Local History

The  new Local History group will meet on the 2nd Monday of every month in Brinsley Parish Hall at 10.30am.

Group  contacts are:
Janet Lander     07889 976 342 janet_lander@yahoo.co.uk
Julie Matthews 07929 914 230 juliemattuk@yahoo.co.uk

Next meeting March 10th,  we shall learn more about Haggs Farm and this will be introduced by one of our members, Karen Walsgrave. We shall also plan our forthcoming meetings 

February 2025: We had an excellent meeting today with a very good turnout. Our speaker was Pete Collins, the Operations Director of the Bennerley Viaduct Trust. He gave a really informative and detailed talk about the history of the local railways and the building of the viaduct, and its purpose within the network. He then traced how the disused viaduct and area has been rescued by the hard work of amateurs who formed the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct, and campaigned tirelessly for it to be restored and made accessible to the public. We were shown maps and designs of the new Visitor Centre and cafe, which should be open to the public by this summer. We all appreciated the hard work and determination that had gone into reclaiming an important part of our industrial heritage. There is a ten year plan in place, and it will be fascinating to see how the site is developed.

When it is open, we may organise a visit to see it for ourselves at first hand.

November 2024
Alan Stonebanks introduced this month’s topic, which was Mining in Brinsley. As a relative newcomer to the area, he has enjoyed researching the history of mining in his new locality, and we learnt some fascinating information about this specific mine. Others in the group had brought in maps, photographs and books about their own local areas to share. In small groups, we discussed ways in which the legacy of mining still persists in this area, and finally, how D.H. Lawrence depicted the ordinary lives of the miners and their families in his novels. One member commented that we now have the pleasure of enjoying the nature reserves and country parks that have replaced many of the colliery sites, but that they are built upon the toil and sweat of so many workers from the not so distant past.

October 2024
We had a good first meeting today at Brinsley. We shared ideas about topics, places and themes that we might learn about, and the resources that we could use. The group included some who have lived locally for many years, and also a significant number who have moved into the area and are keen to find out about its history.
We hope to include some meetings with speakers in the future, and also an occasional trip to a local place of interest, and guided walks were also mentioned as a possibility.
Our next meeting is on November 11th  at Brinsley Parish Hall at 10.30, on the subject of Mining in Brinsley, introduced by Alan Stonebank.  Members are asked to look for any information about mining close to their own specific locality.  Linked ideas could be mining houses, pit ponies, physical reminders from the collieries, etc.
This is a new group, and it is keen to learn about local history together.
Janet Lander / Julie Matthews 

 

Archives:
Local History Archive 2017-20