< Back LULU and the LUVVERS play the LANSBURY CLUB in STAMFORD on JULY 18th 1964 On the evening of Saturday July 18 th 1964 Lulu and her backing group the Luvvers played the Lansbury Club (later the Newage Club) on Wharf Road in Stamford. Very much described as a Glasgow band fronted by the sixteen-year-old Scottish singer Lulu, they took Stamford by storm. It was one of the largest crowds every witnessed at the Club with fans flocking to the town from miles around. One party of fans even went to the trouble of hiring a bus from Grantham. Hot from the success of the hit single, Shout, Lulu sang a full one-hour set, managing even to stop the dancing. Probably the club was too packed for people to move. She was described as having a sparkling personality, along with a chirpy little voice, and was wearing beige tight-fitting knickerbockers and a similar coloured top. All in all, it was a great night. Especially for Charles (Chas) Thompson, the doorkeeper, when Lulu sang Shout again as a special birthday treat. Lulu without tight-fitting knickerbockers and a similar coloured top Chris Hunt September 2025 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Roasted Grain Advert – Better Than Coffee - Sold in Stamford 1822 An Act of Parliament having been passed to legalise and promote the sale of the above article, and to encourage its use, the public are respectfully informed that PREPARED ROASTED ENGLISH GRAIN, making, when ground or broken. Hunt’s Vegetable Breakfast Powder, is now on sale at J. DRAKARD’s News-office, Stamford, at one shilling per lb. In pounds, half pounds and quarter pounds. It only requires one trial to convince those who use it, that this invigorating beverage is as grateful to the palate as it is salubrious and economical. One pound of the Roasted Grain, will go as far as one pound and a half of coffee, and it possesses ten times the nourishment without partaking of the heating and deleterious qualities of that berry. Sold wholesale at the manufactory, Broad-wall, Blackfriars-road, London; and all orders supplied, on the same terms, by application to J. Drakard, agent for the counties of Lincoln, Rutland, Huntingdon, Cambridge and Northampton, to whom persons in those counties wishing to become agents for the sale of this excellent, cheap, and nutritious beverages are requested to apply. Source. DRAKARD’S STAMFORD NEWS (FRIDAY) SEPTEMBER 20TH 1822 p1/c1 Note John Drakard is best known as the editor of Drakard’s Stamford News and the publisher of Drakard’s History of Stamford (1822) and other radical publications. He supported the radical cause and was also a thorn in the side of the Cecil family and against the Burghley interest in the town. It probably therefore should not be a surprise that Drakard sold Hunt’s Vegetable Breakfast Powder, a breakfast drink, made by a firm created by Henry Hunt, a radical orator, who had been arrested at Peterloo in 1819 and believed in parliamentary reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws. A printed copy can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

Parish & Sons - Tie Press BACK CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IN FULL Parish & Sons - Tie Press In the late 1800s Thomas Parrish ran a Tailor and Outfitter’s business from 63 High Street. He had three sons and a daughter and during the 20th century the firm expanded with a Ladies, Children’s and Household Linen department at 10 High Street and a Furniture department was opened at 45 Broad Street. DOWLOAD PDF Previous Next

< Back New Footbridge over the River Welland 1863 Submitted by Chris Hunt The new footbridge across the River Welland, leading from Terra-cotta Lane to the Water Street railway station, was formally opened on Saturday last by Alderman Octavius N. Simpson, chairman of the committee, and attended by the Mayor and other members of the committee. The structure will be found exceedingly convenient to the residents of the eastern half of Stamford, more especially to those residing in St George’s parish. It has a very pretty appearance as viewed from the town bridge, and is quite an ornament to the part of the river which it spans. The structure consists of two stone abutments and one arch of 80 feet span, with a roadway of 6 feet wide, which is carried on Mallet’s buckled plates overlaid with asphalt. The main portion of the bridge is of rolled angle tee and plate iron, cast iron is only used in the bed plates and parapets, and the whole is put together with more than 8,000 rivets, and contains about 7 tons of iron. The stonework has been carried out by Messrs. Roberts, the ironwork by Mr. Cliffe, and the asphalt has been laid by Mr. Reedman, the whole having been done according to the plans and under the superintendence of Mr. Wright, Civil Engineer, Stamford whose plans it will be remembered were selected in competition out of 17 others. The total cost from first to last, including professional charges, will not exceed £400. Source STAMFORD MERCURY (FRIDAY) JULY 10TH 1863 p4/c3 Note. This footbridge was swept away by the floods of July 1880 and was replaced with the present Albert Bridge. Terra-cotta Lane was renamed Albert Road after Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who died in 1861. The railway station mentioned above is of course the old Stamford and Essendine Railway station whose main building and goods shed still stand at the east end of Water Street. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back The Night of the Coventry Blitz - 1940 On the night of November 14th and into the morning of November 15th 1940, squadrons of German planes flew over Stamford on their way to bomb Coventry. That night, as on many others, fire watchers were readying in cities, towns and villages for the ever-expected arrival of the War to their communities. In Stamford, fourteen-year-old Eric Hunt, too young for the Army or the Home Guard, was on duty as a fire watcher at the top of Lowe, Son, and Cobbold’s brew house on North Street, wondering who was getting bombed tonight. Memories of Eric Hunt. A printed copy can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Royal Air Force Wittering Christmas Menu 1942 Submitted by Chris Hunt A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

