Nottingham Women’s History Group has just published its 5th annual report with details on governance, activities, finance and future plans.

A small group of women plan events and research priorities for NWHG. The trustees for NWHG are Val Wood (chair), Mo Cooper (secretary, treasurer), Sian Trafford and Rowena Edlin-White. Other people have attended the planning sessions during the year and taken on different aspects of the work. All active members are volunteers and do not receive payments for their work. Thanks go to this small but dedicated team!

There is no charge to join the group and NWHG currently has 230 people on their membership list.

According to their constitution all trustees must stand down at the AGM. The group will take further nominations at the AGM. They would welcome more trustees, people to help with the planning meeting, or to carry out tasks such as publicity, face book, web site management, event support, delivering talks, research and finance.

The group has run talks and tours for the past five years but decided this year to limit talks due to poor attendance and concentrate on the more popular talks and outings which also allows more time for research work

In August the group  published their first booklet entitled Nottingham Women in WW1. The booklet covers VADs, munitions workers, women working on the land and in forestry; telephonists, bus drivers, Girl Guides and entertainers – and – the suffragists who were biding their time…. The booklet was developed as a response to requests for information from the media and others for the centenary anniversary of the first year of World War 1.

This year Helen Cooper and her son Danny have been responsible for reworking the NWHG logo and printed a banner to be used at events.

The group were keen to progress with a project featuring blue plaques but the City Council are not supporting any plaques at present and this will be revisited at a later date.

NWHG continues to respond to enquiries from press, researchers and members of the public within their limited resources.

The group has been busy researching the suffragette movement in Nottingham and disseminating this work which will form the main focus for 2015. This will include Rowena Edlin-White’s talk at the AGM, a new booklet and new walks in the summer.

Women’s Suffrage in Nottingham & AGM

A talk based on recent research by Rowena Edlin-White
Thursday 23th April 7-9pm
At the ICC, 61b Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FN
£3 incl refreshments

A textile museum in the Nottinghamshire village of Ruddington is launching a new innovative education programme, which has already been shortlisted for both European and regional awards. The programme aims to encourage children to think about the consequences of their actions, and to refrain from criminality. Addressing issues such as joining gangs, theft, and criminal damage, the museum uses its history to create an environment where the children get to see the consequences of their actions and how these affect their future, and the lives of others.

The new education programme, which includes a unique interactive film, forms the second stage of the museum’s major Lottery funded redevelopment. The film, which was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nottinghamshire County Council, is already being recognised as pioneering and has been shortlisted for the European Heritage in Motion Awards, and the Award for Innovation at the East Midlands Heritage Awards. You can see the film at www.frameworkknittersmuseum.org.uk/educational-visits/interactive-luddite-drama.
In addition the recent redevelopment of the museum was undertaken as a collaborative partnership with Rushcliffe School, with the students also starring in the film as well. This partnership has also been recognised at the East Midlands Heritage Awards, and has been shortlisted for the Award for Engaging Children and Young People.

The Heritage in Motion Awards is an annual international competition that recognises the creators of multimedia projects related to Heritage across Europe. The Framework Knitters Museum’s interactive film is the only English project to be selected for the shortlist stage this year. Winners will be announced at the annual European Museum Academy conference in Brescia, Italy, on Friday 8 May. Visit heritageinmotion.eu for more information.

The East Midlands Heritage Awards celebrates the museums and heritage organisations across the region. The winners will be announced on Tuesday 9 June.

Paul Baker, museum manager, said “The new educational resource was inspired in part by the 2011 riots which spread across the country. The sight of young people engaged in criminal damage on the streets of Britain made me think about the riots the frameworkers were engaged in. In the aftermath the stories of young people losing their jobs as a result of their involvement led me to consider how we might use our historic story in an entertaining and thought provoking way to encourage young people to explore the possible consequences of their actions and if such actions can ever be justified. We are absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted for both the European and regional awards, it is an honour to be included and a great compliment to everyone involved.”

The interactive film, which was filmed on-site at the museum and at the Galleries of Justice Museum, takes students on a journey set during the height of the Luddite riots during the early 19th century. Audiences are able to change the direction of the story by making decisions at key points. While watching the film pupils will confront and debate the same dilemmas faced by the Luddites, such as whether to join the rioters, the union, or to take no action, and in doing so the children consider the impact their actions have and give them an insight into the consequences each decision holds. This 200 year old story offers schools the opportunity to confront historic issues which are similar to the problems faced today such as those relating to gangs, rioting and criminal damage.

The Framework Knitters Museum launched stage one of its £100,000 redevelopment at the end of July, which included the launch of two new galleries including one addressing the social conditions which led to the Luddite revolt. The film is supported by a full range of educational resource material.

The film and other educational resources have been created to support history and citizenship within the National Curriculum and will eventually be made available free to all schools. The interactive film will also be available to the public at the museum on selected days throughout the year. Details will be available on the museum website.

For more information please visit the museum website or contact the museum on 0115 984 6914 or office@frameworkknittersmuseum.org.uk.

Laura Stevens, PR and Marketing Consultant.

