Lillington Local History Society

NOVEMBER 2015 NOVEMBER 2015

Contents

James Hirons

Visit to Umberslade

Leamington Municipal Technical School

Davis Rees and family

Five shops in Lime Avenue?

A Fire Station in Lillington Road? JAMES HIRONS 53 LILLINGTON ROAD Lillington Fun Day

James Hirons died in 1941 in his mid-eighties. He had become

Programme of wealthy through his ownership of shares in the ‘blue’ used in meetings some washing powders. Despite his modest early life in Aston in Birmingham, where he was a grocer, he left £250,000 to fund a Regular monthly convalescent home for “male poor persons living in Birmingham meeting Free Church and .” The Birmingham Mail for 26th November 1957 Hall, Road, reported the establishment of the home in , but 4.30 pm on the first that no one was using it. “There is room for 20 men and the Friday of each month. warden, Mr Pritchard.” The Birmingham Post and Gazette reported a year later that residents were still being sought. “Dormitories hold four or five beds each ... and residents can Contact us by help the permanent gardener in his work. It costs only 10s [50p] -Coming to one of the a week to live there. ... There are no strict rules for the home but Society’s monthly trustees are seeking men who will be able to get on amicably meetings, with each other.” -or by referring any queries about the society, Current staff have put together an interesting archive of contributions, photographs brochures that charts the development of the home from 1958 or reminiscences to onwards. These illustrate how much ideas have changed from Graham Cooper – those dormitories of the past to the modern and well equipped telephone 01926 426942 facilities of the present.

Photo James Hirons website

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VISIT TO UMBERSLADE

On Wednesday evening 1st July, a dozen enthusiastic LLHS members made their way to Spring Lane, Hockley Heath, for a conducted tour and presentation about Umberslade Baptist Church.

George Frederick Muntz, who was of the Baptist faith, lived in Umberslade Hall. He decided to build a Baptist Chapel at Hockley Heath on land owned by him. The first phase in 1876 was to build a wooden structure as a temporary place of worship. Prior to this, small house groups had been meeting in Umberslade Hall. The temporary Chapel was used until Christchurch Chapel was completed in September 1877. The wooden structure then became a ‘British School’ remaining in use until 1913. The old schoolroom was listed as a Grade II* by English Heritage in 2014. In their report they state ”It is an exceptionally rare survival (rarer than the surviving examples of the related ’tin tabernacles’.) We are struggling to think of another surviving example in .”

The permanent church was opened in September 1877 and remained in use until 1992. It was designed by Birmingham architect George Ingall in the Decorated Gothic style and is now Grade II* listed and in the care of the Historic Chapels Trust, and a rare extant example of his work. Externally, it has all the appearances of an Anglican country church, with two pretty rose windows, and a tower topped by an elegant spire.

Inside, however, the building tells a different story. Windows are minimally decorated. The body of the church is a plain rectangle with an arch-braced timber roof. Three sets of pews, some with their original gas lamps, face an elaborate twin-staircased pulpit, the marble balustrade of the Baptistery and the Communion table. An unusual late nineteenth century organ by Bishop & Son stands in the south transept, and in the north transept opposite can be found a brass plaque to GF Muntz Jr, who it is said, in old age did not attend service, but listened to it in the comfort of the Hall via a microphone installed in the pulpit. Over time, the building was adapted to accommodate its growing congregation. The east end of the Church was extended to provide vestry accommodation and a large schoolroom which could be divided by a roller shutter. There was once also an additional door behind the Muntz plaque, G F Muntz Senior’s private entrance to the building.

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The Baptistery, with steps down on one of the longer sides.

Sadly, the Church has been neglected in recent years, situated as it is 300m away from the main road and passing traffic. It no longer has electrical power, thanks to thieves who stole the cables bringing electricity from the main supply. This makes the building even more vulnerable. With occasional help from volunteers, four stalwarts, including LLHS members Jan and Peter Coulls, work there once a month on Sundays, removing bat droppings, dusting the pews and tidying the churchyard. Burials still take place there, and the chapel can be hired for concerts, meetings, funerals and memorial services.

The LLHS visit was a memorable one, with a presentation on the Muntz family and the history of the building by Peter Coulls and Simon Willcock, and what we have come to accept as ‘Lillington Standard’ refreshments.

We had time to explore the churchyard with its listed War Memorial, a handsome Muntz family vault alongside Commonwealth War Graves and those of many prominent local families.

Jan showed us the family plot of her ancestors, and that of the Newey family, well-known at one time for the production of hooks and eyes and press-studs, amongst other things.

