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DUSTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER issue 5 AUGUST 2020

VJ Day - 15 August 2020

15th August 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day, marking both the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War. We should remember the impact that the leaving, missing and returning home had on service men and women and their families.

The Surrender of Japan Aboard the USS Missouri Imperial Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945. The surrender was formally signed a few weeks later, on September 2, 1945, halting the hostilities of the Second World War. How did we get to this ending? Crippling of Japanese Navy The Allies—the U.S., China, and the U.K. - had decimated the Imperial Japanese Navy by the last week of July 1945 and an invasion of Japan by the Allies was imminent. On July 26, 1945, in their Potsdam Declaration, the Allies called for the unconditional and absolute surrender of Japan’s armed forces. Japan was given only one alternative: prompt and utter destruction. Soviet Union’s Volte-Face Japan’s leaders, better known as the Big Six or the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War, publicly stated their intention to fight till the very end. But their real intention was different. They were privately making pleas to the seemingly neutral Soviet Union to step in and mediate peace on favourable terms for Japan. Meanwhile, the Soviets were working overtime - secretly - to attack Japanese forces in Korea, Manchuria, Kurile Islands, and South Sakhalin. These planned attacks were essentially to fulfil the secret promises that the Soviet Union had made to the U.S. and U.K. at the conferences in Tehran (November 1943) and Yalta (February 1945).

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The Allies’ veiled threat of “Prompt and utter destruction” did not move the Japanese. For 10 days, Japan did not act decisively. So, on August 6, 1945, the US dropped the “Little Boy,” an atomic bomb, over Hiroshima at 8:15 am local time. Harry S. Truman, the American President, called for Japan’s surrender 16 hours later. He categorically warned them asking them to be prepared for utter ruin as had never been witnessed on the planet, in case, they did not surrender. Two days later, on August 8, 1945, in the late evening, the Soviet Union openly declared war on Japan. Soon after midnight, the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo, a puppet state of the Imperial Japan. The next day, on August 9, 1945, the US dropped the “Fat Man” another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, one of Japan’s seaports. The original target had been Kokura, but bad weather had forced the pilot to settle for the secondary target. These events forced Emperor Hirohito to intervene. He immediately ordered the Supreme Council to accept the Allies’ Potsdam Declaration. But it was only on August 15, 1945, a full six days later, that Emperor Hirohito made a radio announcement across the Empire. This delay was essentially due to a failed coup attempt and last ditch behind-the-scenes negotiations. The announcement of the Japanese surrender to the Allies was clear. Two weeks later, on August 28, 1945, the occupation of Japan by the Allies began. The Surrender of Japan ‘USS Missouri’ in Tokyo Bay, 2 Sep 1945, a formal ceremony, was held aboard the ‘USS Missouri’, a US Navy battleship. Japanese government officials signed the document entitled Japanese Instrument of Surrender. For the Allied Powers, representatives from the US, UK, China, Soviet Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Netherlands signed the instrument of surrender. Following the surrender, the V-J Day (Victory Over Japan Day) celebrations were widespread among Allied civilians and military personnel. Although major hostilities ended immediately, some isolated Japanese military soldiers and personnel stationed in far-flung Pacific islands didn’t surrender for several months. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/

END OF THE WAR The British Government announced the end of its official evacuation scheme on 7th September 1944. This was rather premature; one day later the first V2 rockets fell on London and a whole new wave of evacuees, both private and official, moved out of the city. This didn’t last long and the drift out of the cities soon dwindled and stopped to be replaced by a flood of returning evacuees. The long awaited homecoming often fell short of expectations. Many evacuees found their return as difficult as their leaving had been. They had new accents, new friends and had experienced a different way of life. Family relationships had to be re-forged, not always an easy task; indeed some parents refused to have their children back, while some children refused to go back. With the school-leaving age at fourteen, many had started jobs and new relationships. Returning fathers had to get to know children who had now grown to young adults. Never an easy process!

Sorry, no date available for this clipping

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It was more difficult to the evacuees who had been sent to Australia and America as they were, mostly, better fed whilst those arriving from the German occupied Channel Islands had less contact with their families. Was evacuation a success? Responses were ‘a fine scheme’ and ‘a wonderful idea for those with a large family’. Evacuations saved many lives, but at a huge cost in terms of disrupted family life and education; for some the scars would never heal. But for others it would lead to a better and more fulfilling life.

