This reply from Sandra Easom:
Someone might know the answer to your query but our Society mainly researches & records the history of Newmarket itself. Obviously, there is some overlap with the town's racing history which, in the overall time scale, is a short but very important part of Newmarket's entire history.

and from Tony Pringle, who as a young man knew the local stables well:
If he was simply an owner of a yard and a few horses, but not the trainer, then he could be quite an obscure person to us locals who tended only to think of stableyards by the name of the actual yard or the incumbent in those days.
See also the reply from Eric Graham 17th June 2014 (webmaster)

April 21st 2014 from Christine Moore.
Hello can you tell me who was E Young Newmarket please? I have a photo of my father with his WW1 uniform on and I'm just wondering why he would be in Newmarket when he was born in Altricham, Cheshire - was Newmarket a place for troops to be sent overseas? Any help appreciated.

This query raises two separate subjects of interest.
First from Tony Pringle on the military question
"It would be handy to see the uniform, or know which Regiment. The Bedfordshire Regiment for sure spent some time in Newmarket, the 12th and 13th Officer Cadet battalions were here all the war and their instructors as with other training units in the town were drawn for many different regiments. The Heaths saw quite a bit of Army camps at times and Brickfields was a busy Army area.
One must realise that where a man came from may not reflect on which regiment he served in. Initially men volunteering chose their regiment but as the war went on that stopped and as ever in times of war, the Army was only interested in getting more men, regardless of where they were from. If the Suffolks for instance lost a lot of men in a battle they may have been brought back to strength by men from Devon or Northumberland and vice versa. Some men served in more than three different regiments in their spell in the Army. Whereas it was usually felt better to respect Regimental geographical ties where possible, at the end of the day it came down to gathering enough bodies to throw into action. Unfortunately such was the manner in which trench warfare had to be fought, that really was the crux of the matter, which ever side had the most bodies would eventually win. Kitchener said very early on that the side with the last one million men would win the war, and he proved right."

Secondly Roger Newman has added this about the photographer E. Young
"I have several photos from WW1 era and some are stamped with E.Young, Flatman St, Newmarket. I have always assumed that his address should have been Nat Flatman St but being a small oval stamp all the address could not be written on the stamp. I believe he took the well known set of six entitled Newmarket Camp 1914. On one of the war memorial unveiling postcards, the stamp shows his address has changed to Old Station Rd. In the 1916 Kellys, he is in there as Edgar Young, Photographer, Old Station Rd. In the 1911 census, he is living at 41 Nat Flatman St, occupation of photographer maker, wife Jessie, assisting in the business at home, he is 33 years old, wife is 38, no children but he was born in Peterborough and she at Whittlesea. They do not sound as professional as Henry Robert Sherborn's family business which was run by his wife by then as Henry passed away in late 1890's. Certainly comparing Sherborns WW1 photos with E.Youngs, Sherborns are of a superior quality and a better quality print. Sherborn is still in the 1933 Kellys in commercial business but no sign of Edgar Young, commercial or private."

April 2014 From Cliff Pettitt
How about something about Transistors, Newmarket was the first place they were manufactured on a commercial scale.
Just about everything we use now days has them in it. No one ever thinks about where they started.

A little research has turned up that Pye Radio of Cambridge produced the first British transistor for use in small portable radios in tne early 1950s. They were manufactured by Newmarket Transistors, a subsidiary of Pyes. Competition from low cost Japanese imports brought about the demise of Pye and the Newmarket factory was taken over by Magnetic Devices.
Perhaps someone worked there or has memories of Newmarket Transistors. (webmaster)

March 13th 2014 from Charles Giles.
I wonder if you can help me please
Is there anyone in the Society who remembers Heath Garage from the 1960s. If so I would be much obliged if they could make contact as I am trying to find out a piece of information about the cars they sold.
This reply from Newmarket Car Club and NLHS member David Butcher.
According to my 1964 RAC handbook, Turner & Hore Heath Garage were agents for Austin, Ford, Morris and Wolseley. Crisswell's were Rover and Vauxhall, Moon's garage Standard Triumph, and Rutland Hill Motors were Rootes Group, Hillman, Humber, Singer etc.
...and this from NLHS Secretary Rosemary Foreman:
"Your query re Heath Garage has been forwarded to me as my late husband (Russell Foreman) worked there from 1949 until the garage gave up repairing cars and changed hands in, I think, the 1980s. They were a Ford Dealership but during the 1960s (again, I think!) the garage was owned by John de Bruyne and they also made one or two sports cars."

Webmaster Rodney Vincent adds:
From memory the Gordon Keeble car was an attempt in the 1960s at a limited production of a stylish high performance sports saloon using a large capacity American engine. It showed great promise and a number were produced but the company ran into production problems. Some exist today in the hands of enthusiasts.
I understand that the ownership of the company changed hands and apparently John de Bruyne at the Heath Garage attempted to salve it after the other owners had failed, so the car may have been sold at the Newmarket Garage.
For more information see the Gordon Keeble Owners' Club website

and a query on the same subject from Tony Thorpe.

I would be very grateful if you or your colleagues at the local history society could answer a couple of questions in relation de Bruyne sports car…
1. I believe that the one or two examples of the car were created at the Heath Garage in Newmarket. Would you be able to confirm that this is correct?
2. I am also trying to track down the Garage location, and my best guess is that it is on the site of the current Shell Service Station, at the junction of High Street and Dullingham Road, next door to the White Lion. Again, I would be grateful if you could confirm this.
3. Finally, as you may know, John de Bruyne is quite often described in motoring literature as an American, but I wonder if this is correct. Would you be able to tell me if this is the same John de Bruyne who runs Anstey Hall in Trumpington?

Rosemary Foreman NLHS Secretary replies:
My husband worked for John de Bruyne (the John de Bruyne Motorcar Company) at his garage in Newmarket in the 1960’s – as you say, the garage was situated at the top end of the town next to the swimming pool and White Lion Hotel.
As you probably know, John was the son of Norman de Bruyne, inventor or Araldite, and he does indeed live at Anstey Hall.
I remember the Gordon Keeble cars being spoken of at the time and if you look at the website allcarindex.com you will find some information together with some photographs:

May 2014. Still on John de Bruyne and his cars NLHS member David Rippington's father Leslie (also a member) worked at the Heath garage and remembers the Gordon Keeble car owned by John de Bruyne. He says that a mock up of a proposed sports car was created at the garage, the idea was that the completed model would be shown in the USA. No cars were however produced at Newmarket and it appears that the the proposed production was abandoned.

