose work has encompassed air crashes, murders
and robbery. Leonard’s Theory states that
everyone leaves something behind. When
considering fingerprints we must realise
that everyone’s are unique. Experts have
to look at the ridgeology of the prints in
close detail. Using a squirrel brush, black,
white or aluminium powder is used to
emphasise the ridges and make clear the
unique patterns. There are at least 1,036
different patterns and each person can
have 10 different patterns of their own.
They are named as an arch, tented arch, a
loop or whorl etc. The ridges form black
lines. Each ridge has pore holes extruding sweat which in itself can be collected
by swab for researching DNA. Patterns
At the Police Station a
mouth swab is taken, as are
finger and palm prints (these are compared with those at the crime scene) and
a photograph is taken. The prints at the
station are ink prints for easier
recognition. Considering all the information, an expert will choose how many
prints need to be identified. This could
be up to ten. Once again, presentation of
the evidence must be as good as the identification so that the layman can understand the thought processes behind the
evidence and come to an informed
conclusion.
During his talk Paul not only showed
us relevant video pictures but tried to
get us to identify criminals from photo-
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Newsletter June 2015
graphs of prints given to the audience
and, by participating in the process, we
managed to get more of an idea of the
expertise needed by those who deal with
finger prints on a daily basis.
This was an informative and enjoyable
talk by an expert who has the skills to put
across complicated material in a way
which can be understood by all. Added
to this he has a charming and down to
Wonderful English from
Around the World
earth manner which made him a success
with the audience. I’m sure we all came
away from the talk satisfied at how much
we’d learned and in such a pleasant way.
In a Tokyo Bar:
SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES
WITH NUTS.
In a Bangkok Temple:
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN,
EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A
MAN.
Hotel, Yugoslavia:
THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH
PLEASURE, IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.
Cocktail lounge, Norway:
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE
CHILDREN IN THE BAR.
In the lobby of a Moscow Hotel, across
from a Russian Orthodox Monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY, WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS
ARE BURIED DAILY, EXCEPT THURSDAY.
Dry Cleaners, Bangkok:
DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE
BEST RESULTS.
In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES
RUDE, OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.
Hotel, Zurich:
BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX
IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT
THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
On the main road to Mombassa, leaving
Nairobi:
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
Airline ticket office, Copenhagen:
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN
ALL DIRECTIONS.
In a Cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING
FLOWERS, FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN
GRAVES.
A Laundry in Rome:
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND
THEN SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A
GOOD TIME.
On the menu of a Swiss Restaurant:
OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO
HOPE FOR.
Seen in Abu Dhabi in a Souk shop window:
IF THE FRONT IS CLOSED PLEASE ENTER
THROUGH MY BACKSIDE…
Newsletter June 2015
Sent to Coventry
By Bill Grange
In the Middle Ages, Coventry was one of
the principal towns of England in fact
fourth in size, behind Norwich, Bristol
and, of course, London. It became prosperous due to the wool trade, including
the dyeing of cloth and many other industries such as glass and tile making. In the
twentieth century, heavy industry predominated, especially car manufacture
and the town became a city of over
200,000 population. Even so, in spite of
many inevitable changes, the centre of
Coventry was noteworthy in preserving
more medieval buildings than most other
cities. It was famous for a skyline dominated by the spires of three of its principal
ancient churches.
This was all to change on the night of 14th
November, 1940, when wave after wave
of bombers of the Luftwaffe rained down
tons of high explosive and incendiaries
on Coventry. It was an inevitable target,
many of its factories being converted to
munitions manufacture. There had been
smaller raids on the City earlier in the
War, but this raid was on an altogether
larger scale. In this one night much of the
old centre was left a smouldering ruin;
more than 4,300 houses were destroyed
together with around two-thirds of the
city's public buildings. These included St.
Michael’s Church, one of the finest examples of late medieval architecture in England, not long raised to the rank of a
cathedral, completely gutted in the firestorm which raged through the city. Over
500 people lost their lives, but the true
figure will never be known.
5
As soon as the war ended, rebuilding
began, including a huge traffic-free shopping precinct, the first of its kind in Europe, though in a then modern style
which is now generally derided as boring
and characterless. Much more inspired,
though, was the re-building of St.
Michael’s Cathedral which has, in contrast, received plaudits from all over the
world - but more of that later.
Our CODRTs party arrived in Coventry
on a sparkling day on 18th March of this
year. I had spent a gloomy two weeks in
Coventry in the middle of the winter of
1971/72, ‘attached’ to the Herbert Museum, as part of a Leicester University museum studies course, the City then still
bearing a few scars of the blitz. As our
coach threaded a circuitous through the
streets, I had totally lost my bearings, as
the city had been transformed yet again.
