Chesterfield Online Forum
General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: poppy on April 13, 2012, 08:53:25 PM
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How often does this happen?
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Mr Harvey and Mr Haslam if I'm not wrong.
Founders of the Derbyshire Union of Mine workers.
After working in the mines for 10 years and being a member of the Union,
it somewhat pi$$es me off when these statues are degraded. :( Bit harsh I know ;)
I have other reasons for this though !
The house attached to the back of the building was my Grandma and Granddads home when I was I kid.
They were the caretakers of the Union Offices.
I've spent many a few hours exploring that building as a kid.
My aunties lived there as teenagers.
Nice post poppy :)
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Living just around the corner, I see 'em most days. TBH it makes me laugh.
One of my fave Chesterfield tradition of the 1960s was the annual defacing of Barbara Hepworth's "Rosewall", the sculpture that was in the little pond thing at the AGD. About once a year a few fine art students came down from Penmore to do the dirty deed.
(http://www.ichesterfield.co.uk/images/rosewall.jpg)
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How often does this happen?
There's also some graffiti written on the inscriptions now - don't ask me what as it will come under the heading of a senior moment! 8)
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TBH I don't mind the cones, they were only on there a few hours. However I'm pretty peed off to see that someone has written "murderer" and "slave driver" on the quite recently refurbished statues and it's been there for over a week. Phone call to the council in order I think. >:(
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That's disgraceful!
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TBH I don't mind the cones, they were only on there a few hours. However I'm pretty peed off to see that someone has written "murderer" and "slave driver" on the quite recently refurbished statues and it's been there for over a week. Phone call to the council in order I think. >:(
Don't think they come under council ownership (if you mean the ones on the old MUM HQ) because there was some concern that when they got sandblasted (or whatever) it made the writing less clear
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If they're private property it's the owner's responsibility to clean them - pity it hasn't been done after a week or more.
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You're right guys. Of course it wont be the councils responsibility. Looks like its me and a bottle of bleach then! >:(
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Poppy sent me a PM.
Hello Fly
Hope you don't mind me sending you a PM. You mentioned that your family had connections with the Mineworkers Offices when you were younger. Do you recall if there was a war memorial in there? It's a long shot I know. I did ask an elderly gentleman in there a few years ago and he said he didn't think so, but with the statues going up in 1915 I can't think that the mineworkers wouldn't have honoured the chaps lost so soon after in WW1.
Thanks
Poppy .
I contacted my aunty, here's her reply.
Hiya,
I've had a chat with **** and we can't remember whether there was an actual war memorial on the offices/council chamber. The mineworkers were exempt from serving in the forces as they were an essential trade so maybe there weren't very many who were lost as a direct result of the wars?
Could your friend contact either the solicitors who currently use that building or the Union - wherever their offices are now?.
Anybody know anything ?
I'm not sure if Derbyshire still have an NUM office.
Maggie shut all the pits ::)
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I wouldn't have thought there was a war memorial there. If the statues went up in 1915 that was three years before the war ended - and I cant imagine anyone taking down a war memorial, leaving two statues. Just seems so unlikely.
But I could be wrong, I have been before...
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Poppy did state 'in' the offices Pete ;)
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Ahh - so she did - my bad. :(
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Thanks for the help guys. Thats a really good point that the miners were exempt from call up, though I know some did join, often serving as tunellers. Its a bit shocking but war memorials/ rolls of honour are sometimes removed and discarded these days, and whilst I don't think the people connected with the Mineworkers Office would have done such a thing someone coming after them might. :(
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Judging by my aunties reply, and her quick contact with her elder sister, I don't think anything existed.
The official NUM website states the Derbyshire Office is at 100 Saltergate ??
http://www.num.org.uk/page/Contacts (http://www.num.org.uk/page/Contacts)
I'll ring them in the morning. Though I think the NUM site may be outdated.
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Thanks Fly. I think the ladies are probably right. Will you mention the graffiti please?
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I'll try and sort this tomorrow.
Nottingham job at 8:00am
Sheffield job at 10:00am
I'll call round on my way back from Sheffield.
