ADVERT

 “SPROTBROUGH ORAL HISTORY: FROM RURAL ESTATE TO REAL ESTATE 1925 TO 1965”

 

Just a reminder that time is passing and, if you want a copy of this book for yourself or as a Christmas gift, now is the time to get in touch with me.

 

It has been selling really well so far, with excellent reviews prompting many reminiscences, so I can imagine many hours being spent talking about times past over mince pies and glass of whatever takes their fancy after Christmas lunch!

 

 

Copies may be purchased through me, Liz Reeve, by emailing soh.lizreeve@gmail.com or telephoning 01302 313030.  Published by MGEM Publishing, 193 pp, Price £12.99

DON GORGE CALENDAR 2021

This lovely calendar is also available from me price £6.  It features many excellent wildlife photographs taken throughout 2020 by members of Sprotbrough Flash Facebook page, so don’t let this opportunity pass you by,

NEWSLETTER: 23 OCTOBER 2020

CELEBRATION OF SALMON IN THE RIVER DON

This event was held online this morning.  It was supposed to be a get-together of all parties involved, but circumstances prevailed and it had to be a zoom meeting.  However, that didn't detract from the message that the River Don is so much cleaner today than it was 30-40 years ago so that salmon are now able to swim up river as they used to do 200 years ago.

Several people from the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Don Catchment River Trust and Lottery Fund spoke, saying how working in partnership has turned the river from being water in which nothing could survive and had only 'one in a billion chance of ever doing so' (Chris Firth MBE 1980).  But in 1989 the government made a decision to change its organisational approach to rivers and the combined working of all the agencies meant that by 1997 the first spawning salmon , an 11 pounder, had been found, unfortunately dead, at a sluice in Doncaster, as it had been unable to get any further.  

At that point it was decided that the only thing to do was replace the sluice with a fish pass, which was done with great success when in 1998 another salmon was seen at Sprotbrough weir.

The Don Catchment River Trust then initiated the installation of 12 fish passes and other easements and, although there are still a few left to do higher up the river's higher reaches, salmon are now being seen on a regular basis as far as Sheffield.  Lampreys have also been discovered showing that the river is healthier now then it has been for a great many years; kingfishers, herons and many other species are now a regular sight around The Flash, as can be seen from our Don Gorge Calendar for 2021, to which members of the Flash Facebook page have contributed. 

The work is ongoing, with the aim of making the river more accessible to local people and our group continues to be part of that, so if you are free on a Tuesday or Thursday please give consideration to joining our volunteers as they enhance the area in so many ways.

It is hoped that a video that was shown at the meeting will be available soon and I will then post a link so that you can watch it.

THE DON GORGE CALENDAR 2021

Orders are now being taken for this, price £6, by Liz Reeve: 

We would welcome any enquiries and will always answer to the best of our knowledge.

Please email: lizreeve@dongorgecommunitygroup.com 

UPDATE - SPROTBROUGH: FROM RURAL ESTATE TO REAL ESTATE

PLEASE NOTE JOHN WALTON'S TELEPHONE NUMBER WAS WRONG ON THE PREVIOUS ADVERT.  (IT HAS BEEN AMENDED)

THE CORRECT NUMBER IS THEREFORE 

01302 570001

PLEASE SHARE AND WATCH CALENDAR NEWS ON ITV TOMORROW (THURSDAY) AT 6 PM

 Please share and watch Calendar News Parks Series tomorrow evening  on ITV when the Don Gorge Community Group’s film will be shown at 6 pm.

SPROTBROUGH: FROM RURAL ESTATE TO REAL ESTATE

 

This is just to update everyone on the progress of our book.

The manuscript went off to the printers and, following two or three proofs is now in line for printing.  I have just been informed that it is likely to be with us during the week commencing

19 OCTOBER 2020.

As I am off to the DRI tomorrow morning for surgery and will then be self-isolating for 4 weeks, all the books will be delivered to:

John Walton, 'Stable View', Park Drive, Sprotbrough DN5 7LP. Tel: 01302 570001

For ease, John's home can be accessed through the gate on the left hand side of 'Park House', which is the old house on the right just inside the park next to the church.  Just walk through the gate, down the path and you will see a new house in front of you.