We would like to thank Jan and Peter, Simon and Judith Willcock for making us so welcome, - and for their sterling efforts to rescue the church and maintain all that it represents.

M M R Photographs: Derek Billings, Peter Coulls

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LEAMINGTON MUNICIPAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Later known as Leamington Central School, Campion School for Girls, Campion School [for boys] and the Newbold Centre, the buildings stood in Leicester Street. Arguably, its most famous pupil was the late acclaimed artist Sir Terry Frost.

A History Society is not only about looking into the past, but also about trying to preserve our places of historic interest for now and future generations. Although the building may be slightly outside Lillington, I thought it a worthwhile project to try and salvage some of its architecture.

I have passed the school travelling by car, on the 67 bus, on push bike, on foot and in a pram many times in my life. Apart from my pram years, I have always wondered what it looked like inside. I was drawn to the mystery of what resided beyond the red and black brick walls with black iron railings. All one could see was the overgrown steep slope from street level going down to the doorway with the ‘18 Boys 94 Technical School’ engraved into the sandstone lintels.

After some detective work I found the contact at Waterloo Housing who was in charge of their newly purchased site. Jenny Crowther was most helpful and arranged for me to enter the site prior to demolition and pick out what could be relocated in the new build (flats), or saved and stored by the Society. I realised when walking round the site that the original school had been demolished years before. Someone had had the foresight to do what I was now doing.

Original stone work from 1884 had been saved and introduced to the new build. The only original features still in situ from the school of 1884 were the entrances for Boys and Girls, the front façade and the outer wall and railings.

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I was a little disappointed the whole of the building was not in place but I was happy that the Society had a chance to continue the preservation started by that unknown person.

Waterloo Housing has agreed to incorporate the following pieces of stonework into the new build.

The Leamington borough emblem, Party fessewise argent and or a lion with forked tail vert over all a chevron vaire and in chief three molets gules all within a border azure charged with eight fleurs de lys was adopted later by .

The attractive terracotta air vents are the exact same style as those that form part of St. Peters Catholic School (1879). However the later built Clapham Terrace School (1889) had less floral air vents.

With Mary Kelly (committee member) and her husband’s help, we managed to save a lot of stonework, for where in Lillington we are not as yet sure. The massive stone lintels sadly had to be crushed. They were far too heavy for us to salvage.

Colour photos and text Gary Timlin.

Do you have memories of the original building? Did you go to school there?

If you are willing to share those memories with us, please contact Gary Timlin through The Chain, Crown Way. 01926 739402 5

DAVID REES AND FAMILY – FARM ROAD

David Rees, the great-grandfather of Rosalind Griffin, one of the bell-ringing team at Lillington Church, was a Schoolmaster, born and trained in Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire. After marriage to Jane Lind Morgan in Llanidloes in 1869, he took a post in Corris, Dolgellau, where the first of his thirteen children, David Willie, was born in 1870. David made a series of career moves: first to Glamorgan, and later to Pembrokeshire, Cheshire and Devon. before his last move to in , where for some of the time Mrs Rees and Susie assisted David at the local school. The family lived in the school house, next door to the schoolroom. The house and schoolroom are still there, with the toilet block out in the school yard. Sarah, Lily, Susie and Jack all followed their parents into the teaching profession, though as was usual then, Sarah and Lily gave up their jobs when they married. Susie and Win remained unmarried and lived with their parents at 7 Farm Road in Lillington, where Mr Rees retired after about a decade in charge of the school at Offchurch. The family became very involved in village life, as they had in Offchurch. They were musical, and enjoyed playing and singing. They attended the parish church, and both Mr and Mrs Rees who died within a year of each other in the 1920s, were buried in Lillington St Mary Magdalene churchyard. Photo: Rosalind Griffin & Family

Whilst at Offchurch, at New Year 1900, Susie was given a diary by her older sister Sarah, and began to record notable events in village and family life. The entries in the diary are spasmodic, but record village traditions, such as New Year’s Eve, 1899, when, having put eight-year old Jack to bed, the rest of the family went to church, to hear the bells ring the Old Year out and the New Year in. Susie returned home to keep an eye on Jack, whilst the rest of the family stayed, Mr Rees playing God Save the Queen and ‘O God our help in ages past’, on the organ whilst the others sang. No-one went to bed until morning. Susie notes that on New Year’s Day, “we had a fire in the parlour and read until tea time.” To mark New Year, Mrs Rees gave the two youngest, Winnie and Jack a present: Winnie a chain for a necklace and Jack a box of soldiers.