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Spoke to an old guy at the Union offices today. I explained who I was and the connection.
He was gobsmacked to be talking to the grandson of George and Dorothy.
He'd been friends with them during their time at the offices and after.
When asked about a plaque or memorial he said 'Never to my knowledge'.
Only the memorial in front of the Town Hall.
Here's the interesting bit.
When asked if he was aware of the grafitti and is something going to be done about it.
He said yes we are aware. It's council responsibility now the statues and building have a listed status.
He also told me that they had informed the Town Hall, but nothing had been done yet >:(
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It's council responsibility now the statues and building have a listed status.
I'm sure that's incorrect, it's the responsiblity of the owner whether listed or not.
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Apparently the council payed for them to be cleaned, the old guy told me so. ?
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Most likely a one-off Spire Pride project. Having done the job I doubt the council would assume responsibility thereafter - I could be wrong of course.
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Many thanks for that Fly. Let's hope the statues get cleaned up sooner rather than later.
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Just happy to be part of the team @ www.chesterfieldonline.org (http://www.chesterfieldonline.org)
If we can help, I'm sure we'll try :)
If they're not graffiti free by Monday,
I'll send Pete round with the Marigolds, bleach and scrubbing brush ;D
Apparently he lives at the top of Foljambe Rd, so it shouldn't cause him to much hardship ;)
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Ah, Marigolds! They are what women wear, aren't they, for washing up and women's stuff, etc... ;D
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If it's not gone by Monday, I'll borrow your parking permit and do the f---- myself.
Might take a few photo's of the place whilst I'm there.
Kitchen, pantry, living room, front room.
The elegant stairway upstairs to to private bedrooms.
And the one door that connected the house to the Offices 8)
You wouldn't believe how deep the cellar is, via the main entrance hall.
Not sure if the old boiler was/is down there.
I was a kid after all, we were never allowed near the trapdoor when grandad was down there :(
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Thanks again Fly. I'd love to see some photos of inside the place. Is it just the same as when you were little? No bits of modernisation? Do you think its worth me making a phone call to the council?
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Sorry Poppy :( , I phoned the NUM Office, I didn't actually go there.
I've been busy at work this week, which makes a change :)
Same thing with OC and the cattery.
That's what's given me a passion to go there with the camera.
'I' want to see what's changed, and I'm sure my 2 aunties would love the pics.
Watch this space :)
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Bummer. Been back in touch with the Bloke in the Union Offices :(
The offices have been gutted. The main Meeting Chamber is not recognisable anymore.
He told me there's nothing worth photo'ing unless I wanted a photo of a modern day office or kitchen.
When the NUM sold the offices, the house was sold as a seperate building.
The passage way between them was bricked and sealed up.
If I wanted to get photo's of the interior I'd have to contact the current owner.
The house is up for sale at present, so I doubt the owner or estate agents will put themselves out
to meet me and allow me access to it :(
Oh well, never mind, though I may try contacting the owner,
apparently he has a business in chessy of which I have details.
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That's a real shame :(
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At least I tried Poppy ;)
Just emailed the house owner, let's see what happens :)
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A year and a half since this thread was started. Go back to page 1 if you can't remember the original post.
The house was sold quite a while ago and is now 'Vines Legal, Solicitors'.
Today I finally walked into the building and explained to the secretary that 35-40 years ago my grandparents lived there.
Would she mind if I took a few photo's of the interior, she informed me the upstairs had clients in and I couldn't go there,
but feel free to have a walk around downstairs ;)
Here's my photobucket link to the photo's I took. Nothing great, but brings back loads of memories to me ;D
http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/Barry_Fly/slideshow/47%20Clarence%20Rd (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/Barry_Fly/slideshow/47%20Clarence%20Rd)
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Looks like our house but with parking to die for... :))
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Another old post related to this one, great pics, I'd forgot about that thread. Found it whilst searching the forum.
http://chesterfieldonline.org/index.php/topic,1223.msg6973.html#msg6973 (http://chesterfieldonline.org/index.php/topic,1223.msg6973.html#msg6973)