1. The Mayor’s Charity event and market has been cancelled this year. In the past, it has been the start of the Christmas celebrations in the town.

The town’s Christmas tree never looked like the painting above! Market Rasen Children’s Christmas Tree Fund has been fund raising and providing a Christmas since the 1950s.

Market Rasen & District Lions have been providing the Sleigh for Santa’s visits around town. Market Rasen Mail 2018

The Salvation Army provides free Christmas lunch to anyone who needs help. This year it will be a takeaway service.

The Rotary Shoebox Appeal with Market Rasen Mail was launched in 1994. Thousands of boxes of goodies have been shipped to Eastern Europe-orphanages, hospitals, women’s refuges and hostels for the elderly. But not in 2020.

Boxing Day Racing has been changed this year to 30^th December. The meet draws thousands of visitors in a normal year.

Carol services and concerts have also been cancelled. In the Past there have been many concerts in town.

1913, Market Rasen Choral Society in 33^rd season. December 11^th in the Town Hall sang Handel’s Oratorio Samson. Tickets 2/6 & 1/-.

2016, Market Rasen and District Choral Society “A Christmas Wassail”

1914, Report in the Market Rasen Mail – Market Rasen Brewery Company comments on the new taxation on BEER.

1918, November 30^th Market Rasen Mail reported that Private J Brown is home, he had been a POW and was the first to return home in time for Christmas.

1922, the Market Rasen Amateur Orchestral Society’s Grand concert was in  January.

1932, Market Rasen Amateur Dramatic Society presented at the Town Hall Cinema for 3 nights- “The Middle Watch”

1935, the postponed Christmas Fat Stock Show.

1943, The Church Army Fellowship of War Workers entertained 70 men and   women to a Christmas Party.

1944, Advert for shopping Rasen.

1950’s The Pig Club dinner at the Greyhound. Locals formed Pig Clubs to help  with rearing and costs. Then they shared the meat. The club is listed in the 1900 Kelly’s directory.

1966, Market Rasen Band was reformed after 25 years. It had been called different names in the past, staring in 1880s. more information and  photographs see their website. www.marketrasenband.co.uk

1970, Market Rasen Amateur Dramatic Society presented a comedy by Arthur Lovegrove called “Goodnight Mrs Puffin” at the Modern School.

1987, The first concert on 16^th December was of “Christmas Music”- Market Rasen and District Choral Society, new name.

2016, Market Rasen and District Choral Society “A Christmas Wassail”

More information on the concerts and plays under Sport and Recreational clubs and Societies.

Market Rasen Choral Society

Market Rasen & District Choral Society

Market Rasen Band

Market Rasen Amateur Dramatic Society

Market Rasen Amateur Operatic Society

On the 11th November 1918 the guns went silent, and in July 1919 the Great War was over. Over the next couple of years, there were several different Remembrance Events in the Country.

In the 1922, there was a large gathering for the service, dedication and unveiling of the town War memorial.

WW11 did not stop the Parades?

Since then, there have been Remembrance Parades and services every year up until this year. Due to Covid-19, there will not be a parade on 8th November, only a quiet and small service on 11th November.

Information from Market Rasen Mail

Some were local evening and afternoon trips, while others were all day outings further afield. Afternoon/ Evening trips 2008, a visit to see Brian Ayer’s farm to view his collection.

Autumn afternoon visit to the Mausoleum and Brocklesby Park on the Earl of Yarborough’s estate.

2009, an evening trip to the Brackenborough deserted Medieval village. They were having problems with Badgers.

Trips to Lincoln

Tour of the castle, with Mal as our guide.

Back room Tour of the Lincolnshire archives

Lincoln cathedral library with David Oliver

Tour of Lincolnshire life museum

2019, Laying Poppies for the Canadian airmen who were killed in 1944 in Middle Rasen at the Bomber Command Centre.

2011, an evening walk around Middle Rasen.

Several evening trips to Caistor. Interesting walk and talks with the late Don Morgan.

Over the years there has been the opportunity to visit local sites- St. Thomas Church tour and another visit to view the Parish documents before they went to the Lincolnshire Archives. De Aston school tour of the old school and later visit to their new museum.

