Up Town – Our New Book

Up Town – Our New Book

Ilkeston and District Local History Society launched a new book at their monthly meeting on 1st September. Called “Up Town”, it features old pictures of Ilkeston’s main streets from the 1870s to the 1980s with colour pictures from this year, showing the many changes...
Fletcher’s Fizz

Fletcher’s Fizz

By Jeff Wynch William Fletcher came to Ilkeston from his home town of Southwell to set up as a chemist on Bath Street in 1868. Under the Pharmacy Act of that year, the terms Chemist and Druggist could only be legally used by those who had passed a basic Pharmaceutical...
Marking the 1916 Zeppelin bombing

Marking the 1916 Zeppelin bombing

On 31st January 1916 a Zeppelin flew over the East Midlands passing over Ilkeston and the Stanton Iron Works and dropping bombs on the way, including at Bennerley Viaduct. Our plaque, placed by the Society on the north wall of the former St Bartholemew’s Church in...
Fred Fletcher – champion cyclist

Fred Fletcher – champion cyclist

A second Society plaque now adorns the walls of the Sir John Warren in the Market Place commemorating the Ilkeston Bicycle Club and the town’s champion rider, Fred Fletcher. Fred was born over his father’s chemist shop at 69 Bath Street on 8 August 1869....