February 24th 2014
I just spoke with somebody at the Newmarket council who suggested I pass my query onto the historical society. She gave me a number, but nobody is picking up.
I am working on a BBC One period drama and I am looking to find the area/telephone code for Newmarket for 1922. We believe it might be something along the lines of ‘Small heath 343’

In 1922 the local telephone operated from local manually operated exchanges, so Newmarket numbers would have been Newmarket followed by the number, the villages mostly had their local exchanges called by name and number through small manually operated exchanges. You picked up the telephone earpiece and waited until the operator answered. Dialed telephone, for numbers through the same exchange, did not come until the late thirties, and STD (subscriber trunk dialing) not until after the war. You can learn all about the coming of the telephone on our website. Go to www.newmarketlhs.org.uk/telephoneexchange.html (webmaster)

February 2014 from Rodney Vincent.
We have had some correspondence suggesting that too much emphasis is given to horseracing when discussing Newmarket's history, and that other important aspects of the town are often overlooked..
Newmarket is the world renowned 'Headquarters' of racing and without racing it would, I fear, be a rather undistinguished town. The Heath, such a precious asset, would never have survived without racing and the jealous guardianship of the Jockey Club. Wouldn't the property developers just have loved to get their hands on those rolling acres, or the land put under the plough to help wartime food production,
Most of the fine buildings that grace the town came as a result of horseracing and the patronage of the wealthy and famous from the past. The world famous Tattersalls is here because of the racing. The railway came, and Newmarket's new station was opened in 1902 because of the racing.
To this day the Sheikh has poured money into the district which must be a huge benefit to the local economy. All the Royal interest in Newmarket from James I to our present Queen has been in connection with hunting/racing. As for the successful shops and businesses how many would have prospered without the money brought in from racing? The ninth in the website series 'Newmarket's Personalities from the Past'concerns another great name from Newmarket's racing past. I make no apologies for the fact that 8 out of the 9 were involved with racing, the exception being Bill Tutte.
The wartime role of the town is well known, as are one or two successful entrepreneurs, notably Sam Alper, but I struggle to think of other great names that did not have some racing connection.
Of course Newmarket has always had a life outside horseracing but what is it that gives the town its unique liveliness and sets it apart from other smallish market towns?
A good discussion and important from the perspective of NLHS. Other views always welcome.

February 2014 from Mike Taylor from Borough Green in Kent
I have only ever delivered to Newmarket, or passed through it, but have always been intrigued by the way the Suffolk border "reaches out" and annexes most of Newmarket. Its probably one of those local facts that is so widely known that it is unremarkable, but I would love to know.

This is not an easy question to answer as it is buried in the mists of time.
Sandra Easom has this to add. The Anglo-Saxons laid down Parish boundaries but the origins of how/why are largely lost. This progressed, I believe in the Middle Ages.
Of course, the Normans altered ownership of everything but many boundaries of land ownership remained (Domesday map). The county boundaries depicted are modern ones with historical details filled in. Note that Michael Farrar asserts that the county boundaries remained almost unchanged for 800 years after Domesday. He also tells us that a new defining factor came into play after the 1894 Act - Poor Law Union boundaries.
There are so many factors in this debate and I guess it would take a very long time to piece together all the reasons over the centuries, the "whys & wherefores", for our present county boundaries. The boundaries certainly keep life here interesting......

January 2014. We have had an email from a lady researching the history of horse racing between (roughly) 1850 to 1930, specifically changes in training, animal husbandry and veterinary care.

This reply has come from Sandra Easom and is reprinted here as it may be useful to others with similar interests.
Our Society is specifically interested in the history of the town of Newmarket. However, this does inevitably intertwine with the history of the horseracing industry (although the town was here long before).
We have an excellent National Horseracing Museum here and I would suggest that this should be your first point of contact. They have a website. http://www.nhrm.co.uk/ They operate tours of selected racing stables in season.
This is a busy time for them as they are about to move to a new site, just up the road, in the remnant buildings of Charles II's palace. This is for the new, £multi-million "Home of Horseracing" project. I believe they have temporarily terminated their online research facilities but you could contact them by 'phone. The Museum is still operational and re-opens for the spring/summer/early autumn seasons in March.
I suggest that your best means of research would be to visit Newmarket. Firstly, talk to the Museum. They have a specialist library. There is also a Racing Room (reference only) available to visit in Newmarket (public) Library (closed Monday). No appointment required. There are books in both locations that you might not find elsewhere. http://suffolkreads.onesuffolk.net/libraries-and-mobiles/newmarket-library/
Also in Newmarket is the Headquarters of the Jockey Club. They have a large collection of racing art etc. There are many knowledgeable people there and they might be able to put you in contact with individual stables who have the type of equipment & knowledge you seek (although the Racing Museum will also have material). Jockey Club Estates (distinct from the Racecourses) owns/manages Newmarket Heath, the Gallops and the horse walks. http://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/
Please note that the gallops operate at both ends of the town (Clock Tower end & Warren Hill being busiest) from dawn to 1 pm. There are no horses in public after this time. You can photograph horses but no flash photography allowed and you cannot approach them (dangerous). You might need a camera with zoom as the public are not allowed on gallops when horses are there.
The management of Newmarket Racecourses (we have 2) might be able to help you http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/
We also have one of the largest bloodstock industries in the world based at Tattersalls: http://www.tattersalls.com/
You are correct in saying that training of racehorses has changed dramatically! We no longer layer them in blankets & sweat them and very few ever have to gallop an 8 mile course!
There is also a scientific industry which has grown up around racehorse training and there are two or three equine hospitals/research facilities in the area.

November 28th 2013. From Guy Lapaille (see also October 31st and November 21st below)
Regarding the Short Stirling BF513 coded AA-E
We are unfortunately always without the slightest photo of this bomber. Its most visible distinguishing feature is letters AA-E painted in red behind the fuselage
Would It be possible, via your site to launch a request to the population to find a photo of this bomber?
Thanks already

November 21st 2013 from Russell Mathieson
I am writing from New Zealand. I came across your Newmarket History website while researching information about my cousin, P/O Donald McCaskill who was the pilot of the Stirling shot down near Regniessart on 14/15 April 1943.
I thought you might be interested in some attached pages I've scanned from Donald McCaskill's Pilot's log-book, including sketches he's made of a Wellington and a Stirling. I was brought up with the story that Donald had managed to keep his plane aloft long enough for the crew to bail and when reading a 75 Squadron history several years ago was quite stunned to find that the whole crew had in fact perished.
Donald was the son of my great-uncle, Gordon McCaskill, who was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the New Zealand Army who served in Egypt and also in Japan after its surrender.
I look forward to discovering more about other members of the Stirling bomber crew.

