Newsletter 7

 

 

Bottesford Project Regional Winner in the Heritage Groups category

 

Barbara Pizzey (Project Secretary), Neil Fortey (Project Co-ordinator), Dorothy Baines (Treasurer).

 

Mr. Roberts demonstrates the art of water-divining to the film crew and Bob Sparham.

 

Mike Saunders

 

Sue Dunsmore

 

St Mary's Spire.

 

Boys at the Cross, Bottesford c. 1890

Next Project Meeting: Monday August 4th 2008, 7.00 p.m., Fuller Room.

PROJECT WINS NATIONWIDE HERITAGE AWARD

Each year the Nationwide Building Society makes awards to “Community Champions and Heritage Heroes …individuals and groups who give their time and energy to …. the community”. This year, the Bottesford ‘Living History’ Community Heritage Project has been selected as one of the three East Midlands Region winners in the Heritage Groups category for 2008.

Members of the Community Heritage Project Team can now congratulate themselves on being officially designated Heroes in the field of Heritage, with a certificate and a plaque to prove it. On Tuesday, July 29th Barbara Pizzey (Secretary), Neil Fortey (Project Co-ordinator) and Dorothy Baines (Treasurer) represented the Project Team at the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham, where they collected our Award from Nationwide.

The Project Team want to thank  all the people of Bottesford who have given us their knowledge and memories, copies of photos and other heirlooms, and their enthusiasm, support and guidance. Without their participation the project would never have succeeded. As it is, we have come a long way in less than two years, and hope we are succeeding in giving a bit of pleasure as well as adding something to the local history of the East Midlands.

A Grand Day Out – The Movie

A short DVD, giving  a glimpse of the preparation and performance of the Community Heritage Drama which took place on Sunday May 4th, has been produced by film-makers John Ross and Amanda Smith. The DVD shows brief scenes from the drama and also includes extracts from interviews with Sue Dunsmore, Peter Topps and Ted Rayson. We hope that a version of this will be available for viewing at the forthcoming exhibition.

Muston Heritage Trail

Mike Saunders gave generously of his time and historical expertise to take members of the Project Team on a tour of Muston, drawing attention to points of interest, explaining details of the buildings and landscape and how they have altered over the years and recalling vanished features like the duck pond.

(Does anyone have a picture?)

Sue Dunsmore enlisted the help of the Muston Women’s Fellowship when she gave a talk on Muston 1851 based on her research into the Muston Census. With the aid of the Tithe Map she described how Muston in1851 would have been a busy agricultural community of some four hundred people, with its own shops and trades people. Ladies from the Fellowship and other Muston residents have generously allowed us to scan their photographs of Muston people, places and events.

Tea, Treasures and Memories

The Project team also enjoyed a visit to the Warwick Flats arranged by Sue. Residents and visitors gathered to view slides of old Bottesford. Information, memories and treasures, like this lovely water colour of the church spire  from  St. Mary’s Lane, were shared over tea and biscuits.

Plans For A Bigger and Better Exhibition

The second Bottesford ‘Living History’ Heritage Project exhibition will take place in the Fuller Room and the Youth Club on Saturday 23rd – Monday 25th August.

We plan to show pictures of Bottesford Past and Present arranged by streets in the Fuller Room, while the Youth Club will be used to display material relating to topics like Sport, Entertainment, War Time Memories  and Farming.