Ringstead Heritage Group’s recent inaugural
Coffee Morning brought traffic to a standstill as
up to 300 people visited the Village Hall to look
at over 60 old photographs, read about past
farming memories from the 1940’s, and press
clippings of events from the 20th century. A
prominent exhibit was the lost painting
of Ringstead School, by J L Carr, Interim
Headmaster during 1952.

There were also a number of BeBe Dolls and
toys on loan including a four-foot tall teddy bear,
which once belonged to Albert Fox, General
Manager of BeBe Dolls of Ringstead. During
the event an anonymous donation was given
to the group of a blue and pink bear, made by
BeBe Dolls, which will now be a permanent
memento of that company’s past association
with the village.

David Ball, author of two “Ringstead People”
books, was able to encourage and advise
other residents to begin tracing their family
ancestry. He sold out of all his books at the
coffee morning, but is reprinting second
editions which will be available to purchase at
future events.

BBC Radio Northampton’s Saturday Treasure
Quest programme featured the Coffee Morning
as the last clue for Helen Blaby to guess, and
that morning she well and truly trounced the
opposition from BBC Three Counties Radio. A
raffle was held, consisting of over 25 donated
prizes, with the top prize being a sumptuous
food hamper. Together with monies from the
refreshments and donations the total raised
was a fantastic £345 which will now be used
to organise other events and seek community
funding to begin the recording of past memories
and reminisces.

An apology has to be made to many other
present and past residents who were not able
to gain entry to the event due to the very large
numbers of people who visited Ringstead that
Saturday morning. The Group will be hosting a
similar event later in the year and this time the
venue will be Ringstead Village Social Club’s
large function room over an extended period so
that everyone visiting will have an opportunity
to look at the memorabilia and reminisce at
leisure.

The next planned event is a Ringstead
Heritage Trail Walk around the village on
Sunday 3rd May from 11am to 3pm. The trail
will start and finish at Ringstead Village Social
Club and is intended to be a family event to
encourage the younger residents to look and
learn about the past history of the village with
their parents. Three prizes will be awarded
and there will also be a small exhibition of
memorabilia about past commercial and retail
businesses which thrived in the village during
the early 20th century.

For further information, please contact
Roger Kinsey of Ringstead Heritage Group
on 01933 460676 or at 15 Carlow Street,
Ringstead, NN14 4DN.

 

Ringstead Heritage Group - History Exhibition and Heritage Trail Walk

Ringstead Heritage Group - History Exhibition and Heritage Trail Walk

Ringstead Heritage Group - History Exhibition and Heritage Trail Walk