Even the brick-built 1950s shopping precinct had been swept away and tall glass
and concrete towers rose up everywhere,
most not at all lovely to my eyes, completely engulfing those famous three
spires, all of which had survived the war.
We disembarked outside the new cathedral and split into two groups, being led
by our city guides in different directions.
Our group walked along a path between
the ruins of the old cathedral and the new
one and into a tree-filled square, lined by
old houses which, I presume, had been
restored following the bombing. With the
miraculously intact Holy Trinity Church
at one end, this tranquil traffic-free oasis
conveys no indication of the mayhem of
75 years before. Behind the square we
were shown the substantial excavations of
Coventry’s first cathedral. This was part
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Newsletter June 2015
of a Benedictine monastery and was a
huge building which, at over 400 feet
long, was larger than Lichfield Cathedral
with which it shared a diocese but was a
victim of Henry VIII’s dissolution of the
monasteries in the mid 16th century.
We then circuited round and entered the
ruin of St. Michaels Church, the second
Cathedral of Coventry. I had visited it
several times before, but it never fails to
move me. Only the outer walls survive,
together with the magnificent tower and
soaring spire, the highest of those three
spires and the third tallest, at 310 feet, in
England, after those of Salisbury and
Norwich Cathedrals. Our guide told us of
the frantic and courageous efforts of the
fire-fighters on that terrible night of the
bombing, who attempted to throw the
incendiary bombs off the roof using
poles, until they were beaten back by the
fire storm. The ornate wooden roof was
soon engulfed by flames and fell into the
church, pulling the internal pillars down
with it.
leaf. The present cross is actually a replica
of the original, which is now housed in
the new cathedral.
Then we entered the new cathedral which
was completed in 1962. The designs for
re-building were subject to an open competition. Some entries involved the complete rebuilding of the old St. Michael’s as
the medieval edifice it once was, another
its replacement with a different neo-gothic design. The winning entry, by Basil
Spence, involved the retention of the ruin
as a memorial, with a completely new and
very modern church built onto it at right
angles. Personally, I think this a brilliant
concept. The new building marries into
the ruin via a projecting canopy and is
built of the same golden Hollington Sandstone, so the two buildings make a single
unit.
I like the new cathedral very much, but I
know many people don’t. One possible
criticism is that as you enter via the floorto ceiling glass entrance screen with its
free-form figures of angels engraved into
it - by John Hutton - because the windows in the zigzag side walls face towards
the altar and the internal walls are rendered in concrete - a rather plain aspect is
presented. This would normally be relieved by the towering presence of Graham Sutherland’s tapestry ‘Christ in
Majesty’ above the altar but, alas, at the
time of our visit this was swathed in scaffolding and fabric, it being subjected to
the first proper conservation work since
it was erected!
The gaunt remains are now a poignant
memorial to the folly of war. Most of the
roofless interior is empty but two monuments erected since the destruction stand
out: One is a bronze statue entitled ‘Reconciliation’, consisting of a man and
woman embracing and is meant to depict
two former enemies forgiving each other.
Then there is the most famous one - the
Charred Cross. This was hurriedly made
by wiring together two sections of burnt
roof beams, pulled from the rubble after
the bombing and erected at the east end
where the altar would have stood. Later As our guide led us further in, however,
the words ‘Father Forgive’ were engraved we were confronted with the spectacular
on the wall behind it, picked out in gold baptistery window - a blaze of coloured
Newsletter June 2015
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Newsletter June 2015
light produced by a chequerboard arrangement of stained glass tiles with abstract designs, made by John Piper. Then,
a glance up to the intricate wooden roof,
supported by slender tapering pillars, reinforces the fact that this building is of
the highest quality. I think the best effect
in the cathedral is that produced when
you turn round at the altar end and look
back, being confronted with a view of the
angled side windows, again filled with
coloured glass. On this sunny day, the
effect was stunning.
courthouse - and complete with Judge’s
chair and other fittings, Diana and I called
in at the nearby Holy Trinity. This medieval church, survived serious damage in
the blitz because its steeply sloping roofs
threw off the incendiaries, as opposed to
the flatter ones of St. Michael’s. It bears
the second highest of Coventry’s three
spires and is a very fine church. Its greatest treasure is a huge medieval wall painting of the Last Judgement, locally known
as the ‘Doom Painting’. Being covered in
whitewash since the time of the iconoclasts in the 16th Century and now carefulThere are many other features of note in ly restored, its colours are still vibrant.
