Graham Peake's Memories of 1939-1945 at Blackwell

 Today 90 years ago, Graham Peake was born in Mount Pleasant, Newton. A few weels ago Graham shared his memories of growing up during WW2 in our parish, and we thank him for that as we wish him a Happy Birthday.

Reminiscences on WW2 in Blackwell Parish:

Graham Peake, living in Newton

Graham was born on Mount Pleasant in 1930, so was 9 years old when war was declared. He can remember sitting listening to the radio announcement on the battery driven wireless. There was a shop at Blackwell where you took your batteries to be recharged. Additionally at that time there were Start’s Shop opposite Blackwell School, a newsagents run by Shug Smith’s father, the Co-op, Post Office, and Chip Shop. Opposite Primrose Hill were Petrol Pumps, Haberdasher, Hairdresser and a Cobblers.

Graham attended Blackwell School where the headmaster was Mr Smith, remembered as firm but fair. There were 2 age groups in each class, the school catering for children from 5 to 14 years. There was a female teacher who lived on Hilcote Lane, and another who lived at Shirland. An assembly always started the day. When sirens were sounded the children were sent home as there was no bomb shelter at the school, with the instruction to return when the All Clear was sounded, Graham says he never heard the All Clear sounded! The school staged fund-raising dramas to raise money for the war effort.

On the day of Graham’s 11+ exam, while walking to school with a friend, they were told of a bomb crater behind the farm at Mount Pleasant and 2 unexploded bombs in the field on Alfreton Road, opposite South St near the bus stop. He recalls that the bus stop was moved until the bombs had been collected by the military. Others were dropped near the Methodist Chapel at Blackwell. Graham’s dad was a ARP Warden ( Air Raid Precautions), and was on duty when an incendiary bomb dropped in front of the Blackwell Hotel, and a colleague was reported to have placed his tin hat over it..but fortunately the bomb failed to explode. A Fire Watcher in Blackwell thought he had been hit with shrapnel, but actually he had been hit on the forehead by the letter F of the metal Fry’s Chocolate Advertisement which had blown off. It is unlikely that bombs were targeted on Blackwell, and rather were dumped before flying home.

On another occasion while walking home from school up the hill on Alfreton Road, aeroplanes were sighted and someone shouted “ German Planes “ so Graham and his mates dived into the hedge where the bank rises from the road level. About 1942 when going to play cricket on the playing field the lads found several containers, looking like “salmon tins with wings on”, which turned out to be Anti Personnel bombs; none exploded and the Army came and took them away.

Aside from these few memorable days Graham tells that children barely knew there was a war on. Most men were employed in the Colliery, and were not conscripted due to the need for coal for the armaments production, and most families raised their own pigs and chickens, and had vegetables from their allotments, so food was not in short supply in Blackwell. A school class of about 25 pupils from Southend on Sea was evacuated to Blackwell with a school teacher; Graham’s parents took in a brother and sister, Peter and Beryl Scudder, who were about 7 or 8 years old. Next door took in 2 teenagers, who ran away after 2 days and were tracked to Chapel en le Frith.

On leaving school a few days before his 14th Birthday, Easter 1944, Graham took a job at Codnor Station; He had to set off from home on his bicycle at 4.30 am to be at the Ticket Office by 6am. He had a code book and on receiving messages had to translate them with the code book and pass the information on to the signal men to allow trains to pass, or direct them to sidings. Leaving the Station by the 7pm train to Westhouses, he would be home about 8pm and after eating went straight to bed to be ready for 4am again. After 6 months Graham left the Railway and started at A Winning Colliery.

At the end of the war Mount Pleasant residents organised a Victory Tea Party, but Graham missed it as his first love was football and Chesterfield Town were playing at home! As a boy he and his friends were allowed to play on the fields at the Villa on Mount Pleasant; the owner Mr Skidmore was always very pleased to see the youngsters enjoying themselves there. Graham was told that in the dim and distant past the Villa had been a staging post for carriages.

Graham had a cousin George Purdy, and every Saturday the 2 of them used to collect a tray of chocolate from the newsagent’s shop opposite Newton Chapel. George used to carry the tray on a strap round his neck, and Graham used to chip the ration coupons as they sold the chocolate door to door in Blackwell.

