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Bits & Bobs
MINI-BITES FROM 1964 - 18 children sat for the Scripture Exam. The Congregational Church was to build "Bradley Hall". We had a trip to Chester. Alan Bramall wrote the script, and with Trevor Edinborough spoke the narration for a taped sound track to the filmstrip "Martin Luther" Sister Janet left us in August, the "Gentlemen's Row" of cottages in Victoria Street were to be demolished.
Upon the outbreak of the last war Mr. Fred Smith arranged to buy roller blinds and fix strips of wood on the sides of the windows to meet blackout requirements.
On September 9th, 1941 Derbyshire Education Committee asked for the loan of vestries
in the event of a blitz in the district for anyone who was rendered homeless.
The request was granted.
On 17th June 1941 it was decided not to purchase a stirrup pump because the
Victoria Street Firewatchers would deal with fires caused by incendiary bombs in
return for the loan of the vestry each week for fire and first aid practice.
The Air Raid Warden was notified that keys to the Church could be obtained at
50 Station Road - Mr. Larges, and 60 Queen Street - Mr. Priddles.
In 1942 a Renovation Fund was launched with £12, the work to be done
"As soon after the war as possible".
A retiring collection in 1942 was used to send a Christmas gift "to all
our young people who were with us when entering service for our country".
In 1944 the Trust was "having difficulty with some youths molesting evening
meetings and sometimes Sunday services, and with doing wilful damage to windows
and doors by throwing stones". After a discussion it was thought best to warn children
in the Sunday School on this matter and if it persisted then police prosecution
would be resorted to.
So thronged was the Sunday School in the war years that two morning sessions
were held - 9.30 - 10.45 for the Primary and 10.45 - 12 noon for the Juniors.
Then the few hard worked staff had to return for the afternoon school.
1940's SUNDAY SCHOOL - Sunday School Teachers must have been in plentiful supply in 1942, because in that year the Annual Meeting "elected" Cyril Smith, Roy Cantrell, Jim Richardson, Colin Greenwood and Roy Needham to teach the boys and Fred Smith, Percy Kirk, Ida Peabody and Annie Goodwin to teach the girls. In 1946 the Secretary was to write and enquire the cost to purchase some primary chairs (in Sunday School, Primary referred to the youngest children). It was resolved in 1947 to give £10 to the piano fund and a further £10 "after the Anniversary". In 1948 the Sunday School Meeting asked the Trustees to "Discuss the possibility of obtaining an army hut" because of the cramped conditions in the Chapel, schoolroom and vestry. The nissen hut was obtained and opened in 1950. An extremely good effort considering the lack of money at the time - so soon after the war. In 1949 Anniversary collections totalled a record £59.
In 1959 Rev Ronald Upton left us for Kiveton, Sister Doris Chaffer was our new minister, a long-standing tradition at Mount Tabor came to an end, that of having a retiring hymn after the benediction, and Harry Pitts whitewashed the cellar- which was located under the present boiler-room.
The Good Templar Lodge, a temperance organisation, met in the vestry at
Mount Tabor for many years. The leader was a lady from Chesterfield who
was helped by others from a strong core of Templars based at the Ragged
School. It was a tough assignment however, there were some rough characters
in New Brimington and there were some rowdy nights in that small vestry.
To their credit the leaders persevered but finally admitted defeat and abandoned
the project.
Henry Phipps was a grocer who kept the shop on the corner of High Street
and John Street. He was a Trustee of Mount Tabor and his daughter accompanied
Mrs. Tissington when she went preaching.
Brimington Post Office used to be opposite the Three Horse Shoes and was within
the large house which still stands behind the Church. Further down High Street was
Cutts on the Heywood Street corner and a small printers just below (Ringroses)
Mr. Fred Smith moved from Spital towards the end of the first war. Charles Markham
was well disposed towards Fred because of his skill in draughtsmanship. At Markhams
works he was Charlie I s right-hand man. At Staveley he was "Old Works" Manager.
He had an incredibly fertile brain and some of his original engineering schemes
survive today at Staveley Works. Being on call for work meant Fred was not always
available to help in the Sunday School, but when Anniversary practices came round
he was there with fiddle or zither to teach the hymns to the children. On Anniversary
days a small organ was used for the singing stops in the Procession. This was purchased
for 17/6d and was carried round by older boys or carried in Mr. Smith's large car.
Charles Paxton Markham was born at Brimington Hall in 1865. He died in 1926.
The oldest red-brick house in Brimington stands just off High Street at the back
of the electrical shop. The bricks were hand-pressed and the date over the door is
1763. At the back of the present Post Office was Calows, a wheelwright's shop. In the
yard and used in the metal works were two wells, part of a chain of wells starting
at Brimington Common, on the Westwood side.
Wartime Memories
Little Bits of History
TEN-GOAL PAYNE - Joe Payne, a former Brimington Common resident, was the only man ever to score ten times in a Football League match when Luton Town beat Bristol Rovers 12-0 on Easter Monday 1936. Joe died on April 22nd, 1975
STAVELEY WORKS MONKEY - Fred Smith used to tell the story of how the 14 inch high monkey weather vane on the General Office Tower has a hinged copper tail - when the Company mode a loss, it was down, but up when it was in profit.
MOUNT PUD REVISITED - The Derbyshire Times of Feb. 20th 2003 had a photo of our childhood adventure playground "Mount Pud" or Pudding, for it resembled a suet pudding. It was an old Staveley Works Tip, behind and to the right of the Railway Social Club on Station Road. It was flattened during the winter of 1960/1. At that time Mr. Large (then retired) lived at No.50 with Mrs Large in a wheelchair, they watched the tip disappear.