Thanks for that Russell, we have a particular interest in No 75 Squadron owing to its time at Newmarket. As a boy living near Newmarket in 1943 I can well remember the Wellingtons and Stirlings carrying out their circuits while landing or taking off from Newmarket Heath. It is likely that one of them was piloted by Sgt McCaskill.
I expect you have read the correspondence on our website and in particular that from the Belgian gentleman Guy Lapaille who has done much research into the last flight of P/O McCaskill and his crew (see below). They were indeed all very brave men, who must have experienced fear but had to conquer it night after night, and so young to be in charge of these great war machines after relatively short periods of training.
It is very poignant to see copies of the Pilot Officer's log book and the sketches he made of the aircraft types they can be viewed on this page (webmaster).

October 31st 2013. From Guy LAPAILLE 23, rue du Château B 5670 VIROINVAL (Belgium)
I allow to contact you concerning a research for informations, for contacts, for documents and for photos about the history of the bomber Short Stirling BF513 coded AA-E shot down on April 15th, 1943 in Belgium, in the Forest of Nismes, near the hamlet of Regniessart. This bomber was based at Newmarket at this time.
My approach joins in an inquiry formulated by the Municipality of Viroinval; the information, the testimonies and the photos being intended to feed the exposures and the diverse activities which will be programmed, from 2014, within the framework of the remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the 1st world war and the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
You will find, in attachment, the documents which I was able to gather by means of the Museum of the Air of Brussels.
The Bomber was shot down during a raid on Stuttgart on April 15th, 1943 at 02:25 am by Lt. Fritz GRAEF of I. / NJG 4 based to Florennes. The crew which 3 New Zealanders always rests in the municipal cemetery of Florennes:
P/O D.G. McCASKILL RNZAF
Sgt A. McVICAR
P/O J.K. GRAINGER RNZAF
Sgt B. ELWELL
Sgt R.T.C. GREEN
Sgt E.D. COOK
Sgt R.A. SMITH RNZAF
I may ask you to open an entry on your blog about this bomber hoping that members of your group can enrich our documentation and help us, maybe to find descendants of the members of this crew
Thank you already for the help which you can, I hope for it, bring me.

Tony Pringle has pointed out that there is an active 75 Squadron Association group in existence and their website gives more details of this aircraft and its crew. See http://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/author/75nzsquadron/
See also an entry on these pages dated 20th May 2006 (webmaster)

Late September 2013
A local resident has enquired about private schools in Newmarket in the nineteen twenties.
Geoffrey Woollard, went to Fairlawn Kindergarten school in the 1940s. It is probably safe to assume that the school was in existence in the twenties. He says:
"Both my wife, Sue (nee Day, born 1940). and I (born 1938) went to what was then called Fairlawn (no 's') in the mid to late-1940s. I left in 1949.
The school was kept by the Misses Hardwicke - Gertie and May - and I recall other teachers as Miss Howfield, Miss Winter, Mlle Raymond, Miss Bell ...."
The 1937 Kelly's Directory (which I have) lists not only Miss Gertrude M. Hardwicke, girls' school, Fairlawn, High Street, but also and interestingly, another school that I had not before heard of, Sussex School, (Miss A.M. Roger, principal), Fordham Road. (The latter would have been at Sussex House).

and David Rippington has supplied this information:
1936 Newmarket Directory Old Station Road Connaught House School Hindell, Mrs Florence E.M.
Connaught House is still in Old Station Road next to the entrance of Rous Road.
Post Office Directory of Cambridgeshire, 1879 - Newmarket Kerry Emma Maria (Miss), ladies school, St. Mary's Square
Another school listed in 1896 Kelly's - Ennion Fanny O. (Miss) ladies' school, Denson Terrace (Rous Road).
I am also informed that the precursor to Newmarket Grammar School was Glenwood College School up to 1920

and from Sandra Easom:
I think I am correct in saying that All Saints (existing) has certainly only ever been a primary school. The same applies to St Mary's School (no longer existing).

September 2013.
We have had an enquiry from a teacher who is doing a project with her young class. about how people were employed in a local village in the past,

I have copies of census sheets carried out by Woodditton school children around 1952 giving occupations of residents. They gave a fascinating insight into how so much has changed from manual labour type jobs to the machine age and service industries of today.
The 1950s reprexented a pivotal decade in that that the pre-war way of life was changing fast, with things such as personal transport and TV becoming more widely available.
The privacy laws and data protection would prevent anything like a door to door census by children being carried out today.
I doubt that there would be much difference between the villages near to Newmarket and to give you a rough idea Agriculture and Racing were the main employers, although jobs like roadmen and railway workers were often listed. Villages were far more self-supporting with local trades such as carpenters, painters, barbers, shoe menders, bricklayers, innkeepers, policemen, shopkeepers, teachers all residing and working within the village (webmaster).

September 15th 2013 from John Brown
I recently found your web site which I have read with interest. I was born at Warren Place in 1938 ( now part of Gadolphin racing establishment). my Father and Mother worked for Sam Darling then the trainer. Several generations of the family worked at Moulton Paddocks. My Grandfather being head Gardener and Forester. Uncle the Gamekeeper.At that time it was owned by the Joel family.
Of interest is the role of the Big house at Moulton Paddocks during the war. It was taken over by the army and there is some questions as to what it was used for . It was burnt down towards the end of the war and never rebuilt.
The wife of one of the MPs stationed there in the war lodged with my grandmother and we remained friends until his death a few years ago.. It was suggested that it was very secret and the MP could never tell us much about it decades after the war ended. Late in his life he did mention that he hoped they do not dig up the swimming pool.
There was an artical a few years back in the Specator magazine about a clandestine operation run out of Moulton Paddocks I have tried to find out more but with out any luck. Do you have anything on Moulton Paddocks during the war.
I look forward to your reply with interest.