this cathedral, including the tall cylindrical
Chapel of Unity with its extremely slim After that, Diana and I visited the Herbert
stained glass windows and lovely tiled Museum and Art Gallery, just across the
floor with designs reflecting the various large open space from the cathedrals. The
continents; the small Chapel of Christ in dour pre-war brick building which I reGethsemane where a mosaic figure of the membered has had a bright modern exArchangel Michael is viewed through a tension added, with an impressive airy
powerful representation in iron of the atrium. There is also a nicely done gallery
crown of thorns; and around the walls are on Coventry’s history. It features a video
separate, rather naïve, but charming, showing the post-war rebuilding. I think
sculptures representing the Stations of it had been commissioned by the City
the Cross. The Archangel Michael ap- Council at the time as it was a rather
pears again on the outside of the Cathe- biased. In an item portraying the then new
dral near the entrance in the form of a shopping precinct there was a statement
superb bronze statue by the great Jacob to the effect that ‘this is far better for the
Epstein, depicting him slaying a bound citizens than the former cramped medieand prone Devil.
val city centre’ and ‘most young people’s
reaction to it was that it was ‘smashing’’ I’m an agnostic but am always inspired by probably an unfortunate choice of phrase
great churches and I think that the new in the circumstances!
Coventry Cathedral is certainly one of
these.
Anyway, the trip to Coventry was certainly ‘smashing’ - a good choice for our
On leaving the cathedral, we were free to spring outing.
explore on our own before boarding the
coach back to Derby. After lunch in a pub
to the rear of the ruins of old St.
Michael’s, converted from a former
Newsletter June 2015
Now for Somewhere
Completely Different
9
involved flying from Heathrow to Lisbon
and then to the Azores.
By Rick Horth
Their guided party travelled to five of the
islands by planes and boats. The towns
Well, yes, we did stay on a volcano but varied in their appeal, most with particuthere hasn't been a serious eruption since larly picturesque architecture and atmos1957.
phere. We saw pictures of churches
exhibiting high levels of craftsmanship
You see, the Azores are a group of eight
and decoration in their construction
and the street scenes included typical black and white Portuguese
pavements. Litter and graffiti were
noticeably absent.
The islands typically rose three
thousand feet above sea level which
made for dramatic sea cliffs and
landscapes. The volcanic origins
were evident in fumaroles, geysers
and calderas, the collapsed craters of
old volcanoes, now usually filled
with water with densely wooded
Portuguese islands formed by volcanic
activity around the Mid Atlantic
Ridge. Generally they are lush green
and can grow crops including tea and
vines. With a warm climate and
enough rain to keep them green they
are a pleasant place to be.
How do we know this ?
Well at the April coffee morning our
own Bill Grange shared with us his
photographs and experiences of a trip
he and Diana made there for a walking
and exploration holiday. Travel there
PICTURES: Top - Seta Cidades Caldera on Sao
Miguel
Below - Pico, the highest volcano in the Azores
(7000 feet) from Sao Jorge
Newsletter June 2015
10
slopes to enhance the variety of scenic
features. The site of the most recent eruption, in 1957, had not yet been adopted by
the native vegetation as time is needed to
allow the toxic elements of the erupted
material to be neutralised by the processes
of weathering before they become the
fertile soils suitable for agriculture.
but the Azorean species - and less familiar
ones such as wall lizards. A wide variety
of ferns are native there and the largest
island, Sao Miguel, has a botanical garden
to display the flora and fauna.
Unsurprisingly, due to their location in
mid ocean, the sea has played a significant
part in the islands history. Whaling has
The wildlife was varied and included contributed to this with artefacts dissome familiar sights such as a grey wagtail played in a whaling museum but happily
the activity no longer continues.
For those tourists willing to take
to the sea in ships they can be
rewarded with the company of
dolphins and Bill showed us videos of a fin whale, second only to
the blue whale in size, which
briefly joined their party. During
the Second World War the islands were used for a British submarine base.
It sounded to have been a holiday
with a difference. Thanks to Bill
for sharing it with us.
Horta: The main town on the island of Faial
Photos by Bill Grange
Long Weekend
FRIDAY
MONDAY
20TH
to
23RD
dral and Christmas Market or wander
through the narrow streets.
NOVEMBER 2015 A visit to Salisbury probably best known
for its Cathedral, one of the tallest medieWe will be staying at The Grand Harbour val structure in the world with foundaHotel (four star)Southampton which is tions only four feet deep.
situated on the waterfront. Accommodation is Bed and Breakfast with an evening Included Coach travel throughout.
meal on the first night.