The Portico c1860 BACK CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IN FULL The Portico c1860 The infilling of The Portico, which was completed in 1906 with extensions at the rear is today’s Public Library. Stamford Borough Council bought the White Lion Inn as the site for The Portico with the Butcher’s Shambles behind running back to Broad Street. Constructed between 1804 and 1808 this photograph (c1860) shows members of the Borough Police Force in attendance. To the left we can just see the Police Station and to the right the house for the Town Beadle. The Portico was also used to store the town’s Fire Engine. In 1961 a small museum was opened in the building and today (2025) houses the Discover Stamford permanent exhibition. DOWLOAD PDF Previous Next

< Back St John's Parish Stamford Owning Land in Ufford 1860 By Chris Hunt The parish of St. John, Stamford, has a small portion of land lying in Ufford, Southorpe and Newbery fields, the yearly rental of which, formerly amounting to £6 0s 0d, has been distributed on St Thomas’s day (December 21st) to the poor ratepayers. This year there will be for distribution £12 19s 0d, which Mr. Hayes, the occupier, has been paid into the hands of Mr. Walker, one of the overseers. The advanced rental was obtained during the overseership of Messrs. J.Ford and H.Moore by re-letting the land by auction; so that the poor of St John’s will have a greater gift distributed amongst them this year than in any previous year from the same source. Source Stamford Mercury Friday December 14th 1860 p4/c2 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

World War Two Casket BACK CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IN FULL Stamford World War Two Casket At the end of World War Two, those from Stamford who had served in the military were presented with an Illuminated Address of Thanks by the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses on behalf of the inhabitants of Stamford. It was decided in 1945 to honour returning troops with a small oak casket, ‘A Token of Stamford’s Gratitude’, and was designed for untipped cigarettes. The recipient could take a small payment in lieu of the casket. DOWLOAD PDF Previous Next

< Back Obituary and Records - November 15 1801 This being the anniversary of the Stamford bull-running day was, in consequence of its falling on a Friday, postponed until the following day; after the bullards had enjoyed as much sport as they thought fit in St, George’s-street, a wider field of operation was afforded the poor animal, which, quitting the town, crossed the river Welland in the direction of its home (Bainton), when Benj. Overton, a horse keeper of the town, whilst violently perspiring, out of breath, and in a state of intoxication, plunged into the Welland after the fugitive bull, and, as might be expected, struck with the intense cold, sunk to rise no more, although every effort was made to save him. Source: Obituary and Records for the Counties of Lincoln, Rutland & Northampton by Justin Simpson, page 18. Printed by William R Newcomb, Stamford 1861. Submitted by Ronnie Teasdale. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

a list of inquests < Back Death by Misadventure: Coroners' Inquests 1700-1850 - Part 2 John Hartley 1978 NOTES to list of Coroners’ Inquest papers – Stamford Town Hall http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/coroners-inquests.htm provides guidance on the general availability of Coroners’ Inquests papers nationally as well as a (very brief) bibliography. Currently (2012) no Coroners’ Inquest papers appear to be available online.This list gives only the barest outline of details: date, subject, verdict with some indication of cause of death and an indicator (by means of an asterisk - *) if evidence was presented to the jury, was included with individual files, and is now available.These records are not currently available for consultation, but some further details may be available by contacting this website. Please note that this list was compiled in the early 1970s after the discovery of these papers and has not been subsequently altered. The papers were the source for the article in the Stamford Historian vol.2 (1978) pp7-20 to be republished shortly on this website. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Regulations For Brewers in Fetching Water in 1666 By Chris Hunt It is ordered that noe comon bruer or victualler whatsoever inhabiting within this corporation shall fetch or cause to be fetched any water from St Michael’s conduit, the Leaden conduit, or from ye pump standing in ye parish of S John’s, for brewing, or for any other occasion whatsoever, but betwixt ye hours of 5 of ye clocke in ye morning and seven of ye clocke in ye afternoon upon pain to fforfeit for every tubb of water soe fetched before or after ye sayd houres ye some of four pence. April 26th 1666. Source Stamford Mercury Friday November 21st 1873 p4 Hall Book 2A/1/2 Note. The spelling has not been modernised. A printed version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next