An interesting query. Some very strange things went on during the war, some of which are only just coming to light, others are buried in ther mists of time, the people involved having passed on. Tony Pringle has contributed this reply extracted from the Godolphin website (webmaster)

"The Moulton Paddocks estate, located just outside Newmarket beside the road to Bury St Edmunds, was developed in the 19th century by Sir Ernest Cassell, the Anglo/German banker and racehorse breeder who numbered King Edward VII, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and Winston Churchill among his close friends.
Over 100 men were employed full-time for the upkeep of the estate and the King, one of horseracing’s greatest patrons, often stayed at Moulton Paddocks on his visits to Newmarket. The estate was renowned for staging shooting parties.
Moulton Paddocks was also home for a time to one of the greatest racehorses of the 19th century, Ormonde. The unbeaten 1886 Triple Crown hero spent 1889 at the estate’s stud as a stallion.
Following Sir Edward Cassell’s death in 1921, another well-known owner and breeder, Solly Joel, bought Moulton Paddocks and used it as a training establishment. Walter Earl was the trainer and both Eclipse winner Polyphontes and Goodwood Cup hero Glonmen emerged from the yard.
Solly Joel, who died in 1931, in turn willed Moulton Paddocks to his son, Dudley Joel, who ran Moulton Paddocks as a sporting estate.
The high level of maintenance and renewal instituted by Sir Edward Cassell was not continued and Moulton Paddocks started to fall into disrepair.
Dudley Joel’s passing in 1941 saw his brother and sister inherit the estate and the house was requisitioned by the military during World War II, with Eastern Command and 35 Tank setting up their headquarters there.
By 1950, the house had been demolished, but the Moulton Paddocks estate continued its association with horseracing thanks to the inauguration of the first Newmarket point-to-point meeting in 1948. These meetings, staged over jumps, were run by the local hunts and took place on the estate up until 1974".
Tony adds:
As to what went on during the war, the country then had an admirable policy of not letting the world know what we were doing, unlike today whenthe press inform our enemies when and where we will be arriving. I reckon it will be nigh on impossible to find out what went on. Military leaders were not always daft enough to record or leave records of what they were up to, very sensibly distrusting politicians.

September 10th 2013 from Tessa West
I'm a writer working on a novel set in and around Bury St Edmunds, in 1916-1920. I'm trying to discover whether there were any German POWs in the area. I see from the Foxearth and District extracts from the Suffolk and Essex Free Press (October 3rd 1917) "Two Hun prisoners who escaped from Kedington camp were secured on Monday by"
I'd welcome any information you have about POWs held locally.

We know of local POW Camps during WW II but so far we do not have such knowledge about the Gt.War. There were such large numbers of prisoners involved that it is likely that the majority were not held in this country (webmaster)
Tony Pringle writes:
I wish the lady luck, but there is very little recorded about WW1 cages. There is a list of WW2 PoW camps in UK, but none of WW1
Maybe the International Red Cross in Switzerland can help. They are usually slow but helpful.

August 13th 2013 from Louise Mangles
I'm trying to find out the origins of the name 'The Severals' in Newmarket. Help please!

This reply from Tony Pringle.
From the time of the Enclosures (mid 17th C)
In each of the two waves of enclosure, two different processes were used. One was the division of the large open fields and meadows into privately controlled plots of land, usually hedged and known at the time as severals. In the course of enclosure, the large fields and meadows were divided and common access restricted. Most open-field manors in England were enclosed in this manner.
The term is by no means confined to Newmarket, that is for sure. It is the name of some salmon pools on the Hampshire Avon as well
It appears to refer to land owned seprately by an individual, rather than common land. When this came about in Newmarket is hard to say, but quite probably when Charles first started grabbing land in Newmarket.

August 2013. We have had an enquiry from the National Horseracing Museum about Hammond's Garage which once occupied the site on Rutland Hill now taken up by TK Max.

Some Correspondence about Hammonds appears in the entries of 19th September 2003, 16th October 2003 and 19th December 2006.
A P (Percy) Hammond ran a successful garage and horse transport business from the Rutland Hill site. He was also a well recognized designer and builder of horse boxes, using several different makes of commercial vehicle chassis.
After the Gt War this was the Rutland Garage and Livery Stables so Percy Hammond must have started his business about 1927. His daughter Anne ran a riding school from there I believe and later at Stetchworth
Hammonds was still going in the 1950s but it finished when Mr Hammond died in 1965.
Waitrose used the site for their supermarket in the 1970s (webmaster and David Rippington)

July 29th 2013 from Jane Simpson
I am writing to you in hope that one of your researchers may have got or know of someone that can help me. I am researching my husbands family tree 'The Simpsons'. Ok I know the name is very common in the area, but we have got little bits of info, whether true or not who knows.
Joseph Simpson B1841 in Denston Married Sarah Anne Foreman in Risbridge, in the latter part of 1861 (OND)
We were always led to believe that he was a builder with reputation and built a lot of Newmarket. We have also seen a photograph of a shop front, with baskets hanging outside and were told that the shop was owned by another Simpson relative. For the life of me I am unable to recall anymore and of course the photo has never been seen again.
This couple had 14 children born from 1861-1883 and one of the younger ones Joseph H. Simpson is rumoured to have lost a lot of the families assets. I wonder if there is anything historically that could be added to the above and if any of your colleagues knew of anything.
Thanking you in advance of any help you may be able to give.

Tony Pringle has provided this information
So many Simpsons and not all related.
I cannot even find definitive details of Frank Simpson who rode 17 winners of the Town Plate between the wars (some were walk-overs) He was 2nd in 1932 at the age of 78 !.. Simpsons were electrical engineers, stationers, printers, iron mongers all manner of trades but I had not come across a builder until your email That Harry Simpson was born in Denston in 1852 so it is a trail worth following.
SIMPSON, Harry Head Married M 39 1852 Builder Denston, Suffolk.

