I was honoured to have been invited to speak about the Caribbean community in this film. Mark Ellis did an excellent job. He was particularly patient with me as I was recovering from COVID at the time and my voice was not in tip top form nor my thinking. I made a factual error of the date of Hurricane Charlie in the Caribbean. It was in fact 1951 NOT 1950, as I reported in the film. For this, I apologise.
A history to be proud of and the more so because the cultural strengths and community actions are very much continuing today. Part of a great set of watchable videos that I've only just found. Thanks
Schools, particularly Shrubland Street, Clapham Terrace, and Aylesford did massive work to integrate the immigrants at a time when you could tell a Leamingtonian by the size of the shamrock in his turban.. Yet, nary a mention in your account of postwar Leamington. What's the crack please?
I've always lived in Leamington, my grandad was a policeman in what is now the polish centre, and 4 generations of my family were born in K block, when the Warnford existed. I know quite a lot about the history of the town, the normal stuff about the baths and the royal visit, etc, but this was something I knew nothing about at all. To be honest, it made me a little emotional. Thanks for doing that!
Hi, any information on Architect Alexander Johnson? He was involved with adding sections onto either All Saints, Holy Trinity or both. He was involved with several other buildings in the area also. Many thanks, Calum
There is an entry for Alex on the Leamington History Group website (search for architects) - Johnson, Alex. Dates: TBA. Johnson was based in Birmingham and was active in Leamington Spa from 1862 to 1871. He produced designs for the Parish Church in 1862 and he was also involved in designs for houses in the area bounded by Leam Terrace, Newbold Road (Willes Road) and Russell Terrace around 1863. He designed an extension to Holy Trinity Church in 1864. In 1869 he was designing a Drill Hall to be located in Pump Room Gardens which was not built there but was probably the one built at Riverside, off Adelaide Road. In 1871 he designed the sewage works in Princes Drive.
Did "many" of the Caribbean arrivals return to the Caribbean? I'd like to see the statistics on that. Most of the Caribbean arrivals of my parents' era (1957 / 1962) that I know of, and their descendants, are still in the area.
This is a good question. I am Monica Brown, the contributor to the Caribbean experience in Leamington Spa. Many of them returned, including my own family. Sadly, have no statistics on this.
Disappointing the find the word 'influx', with all its negative connotations, being used my the opening narrator. What was wrong with the word 'arrival'?
You just be grateful that this country sold its own ppl out by encouraging ppl to move to Australia under the £10 pommie scheme. Stop allowing the ruling class manipulate how you feel because they sure don't care about you or me..all the diversity bs is an utter smokescreen.
Thanks Nimesh, much appreciated. It was a real pleasure meeting you and your family as part of this project and I hope we can collaborate again in future.
Excellent film, very well put together. Lovely to hear the voices from all the different cultural groups and communities telling their own story and not just a lot of dry historical facts. Congratulations to all involved!
I really enjoyed this. I did not know Gersham Brown but grew up in the Leamington area around the same time as this. Many of the places and people and the attitudes of the day are familiar to me. It was lovely to hear about this remarkable man.
As a warwickian but born at the warnford hospital which sadly is now a residential area, my interest in the history of the town lead me here, and filled in a lot of the blanks in my knowledge, the outskirts of the pump room gardens apparently was used to exercise the elephants from the circus and the slipway by the weir at the back of the parish church was used to Bath and water the elephants. Thoroughly enjoyed this documentary, when is the next instalment 👍🏻
Hi Nick, thanks for the kind comments. There is already a next instalment! Link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tjOeOEyoR7U.html We're also working on another film, about post-war Leamington, which will be released in the summer.
Thank you very much. I heard Leamington had trams, it has been lovely to hear more about them and to see some lovely old photos of Leamington and Warwick.
i have been looking for a picture of the old Salvation army citadel to show the wife although only a year younger she cannot remember it but I do clearly. I wonder does anyone have any photos of the old car park behind St peters church and the old white buildings that sat opposite that I think were part of the post office and later became a sales outlet for bathrooms.
Brilliant! I hope to see you soon on another walk, describing the life and history of the trees in Jephson, Victoria and the many other Gardens we have been blessed with in this Spa town.
Thank you Sue, very interesting. I was Stage Director of the Loft before and after the big fire. A committee was formed, chaired by Bob Collingridge with four or five others, me included, to create a shopping list of "things" the new theatre should have. We met at Bob's cottage several times, the famous fly tower was on the list and a requirement for a large bar! At that time most of the apres theatre drinking was done at the Angel Hotel and despite their very helpful approach to licensing hours we thought the Loft should be having the benefit. I would be interested to contribute or proof read the forthcoming book if it is not too late.
The “Votes for Women Campaign” as it stood in 1911, a Census Year. A well-designed pilot project looking at the actions of prominent women from Leamington and its surrounding areas. That is, those women who cared to have an opinion, who had the resources to have an opinion, who were equipped and protected enough to express their opinion on this controversy. "Mapping Women's Suffrage 1911" (sponsors: Warwick University and the National Archives). The project seeks to recover and record the lives, whereabouts, and historical materials of as many "Votes for Women Campaigners" as possible, locating them on the map in the communities where they lived and campaigned in 1911." It is revealing to see that, in Leamington, the approach to the "Votes for Women-Census Return” issue was very moderate, in my view, even within the most informed and progressive individuals and groups of its population.
I have just discovered your channel, which I think is marvellous & I am working through the videos. So much about my home town that I didn’t know. Great work Allan, from your old running colleague at Spa Striders, Bill Webb.
I lived in Tachbrook Street from 1946 to 1962. I remember going to Stan Green's house in Shrubland Street to get my hair cut. He lived on the east side towards Tachbrook road. He was a Joiner's Arms friend of my father. I think he had barber's shop in Warwick.
Thank you for your excellent book on Shrubland Street and the school. I have enjoyed reading it so much and have learnt a lot that I didn't know! My time at "Shrubs" was very happy, even though it was just after the war and times were quite hard. Mr Gradwell remains in my memory as one of the nicest people I have ever met.
Thank you for the hard work that goes into this. Weird but lovely surprise when I saw my father, Patrick Rouse, in the back row of the 1958 photo from the Bulldog
Thank you for all your time and effort making this video. I was at Shrubs in the early 70s and remember Mr Francis who is pictured in your video behind Tom Williams. I was forever in trouble and always getting punished but have so many good memories. Sports days were always down the Rec and if I could sneek away on the walk back to the school, sweets from Mr Bakers shop opposite the school always followed. I remember once sitting in morning assembly when my dog came bursting through the doors jumping over rows of sitting children, trying to find me; this gave me another visit to the headmasters office to add to my already impressive tally. Mr Francis was a fine man in charge of a fabulous School.
Really enjoying your talks on history of Leamington Spa. I was brought up there. My parents are buried in this cemetery. A lot of hard work has gone into your writings, and thank you for that, and all of the other contributors.
