Home
Glorious Sunshine for a Grand Opening
Added on 11 May 2025
We had a really wonderful afternoon at the Wollaton Dovecote on Sunday 11 May 2025.
Over 100 people gathered in the glorious sunshine to witness the official opening by Lord Middleton of our special exhibition for this year, 100 Years of Wollaton Village (1925-2025). The event was made extra special by the unveiling of the new planted area and memorial bench for our "Dovecote Lady" Maureen Jones. The ceremony was performed by Lord Middleton and Maureen's daughter Laura, before a toast was raised to Maureen and her incredible contribution to local history.
Following a short speech by Andrew Hamilton on the historic nature of the occasion (it is almost exactly 100 years to the day when Lord Middleton’s grandfather, the 11th Baron Middleton, completed the sale of the estate on 15 May 1925), Lord Middleton spoke of the pride and affection felt by him and his family in their ongoing connections with Wollaton and with WHaCS. He then declared the Wollaton Village Dovecote Museum open for 2025.
The exhibition was much enjoyed and it was particularly lovely to see local residents sat round the table sharing memories and recording them for us in notebooks to be shared with others. All credit is due to Sue Smith and the family history group for a beautifully presented display. Thanks also to Ramsey and Georgina Green who generously loaned two original sets of clothing from the 1920s which looked fabulous on the mannequins upstairs. Daryl Greaves’s display of recreated 16th costumes was, as always, a popular added attraction.
As ever, the smooth running of the event was due to many hands working away in the background both before and during the open hours. Thanks to Janet Burnett for serving drinks and to David Gilbert for taking photographs (in spite of the opening time clashing with kick off for the Forest v Leicester game!) and to John Smith who works particularly hard setting up and putting everything away again. Keith & Jean Dinsdale put in endless hours keeping the garden looking its best all year round, and the recent combination of dry weather and delicate new plants has required extra dedication - their efforts are hugely appreciated.
Ninya Mikhaila, Andrew Hamilton and Lord Middleton
Lord Middleton and Maureen’s daughter, Laura Searson, unveil the bench
Standing: Maureen’s daughter Laura Searson and Maureen’s brother Sid Miller
Seated: Maureen’s son Mark Szolin-Jones, Lord Middleton & Maureen’s daughter Ruth Jones