Schooled and employed at Blackwell, Graham knew little of Newton in his youth. When married to Joyce , they lived initially with Graham’s dad before moving to a caravan on Town Lane, off Cragg Lane, Newton on Teddy Ball’s land. Teddy Ball was an undertaker. On Alfreton road, where no 1 now stands, there was a row of 3 cottages, one of which was occupied by a blind man who used to be employed straightening nails for Teddy Ball. On the opposite side of the road, east of Green Farm were another 3 cottages, one of which was occupied by the Heathcote family; to the side of that row was Barracks Yard, at the side of Nan’s Nick.

Graham remembers 2 names of men killed in the war:

Harold Hart of Cambridge St Blackwell, was Graham’s Uncle Charlie’s brother; Charlie had married Graham’s aunt, a sister of his mother. Harold Hart’s sister Hilda was Gt Grandmother of the Olympic Medal Swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

Samuel Granville Roberts, known as Granville, was a good footballer who played for Nottingham Forest before the war.

Many thanks to Graham for recording some notes on his early life. If anyone else would like to share their memories or those of their parents or grandparents, please get in touch.

Comments made on this Facebook post:

AL:

Absolutely fascinating. My grandparents and father lived at Mount Pleasant (dad born 1933). He wrote all his memories down before he died, including a little map of the area and similar memories to Mr Peake. I wonder if he knew or can remember them? My grandfather was Harold Lemon, grandmother Phyllis and father Leslie Lemon.

BAM

hi I have told dad of your comments and we think your dad bought the beer off on alfreton road newton off my mum and dad sand he remembers your grandparents AL

thank you - yes my parents owned the off licence and I and my sisters Sue and Jane lived there until I was about 5 or so moving to Morton around 1971 or so x SR my grandparents owned the chip shop on mount pleasant I think next door to your grandad. and I now live in the house opposite which was Grations. I spent many a happy hour of my childhood in both those houses my dad was Melville Mansfield. And my grandma and grandad was George and Margaret nee Lee. AL I think my grandma worked in the chip shop? It is 1 North Street now isn’t it? On the corner? I was born there. Yes my grandparents lived next door. I remember the name Gration - my sisters might remember them more - Sue or Jane? SR its 112 alfreton road we live at 110 yes I know both your sisters my daughter was in the same years as janes daughter sam. I think your grandma did work there x AL what a small world! CMC Mr.& Mrs Gration did live on the opposite side of the road to the fish & chip shop also top of North Street, and he had an electrical shop opposite the Crown Hotel at Tibshelf, and the house next door to Mr. Gration which was where Mr.Smith Blackwell School's headmaster lived, then next door to Mr Smith lived Mrs Mee ,who did a lot of sewing, in fact she made my mother's dress for my wedding, then the end house belonged to Mr.& Mrs Fell, and their daughters Elaine & Margaret also used to come up to the Villa, also Mr.& Mrs Bingham, lived down North Street, Mr Bingham was a bus conducter, and Mrs Bingham made my wedding cake, they also were regular visitors to the Villa, and Mr.& Mrs. Thompson lived on North Street.Next to the Cottages that belonged to the Villa, was Mr.Stanley Smarts field where he used to practice his horse trotting on ,for which he had a race track made on the field for that purpose, Mr.Smart lived at Homestead Farm, on Alfreton Road, just before you get to Cragg Lane,he had a fruit and veg stall on Chesterfield Market, and used to come round Newton, Blackwell, and Westhouses with a large open sided Van , selling the fruit and Veg, also at Homestead Farm during my younger days, I remember a massive fire, where a young lad died, when one of the haystacks caught fire.Also every year a parade was held being led by a brass band, starting from Blackwell Church, coming up through Alfreton Road Newton, where a lot of residents joined in the parade, and we would all walk up following the band, up to Cragg Lane and back to the Church.Another major happening in Newton was when the Log yard was on fire, the blaze could be seen all over Newton, and the fire engines were there for several days, then a carnival was held in the village for the Queen's Coranation, which again was quite an event, and of course haymaking time at the Villa, and Mr.Smarts field, was always fun, the kids in the village used to join in and some of the parents also, I vividly remember some of the parents sat on top of the bales of hay on the wagon laughing and enjoying themselves, a lot of lovely memories over the years , that was a time on Mount Pleasant when everyone got on well together, and enjoyed the village life, every year Carol Singers and the people enjoyed listening to them, and of course not forgetting the New year Celebrations, I don't know who the gentleman was, but I know he was from Blackwell, every year he would come to the Villa, dark hair , face covered in soot, carrying a piece of coal and a sixpence piece at midnight ,would knock on the door walk straight in, and there would be a glass of sherry and a mince pie on the table ready for him, would wish us a Happy New Year have a little sing song,then he would be on his way, lovely lovely times, in those days didn't need to lock your doors unlike today.Do you know who the young girl would be that used to come and stay with Mr.& Mrs Lemon? Would it be a granddaughter ? AL: I’m not sure then sorry. Can you answer a question about the villa? Is the house that stands back on Alfreton Road the villa or is that house on the grounds of where the villa was? CMC