Response from Jane.
There is just one more question – Frank Robert Simpson b1879 and his wife Agnes Cole lived in St. Philips Road in a property called Montague House. I have used Google street view to look at the street, but am not able to tell if there is currently a house with that name in the street. Do you or anyone else know if it is still standing? Frank Robert Simpson was a cashier and ended up as the Bank Manager at Barclays bank in Newmarket (We have a silver salver that was presented to him when he retired. Is there anything written down to confirm this?
August 5th 2013 Further response from Jane
Thank you for all that info. I have looked at the details I have and yes we have a Henry Simpson born in 1852, but I don’t have any further details about him. Maybe that is something for me to look into.
The builder we have is Joseph Simpson b. 1841 The ironmongers seems like it could be us as I said I have seen a photo of the family stood outside a shop that could quite easily be an ironmongery, it had baskets hanging up outside.
.... and August 9th 2013 from Julie Gerber
With Ref. to the enquiry about Joseph Simpson and family:
He was a bricklayer in 1861, son of Joseph a Sawyer and Harriett Simpson of Wickhambrook. Later lived in Bakers Row, St. Marys, Newmarket, with Sarah and his family. In Census 1881 he is a Master Bricklayer employing four men. In 1901 he was a Builder still living at the same place but had taken over two of the properties. At least two of his sons were Bricklayers On his Death in 1905, Probate was granted to William Foreman Simpson, Builder and surprisingly, John Flatman, Architect- son-in-Law ??? Joseph also had a brother Henry a Bricklayer, living 1881 in Bath Terrace, close by.
I also found the son Joseph in 1911 Census, he was definitely a Cashier at Barclays Bank. If this lady would like to see these details, I would suggest she take out either a months subscription to one of the well known websites.

July 17th 2013 from June Pickard
I wonder if you could give me any information on how a young man, in the late 1800's, from Shoreditch London ( Walter Pickard known as Wally Picard and sometimes Louis D'or ) could become a stableboy/jockey in Newmarket and Chantilly in France and go on to become a known boxer in England in the early 1900's. Was there a system of recruiting boys from London? I have heard that the stableboys were trained to fight in their spare time. Thank you in advance for any information or advice you can give me as to where I can find this information

We suggest that the Astley Institute at Newmarket may be your best bet. It was originally set up for the welfare of Stable lads by Sir John Astley and encouraged boxing in the past. They may well have records. I have copied this from our archives:
"Sir John also founded the Astley Institute for stablemen. Many wealthy owners were unconcerned about the plight of their hard-working but low-paid stable lads. Racing lads, unlike boys in other industries, could not stay at home except for a few whose familes lived in Newmarket. So many were in a strange town on low wages and with few opportunities for recreation. A number of them frequented pubs in the hope that someone would buy them a beer in exchange for information about their stable’s horses. Sir John launched a fund to provide a club for stablemen and stud hands where they could relax. LADY WALLACE donated the site of the club in Vicarage Road. The club cost £3,000 to build. Of that, Sir John raised £2,500 himself (mostly by approaching owners whose horse had just won a race or obtaining a promise of a donation from the owner of a favourite in the event of a win!). In July 1883, the Prince of Wales opened THE ASTLEY INSTITUTE. The Institute was later demolished in the late 20th century and was relocated to new premises in Fred Archer Way."(webmaster)

NHLS Chair Sandra Easom has sent this reply:
There was a strong tradition of boxing contests among the stable lads in Newmarket which lasted well into the 20th century (if it still goes on it is much more low key). They contested for trophies and the honour for themselves and their stables.
After the advent of the railway in Victorian times (1840s onwards in Newmarket) the racing industry expanded and prospects of employment in the town increased considerably after Newmarket became accessible from all over the country. It was common for lads to come here from many places to work in the stables, especially as apprentices. Newmarket was, and still is, a major centre in the horseracing world. "Headquarters" was not a random nick name.
Conditions varied from stable to stable but generally, lads were regularly fed and sometimes given clothes. .This was not taken lightly at a time when large families often lived in crowded, substandard conditions with poor diets. This was a way to leave home and better onesself. Also, if you did well, there was a career ahead of you with the prospect that one day you might become Head Lad. However, the work was long & began before dawn. Lads were frequently locked into the stables at night with the horses. Sometimes they slept in the feed bins which doubled as beds.
Other lads aspired to became professional jockeys. They were never wealthy men - with a few exceptions like Fred Archer - hence the need for the Astley Institute. Those who were successful jockeys would find themselves well employed and would often travel to foreign racecourses for their employers. Chantilly was not far really. we have records of owners with racing concerns in Australia
Sir John Astley of the Jockey Club, formed the Astley Club to try to get stablemen away from pubs where they drank too much, used up their wages & tried to make a little extra money by selling tips. Sporting activities, like boxing, were encouraged by the Astley Club.

June 2013. From time to time the name of Rachel Parsons comes up in Newmarket history circles. She was the talented lady engineer, daughter of Sir Charles Parsons the inventor of the steam turbine, who became eccentric in her old age and eventually met a violent death in 1956 at the hands of an ex-employee while she was living in Newmarket.
Now we have this enquiry from Edmund Raphael, a relation of Miss Parsons:

I will tell you, that a number of years since, Mr. Eric Dunning was very liberal with his research information, which considerably helped me with may various Newmarket orientated questions.
Today, I turn to you, wondering if you might be able to tell me of the demise of Osmond E. Griffiths, auctioneer and if that firm simply ceased to trade or was taken over by some other firm of auctioneers. I am particularly interested to find a copy of the catalogue, which pertains to the sale of the contents of Lansdowne House, Falmouth Avenue, Newmarket, Wednesday, 26th September 1956. For many years, I have been attempting to piece together the life of my removed cousin, Miss. Rachel Mary Parsons, who owned Lansdowne House for a few years, prior to her murder on these premises, on 2nd July 1956. I would be pleased to purchase an original copy (for a reasonable sum) or pay to have a copy, copied. It has been my intention to attempt to illustrate Rachel Parsons as a hugely intelligent person, who was not fairly described at the time of her death. Whilst the last nine years of her life may well have been too much of a challenge for a spinster in her seventh decade, she was a kindly soul, to which I can testify, exactly.
I would be pleased if you would be enough considerate to give this request your thoughts.

Edmund has created a website about the life of Miss Parsons, enter Rachel Mary Parsons, woman engineer into search.

From accounts of local people who have memories of the lady she could be trying to employees and tradesman, very tardy in paying her bills While she lived at Branches Park Cowlinge, where she had a string of racehorses, she was known to have kept straw and forage in the banqueting room (webmaster)

Joe Moore writes: I remember her about the town, a rather dejected figure as I recall. There was a lot of talk about Branches Park, much of it true I believe and the usual extras added on no doubt. A remarkable lady but also eccentric. Her life must have been very much restricted due to the times she lived in and probably this affected her later life.

