The Nuneaton Society

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Chronicle of the 20th Century
Key Events in Nuneaton
and district in the last one hundred years
compiled by Peter Lee

1930-39

1930
One in ten houses in Nuneaton classified as unfit to live in.

The George Eliot Fellowship founded.

The last meeting was held of the old Nuneaton Poor Law Guardians.

Work started on houses on the new Weddington estate in the grounds of the old castle.

29th April - Alderman E.F.Melly JP was given freedom of the Borough.

21st June - The first county cricket match played at the Griff & Coton cricket ground.

October - Nuneaton's first carnival held. This has become a firm part of the Nuneaton calendar and is now held in June. Nuneaton's first carnival queen was Ann Seale.


1931
Swinnerton School started to be built.

The old Palace Cinema (next door to the new one) converted into a roller skating rink.

Weddington was incorporated into the Borough of Nuneaton.

12th April - the LMSR passenger train service between Nuneaton - Ashby & Loughborough discontinued.

23rd July - Mr. James Knox of Haunchwood Brick & Tile fame who lived at the Chase, Higham Lane died aged 82.

December - Work started on New Council House.


1932
Swinnerton School opened.

Stockingford station signal box closed.

Nowells siding signal box closed. Both the above were replaced by ground frames.

29th January - Attleborough Hall demolition started.

21st March - The Kosy Kinema opened in Lister Street, Attleborough.

22nd May - The familiar and well known "Great Flood of Nuneaton" occurred, lifting wooden block paving in the Market Place and causing much damage to the centre of town. Floods took only an hour to rise and reached a depth of four to five feet in the Market Place.

June - Civic Mace presented to the Borough Council by Henry Lester, the chemist.

5th November - Stockingford loco shed closed. All locomotives were transferred to the main Nuneaton shed on the Trent Valley line. Locomotive crews continued to sign on at the Stockingford station.


1933
December - Council House completed.


1934
Herbert Charles Jones OBE JP of Caldwell Hall (1868-1934) deceased. Heir: Phillip Rufus Jones (1910-?)

Education office, formerly at the Elms, Vicarage Street transferred to the new Council House.

January - The library in Coton Road was transferred to the old fire station and municipal offices in Queens Road. Demolition of the former library commenced 12th January 1934. The librarian was Mr. B. Moreton.

26th April - The new Council House (now the Town Hall) in Nuneaton opened by Sir Francis Newdigate-Newdegate GCMG.

10th July - Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) landed by aeroplane in Nuneaton to visit Hall & Phillips factory in Meadow Street.

6th September - The Pheasant Inn in Abbey Street closed. Its licence was transferred to the Grove at Weddington.


1935
July - Under new slum clearance proposals demolition started on a court of four court cottages in Abbey Street.
(Between 1935 and 1956 1051 houses were demolished).

4th July - The Chase, home of the Knox family of Haunchwood Brick & & Tile fame sold by auction.

28th November - The headmaster of Hartshill Schools. Mr. George P. Bowerman was tragically killed when he fell off a chair whilst setting the school hall curtain for the school concert.


1936
There started an influx of Welsh and Durham miners into the area.

Chilvers Coton (Shepperton) old vicarage demolished.

New Catholic Church built in Coton Road.

Work started on the new Camp Hill housing estate for miners and other local families displaced by the slums gradually being torn down in the town centre. 1400 houses would eventually be built. By 1939 536 old properties had been demolished in the town.

9th January - A severe storm blew one of the five sails of the windmill on Tuttle Hill, it was never replaced. Grinding of corn went over to electricity. It was the last working windmill in the Borough and one of the last in Warwickshire.(There had been a flour mill on this site since the 1720's.)

7th March - Thomas Wright the miller at Tuttle Hill died.

8th June - New electric motor fitted to Tuttle Hill windmill to grind corn.

21st June Lightning struck and partially destroyed the spire on Attleborough church.

25th September - Men digging a trench in Queens Road for a new sewer overcome by fumes. One man, Charles Smith, aged 60, of 18 Harold Street, Nuneaton died.


1937
Nuneaton Town Football Club folded and the Manor Park ground was sold to the Nuneaton Corporation for £3500.

Nuneaton Borough Football Club founded to take over the old club and ground.

Work started on Arbury Secondary School, Greenmoor Road.

Using the licence transferred from the old Pheasant inn in Abbey Street the Grove House in Weddington was converted into a public house.

January and March - The great English comedian, Mr. George Formby, appeared at the New Palace Theatre. He sang some of his best loved comedy songs.

7th May - Celebrations in Nuneaton for coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

23rd July - The Ritz Cinema opened in Abbey Street.

August - Alderman E.F.Melly retired from his post as Managing Director of Griff Collieries Ltd. He was succeeded by Mr. Povey-Harper, a director of Measham Collieries Ltd. and Nuneaton Timber Co. Ltd.


1938
A small orchestra started playing in the restaurant of J.C.Smith's departmental store on Bridge Street.

The original co-op store in Queens Road demolished - built in 1917.

A special train took the staff of Haunchwood Brick & Tile to Bellahouston Park, Glasgow for the Empire Exhibition.

Higham Lane School started to be built.

6th October No.2  Reservoir  and water tower, Tuttle Hill opened by Lt. Commander R.T.H. Fletcher R.N.M.P.


1939
Camp Hill Hall demolished.

A new primary school opened at Victoria Road, Hartshill.

The Co-Op Hall opened for dances and band entertainments.

Sterling Metals aluminium foundry was begun in Marston Lane. This was re-located from Coventry.

18th February - Rev. William Herbert Fifield took up his duties at Attleborough church. He was to stay for 39 years until 30th November 1978.

2nd September - The day before the outbreak of World War II. armed troops took up station in the recreation ground in Pool Bank Street.  Four guards were put on each entrance.

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