Thringstone House 100 Project (1901 - 2001)

NB : Mr J W Brotherhood was resident Steward, c.1920 - 1930, though Mrs A Towle remained official Superintendent.

Mrs Anne Hicken (daughter of J W Brotherhood) served as Acting Warden, 1976 - 1979; Mrs Margaret Fern has served as Acting Warden during "interregnums" since 1988

I have not yet come across any contemporary reference to a Superintendent prior to 1907, though Lavengro, writing in the Coalville Times of 8th April 1960, states that the Club was first managed by a Mr Matthews, for many years an employee of the Booth Steamship Company.

Mrs Alice Towle with Girl Gides, c 1928

Photograph by Mr Arthur Willmott, Oakham

We do know that the position of Superintendent was taken up by Mrs Alice Towle in June 1907. She had been Headmistress of the village school around the end of the nineteenth century (as Miss Alice Wye) and was a good friend of Mary Booth. Highly respected in the village, Mrs Towle is remembered as having been a 'prim and proper', rather austere woman - even referred to by some villagers as 'Lady Towle'. She had married Samuel Towle of The Gables, Thringstone who died in 1907. Following her husband's death, Mrs Towle was then resident at Thringstone House until, in about 1920, she moved to live at the Cross-lane cottage, Gracedieu owing to health problems. The parish magazine for July 1918 records the death of Betsy Wye of the 'Club House' on June 8th - presumably the sister of Mrs Towle.

Mr J W Brotherhood was resident Steward of the Club premises following Mrs Towle's departure. His daughter Joan was born here in 1922, and his son Peter in 1930. Mrs Towle remained the official Superintendent however, until advanced age finally forced her retirement in 1930. Mr Brotherhood also gave up occupancy of Thringstone House at this time. Mr Brotherhood was Organist and Lay Preacher at Thringstone Primitive Methodist Chapel for more than fifty years. He passed away in 1974 aged eighty-eight years.

The Whitmill Family

Photograph supplied by David White (reproduced from slide)

From left to right: Joan, Mary, Win, Arthur and Peter

Miss Gee remained superintendent until her death in 1949, following several months of painful illness. Lady Gore Browne later remarked: "...She bore her suffering with stoical courage and was one of the most loyal and true women whom I have ever known". The Coalville Times also paid a very generous tribute to Miss Gee in an obituary entitled, "Thringstone Loses A Friend". I quote the concluding part: " Everyone in Thringstone knew and spoke of her as 'Amy'. The more formal 'Miss Gee' was reserved for very special occasions and for visitors. But in this degree of familiarity there was no lack of affection So far as working hours were concerned, she knew and cared nothing for Trade Union rules, for from early morning until often well after midnight she was to be found at the Club. Indeed, it may be said that she viewed her work at the Club as a life's mission, and right nobly she carried it through, until long after failing health should have necessitated an easing off Literally, she was at everyone's beck and call. It was 'Amy this' and 'Amy that'. But she would never have been happy otherwise. She liked to feel that she was doing her job, and her job was to look after everyone, young and old, who came to the Club.

Mr Robert H Jones was the first warden and also the first Headmaster of Thringstone School following its transition to control by Local Authority from that of the Church. He is remembered chiefly for the inauguration of a drama society. Mr Jones left the village after three-and-a-half years, to take up the post of Headmaster at a new County Primary School in Harlow, Essex.

He was succeeded in 1954 by Mr Leonard G W Sealey , who came to the village having previously been Chief Assistant Teacher at the Rosebury Street School, Loughborough. Mr Sealey was a keen artist and also achieved some success as an author of childrens' mathematical textbooks.

Mr Donald G Hambleton was the last village Headmaster to combine his post with that of warden and has also been the longest serving in either capacity. A passionate musician, Mr Hambleton built up orchestral and choral activity at both Centre and School, and a grand piano occupied the Thringstone House lounge during his occupancy. Mr Hambleton continued as Headmaster following his departure from the Centre until about 1980, when he retired to live in France.

In 1972 the rules began to change and the post of warden was filled by Mr Alan Randle, Deputy Headmaster. The minutes of 25th February 1972 record his wardens salary as £264 per annum. He was never resident on the premises during his brief spell here and he was also the last warden to be on the staff of the local primary school. Since this time application for wardenship has been open to any qualified employee of the Leicestershire Education Authority.

The last warden to actually live at Thringstone House was Mr David C Fitt, who arrived with his wife Kay in 1973. Dave is remembered for having greatly developed the range of activities at the Centre: among other things the formation of a Pantomime Society - which continues to be an outstanding annual success. It was also during Mr Fitt's incumbency that the Community Centre became licensed for the sale of alcohol - something which would have been unimaginable during the era of the Booths, who were emphatically temperent.

In 1975, through the exertions of Mr Fitt, it was agreed by the Director of Education that the warden of Thringstone House should no longer be required to reside on the premises and "the outdated system of 'tied house' was abolished by statute", thus opening up the house for further development of community activities.

Mr Fitt's departure in 1976 was followed by a three year 'interregnum', presided over by the then Deputy Warden, Mrs Anne Hicken, whose father Mr J W Brotherhood, as noted, had been resident steward some half a century earlier. Her title was 'Acting Warden', a position filled in more recent times by Mrs Margaret Fern, Deputy Warden since 1985.

A notable event during Mrs Hicken's spell was that which began in December 1977, when, as a result of strike action by the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, "....the telephone rang and I was asked if it was possible to accommodate at the Centre 12 soldiers who were on firefighting duty, plus parking for the 'Green Goddess'". The emergency lasted some six weeks, every possible effort being made to make the soldiers' stay a comfortable one, and following their leave, regimental coats of arms were presented to the Centre as a token of thanks, and displayed for some time in the bar.

During the 1980's, the Centre was served by a succession of part-time wardens based at King Edward VII Community College, Coalville. Ms Marion Griffin, was followed by Philip Harley, David Evans and Noel Melvin.

Sadly, David Evans was killed during a collision incident whilst working as a volunteer in Ethiopia in June 2008. The accident occurred in Addis Ababa, David having been on a night out with some colleagues from an international development agency. Mr Evans was aged just sixty one.

In 1991, Ms Lynn Goulbourn was appointed as the first ever full-time warden. During Lynn's time here, things moved forward very positively and particular emphasis was placed on modernisation of facilities. Sadly, Lynn felt that she had to move on in December 1998.

Following Lynn's departure, Mrs Margaret Fern took on the role of Acting Warden for a third time, as the Education Authority carried out an extensive review of the Community Centre and its workings. The title of 'Warden' is now obsolete and from May 2000 the Centre will be served by a 'Community Tutor', again based at King Edward VII College, with seventeen hours per week attributable to the development of the programme at Thringstone. The new Community Tutor is Ms Bejay Sands, who we welcome on board as Thringstone House enters its second century as a community resource.