The past is present in our busy lives of today
Popular history group helps to raise thousands for good causes each year and also pays a visit to the pub once a month...
WELCOME TO LATEST COLUMN BY PAUL AND SUE OF HINCKLEY DISTRICT PAST AND PRESENT
THIS week we have randomly picked out pictures from around the area including Sharnford, Sapcote, Shenton, Stoke Golding to name but a few.
What we like about some of these pictures show how the past is very much present in our busy lives of today. Look how quiet the corner of Spa Lane and Leicester Road is in our picture. Today this is a very busy junction, also compounded by the pedestrians who have to make their way to the schools on Leicester Road and Butt Lane.
Then we have a more tranquil picture of what was then the new Bowling Green that can be found on the aptly named Bowling Green Road. Notice how a clear view of Burbage church on the horizon can be seen, with the empty fields that are all built on today. Look carefully and you can see the roofline, bell tower and chimneys of Hinckley Workhouse on the right of the picture.
Burbage is always a popular setting for a picture and this view is looking down Church Street from the war memorial. Remember if you have interests in Burbage then our friends at Burbage Heritage would love to hear from you. Like HDPP they have a Facebook page and a website full of great historic information.
Lovely Higham on the Hill is our next stop, looking along Main Street. A typical rural village scene, it is just one of the few villages that have a Hinckley phone number and a Nuneaton post code!
Now a quick visit to Sharnford showing the old cottages on Coventry Road with the children playing on their bikes…look for one of them learning out of the window to chat with their friends.
Time for a drink so let’s nip into Sapcote and visit The Lord Bassett Arms. Sadly this very popular pub is no more. The road is still very busy today but a single car is parked by the old bakery that was run by Mr George Church.
We move along Leicester Road and heading out of the village for our second picture of a time long since past.
The simplicity of our next picture simply called ‘A pretty corner of Shenton.’
How lovely!
A nice clear picture Station Road Stoney Stanton in quieter days, no parked cars. Today these cottages still stand but it is a much busier road than in our picture. However in recent times this part of the village has suffered with flooding.
Stoke Golding is a popular place to live locally and is of course steeped in history and is the birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty. This picture taken from High Street area shows the church. Notice how all upstairs windows are open and the old cobbled ‘coursey’ as we say around these parts.
Just over the border we have two pictures of old Wolvey. One looks towards the village centre with the church on the left and the other is on the other side of the village looking in the Hinckley direction and village centre.
Whilst we are over the border, we have taken a quick run down the old Fosse Way as far as Monks Kirby. This is a little gem of a village always worth a little visit and maybe a drink at The Denbigh Arms before a stroll around the historic churchyard.
Our final picture is truly amazing - taken from St Mary’s church tower. In the centre foreground is St Mary’s Church School. Just behind that is Westminster Yard and a row of thatched cottages. We can also see what looks like a walled garden, more than likely belonging to the cottages. (The old George Ballroom stands here today). Then we can see Regent Street and it’s amazing to think almost all of the buildings we see in the picture still stand today. Notice the four poplar trees, this is where the Atkins High Cross Building stands today. Behind them we can see what is now Coventry Road and the Corner Café as we know it today. The tall chimney you see was the start of Hinckley Gas Works. Just look at all the trees.
We hope you have enjoyed our pictures this week. Thank you for the feedback we get from our Hinckley Times pages. It’s very encouraging and we shall always try and bring you the best pictures we discover.
Finally remember this year to support Hinckley & District Museum. It opens again for the season on Easter Bank Holiday Monday. A warm welcome awaits all visitors.