Yes that's what's left of it, the coach houses, garages courtyard grape vines orchard cottages were all sold to a builder, and those semi detached houses now standing at the front were built on the land.,also in front of the Villa there was a large area of land with fruit trees, and a wall that was about 8ft high surrounding it and the original very large and wide gates that the stagecoaches had to go through, but unfortunately the council took this all away with a compulsory order to widen the road and put the pavement down, then the land to the other side also was sold where now stands another 4 dwellings on it. The fields where we used to play, the railway line ran along the side of them, and we used to go and watch the trains passing by, and waved to the passengers, when I see the film the railway children, it reminds me of our childhood days.now everything has gone including the railway lines, and what you see now is all that remains of the hundreds of years old coach House. CMC The Villa that remains is not how it was years ago, the door used to be on the side of the house, the windows have been altered in shape and size, to the front of the property, used to be a very large carved and shutted bay window the porch on the front wasn't there either another window was altered, the actual entrance to the property was at the back, the coaches went up the driveway which has also been altered, it was a lot wider than is now, round the cobbled courtyard to the coach houses, then to the large entrance hall situated at the back of the property. All the character has now gone , the rooms inside have been altered there used to be a galleried staircase to a landing and then a big arch stone window with another staircase leading from it, that staircase and stone arch window have now been removed, and all the windows had wooden shutters that went back into the walls inside the rooms, the cellar was filled in, and on the drive side of the property was another flight of curved stairs that went to another bedroom which that staircase was also taken out, there were six bedrooms, large hall, and 4 other large rooms a small room that housed a unit for taking the bedding towels etc upstairs to the guests, all these were taken out when the property was sold, there used to be apple trees pear trees grape vines cherry trees, gooseberry bushes raspberries blackcurrant and redcurrants strawberries, and greenhouses with tomatoes, potatoe pic, pig sty, 2 pigs, chickens, goat horse, everything now gone all the land that surrounded it so that is why I say that's all that remains, not the same inside appearance not the same surrounding not the same all lost, so yes that's the Villa but not as was. AL what a huge shame. Sounds very impressive. Do you have any photos of how it was? CMC

It really was a lovely house, but today I'm afraid people want large houses, with modern interiors, and unfortunately I haven't got any photos, didn't have the technology back in those days , like we have now. AL my sisters think it could’ve been either Christine or Gaye the eldest granddaughters? Does that ring any bells? CMC I kept thinking about it this morn, and Faye came to my mind, so Gaye probably the most likely one, I seem to recollect her living about an hour's ride away, at that time, but such a long time ago now, how old would she be now?. AL mid 70s... CMC I'm 76 so that sounds about right, did she live away from round here.? AL yes, Leicester way CMC Yes that's who it was, I thought Leicester yesterday, but then thought it could have been Lincoln, who'd think after all these years ( 66 approx ) things crop up out of the blue, small world. AL

roughly when would you be talking? AL

thank you so much for those wonderful memories. I was actually born in 1966 at what I believe used to be the fish and chip shop, my parents eventually buying the property.  I think the little girl was called Dorothy. Bright red hair probably if it’s her. I’ll try to post or send you some memories out of his book, they might jog more of yours! CMC

My grandparents Mr and Mrs Skidmore owned the villa , myself and 4 brothers and 2 sisters , are the children of their daughter Evelyn Skidmore, all 7 of us were born at the Villa, and remained living there until we got married, and yes Mr.Peake was right when he said the Villa was a staging place for the carriages , as children we used to play in the coach houses and hay loft, for the horses , at the back of the coach houses, there was 5 cottages that belonged to the Villa also.Mr.Smith the headmaster of Blackwell school, rented a garage at the Villa , I also remember being told about the bomb being dropped into the field next to ours. At the top of North Street on Mount Pleasant was the fish and chip shop ,and Mr & Mrs Lemon lived next door to it, and a few houses down was Rebecca Jepsons Off Licence, then Parkins shop. I remember Mr.and Mrs Lemon, there was a young girl, relative of theirs who lived away, and when she visited them, we used to play together.