Old John.

In January 1900 John Tomlinson of  9, Duke Street, Boston, was summoned for acting as a pedlar without having a certificate. Nothing unusual about this, it was a common thing at that time, but what made this case different was that the defendant, an old man, appeared in court proudly wearing a large blue neck sash, ornamented with gilt stars and other striking devices and carrying a basket containing oranges, boot laces and other articles of commerce. His strange attire had been seen before as old John used to stand and lecture in the Market Place and elsewhere and the sash was associated with the Lord's Day Observance Society.
On being told the charge he said that he had told the police he didn't have a certificate but had got one the same day and he could do no more.
The police said that he was offering for sale oranges and boot laces and when asked if he was hawking he said that he was selling oranges. When asked if he was selling boot laces as well he said that he wasn't but the police said "What have you in there then" to which he replied, "Not laces - not leather ones, anyway".
The police told the court that he was well known for lecturing in the Market Place and old John accused the police of lying about the conversation about oranges and boot laces.
When the Chairman asked old John what he was going to do with the oranges and laces he threw some oranges on the table and said, "Those are oranges, you can have one or two if you like"
Anyway, old John was fined 2 shillings and costs and he thanked the magistrates.
I wish I had a picture to show you of John Tomlinson, what a character!

Pump Square

Along with the new buildings in Pump Square there are some very nice looking old buildings but it is what you can't see that is much more interesting.

The history of Pump Square is veiled in mystery, it is not mentioned by that name before 1600 but it was a place of importance long before that date. An old tradition says that a prison once stood there and that in this prison there were two dungeons below the ground level, one three steps lower than the other. It is said that in the floor of the lower dungeon a spring of water flowed continuously and the most difficult prisoners were confined in this cell where they had to pump up water for the inhabitants of the town, the punishment being that if the prisoner ceased from his work his cell would flood and he would be more uncomfortable. The two cells are in existence, they are arched and have groined roofs and were opened out for examination many years ago.

There are other reasons that seem to prove that Pump Square was a centre of some importance in the early years of Boston's history. Just as all the roads and lanes entering the town open into the Market Place, so all the narrow lanes east of the Market Place (Still Lane, Dolphin Lane etc.) lead into Pump Square along with the narrow lanes of Bargate (Mitre Lane, Silver Street) and Main Ridge.

End of June round up.

A plate belonging to Loveley's who once had dining rooms in Boston Market Place.

 

An old garden roller made by Gratton and Sons of Boston.

 

Top: The Odeon cinema being demolished and below it the East Midlands Electricity buildings which is now The Fitness First Gym.

 

The caption reads, The Park Lake, Boston. I can only guess that this is in the Old Bath Gardens near the Old Corporation Swimming Baths.

 

Sanders Ignition Coil Works. Does anyone know where this was?
UPDATE: Thank you to Robin for the information in the comment at the end of this article.

 

Strait Bargate.

 

Thomas Kitwood and Sons Whiskey flask

The Chesman Family Shops.

Thank you to Pat Edwards for sending me these photo's to share. They are of businesses run in Boston by her family, the Chesman's. She says The Pram Co. was running in the 1940's and as you can see by the reflection of the war memorial in the window it was in Wide Bargate.

 

 

The ladies in the doorway L to R are Kath Carrington, Joan Townsend and Joyce Chesman (nee Steward).

The Army and Navy Store was not far down the street. It is Jack Chesman in the doorway. This shop would have been running well into the 1950s and possibly longer she says.

 

 

It is also Jack Chesman standing beside one of the vans run by his father Anthony Chesman.

 

Thank you once more Pat.

The old "Privateer"

The Privateer was owned by the Boston Steam Tug Company Limited and ran pleasure trips from Doughty Quay in Boston to Skegness and Hunstanton piers and also down the River Haven to The Wash and back.

Above: Doughty Quay, Boston.

 

 

Above and below:The Privateer, going past The ferryman, heading out on one of its trips.

 

 

After the Titanic disaster the Board of Trade brought in strict measures and new certificates for Passenger Carrying. Consequently the Privateer's new certificate cut numbers drastically and the trips did not pay, and the vessel resorted to towing.

 

The company sold her and she was sunk by the Germans off the French coast in 1914.
Incidentally The Privateer pulled down the old Town Bridge in 1912/13.

Above: The Privateer demolishing the old Town Bridge.

Spraying the land.

People complain today of all the chemicals being sprayed on the fields around Boston but not so long ago it was much worse than it is today. I well remember working on the land in the 1960's and 70's when all of a sudden from nowhere would come an aeroplane and spray the field next to the one we were working in!! There was no warning, nothing.

Just how close the spraying could get!!

 

Boston Aerodrome, on the western outskirts of Boston, has been in use as an airfield since the 1930s and was the home to the Lincs Aerial Spraying Company between 1966 and 1984 who operated Piper Pawnees and Austers.

Lincs Aerial Spraying Company at Boston Aerodrome in 1967. 

 

Imagine working outdoors in the fresh air when all of a sudden this happens about 100 yards or so away from you. Health and Safety would have something to say about this today!!

 

This is the flag man who would show the pilot which strip to spray next, note the lack of protective clothing and breathing gear.

 

I'm more than sure that aerial spraying is banned now but the chemicals are still being put in by tractor.

Holland Brothers in Wide Bargate.

This building, right of centre, in Wide Bargate, is today (2013) the premises of Heron Foods.

It was acquired by local garage firm "Holland Brothers" in 1900 and has undergone extensive changes over the years.

Holland Brothers, just after the turn of the twentieth century.

It had major rebuilding around 1930 but was wrecked by German bombs in 1941 and it was ten years before it was rebuilt again.

The scene after the German bombs dropped. The car in the picture was owned by the former chairman of Fisher Clark (a local label manufacturers) Mr. Vernon Clark.

 

In the 1980's Holland Brothers leased the site to the national chain of hardware stores Wilkinsons and Heron Foods moved in when Wilkinsons moved to premises in Pescod Square. Even on the modern building old features (original?) like the two thin pillars at the front can still be seen.