WELCOME HOME In 1942, following the Blitz, the Burt Committee was set up by the wartime coalition Government to provide guidance on the housing shortage. The Committee recommended temporary housing as a solution to the shortage of construction workers and the wartime destruction of houses. The aimed to accommodate servicemen returning from the war, people made homeless by bombing, or living in overcrowded an insanitary conditions.

The dream was ‘Homes fit for Heroes’ but the reality for many young families after the war was an aluminium prefab like this one in Bants Lane. They were supposed to last for ten years but in fact they lasted much longer than that.

https://www.prefabmuseum.uk/content/location/northampton

V.J. Day - From Mike Owen: “… I can remember watching the crowds in the market square from the little balcony of

Churches China store. Mr Church lived next door to us and he took me and his two young granddaughters down to

watch! He gave me a china luminous rabbit as an end-of-war gift which I kept for many years!!”

Our old market square before the

developers destroyed it all

The old arcade could and should have

been kept and restored

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BARBARA LUKE

THE FALL OF SINGAPORE

The Fall of Singapore was one of the great defeats of WW2 described by Winston Churchill as “the worst disaster

and greatest capitulation of the British Army.”

The Japanese Army was progressing down the Malayan peninsular towards Indonesia and planning then to move to

Australia, because they needed the vital natural resources of oil and rubber.

It was thought Singapore, being a causeway island, was safe from invasion and any attempt to take the island from

the sea would meet heavy resistance from newly installed large gun placements pointing out to sea. Two ships, the

“HMS Prince of Wales” a battleship, and the battlecruiser “HMS Repulse”, were to give additional protection from

the sea.

It was never anticipated that the Japanese armies would travel down the impenetrable jungle of the peninsular, and

which they did, taking 2 months to travel nearly 600 miles, their orders were ruthlessly to take no prisoners on the

journey that would slow the Japanese advance.

On reaching Singapore this battle-experienced Japanese Army were

able to force the British Army, who had little experience of conflict, to

surrender after a 7-day fight.

100,000 prisoners were taken and were put to work on rebuilding

infrastructure including the Burma railway and factories in mainland

Japan.

It is thought up to 50.000 of the Chinese population of Singapore

died, including a man from Duston.

Image right

Lt. Gen. Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding, Malaya

Command, and his party carry the Union Flag on their way to

surrender Singapore to the Japanese.

Imperial War Museums (collection 5707-03 in the public domain)

Singapore was the major British military base and was key to the British Imperial interwar defence planning for South-East Asia and the South-West Pacific. The fighting in Singapore lasted from 8 - 15 February 1942. Two families living in Ashwood Road, Duston lost sons in WW2.

ERIC JACK BRAWN

Eric was the only son of Amos and Hettie Brawn of 31 Ashwood Road, Duston. He enlisted in the 148th The Bedfordshire Yeomanry Field Regiment Royal Artillery as a Gunner, Service Number 945029. At the outbreak of WW2 the Regiment was assigned to the 18th East Anglian Infantry. In February 1942, the Regiment was transferred to Singapore and was due to be renamed the Bedfordshire Yeomanry from the 17th February but was captured at the fall of Singapore on the 15th February. Eric was held prisoner by the Japanese forces at Kanchanaburi POW camp, among others being moved along the peninsular to various work camps repairing the infrastructure and building the infamous Burma Railway.

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Gunner 905429 Eric Brawn died on 5th December 1943, age 24, and is commemorated in the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand. (right)

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (known locally as the Don-Rak War Cemetery) is the main prisoner of the WW2 POW cemetery for victims of Japanese imprisonment while building the Burma Railway.

Pierre Boulle (1915-1994)

was a French novelist. In

1952 Boulle published the

novel that earned him critical

and commercial praise “Le

Pont de la riviere Kwai”

based on his own war

experiences.

The opening words are:

“Maybe the unbridgeable gulf that some see separating the western

and the oriental souls are nothing more than a mirage? … Maybe the

need to ‘save face’ was, in this war, as vital, as imperative, for the

British as it was for the Japanese.” In the book Boulle wanted to

explore the psychology of the ultra-correct Colonel Nicholson (played

in the film by Alec Guinness)

He wrote two books which were made into award-winning films

Bridge over the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes

https://zedie.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/the-french-spy-who-wrote-planet-of-the-apes/

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PETER DOWNIE

Henry and Doris Downie lived at 20

Ashwood Road, Henry was a well-

known gentleman in the village, he

was a bell ringer at St Luke’s Church

and ran a taxi business. Their only son,

Peter, was born in 1925, he joined the

Navy in 1943 aged 18. Peter went on

to serve on “HMS Cassandra” a Class C

Destroyer. The “HMS Cassandra” was

built on the Clyde, laid down in

January 1944 and was launched in July

1944.

The role of the “HMS Cassandra” was to escort and protect Merchant Navy supply ships heading for the

Russian ports of Archangel and Murmansk [the Arctic Run]. After the German forces had invaded Russia,

to offer support Britain and their allies delivered over 4 million tonnes of supplies including 7,000 planes

5,000 tanks, weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies in 78 convoys between Aug 1941 and May

1945. It was perhaps the most perilous sea route for the Merchant and Royal Navy patrolled by German

Submarines and Destroyers, with atrocious weather conditions in winter with storms and intense cold and

almost continuous daylight in summer.

On 11th December 1944, the “HMS Cassandra”

was searching for the German battleship “Tirpitz”

when it was hit by a torpedo from a German U-

boat U365.

62 of the crew were killed instantly including Peter

Downie then aged 19 years.

Peter Downie is commemorated on the Chatham

Naval Memorial which commemorates 8,514

sailors of the First World War and 10,098 of the

Second World War.

https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-cemeteries-

and-memorials/142000/chatham-naval-

memorial

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BRIGADIER DOIDGE ESTCOURT TAUNTON DSO

Brigadier D E Taunton known as “Ted” was a professional soldier with a distinguished WW2 career in the

Northamptonshire Regiment (image below). On retirement he moved to live in Duston at Great Hayne, Main

Road , formally the coach house and stabling of Duston House.

The Brigadier married Miss Mary Finch (image left) known to many Duston residents for

her work at British Timken where she came in 1943 as the Welfare/Personnel Officer.

She was particularly interested in engaging with the Duston Residents who initially were

a bit resentful of the foreigners from Birmingham. She organised the first British Timken

Show, which over the years went from strength to strength, proving to be such a popular

event for British Timken Staff and the people of the town. Mary was a Parish and

Borough Councillor and served a term as Mayor of Northampton 1980/1981, a role she

took on as a great honour.

At the start of WW2 the Brigadier was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st

Northamptonshire Regiment. In 1942 the 80th Indian Battalion was

formed with a combination of Indian, Gurkha and British Regiments

including the 1st Northamptonshire and he was appointed to the rank

of Brigadier.

The role of the 80th Indian Battalion was to prevent the Japanese army

advance into India and after the fall of Singapore, to begin the long push

back through Burma and the Malay peninsula. It was a long gruelling

series of battles but gradually the Japanese army running low on vital

supplies, were retreating.

In 1945 Brigadier Taunton went into Saigon, then in French Indo-China,

with the objective of receiving the surrender of the Japanese and

securing the release of the French detainees and Allies prisoners of war

The situation became complex with social unrest and fighting between

the local population, the Vietnamese Nationalists, the Viet Minh, and the newly released French, to take

control of the country, leading to the decision to rearm the Japanese to reduce civil disorder.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST: https://www.iwm.org.uk/search/global?query=BRIGADIER+DOIDGE+ESTCOURT+TAUNTON+DSO+Saigon&pageSize=

The Imperial War Museum London has archive film of Brigadier Taunton’s arrival in Saigon.

Brigadier Taunton Arrives At Japanese Aerodrome At Saigon [Allocated Title] http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_FFA5A0F537504A9A9945BF9EC7CC22FE

An interview with the Brigadier taken in his garden in

Duston in 1982.

His answer to the question on the screen is “Spell it?!”

“D-o-i-d-g-e, it's a Cornish name, Christian name, Estcourt,

E-s-t-c-o-u-r-t, Taunton, the same as the capital

of Somerset!”

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AS IT WAS - GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND - KATHY PERKINS

The first special relationship between a dog and a blind person is lost

in the mists of time, but perhaps the earliest recorded example is depicted in a first-century AD mural in the buried ruins of Roman Herculaneum (image left, with enhanced image). There are other records from Asia and Europe up to the Middle Ages, of dogs leading blind men.

However, the first systematic attempt to train dogs to aid blind people came around 1780 at

'Les Quinze-Vingts' hospital for the blind in Paris. Shortly afterwards, in 1788, Josef Riesinger, a blind sieve-maker from Vienna, trained a Spitz dog (image right) so well that people often

questioned whether he was blind. This hospital is still open and is now France's National

Ophthalmology Hospital.

In 1819, Johann Wilhelm Klein, founder of the Institute for the Education of the Blind (Blinden-Erziehungs-Institut) in Vienna, mentioned the concept of the guide dog in his book on educating blind people and described his method for training dogs. A Swiss man, Jacob Birrer (left), wrote in 1847 about his experiences of being guided over a period of five years by a dog he had specially trained.

The modern guide dog story, however, begins during the First World War, with thousands of soldiers returning from the Western Front blinded, often by poison gas.

Brutal weapons such as mustard gas were being

used on a large scale for the first time, with the result that

a number of returning soldiers were in need of support with life-

changing visual impairments.

Image National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffs, depicting soldiers gassed during WW1 modelled from the painting GASSED by John Singer Sargent RA © Kathy Perkins

Saint Dunstan’s (now renamed Blind Veterans UK) was founded in England in 1915 by a blind man with a vision. He was the newspaper proprietor Sir Arthur Pearson (1866-1921), a man with glaucoma, and his vision was that blind men and women should not be restored from being simply the recipient of charity, to people who could lead independent, useful, contributing and satisfying lives. The idea was revolutionary in its time. Around 1926 a wealthy American woman, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, (page 9) was already training dogs for the army, police and customs service in Switzerland. In 1927 the Eustis’s’ learned of a school in Germany that trained dogs as guides for blind veterans. Dorothy Eustis wrote an article on the school for the Saturday Evening Post entitled “The Sleeping Eye” and the article resulted in an inquiry from Morris S Frank, a blind man of Nashville, Tennessee. Frank heard about the article and bought a copy of the newspaper. He later said that the five cents the newspaper cost

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him "bought an article that was worth more than a million dollars to me. It changed my life". He wrote to Eustis, telling her that he would very much like to help introduce guide dogs to the United States.

Taking up the challenge, Dorothy Eustis (left) trained a dog, ‘Buddy’ and brought Frank over to Switzerland to learn how to work with the dog. Frank went back to the United States with what many believe to be America's first guide dog. Eustis later established the Seeing Eye School in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1929, but before this went back to Switzerland to do further work there. The success of the United States experience encouraged Eustis to set up guide a dog school at Vevey in Switzerland in 1928. She called this school, like the one a year later in New Jersey, 'L'Oeil qui Voit' [The Eye that Sees], or The Seeing Eye. 1930, two British women, Muriel Crooke and Rosamund Bond, heard about The Seeing Eye and contacted Dorothy Eustis, who sent over one of her trainers. In 1931, the first four British guide dogs completed their training and three years later The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association was founded in the UK.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) was established in 1934 with Leamington Spa opening a first UK guide dog Training Centre.

Thousands of people have had their lives transformed by guide dogs, thanks to the organisations that provide them. The commitment of the people who work for these organisations, and the people who financially support them, is as deep today as it ever was, and the heirs of Dorothy Eustis's legacy continue to work for the increased mobility, dignity and independence of blind and partially-sighted people the world over.

Harvey (with his lovely guide dog, Sunny, in London) will write a follow up to this article in the next newsletter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinze-Vingts_National_Ophthalmology_Hospital

http://www.igdf.org.uk/about-us/facts-and-figures/history-of-guide-dogs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guide_Dogs_for_the_Blind_Association#History

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PART TWO OF A VIRTUAL (VIRUS INDUCED) WALK

AROUND THE PARISH OF DUSTON - DAVID CARTER

In Part One, we walked from Berrywood Road, following Duston’s

parish boundary, down to the river, then along the river to West

Bridge.

We will now start on our journey back home.

With our back to Northampton itself as we stand on West Bridge,

we have Dallington parish on our right, and Duston on our left.

