A project led by Nottingham's indie theatre Nonsuch Studios is set to showcase another side to Hockley - as you've never seen it before. The project, Lennox Street Unlocked, will launch next week.
The project was awarded funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore and record the history of the last 100 years of the Hockley area of the city centre, from the early 20th century to now. It will highlight how Lennox Street was once crammed with tiny houses where workers lived back-to-back within walking distance of some of the city's biggest factories.
The team at Nonsuch, who have been working with historians in the city, have uncovered a world of change - including those who used to live in the area. Nonsuch, based in Lower Parliament Street, will be hosting two launch events on January 23 - one from 1pm to 3pm and then another from 6pm to 8pm so that history fans can pop by to hear more and discover Lennox Street Unlocked.
Read more: Sadness as popular bar The Black Pearl announces 'impending closure'
Annis McGee, studio programme co-ordinator for NonSuch, said: "We received a grant from the Government to bring the history to life and we are looking into the past 100 years of the street. We have a rough idea of who lived here and what the street was. Hockley used to be a bit of a slum part of the city, especially during the Victorian era or industrial area.
"A lot of poor people may have lived here but there was a lot of culture and community. We are now working with local historians and storytellers to bring this to life. We have maps of the original design of the place and we have worked with Bob Massey who will be doing some talks on how Lennox Street and Nottingham have evolved within the last 100 years.
"Nottingham is one of those cities where it's so different when you go back over the years and see the changes from what it was to what it is now. We are working with Maureen Cooper who is going to be doing talking tours for us. She will take people physically out and about. It's a way to celebrate where we are on this little street that people don't know much about."
Both events will detail how people can get involved and share their stories of the street. The digital archive and exhibition will launch in March 2023. It is free to book a ticket through the Nonsuch website and there is free tea and coffee in a ground-floor accessible space.
There were many surprises for the researchers, including the news that one of the buildings on the street may have once been a brothel. They also delved into the history of Nottingham's famous caves that exist across the city.
Annis said: "I was shocked to learn about the slums here as I'm not from Nottingham and I moved here a few years ago. I learned how it is built on cave systems here and some were made in layers with people living in there. There is such a contrast between the industrial part of town where the lace is made and then the affluent part of town where the castle is. Less than a five-minute walk, you have this part where there are all of these poor people crammed in together."
Everyone is welcome at the events on January 23 to hear more about the project or pore over old maps. There will be a chance to listen to historians speak about the discoveries they have made.
Why not sign up to one of our newsletters by clicking here to keep up with all the latest news from across Nottinghamshire.
READ NEXT:
