As yet another local landmark disappeared, one member of the Local History Group managed to gain access to the site to take some photographs for posterity. The Daybrook Laundry was a valued source of employment for multiple generations of local people during its active lifetime and marked the Daybrook landscape for all to see.

Once again, the Local History Group is producing another calendar filled with photographic memories of the Arnold area’s past history. This should be available from mid-October and will make a great present for Christmas for everyone with an interest in, or attachment to, this locality.

Our autumn speaker programme saw Arnold Harris deliver an informative session on the history of Methodism in Arnold. His research has provided a rich base for his talk, tracing both the story of local churches and the way that Arnold featured in the Methodist circuits based in and around the Nottingham area. It featured some notable local benefactors who made their mark in the area.

Upcoming speaker sessions will feature The River Trent (21st Oct) and Once Upon A Pantomime (18th Nov). Our draft programme for 2009 is set out below. Why not come and join us in the meeting room at the library. For membership contact Enid in Arnold Library.

On 29th October we are visiting the County Archives in Nottingham where we hope to look around the records and storage areas, see the restoration and conservation workrooms and enjoy the chance to be shown some interesting archived materials concerning the Arnold area. Places are being issued on a first come basis for the evening visit (see Enid).

Now fancy that.

The day a JCB stopped the traffic in Arnold...

One Friday lunch time, about 1950, I was driving a JCB for Chris Brennan's demolition firm helping to demolish The Bonington Theatre in Arnold. There was an RSJ lying on 2 circular pillars across the front of the theatre. One of the pillars was caught causing the RSJ and pillar to fall into the middle of the road: This, of course, stopped the traffic. The pillar broke in several pieces blocking the road, and when the concrete was taken away there was a large indentation in the road which stopped traffic going through for the rest of the afternoon. Originally the pillars had been brought in by horse and cart.
'Mad' Alec Worrall
Arnold

Speaker programme for 2009

Our draft programme is as follows:

Jan 20th ...... Rowena Edlin-White: Mary Ellin Shaw - Spinster of no occupation
Feb 17th ....... Alan Langton: St Mary’s Church
Mar 17th ...... Eric Dove: Old Daybrook
Apr 21st ..... Roger Rann: History of football in Arnold (part 2)
May 19th ...... Dave Hollingsworth: Curiosities of Nottinghamshire (part 2)
May Walks .... Arnold Trail(s)
Jun/Jul ..... Outing to be confirmed
Sep 15th ....... Peter Turner: Arnold - Bottom o’ Town
Oct 20th ..... Mike Chapman: History of brickmaking in & around Arnold
Nov 17th ...... Michael Payne: Nottingham’s Forgotten Theatre