The mills and warehouses on our left are “ours,” as is St James Mill

Road and the Green Man Inn (now the Thomas a Beckett). This used to be a major road junction. Some travellers

leaving the town would head left, towards St James’ Mill, while most would stay on the roadway towards what

became St James Square. We stay on the road to the Square, with the housing and shoe factories on the right all in

Dallington, and Church’s Shoe Factory and the “Red” Bus Depot within Duston.

The Weedon Road (now A45/A4500) meets the A428 Harlestone Road at the Square. But there is (was) another

road heading away from town - the road to Kislingbury and beyond began on the Square, by turning off left along

Abbey Street, then halfway between the river and today’s A4500/Weedon Road. Part of the way is now Walter Tull

Way, then across towards Upton Mill and Kislingbury’s village green.

We must walk up Harlestone Road, following our parish boundary. We remind ourselves that the houses on our left,

including the Sandhill area and Malcolm Drive, are “Duston.” Franklins Gardens and Express Lifts are on the site of St

James Abbey. Everything on the right of Harlestone Road – Spencer Bridge Road, Dallington House and Park, and

the village itself – are within Dallington.

Dallington Parish is long and narrow, from Castle Station, through Victoria Park and the Gladstone Road/Spencer

area, all the way onto Dallington Heath and into Harlestone Firs. Long and Narrow!

We walk along Harlestone Road, past Bants Lane and Cotswold Avenue. We glance at Ryehill, which is in Dallington

parish. As we think of walking down Harlestone Road from Hopping Hill (in Duston) towards Quarry Road in New

Duston, we remember that the parish boundary leaves the road, and turns RIGHT, just beyond Ryehill, heading down

to the stream within the spinney - Dallington Brook.

Lodge Farm (New Duston Lodge Farm was once here) is in Duston. Lodge Farm, and a small area with the Hare and

Hounds Pub (opposite the Rifle Butt pub), are the only part of Duston on the “wrong” side of the Harlestone Road.

Our boundary follows the stream towards the Firs, along the back of Lodge Farm.

The boundary, following the stream, comes close to the Harlestone Road, then under the road, in the dip round the

bend, before we reach White’s Lane. That stream, and our boundary, then heads back towards Berrywood/Nobottle

Road, on the Duston side of (the old) Sandy Lane. The stream does take one deviation across Sandy Lane, then back

again, so there is one (triangular shaped) field on the other side of Sandy Lane. Known as Strawberry Leys and

owned by the Duston Poor charity until recent road developments, its hedges still mark the ancient parish boundary.

But, the stream comes back to our side of Sandy Lane, and is the field boundary ditch along the edge of Alsace Park

and St Giles Park, all the way back to Berrywood Road, where we began our walk. The hedge along the stream/ditch,

between the Alsace/St Giles Park estates and the new footpath on the old Sandy Lane, is all that remains of the

parish hedge on this northern boundary.

We have “walked” along the boundaries of Duston Parish. Our Fitbit

and other devices will show how many steps we took, but hopefully we will have woken memories of places, events

and people from our past.

Some afterthoughts ……………………………..

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The town “ends” of Dallington and Duston Parishes became built up in the late 19th century. Dallington St James and

Duston St James became wards within the borough of Northampton around 1901. The new town boundary was at St

James Square. The town expanded up to the Duston/Weedon Road junction, then later to Bants Lane. Who

remembers when the town’s red buses came to Bants Lane, but not to Duston village?

Finally, the whole parish of Duston became part of the borough, despite the “Hands Off Duston” campaign in the late

1950s.

The Parish Council had existed since the 1890s. It closed, as Duston became part of Northampton. In more recent

times, parish councils were created anew, and – as we speak – parish councils within the county are taking back

responsibility for community centres, public parks and spaces.

Some of us like to dream of future times, when Duston may claim back its land, and become once again the

township that it was.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE THESE PLACES ARE? - Barbara Luke

Following David’s article this seems to be a good place to put

these images.

Photographs in the July edition from Mark Vincent:

Image 1 on the left: allotments behind the Extracare building with the old clock tower of St. Crispins Hospital

in the background.

Image 2 on the right: the University campus and which was part of the railway line to Far Cotton

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A SHORT STORY OF THE VARIED LIVES OF DUSTON VILLAGE SCHOOL 1855-2013 (157 YEARS)

MARGARET EDWARDS

1. Conception, birth and growth The date is 1855. In those days Viscount John Henry and Viscountess Emily Palmerston held the Manor of Duston. By all accounts he was a very dynamic, positive sort of individual and also, at this time, Prime Minster. He gave the land and paid for a school, to be named St Luke’s, for the children of Duston.