At the end of April 1901, Susie recorded with glee that there was no-one to cover for the absence of the vicar on holiday, hence no Sunday evening service to attend, so she, Win, Lily, and Jack took themselves off into ‘the grove’ to pick primroses. A year later, in March 1902, Susie recorded the relief of Ladysmith when school had a half holiday, - with great fun all round. Lily received a special handkerchief from a friend, bearing a portrait of General Roberts. 6

In May, there was the maypole, with a Queen of the May and her Maid of Honour, who rode in a mail cart trimmed with flowers and evergreens. There was singing down at , where Lord Aylesford gave them 5/-, and Lady Alex, 2/6d. They went on to sing for Mrs Briggs and Mr Danby, earning another 2/6d and the vicar who handed out 2/-, - “with a woebegone face”. This was followed by lunch at the school, - something Susie called “tram stoppers” and skimmed milk, before resuming their round. Sometimes earning half a crown, sometimes a drink of milk, they returned home for tea and another session round the maypole, - “The maypole was stuck up in PSD’s field and looked very pretty. Lily made a pretty garland for us of primrose and crab blossom. At seven we went home feeling very tired.”

At the relief of Mafeking, the Offchurch Drum and Fife Band had gone round the village and woke everyone up. The church bells were rung and cheers for Baden-Powell sounded all over the village.

Towards the end of May, school was closed for a week on account of whooping cough. Jack, Susie and Win all had coughs and colds, and Mrs Rees rubbed Susie with camphorated oil and “stuck a big lump of flannel on my chest”, - something that was repeated over and over in an effort to banish the lingering cough. Guy Fawkes’ Day was celebrated with fireworks and a bonfire. One village lad burned his hand so badly with a firework that he was sick. The children made lanterns from swedes and turnips.

Arthur became a Grocer’s Assistant, and at the age of 17, Percy went to work at Burgis and Colbourne’s. He bought a bike from a friend for £2 10s, and Win and Susie took on the job of cleaning it for him. Susie also made his breakfast every morning before he set off on his ride to work. The older members of the family married one by one and moved away, but came back from time to time with spouses and children, for a week or a fortnight. At least one couple usually managed to make it home for Christmas, and would be met by (borrowed) pony and trap. A great treat was a lecture at the Town Hall in Leamington, or going to the pantomime with the choir. In 1902, Susie sang sometimes in public, at a concert in , she sang three songs, accompanied on the piano by her sister Lily.

In March 1903, when only eight children turned up for school because of the Leamington races, Susie sent them home and went to the races herself! A couple of years later, an entry in the diary records Susie’s suspension by ‘our parson for riding my bicycle without a hat’, so, unabashed, she took herself off to stay with Sarah. She came to teach in Leamington in 1907, where she became lifelong friends with Miss Cutter, the head teacher of Lillington School.

The 1911 census records 7 Farm Road as the Rees family home. The houses were later renumbered and number 7 became the current number 20. Farm Road Image reproduced by kind permission of Warwickshire County Record Office 3/5100. MM 7

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: FIVE SHOPS IN LIME AVENUE , THE FIRE STATION IN LILLINGTON ROAD

In April 1935, the Leamington Spa Courier reported that Mr J Watson, Architect, had applied on behalf of the unnamed owner for permission under the Town and Country Planning (General Interim Development) Order 1933, to develop a site on the North East side of Lime Avenue [where Lime Garage later stood] by erecting five shops.

The Borough Engineer commented only that the site, between Manor Farm and the Lillington Men's Club, was in an area designated " residential" in the Draft Town Planning Scheme. Nonetheless, it was resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to consent to the proposed development.

Another 'close run thing' was the bid to claim Park for the Fire Station, in spite of that area also being designated for residential building. The local builder, Arthur Pratt, whose home was in nearby Arlington Avenue close to the Cricket Club, contested the plan, taking it as far as the Minister for Housing & Supply. His argument carried the day, and the Fire Station HQ was eventually built on the site of Dr Jephson's old home. Photo CDMR

LILLINGTON FUN DAY

Peter Coulls talks about photographs of old Lillington with local residents. Photos Mary Kelly

This Newsletter is published by the Lillington Local History Society, The Chain, Crown Way, Lillington. All references prefixed CR refer to documents held in the County Record Office, . For further information, contact The Chain, Crown Way, Lillington. The views expressed in the Newsletter are personal to the contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Society.

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