The Archives will reopen on 28 April 2015 and our grand reopening event is on 2 May 2015. The new archives service will complete the extension to our strong rooms, a new learning space and a refurbishment of our search room. We look forward to welcoming you to our new archives office. Please note there may be increased demand when we reopen.

Please follow this link for information about our Research Service

Explore our Online Catalogue

For more details please go to our website

Interested in the Friends of Nottinghamshire Archives? Contact treasurer@fona.org.uk

VADs, munitions workers, women working on the land and in forestry; telephonists and bus drivers; Girl Guides and entertainers –  and –  the suffragists who were biding their time…

£2 from Five Leaves and The Bookcase, Lowdham, or by post from Smallprint, 11 Frederick Ave. Carlton, NG4 1HP for £3 inc. p&p

          Cheques to: ‘Nottingham Women’s History Group’, please.

DID YOU KNOW THAT………..

• Nottingham Council House on Old Market Square is the most iconic building in the City, second only perhaps to the Castle. It has been ‘the heart of the City’ for over 80 years and the splendour of its wonderful art-deco interior has many an interesting tale to tell. It is not a museum but a living, working building. You can now enjoy FREE guided tours of the building every Sunday morning (except on Bank Holiday weekends) 10.30am and 11.15am, and selected Wednesday evenings. Tours must be booked in advance. Cameras are allowed in the Council House.If you would like to book a tour, or for further information, please contact Norman Packer, Council House Tour Co-ordinator or Jeannie Packer Assistant Tour Co-ordinator on 0115 924 9505, 07948 806621 or email norman.packer52@hotmail.co.uk

This February half term the Framework Knitters Museum, Ruddington, is giving you the chance to take part in a unique special event. In addition to the usual fun activities at the museum, visitors will get the opportunity to be the first to try out a new interactive film that allows them to take control of the story.

The special winter opening for the museum will be from Wednesday 18 February to Friday 20 February, with the interactive film shown at 12 pm and 2.30 pm each day. Taking part in the special activity will be included in the normal admission price. Due to the nature of the film the activity is suitable for children aged eight and over.

The Framework Knitters Museum, Chapel Street, is the only working textile museum in Nottinghamshire. It is based in a historic knitter’s yard that contains two frameshops, as well as workers cottages and a chapel. The museum relaunched last year following a £100,000 redevelopment, which included the addition of special effects around the museum to add a new sense of drama and interaction to the visitor’s experience, and two new exhibition galleries. The museum charts the history of the industry that gave birth to Nottingham lace, as well examining the living conditions for textile workers and the riots that occurred because of them. Visitors are able to see a knitting frame in action, as well as having a go on a circular knitting machine.

For more information about the film, including opening times and admission prices, visit www.frameworkknittersmuseum.org.uk.

The Researching Roman Southwell team are hosting an Archaeology Day in Southwell on Saturday 17th January, with all proceeds from the day going into the project funding campaign.
Four speakers are confirmed for the event, which will be held at the Minster School in Southwell from 2.30pm onwards (doors open from 2.15pm).

Speakers for the day are:

Matt Beresford (MBArchaeology)
Roman Southwell – An informative talk on the work carried out so far and plans for the coming months, with a review of the Roman archaeology of Southwell and the surrounding region.

Andy Gaunt (Mercian Archaeological Services)
King John’s Palace, Clipstone – Find out about Mercian’s ongoing project exploring King John’s Palace at Clipstone and related sites, and how their work fits into the wider Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project.

Rachael Hall (National Trust)
A Late Iron Age/Roman Coin Hoard from Derbyshire – A talk discussing the recent discovery of a coin hoard in a cave at Dovedale in the Derbyshire Peak District. Hear about the discovery, conservation and public display of this exciting find.

Kevin Winter (Civil War Centre)
National Civil War Centre, Newark – Hear about the progress of the new Civil War Centre at Newark, due to open in Spring 2015, and their plans for this exciting new development and what this means for the region.

The day costs just £5pp, with all proceeds going directly into the Roman Southwell project (see to support us and get involved in the project).

The event will be held in the Lecture Theatre at the school, and has a large car park in the adjacent Leisure Centre for those travelling by car. The school is also a two minute walk from the nearest bus stop – for those catching the bus from Nottingham the 100 goes to Southwell approximately every 20mins.

This event is the first of its kind in the town, and if successful will become part of the yearly activities there.

We hope to see you on the day!

Since the start of 2014 People’s Histreh have been working on an extensive research project looking into the cases of the 103 Sherwood Foresters who were sentenced to death on mutiny charges during World War One.

Peoples’s Histreh aim to produce a series of pamphlets, commencing with an introduction and contextualisation, followed by a review of a soldier sentenced to death on the Western Front on February 5th 1915.

The pamphlets will be launched on Saturday 7th February 2015 between 2:00 and 4:00pm in Room A18/19 in the Lenton Grove building of the Department of History at the University of Nottingham where there will also be talks, discussions and tea-and-biscuits.

This is a free event. There is free car parking on the University campus at weekends and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

For more information:

http://peopleshistreh.wordpress.com

peopleshistreh@riseup.net