£294.60 pp
Proposed visits to Winchester, once the
capital of Saxon Kings. Visit the Cathe-
Newsletter June 2015
11
Our Extended Visit to
Krakow
reveal religious figures sculpted and painted in gold and vivid colours.
By Biddy Robinson
Also in the market square is a monument
to Adam Mickiewicz, Poland’s national
poet, a traditional meeting place for locals. There is also tiny St. Adelbert’s
Church, the oldest building in the square,
parts of which date from the 10th century. There is also the City Hall tower with
its Mediaeval characteristics and our favourite, The Cloth Hall. The Cloth Hall
divides the square into two parts. It is a
beautiful building of arcades and arches,
housing stalls selling Polish folk art, handicrafts, leather goods, lace, pottery, wood
carvings and amber jewellery. We all enjoyed browsing and shopping here.
On 8th May, a group of CODRTs enjoyed
a few day’s stay in Krakow, once Poland’s
capital, now its second city. It is known as
the city of one hundred churches and the
Polish Mecca and it certainly lived up to
its magical reputation.
The city’s plan reminded me of a spoon,
with the handle leading up to Wawel Hill
with its beautiful castle, museum and cathedral complex, which we all explored.
From here, a short walk took us to the
Old Town. Krakow once had a city wall,
now long gone, but in its place is a park
called the Planty, an area of trees, grass
and flowers, completely surrounding the
Medieval town with its network of cobbled streets, lovely town houses and
churches. Any one of these streets leads
to the main square or Rynek, the largest
Medieval market square in Europe.
We all loved this square with its open-air
cafes, accordion players, fountains and
flowers, mainly pansies. To one side of
the square is St. Mary’s Basilica with its
uneven towers. One is a bell tower and
the other has a Gothic cupola illuminated
at night. In the past, a trumpet call was
played from here at dawn and dusk to
announce the opening and closing of the
city gates. Now, a trumpet call is played
every hour.
Inside the church are impressive murals
and baroque altars, but the Gothic High
Altar is the most magnificent. It has two
wings and two shutters, which open to
A few of us were lucky enough to find
Rynek Underground, called Podziemia
Rynku. This is a treasure trove of knowledge about Krakow’s past, hidden a few
metres underground between St. Mary,s
Church and the Cloth Hall. It was opened
in 2010 and the latest technology has been
used to bring these archaeological finds to
life, which date from the 10th century.
One surprise was a series of portraits of
historical figures which came to life, reminding me of the Harry Potter films!!
Some of our group went to Auschwitz Birkenau, a few miles from the City and
Janet Isherwood has written something about it:
It was with mixed emotions that many of
us visited the extermination camps of
Auschwitz - Birkenau. We entered under
a replica of the sign Arbeit Macht Frei
(‘Work Makes You Free’) and walked
12
Newsletter June 2015
Central Krakow - Bill Grange
Newsletter June 2015
beside the railway lines where cattle trucks
had unloaded Polish political prisoners,
gypsies and Jews from all over Europe.
Their fate was decided by the flick of the
Commandant’s finger - either work or
execution, whilst an orchestra played. We
entered barracks which had housed
400people, death cells, shower rooms and
blocks containing ovens. The horror was
brought home by the glass cases filled
with shoes spectacles, hairbrushes, human hair and even empty cans of Zyclon
B, the crystals used in the gas
chambers. The sheer scale of Birkenau
was incredible, 300 barracks on 175 hectares where 1-3 million people died.
The entire complex is run extremely well
by the Polish Government with millions
of visitors from all over the world.
We held a minute’s silence to remember
those atrocities and all the people who
lost their lives. We hope for the future
that we will learn from the past.
***
Another visit we made was to Wieliczka
Salt Mine. This consists of almost 3km. of
meandering corridors, 800 steps to climb
of which 350 have to be descended to
reach 135 metres underground. There are
magnificent chambers chiselled out in
rock salt, underground saline lakes, majestic timber constructions and unique statues sculpted in salt. We saw effigies of the
miners, their tools and machines and the
chapel with its saline works of art. Fortunately, our journey back to the surface
was by miner’s lift, which saved our already tired legs!!
13
Some of us also went to Kasimierz, the
old Jewish quarter of Krakow and visited
the only synagogue in use. This is the
Remuh synagogue, named after a famous
philosopher and rabbi. He and his family
are buried in the cemetery. The Jewish
community was a thriving one before the
occupation but during the war, most of
the Jews were sent to Auschwitz, their
cemeteries destroyed and synagogues
closed. Now there are only just over a
hundred Jews in the city.