He realised, as also did the Vicar of Duston, schooling for Duston children was limited. So – despite some grumblings and objections from local residents (with comments such as “…in as much as education for the poor is a positive evil, we consider the proposed school at Duston wholly unnecessary”), the establishment of the school went ahead and by 1856 the building was completed. Viscount Palmerston bequeathed the land and the school building to the Vicar and Church Wardens of St Luke’s Parish and their successors with the further injunction in the Deeds:

“….all buildings thereon erected or to be erected to be for ever hereafter appropriated and used as and for a School for the education of children and adults or children only of the labouring manufacturing or other poorer classes in

Duston…”

As the years rolled by, with Duston growing and the numbers of children increasing, further classrooms were added during the 19th and early 20th centuries. A significant development came in 1947 with the raising of the school leaving age to 15. Even more pupils at the school, with limited facilities available. A temporary building was erected to house the extra pupils called the ‘Horsa’ (Hutted Operation for Raising the School leaving Age) classroom. It’s still there! It was in 1952, when the school became a Controlled C of E School, which meant the state paid the bills, (although the church lost its direct control) that help was at hand to pay for a major expansion. It took nearly 10 years to materialise but at last, by 1965, came indoor toilets, a kitchen, 4 additional classrooms as well as a library, hall, staff room and Head teacher’s study. Not only that but the NCC, on Mr Garret’s death acquired his house, garage and garden (now the Spinney) adjoining the school boundary. Finally, a benefactor gave land for the use of the children of Duston which became the school playing field. All was in place for a thriving future.

But that future was to come to an abrupt end in 2007 2. Disaster and banishment The instigator of the disaster was the decision by the Education Authority to change from a three tier system of education, (Lower, Middle and Upper schools) to a two tier system (Lower and Upper schools). This resulted, amongst other things, buildings unsuitable for the change. St Luke’s fitted this category as there was no way it could be further enlarged.

Unbeknownst to most, the local church had given the school to the Peterborough Diocese. The Diocese had done a deal with the County Council whereby the County Council would have St Luke’s school site in exchange for a new C of E school on the St Crispin’s site outside Duston Parish.

What next? I attach a copy of an Appeal made to NCC committee meeting on 11th September 2006. I think this gives a good explanation of what was happening:

“This afternoon I am going to tell you a story and when you have heard my story I am going to ask some questions and finally make a request. If you have any sensitivity or common sense you are bound to grant my request. So please listen with care. My story begins exactly 150 years ago when Lord Palmerston, our then Prime Minister, gave land and paid for a school, called St Luke’s, for the children of Duston and so it still is. Alongside this school another benefactor, at a much later date, gave land, also for use by the children of Duston, now the school playing field. But - the children will move, in 16 months’ time, to a bigger site outside the parish What is to happen? Houses and more houses? What is to be done? The Parish Council and people of Duston indicated a desire to look into the feasibility of acquiring the site, centre of the conservation area and gateway to the village, for the community.

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So for 6 months,10 truly interested and down to earth individuals have done just that. Identified needs particularly for disaffected youth and for the elderly; consulted experts; done careful costings; assessed the potential market; investigated long term lettings; surveyed the buildings; noted the extensive use of the playing field and, most important of all, banished sentiment from the deliberations. In fact been dedicated to ensure the project is feasible and viable. All is looking rosy for our busy band of 10. On 20th September it is to present this report to the Parish Council outlining the process of the feasibility study including the costings, investigations and evidence on which the recommendation to proceed is based. But disaster strikes. These trusting and ordinary citizens are confronted by the County Council who say, “Sorry guys- you can’t bid for your school site. We’ve decided to sell them all off in one big job lot to one big developer. In that way we’ll get Best Value, a guarantee of money at a guaranteed time.” That is my story. These are my questions. Are you not able to include in Best Value the human rights of the community and the environmental issues that are bound to arise in this operation? Can you not see you are abdicating your responsibilities to your electors? Can you not accept that Duston Parish Council should have an opportunity to bid and has a right to do so? This is my request. Please exclude the St Luke’s school site and playing field from the package of school sites on offer to big developers in order that the Parish Council has an opportunity to purchase them. Thank you for listening. I hope you have the sensitivity and common sense to grant this request.”