Tony Pringle has appended this information appertaining to Landsdowne House
In 1893 John Watts put in an application to build new private road, Falmouth Avenue. In 1900 a new house application was made there (presumably Lansdowne House) This house had attached at rear, towards the Rows, a racing yard.(shows in 1925 map) This was where his son John Evelyn Watts trained his Derby Winner "Call Boy" in 1927. This yard and the accompanying house bordering The Rows, was re named in 1957 by Basil Foster after his first winner "Joe Holland"
Confusion arose since references to Basil Foster always seem to say Lansdowne House whereas in Newmarket tradition, the trainers house was the Cottage, the owner retaining the title of House.
More careful study of street directories has the Rows tacked on to Grafton Street (Black Bear Lane) and there is where we find Lansdowne Cottage, so that is the place demolished recently and subject to the failed application by Bill Gredley for an Asda store.

May 24th. An enquiry from Kai Hildebrandt in East Berlin
Dear Mr. Vincent,
In connection with the research of the history of my home town Neuenhagen bei Berlin and the neighboring Hoppegarten, where is located the well-known horses racetrack, I ask for your help. In the years 1870-1945, many coaches from Newmarket lived in both places.
Horsetrainers like George Arnull, Charles Planner, George Johnson and his brother, Robert Johnson and Thomas Dixon. Jockeys like Arthur Baker, Archibald Martin, Tom Hibberd and Frank Martin. Some of these people found their last resting here in Hoppegarten. The home Club of Hoppegarten, where I am a member, maintains and receives the remaining graves in the cemetery in Hoppegarten.
My question with regard to Newmarket, is as follows. Of horses coach George Johnson was on the 05.07.1851, the son of the stud master William Johnson to Grosvenor yard in Newmarket. As I have seen on the Internet there is a street named in Newmarket "Grosvenor Yard". Here is a street or a part of Newmarket and saying you or someone from your club the name William Johnson. If there are questions about the former people of Newmarket from your side, I like to stand them available.
With best regards,
Because my English is not very good, I have translated the text with a program, I hope you forgive that.

This enquiry arose as a result of our article on The Grosvenor Yard. We were not aware of the Hoppegarten connection with Newmarket or the fact that English trainers are buried in the former East Germany. This has opened up a line of enquiry and details will be included here as more information becomes available. (webmaster)

Tony Pringle writes: The Arnull brothers were top jockeys at the end of the 18th century, the family rode a dozen Derby winners between them..Sam, John and John's son William. All before the census so we would have have to rely on research by others to see the connection with these living in Germany. Since the brothers were so important to racing the Jockey Cub may have better records.

May 20th 2013. Following our Mystery Picture No.30 which turned out to be the Clock Tower at Shalfleet Stables, formerly known as Highfields, Bury Road, next to the Bedford Lodge Hotel, we have had this from Tony Pringle:

I haven't been in the yards since 1990 I reckon. Last time I visited Highfields John Winter was trainer there. Actually it can be confusing as Highfield and Shalfleet yards were at times seperate yards with just one exit on to Bury Road. Not sure how it runs now that Noseda is there. It seems to be all Shalfleet>br /> From English Heritage...interesting that they say Bedford Lodge became a hotel in 1920's when many claim it was post WW2
Bedford Lodge and its former racehorse training stables were built for the fifth and sixth Dukes of Bedford and sold in 1861 by the seventh duke. The estate was purchased by Sir Joseph Hawley who sold it on to the Duke of Bedford's former trainer, William Butler. Butler demolished the original stabling and sold the Lodge to Joseph Dawson who built the main range of stables adjoining the Lodge. Dawson, an important innovative trainer, developed the training of two year old horses for racing, and introduced new feeding methods with great success at the stables.
When he died in 1880 the Lodge and Stables were bought by the racehorse manager Captain J. O. Machell who, in 1884 leased them to the notorious gentleman jockey and owner, George Alexander Baird. After Baird's death in 1893 they were sold to the Earl of Derby. When Bedford Lodge became a hotel in the 1920s, the trainer Harvey Leader renamed the Stables 'Shalfleet', then, in 1960, formed new stables at the north-east end of the site, for which he retained the name Shalfleet Stables, while his former accommodation was re-named Highfield Stables when occupied by the trainer Fred Winter in 1963.

May 10th 2013. From G A Peacock
Just a few lines , In July 1917 my father was posted to No 12 Officer Cadet Battalion, Newmarket ,Are you or any members aware of any records or information on this college or where it was ????? as this would be of great interest to me in my research of family history . after receiving a commission he joined the RFC/RAF as a flying officer.

Reply from Tony Pringle.
I have a photo of the cadets (un-named) on the website www.newmarket-remembers.info under "who is he?" but not sure of year, also there is a huge school photo type of shot of the permanent staff now in the possession of the society.
The camp was somewhere on Brickfields, probably extending from Exning Road to Fordham Road, but no one has yet sorted out exactly where. There was quite a lot of military activity in Newmarket in both wars. I take you you have read the bit on the Society website about the Russian Officers who moved in after the War when the 12th & 13th Officer Cadet Battalions had disbanded.

April 10th 2013. From Joanne Garner,
I am a member of the NLHS, but am asking this question on behalf of a mature student we currently have studying at our university.
The student went to Newmarket recently and wanted to know the origins of the painting of a cockfight which hangs in the bar at the Bedford Lodge Hotel. The hotel staff couldn’t tell him much about it, except that it had always been displayed in the Lodge. I told him about the cockfighting pits in the town centre, but do you know anything about the painting? He has tried to find out by looking on the internet, but can’t trace an artist etc.
Our researchers have discovered that the artist is a Belgian gentleman, Remy Cogghe who was responsible for several similar sporting scenes.(webmaster).

March 28th 2013. Some interesting details of the WWII service of destroyer HMS Newmarket, from Les Teague

