From time to time
newspaper accounts of the
activities of the Nottingham Civic Society that
flourished in the 1920s come to light. This one is from the Nottingham Guardian
19 March 1924 and was spotted originally by John Severn.
"NOTTINGHAM A FRUITFUL GROUND OF ANTIQUITY
AN INTERESTING LECTURE.
One could not wish for a more interesting lecture than that given in the Nottingham University College last night by Mr. J. Holland Walker, who took for his subject "Objects of Antiquarian Interest in Nottingham." The lecture was under the auspices of the Nottingham Civic Society and members and a large audience were privileged considerably to add to their store of knowledge on matters relating to relics in the city.
Alderman E Huntsman, who presided, in commending the society, said it had set before itself some very useful and very fine ideals. One of these was that of influencing the sluggish minds that existed in the City Council. That was a work that really did need doing. They had around them objects of intense interest, a legacy of bygone days, in some cases beautiful in form and rich in significance, to which the man in the street was entirely indifferent. It was certainly a fine work the Civic Society was undertaking in seeking to open the eyes of the people to such beauties.
Mr. Walker prefaced his lecture by expressing thanks for the assistance he had received from the authorities at the Castle Museum, the staff of the Public Library, and Mr. Harry Gill. He then proceeded to trace the history of Nottingham from the days when swamps stretched to the Ruddington hills, and, when wastes and forests existed."
The account, which followed gave a brief resume of the rest of the lecture, a miscellany of historic snippets relating to the city. It ended "He concluded by saying that for objects of antiquarian interest Nottingham was hard to beat."
J Holland Walker was, later, President/President Emeritus of the Thoroton Society, Harry Gill was a local architect and prolific contributor to the Transactions of the Thoroton Society. In 1928 Alderman Huntsman became Nottingham's first Lord Mayor.