The refurbished Railway Station, a behind the scenes tour at the Race course and the Old Police Station tour and talk (before it was open to everyone)

Plus, RHS members have given walking tours around the town.

Further afield day trips

Day trip to Southwell workhouse and on to the Minister. We lost the wing mirror of the mini bus on the way home.

Barton upon Humber, Wilderspin National school, and then on to the Rope walk.

Alford House Museum tour and afternoon tea.

Horncastle walking tour of the town back streets, and Roman wall in library.

Grimsby, the Time Trap and Town Hall.

Woodhall Spa Cottage Museum and Kinema in the woods.

Louth walking tour of town, interesting but very cold.

15 years ago, this month the RHS had its first meeting. It was formed in response to the changing times of the town, Heritage was the buzzword for 2005.

In 2009, the society took on the late Brian Ayers collection and the hunt for a home for it began. The collection continued to grow. Today, some of the larger items are in storage in Caistor and Claxby.

Many of the smaller items are displayed in display cabinets or on walls around town. This cabinet was in the WLDC until it closed.

Other places to find our artifacts are; the Doctors surgery, OPS, the March Hare, the Football club, the Old railway station, the Library and Jossals.

We achieved Charity status in 2011.

Over the years, the society has held exhibitions on the following topics:

WW1, WW11, Tudors, 1860s, Christmas past and present, Transport, shops and trade, post office, churches, schools, chemist, RHS, and Crime, law and order.

2009 The beginning of W11 exhibition in the church rooms

2013 the 1860s exhibition in the Church rooms

They have been in the Library, OPS, St Thomas church room, the Festival Hall, the Hub, and at the Race course.

RHS has worked with the town council and other societies in joint events;

Walking festival, churches festival, Christmas fetes, and peace day centenary.

2014 RHS supported St Thomas in the Church Festival weekend.

An exhibition on shops and trade with art and heritage centre in Caistor. See website for more details.

Members have given talk to other RHS members and to other societies:

Co-op, Methodist, WW1, 1818 poll book, Railway Station, Pubs and inns, Magic lanterns, Lincoln Cathedral, Postcards and the Post Office,

Family history, Personal projects, and RHS, to name a few.

We have produced several Booklets

WW1: Middle Rasen: 1818 Market Rasen: Crime, law and order: Market Rasen Grade 11 listed buildings:

Railway station with MRSAG.

Map, walking tour of town

Virtual tour with MR BIG.   2014 RHS and MR BIG won The Flora Murray Award for the virtual tour.

Website

This website is 5 years this Spring, although the society first website was launched in 2008. In June 2020- over 700 hits and three inquiries about RHS. Just some of the things the Society has been involved in during the past 15 years.

May meeting was to be a talk on WW11, Market Rasen and VE Day.

Front page of 12th May 1945 MRM
Unfortunately, it and the exhibition in the OPS has been cancelled due to the lockdown. The talk was on WW11, using the information from the RHS archives, Rosalind Boyce booklet, Market Rasen Mail, and locals. Before the lockdown, several residents offered RHS information and artefacts on POWs, the Home-guard, evacuees, and men who died. Some of the tropics I was going to talk about.
Evacuees to Market Rasen
The local district council conducted a survey in the summer of 1939, a list of the properties in Market Rasen, and number of evacuees the owners were willing to home. The book was rescued from a skip a few years ago. It is an interesting book, without any dates! It is kept in the OPS, if any member wishes to see it after lockdown. see Raseheritage.org.uk for more information on evacuees.

POW and army camps in the Rasen area
The German POW documents, MRM reports on soldiers in the area. Willingham Hall POW camp, displaced people, meat rations lists from butchers Lancaster.
The German POW documents are kept in the OPS, if any member wishes to see it after lockdown. Raseheritage.org.uk for more information.

Air crashes- Middle Rasen Canadian 1944, Francis Cocking 1941, Lancaster bomber 1944. Raseheritage.org.uk for more information- Middle Rasen.