Krakow itself remains a beautiful city. It
suffered no destruction during the war
and is a lovely place to stroll round. There
are treasures round every corner. A few
worth mentioning are St. Florian’s Gate
and The Barbican, the University - a beautiful Gothic edifice founded by Casimir
the Great in 1364. It has an old clock with
moving figures representing people connected with the university. There is also
the Old Palace Theatre and St. Francis
Basilica with its lovely stained glass windows. I could go on and on! Horses and
carriages or electric buggies are everywhere for those needing a rest from walking.
A gentle stroll by the Vistula River in the
sunshine on our last day took us back to
our very pleasant hotel, a fitting end to a
lovely holiday.
Krakow Coat of Arms
14
Newsletter June 2015
Wieliczka Salt Mines- Bill Grange
Krakow, Jewish Quarter:
on right the Oscar Schindler
Factory, with pictures of some of
the people he rescued
in the window - Bill Grange
15
Newsletter June 2015
Announcement:
Summer Ramble 2015
It is proposed to hold our annual Ramble
on Tuesday, 7th July. We will be walking
from Ticknall on a good path that takes
us down to Calke Abbey and back to
Ticknall village.
We will meet at the car park at Ticknall
village hall at 10.00 a.m. and then walk
through the park and down to the house,
past the Church and down to the
Reservoir. We will walk by the lake and
past the deer park, to take the path back
through the woods to Ticknall. The Staff
of Life in Ticknall provides a good lunch
to finish our walk. It is about five miles
of gentle walking.
Mr Straw’s House
Red Deer Stag in Calke Park
By Bill Grange
Please could you let me know beforehand
if you will be coming so that I can inform
the Staff of Life of possible numbers. My
telephone number is 01332 765485.
Val Holmes
and curtains, Axminster carpets from
Harrods and furnished with a new WC in
By Diana Grange
the bathroom, a new gas stove and electriFor a National Trust working holiday in cal sockets. Typically, the décor was rathFebruary of this year I was privileged to er dark, with grained woodwork.
have the opportunity to go back in time to
the 1930s by helping to get No. 7 Blyth After both parents died, their bedroom
Grove, Worksop – ‘Mr. Straw’s House’ was kept as it was in 1939 and the furniready for the new season. I had done a ture covered in newspaper. William reconservation course at Kedleston Hall last turned from his London teaching post to
year, so I was prepared for how various keep house and Walter continued workobjects are cleaned and cared for: Forget ing in the family shop as a grocer and seed
using a Henry vacuum cleaner, 1001, merchant in Worksop. From then on
nothing else was changed in the house,
Pledge, Flash, Fairy Liquid, etc.!
the two sons living in the past; there was
First, the history: Mr. Straw’s house is a never a radio, television, or central heattypical Edwardian semi and Mr Straw and ing. When William died in 1990, aged 92,
his wife, with his two sons William and he left the contents to the National Trust,
Walter, moved into it in 1923. The house who later bought the house as well.
was decorated with Sanderson wallpapers
Newsletter June 2015
One of the jobs I did was to remove layers
of acid-free tissue paper which were covering the 1930s newspaper on the parents’
bed, applied by the Trust, throughout the
house to protect the contents and surfaces during the winter.
It was fun unwrapping the many stored
objects and putting them back – under
strict supervision! I came across three bits
of candle and was amazed to learn that
they belonged on the mantelpiece alongside more worthy objects!
The contents of the lumber room were
replaced after it had been cleaned and
inspected for signs of vermin – and it was
all put back to look just as chaotic and
untidy as was before! No effort is made to
sort it out; it has stayed the same since the
1930s. I was asked to clean a tea service as
it had been in a display cabinet. I used a
small vacuum cleaner strapped to my back
in combination with a pony-hair brush.
First I had to brush out the dust then flick
it into the vac!
Because the house is small by National
Trust standards it is essential to book in
advance if you want to visit – only four
people being admitted each hour, but it is
really worthwhile to get a unique glimpse
into the life of a middle class grocer of
the1930s.
Photo: Mr Straw’s House
National Trust
To find out more: Tel. 01909 482380 / [email protected]
The Newsetter in Colour
for CODRTs Budget.. However, the
online version on our website is indeed
in colour!.
Well, yes, this printed version is in glorious black and white! It would be really
Visit www.codretts.co.uk and
good to have the illustrations in colour have a look at it.
but, unfortunately, the cost of printing
it this way is, at the moment, too much
© 2015 City of Derby Retired Teachers’ Group Telephone (01332) 550383
Printed by Go-digital Print, Osmaston Rd., Derby