My father was a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Newmarket, joining the ship after she undewent a refit at Sheerness in 1941. I have pieced together various scraps of information ( but cannot say for certain that what follows is 100% correct). What I have discovered may be of interest to your members. Like many who were involved, dad never spoke about the war.
HMS Newmarket (formerly USS Robinson,) was handed over to Canadian custody at Halifax on 26 November 1940, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 December 1940, when her crew arrived from the UK. After North Atlantic escort duty, Newmarket (Lt Cdr C W North from 8 Oct 1940) was at Sheerness for repairs from late June to November 1941, After post-repair trials she joined the 8th Escort Group at Londonderry, Northern Ireland, for convoy defence in the North Western Approaches.
December 6th 1941. Newmarket was in collision with the Norwegian tanker GRENAA at Londonderry, and resumed convoy defence duty after repairs.
December 9th 1941. Newmarket deployed as escort for Convoy ON44. Liverpol to North America but left after one day.
January 3rd 1942. Newmarket joined escort for Convoy ON52. (Liverpool to North America) which had departed Liverpool 31st December 1941, but she left after one day with boiler defects.
February 1942 Newmarket was repaired at a shipyard at Lough Foyle near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. On the 30th February 1942 she arrived at Liverpool, and was being refitted until the end of March 1942. She then returned to convoy escort duty in the North Western Approaches.
April 3rd 1942. Newmarket was deployed as escort for convoy UR18 (Loch Ewe, Scotland to Reykjavic, Iceland).Convoy UR 18 was split into two parts UR 18 "Fast" and UR 18 "Slow". Newmarket ,together with HMS Sardonyx (destroyer), HMT (Her Majesty's Trawler) Hugh Walpole ASW (anti-submarine warfare) Trawler, escorted UR 18 "Fast ".
April 5th 1942. Ordinary Seaman Edward Norman Smith (service number JX246721) died after being lost overboard from HMS Newmarket.
7th April 1942 Newmarket left escort of convoy UR18 heading for Seidisfiord Iceland, to join convoy PQ14 (Iceland to Russia)
April 8th 1942 Newmarket arrived at Seidisfiord but could not join PQ14 because of defects. Instead she sailed from Seidisfiord on April 11th 1942 for Hvalfiord for repairs, but did not arrive. The same day, she was diverted to escort five merchant ships (ex PQ14) to Reykjavik, arriving with them on April 16th 1942.
April 18th 1942 Newmarket left Reykjavic escorting convoy RU19 (Reykjavic to Loch Ewe) arriving Loch Ewe April 22nd 1942.
4th May 1942. Newmarket and HMS Bleasdale (escorting HMS Rodney) left Liverpool for Scapa Flow .
May 5th 1942. HMS Rodney, escorted by Newmarket and Bleasdale, arrived at Scapa from Liverpool. Newmarket then returned to Liverpool.
May 1942. Newmarket was withdrawn from service, and after being surveyed by HM Dockyard Rosyth, she was declared unfit for Atlantic convoy escort. She was converted to an Air Target Ship at Rosyth, from May to July 1942 which included the removal of main armament and weapons equipment.
July to December 1942. Newmarket was deployed as an Air Target ship in Firth of Forth, North Sea (Rosyth Command), for the training of aircrew in attacks on shipping.
December 1942 till February 1943, Newmarket was refitted at Leith, Edinburgh.
February to June 1943. Newmarket was deployed again as an Air Target ship. Many defects made her unreliable,so she was put on care and maintenance, and laid up at Rosyth from July 1943 till June 1944.
From June 1944 until after the end of the war in Europe on 8th May 1945. Newmarket was again used as an aircraft target ship.
July 29th 1944 Sub Lt . D Cash, a member of 852 Avenger squadron of the aircraft carrier HMS Nabob training near RNAS Machrihanish on the Kintyre Peninsula (Scotland west coast)crashed, and was rescued by HMS Newmarket.
Newmarket was decommisioned on 1 July 1945 and arrived at Llanelly Wales on September 2nd 1945 and broken up by Rees Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
The most detailed account we have had of the ship named after our town. There was also a HMS Newmarket in WWI, see Correspondence March 15th 2010 (webmaster)

March 15th 2013. from Helen Patchett
Does anyone at the history society have any information about a bootmaking shop called J. Bentick, which we believe was in Palace Street, Newmarket, in the early 1900s. The owner was a John William Bentinck, who was born in 1852 and died in 1930. His great grandson has sent us a photo of him outside the shop and is looking for more information about the shop.
Reply from Tony Pringle
The current coffee shop was the Star Tap but to the right of the Star yard entrance was once the Palace Cafe . That has been many things, driving school, cafe, charity shop tc. That was actually two premises at one time so David tells me. Bentincks could have been one of these, but more likely was the top of Palace Street. Where the Rutland built their extension with a bridge over the street, there was a yard which Bill Smith has just reminded me was occupied in part by Skeets Martin's shoe repairers. Bill thinks Skeets started up there just pre war. That fits in with John Bentinck junior going bankrupt in 1931 and the possibility of Skeets taking on an existing workshop.The current coffee shop was the Star Tap but to the right of the Star yard entrance was once the Palace Cafe . That has been many things, driving school, cafe, charity shop tc. That was actually two premises at one time so David tells me.

....and more from Tony (May 2013)
Bentick was most certainly the right hand of the pair of shops adjacent to the Star Hotel yard entrance from Palace Street. Olley's fish shop being the left hand one. There a several photographs of the shop surviving. According to the 1936 directory, Bentinck W was a bootmakers between the Golden Lion and Lloyds Bank, so probably in the Golden Lion Yard. John Bentick senior was made bankrupt in 1931 and died in 1933. John William his son had taken to adding the 'n' to his surname, quite possibly it was he who was operating in 1936, certainly he had a long career in shoe making/repair.... John Junior died in 1963,

A John Bentinck Bootmaker of Palace St is listed in both the 1916 and 1922 Kelly's Directories (Sandra Easom & Joan Watkinson)

March 12th 2013 from Elizabeth Ashton
Hello, I have two queries, both relate to period between 1900 - 1925. Is there any history of workers from Newmarket being recruited to work in the mills around Leeds/Bradford? Secondly, does the name Sigler, or Seigler, or Siegler appear anywhere in relation to Newmarket, particularly during the period 1900-1905?
Thank you.

February 7th 2013. Our article on the Russian Officers training in Newmarket during the Bolshevick revolution of 1917/20 has brought email correspondence from Evgenia Chernozatonskaya, a lady living in Moscow whose grandfather was one of the officers involved. She has been most helpful in telling the story from the Russian point of view and in providing translations from a Russian publication.The details are too lengthy to include on these Correspondence pages but can be read select here for the article.

February 6th 2013 From Cheryl Heron

I wonder if you can help me. I have been researching my family tree and I have connections in Newmarket. The family name is Hopkinson and they ran the Hopkinson laundry in Exning Road. Henry Lloyd Hopkinson (1902-1978) was my Grandfather and Patience May (1910-1951) my grandmother. We have many other names but are coming to a dead end, the holy grail for us is a photo of them. Also we understand that Henry's mother may have been greek/Italian. They ran the business together and I believe their was a motorcycle shop/garage also.
Hopkinson's Laundry was well known in Newmarket in the early to mid 20th c. Many local girls worked at the laundry but there may not be many survivors now. Any helpful information will be passed on (webmaster)

January 20th 2013. A query from Teresa DaCosta concerning Barbara Stradbroke (nee Grosvenor) who gave her name to Barbara Stradbroke Avenue, Newmarket, now generally known as Cambridge Road.