The request failed. Barratts the house builder won the option to purchase the whole site. In February 2008, the pupils left for their new site. Now an empty shell of a school and hope fading fast.

3. The Shutdown and Rescue

A desolate site faced all who entered the village. In 2008 the buildings and grounds were in pristine condition but once it was empty it was subject to vandalism, general neglect, fire and flooding.

In addition the trees in the Spinney needed attention, the paths became impassable and the whole area was overgrown. The shuttered windows increased the sense of abandonment.

But a magic moment changed everything: 2008 The Financial Crash 😊

Barratts withdrew from their option to purchase so we were back to square one with the County Council in charge. Urgent action was needed to enhance our chances of success the second time of asking.

PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR SCHOOL

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Requirements 1. Money

a) An application to the Big Lottery fund specifically for community projects was made in 2007. Unfortunately, our project was not selected.

b) An application for a loan from the Public Works Loan Board for £600K was successful with overwhelming agreement from residents completing a flyer requesting support

c) 3 annual grants from the Parish Council of £100K each d) A Friends fund raising group was established with events held alternate months raising nearly £

2000. 2. Support

a) Regular information and updates in the Parish Magazine and Annual Reports

b) Activities at the annual fetes including ‘Save our School’ badges

c) Booklets outlining the future use of the site and case for retaining the site available for free in the library, surgeries etc

d) A unique Christmas card! 3. Planning permission - Plans were drawn up by our architect and permission granted in 2009 4. Business Plan - After the Parish Council had made an offer for the site, which was rejected, and an

application had been made, by the residents of Sussex Close, for the playing field to be classed as a Village Green the NCC requested a Business Plan. This was real progress after many years of struggle. Our actions were being taken seriously.

5. Resurrection – A new life begins

In 2010 a robust Business Plan was completed by the Project Team, with guidance from the Development Trust Association, and accepted by the Parish Council and County Council. On 30 March 2012 agreement was finally reached to transfer the 2 sites to the Parish Council on a 99 year lease. In April 2012 Holland Build was the chosen contractor for the final stage of the St Luke’s transformation. As the building had been shut for 4 years there were a number of problems encountered in the process. Finally it was completed in March 2013.

D L H S N e w s l e t t e r A u g u s t 2 0 2 0 P a g e | 15

THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF OUR NEW ST LUKE’S ON SUNDAY 2ND JUNE 2013

That was a very special day for the many people who came to celebrate the transformation of a much loved building into something new, but still the same place, so central and familiar to Duston.

A final coda - since 1917 St. Luke’s Centre has been self-financing; that is …… it costs the Parish …… nothing ….. amazing!

OBITUARY - BARRY MANSFIELD - a gentleman.

Barry (1st right, front row) was the epitome of a loyal Timken employee.

He loved the work, colleagues and social opportunities. He was

always happy and smiling and willing to help in any way he could.

He enjoyed a chat about anything but particularly rugby.

Barry was a founding member of Northampton Western Front

Association. He had a particular interest in the Alsace region, which

he visited several times each year. At the Centenary at the end of

WW1 he brought some of his collection to St. Luke’s and enjoyed the

interest the children showed, especially the bullets and the barbed

wire.

Our condolences to his wife Daphne and family. He died on 22nd June

at the age of 88. DENNIS NIGHTINGALE

EDITORIAL - ARTICLES AND IMAGES FOR THE SEPTEMBER EDITION OF THE DLHS NEWSLETTER MUST BE RECEIVED

BY 16th August please. Kathy

http://online.flipbuilder.com/cwao/wdlt/

This link above will enable you to read the 2020 Hindsight issue 26 on electronic devices from PC’s to mobile phones

published by Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Committee, edited by Enid Jarvis. Included are articles on The

Kempe Window in Holy Sepulchre Church Northampton written by John Kightley and also Carvings in the Oak Room,

Abington Park Museum by Douglas Goddard, plus many more.

Duston Local History Group publication:

The Editor reserves the right to decline to accept an article. Also articles may be edited due to space constraints.

Sue Edmonds-Phelan (inset right) cuts the ribbon at the refurbished St. Lukes School at the official opening as a

community centre, which featured a range of entertainment