So that he knows how many copies you are calling for, you should pay in advance by one of the following methods shown in the preferred order:

1.  Bank Transfer:  The name on the bank account is Elizabeth Reeve.                                          The Bank Sort Code is: 54-10-03 and the Account No is 90406591.                                            Please ensure you put your name in the space for 'sender', so that I know who it is from.

For payments by Cheque or Cash:

2.  Cheques should be made payable to 'Elizabeth Reeve'. 

3.  Cash:  

Please place cheques or cash in an envelope with your name, address and contact details, ie phone number and email, written on the envelope with the number of copies you require and the amount of cash enclosed.

On receipt of your order and payment, John will be informed of how many copies you require and you will be able to collect.  Please telephone John first to arrange a convenient time.

Published by MGEM Publishing, 193 pp, Price £12.99 + p&p if necessary.

 

DON GORGE COMMUNITY GROUP NEWSLETTER

30 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPPORT OUR GROUP WITH NO COST TO YOURSELF?

 

WELL YOU CAN!

 

AMAZON ARE ALREADY SUPPORTING 24,000 CHARITIES IN THE UK TO THE TUNE OF £4.6 MILLION BY DONATING 0.5% OF SUPPORTERS’ PURCHASERS TO THEIR CHOSEN CHARITY

 

AND IT’S EASY!

 

ALL SUPPORTERS HAVE TO DO IS VISIT

 

HTTPS://ORG.AMAZON.CO.UK

 

AND FOLLOW THE FIVE EASY STEPS TO ENROL SAYING YOU WANT TO SUPPORT

 

DON GORGE COMMUNITY GROUP

 

THEN YOU JUST DO YOUR SHOPPING AS NORMAL THROUGH

 

SMILE-AMAZON.CO.UK

OR THEIR AMAZON-SMILE ENABLED APP

 

AND THAT’S IT.

 

AS WE HAVE NO OTHER  WAY OF RAISING MONEY FOR THE WORK WE DO, WE ARE DEPENDENT ON MAKING APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS AND THIS NEW FUNDING WOULD ENABLE GENERAL COSTS, SUCH AS OUR WEBSITE, STATIONERY OR REPAIRING TOOLS FOR OUR CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS, ETC, TO BE COVERED. 

 

NO-ONE WORKING FOR THE GROUP IS PAID SO ALL YOUR GIFTS GO TOWARDS THE WORK WE DO.

 

PLEASE HELP US

 

MANY THANKS

SPROTBROUGH ORAL HISTORY: FROM RURAL ESTATE TO REAL ESTATE

 This project is now drawing to a close with the production of a book.  It is currently with the printer and should be ready to launch before the end of this month.

It gives a brief history of Sprotbrough Village from prehistoric times to 1965, but its main focus is the stories of some of those who lived in the village between 1925 and 1965.

In 1925, Sprotbrough Estate was sold following the deaths of Brigadier-General Robert Calverley Alington Bewley Copley on 23 June 1923 and his wife, Selena Frances, on the day of his funeral.  The next in line, their son Lord Cromwell, decided that the price of maintaining the estate, along with also having to pay double death duties, was too high a price to pay and decided to sell.

Although the estate covered many acres, until that time, the population of the village itself was only around 300 and most of them were tied to the estate through work, so the impending change to their lives was one of uncertainty but also opportunity.  

By the early 1960s, the population had grown to 1014 and home ownership had well and truly arrived in the village.

Very few people were found who had actually experienced life in the village in 1925, but their descendants still had a story to tell, as had some that arrived in the village having purchased land and commenced building.  

This is their story.

This is the first book written about Sprotbrough since 1969 and it is hoped that villagers will enjoy being reminded of those early days and that newcomers will discover something of the history of the place in which they now live.

Copies will initially be available from Liz Reeve and may now be ordered in advance by emailing soh.lizreeve@gmail.com or telephoning 01302 313030.  

Published by MGEM Publishing, 193 pp, Price £12.99