CWGC graves in the town cemetery
Market Rasen- Sergeant Pilot F Cocking, unknown airmen, Polish soldier, Captain Nicholson and Thomas H Holmes.
Separate email and will be added to Raseheritage.org.uk soon

The Home Guard, and the invasions exercise 1942

There was an active Home Guard in Market Rasen during WW11. The 8th Lindsey battalion of the Home Guard.

It had been involved in the Combined Military & Civil Exercise in 1942. There is a report in the MRM on the day in the Library. Major RF Bradford was commanding Officer in Rasen.

There was a Farewell parade of over 600 men held in Market Rasen December 1944.
Figure 2 1943 MRM

VE Day celebrations

Report in MRM, photograph of Street parties.

2 Babies born on 8.5.1945 Victor Alan Woodthorpe and Richard David Dean.

Figure 4 Prospect Place VE Day Street party 1945

Member Ann Lillywhite gave us a very informative talk supported by photographs of the various chapels in and around the town on the history of Methodism on the evening of 1st August. This was well supported by members and guests, and proved to be a good discussion point.

Our trip to International Bomber Command Centre at Canwick was in glorious sunshine and our guide Phil gave us an excellent tour highlighting the history of bomber command and its missions, he also told us about the long journey to establish a fitting memorial to the many men who lost their lives in this crucial part of WWII and many others since that conflict who came under Bomber Command. The spire is thought provoking especially with Lincoln Cathedral as a focal point through it; the many, too many, names on the engraved panels are sobering.  

The exhibition inside the Chadwick building was well balanced and offers new ways of learning about the lives of the crews and their support teams and how their actions affects everybody, both at home and in the axis countries.

Caroline had researched the crew of a Canadian flight that crashed at Braemar Farm in Middle Rasen and she located them on the panels and left a small wreath with the crews names on.

A very informative day.

Our thanks go to Sue Lucas for a very informative and fun visit to the racecourse on 2nd May, we learnt lots about the history of the racecourse and also got to see the usually off limits places like the jockeys room. Sue also had a slide show for us while we enjoyed a warm drink and biscuits. A very enjoyable evening.

February 7th Evening visit to the Old Railway Station

“The Old Railway Station is fully restored and full of History” that is what it says on the leaflet, so members of Rase Heritage Society went to check it out.

The historical displays are very interesting as too is the information about how the building was restored.

It is open Monday to Friday 9.30-3pm, for more information

www. marketrasenstation.com

On Thursday 6th December 2018 the Society was visited by Widow Smith who came to tell us how things were in Market Rasen back in 1818.  Widow Smith had fallen on hard times following the death of her husband, William, who had been a licensed  hawker  and having failed to get help from the Parish she was making ends meet through having a stall in the market place where she sold what was left of William’s trade.  Taking us through the social and political events of 1818 in Market Rasen month by month, she gave us an insight into how the town was governed at that time and introduced us to many of the people of the town and the events that were most important in their lives – births, marriages and deaths.  She had taken in Elizabeth Sanderson, a young unmarried servant woman who, in the mores of the time, had disgraced herself and was pregnant.  This act of kindness told us a lot about Widow Smith being a woman who identified with those who, like her, had to cope with difficult challenges in their lives.  Elizabeth helped Widow Smith with her stall.  She gave birth to Sarah in December.  The Church was important in the town not just for its religious role but because the parish was the unit of local government so the Vicar, Rev Matthew Barnett, was a significant figure as was John James Clarke, one of the churchwardens. John was a draper in the business of his father, Richard.  Also prominent was Zephaniah Barton a doctor (often referred to as surgeon).  He was a friend of the Tennyson family who were also prominent in the town.  The roles of the solicitors Thomas Rhodes and Mr Vine were important.  Widow Smith’s circumstances were such that she was not one to take kindly to what she saw as the petty restrictions place on her by those who thought themselves ‘better’ than her because of their superior social standing so her dealings with ‘the great and the good’ of the town were never easy, she treating them with as much suspicion as they did her.

For this very interesting insight into the early nineteenth century life of Market Rasen we must thank RHS member Caroline Foster who researched the times of Widow Smith and introduced her to us through time travel. A very enjoyable meeting to end 2018.