Im very interested in who this lady was, as the road into Newmarket is named after her. I have read the history of Lord Stradbroke and his second son Henry John Rous but am unable to find anything relating to Elizabeth could this be his niece as her first name is not actually disclosed? And why isn't there a road sign indicating the name of this road? I think this lady is a mystery and I would love to find out about her.

This information on Barbara Stradbroke from NLHS member Tony Pringle.
Lord Stradbroke, 4th Earl (John Rous) was Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, his wife was Barbara (nee Grosvenor al la Duke of Westminster). Not sure which Earl it was that made the donation of an avenue of trees which were to be named Barbara Stradbroke Avenue in memory of Lady Barbara.
Our democratically elected representatives decided to change the name of the Cambridge Road from the junction with Hamilton Road to the Stetchworth Toll Roundabout. Some cartographers jumped the gun and immediately entered this on their latest editions. Unfortunately for them, the County boundary at the time ran across the road near the Golf Course and East Cambs pulled the plug, no one was going to re-name any of their roads
So the sign stating Barbara Stradbroke Avenue is low down and off the highway, not a highway sign at all. The trees do appear to be flourishing, and after we are gone will no doubt enhance that stretch of road, but is it still (and hopefully will remain) Cambridge Road. The Barbara Stradbroke Avenue is just the avenue of trees, and the road is still officially and postally Cambridge Road.

January 1st 2013.
We start the year with some lengthy correspondence about the RAF in wartime Newmarket. A special page is dedicated to this subject and to go to it select here

January 7th 2013, from Siobhan Murphy
My family left Newmarket for Australia 55 years ago and I am in England briefly looking for family connections.
My Grandmother (Sarah Beeton) owned two houses in the New Cut in Newmarket in about 1919 - one was Braham House (in which she lived and raised a family), and the other was St Faith's Cottage. They were passed on to family members after her death in the mid 1940s.
I was hopeful that they might still be standing, but although Braham House is still there I cannot find any sign of St Faith's Cottage.
I am not sure of the original configuration, although I understood that they probably stood alongside each other. (Strangely enough I have seen 'flags' for St Faith's Cottage when searching for them on Google Maps.)
Since this area of Newmarket has changed a lot over the years, I was wondering if its original houses were photographically documented. If so, is there any way that I can find out the fate of St Faith's Cottage and/or alterations made to Braham House.
Any information or photos would be greatly appreciated as we have none within the family.

January 2013 from John Banks who lives in Victoria, British Columbia who enquired about the old Palace House stables

Many thanks for your replies and for the information. During the war my father was an engine fitter on the planes, so the Spitfire connection would have pleased him! My parents met in 1929, when my mother was an usherette in the Kingsway Cinema* (she was fourteen, he eighteen), and I have a photograph of the cinema staff on an outing in the early 1930's, most of them identified. Their wedding is detailed in the Newmarket Journal, June 1933. I also have two aged relatives in England who either lived in Newmarket or spent a lot of time there, and both of them have reliable memories. One of them can say who lived where in Grosvenor Yard before the war. Are you interested in this sort of thing? My parents kept things, and I've kept it up. Best wishes, John

* The nice picture of the Kingsway Cinema staff in 1929 now appears on a separate page on this website select here and is the basis for an article about Newmarket cinemas (webmaster)

John, quite an interesting query from someone who remembers the old Palace House Stables still in use. I think you probably know more about the old stables during that period than we do, Jack Jarvis trained there during and after the war, then came Harry Jellis according to my information. I do not know when the stables fell out of use (probably the 1960s) but expect the racing museum have that information.
A Spitfire donated to the war effort by the town of Newmarket was named named after the horse Blue Peter but the aircraft did not survive for very long.
If you have any snaps that show the stable buildings as they were we would be interested (webmaster)

....and from Sandra Easom
This might just be of interest:
The Spitfire 'Blue Peter' paid for by the people of Newmarket who in 1941 raised the required £5,000 and named the aircraft after the famous racehorse of the nineteen thirties/forties.Unfortunately AD 540 crashed in the Western Highlands in May 1942 and its pilot, P/O David Hunter Blair, was killed after baling out at too low an altitude. After years of search the remains of Blue Peter were discovered in 1993 buried in peat on a remote hillside.
Part of a wing spar from the crash site is held in the National Horseracing Museum at Newmarket.

January 2013. More from John Banks
I've noticed that in February 2009 there was a query from Julie Bennett about the Challice family and their coal business on Granby Street, near Palace House. My parents lived at No.1 Granby Gardens in the early '30s, and among their many photos there is one of Mrs. Challice and family, so it seems that they were probably friends. (I have since been in touch with Julie Bennett and she has received an image of the photo.)
Regarding my query about the use of Newmarket Journal photos, yes, you are correct, I was referring to the 1872-1972 Centenary issue. There are quite a few images of "olde" Newmarket, but the quality isn't good, and I think rare scenes or shots of individuals are of more value. Of that sort there are: the Co-op store & staff on Market St. 1899; the EJ Ingle & RG Reeve butchers-grocers on New Cheveley Rd, with staff 1972; the aftermath of the bombing of the Marlborough Club on High Street, Feb 1941; and a large shot of the yard of the White Hart Hotel 1889.
I note that in 2005 there was a request for information about Grosvenor Yard from MJ Poulton, whose grandmother was born there in 1888. My great-grandmother and great-grandfather lived there perhaps a bit later, and many relatives lived there after 1900. Two relatives have given me detailed descriptions of the Yard, however photos that I have show only parts. I will forward a scan of the Newmarket Journal photo of the demolition of the Yard (Friday Feb.18th 1949 issue) and any other scans which you may wish to consider for use at the site.
My parents took an enormous number of photos. When I was a child we still had (but didn't use) a very old Brownie box, the sort with just a hole and a spring shutter. Between 1955 and the early 1970's they also accumulated 8mm film, and I regret to say that it was not until after 2000 that I realized that some people we filmed in the mid-'50s might still have been alive. You can imagine how delighted we were when some Newmarket relatives finally saw the 8mm film of their 1957 wedding. Best regards, John

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