A Personal Quest

Born 1959 in Huthwaite. Here I was raised, schooled, apprenticed, wed, a home owner and proud father. Circumstances dramatically changed however, but when lost in dispair, they led me back out into my quest.

Rejoining popular bar room games and entertaining social gatherings that regularly filled Huthwaite pubs, we witnessed final loss of all local coal mining. Here I began listening to nostalgic accounts of past pit life and lost village scenes eagerly recalled by so many early retired miners. When approaching my middle age through frustrating years of illness, at least I could share notes on the significant village changes taking shape into the 1990s. But reflecting further back on the various understandings often voiced into the fuller history of Huthwaite, it was clear our teachings and beliefs held only vague basis upon few known details.

If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of giants.

A line quoting Newton to Hooke 1676, recalled after reading earliest historian publications.

I'd stood above and viewed around some changing scenes and times,

witnessed below our Strawberry Bank before total loss of mines.

I've been raised among more senior folk heard tales of their past sights,

formed images to views now lost from these local lofty heights.

Early village growth recorded depicts times before all knew,

I'm fed from local historians whose work researched it through.

With reference to their previous toil I climb higher in my quest,

to provide a local resource only time will really test.

A verse and photograph by Gary Elliott titled GIANTS SHOULDERS ©MM - Huthwaite Online
This North view off Herrods Hill sights Hardwick Hall, over past pits and newer golf course.

Refocusing lost working community spirit was one reason given for transforming vast old colliery yards left scarring our landscape. Whilst covering our industrial heritage, hopes were raised for replanting potential future pride into leisure pursuits that attracted back former natural surroundings for future preservation. We had lost most supporting jobs and local shops, but Huthwaite did pleasantly encourage cheaper housing.

Discussing these changing times did welcomely invite visitors and newer residents into hearing of times past. Interest was also shared among younger generations, if keenly viewing a few postcard scenes, strangely titling this area under previous names of Hucknall-under-Huthwaite, Dirty Hucknall and Hucknall Huthwaite. Difficulty was again found giving reasons for finding these alternating references associating an existing Hucknall locality. Truth be known, there was only one real widely held claim given Huthwaite that could be verified. Our unique Nottinghamshire location sits upon that counties highest point. A contested claim; more so today, but, location atop Strawberry Bank can still define that true historic natural landmark.

During those years quickly approaching a new millenium, I'd been in constant search for some life fulfilling job, or role. Open mindedly trying to follow several paths along varied routes in desperate hope of finding some truthful or worthwhile meaning for life. Age old optimism and a modest higher than average IQ all seemed weighed against me. Inquisitively then my interest turned to reading a few found library books produced by local historians. Their remarkable dated works obviously provided initial thoughts that had laid out our village history. Scant in detail, just passing related references to this secondary township called Hucknall-under-Huthwaite, their primary interest lay among our important parish town of Sutton-in-Ashfield.

Probably fair to mention here that this small area called Huthwaite holds insignificant wider interest, nor indeed did it play any major part among English history. Nonetheless, folk do proudly live here, and family genealogy studies unearth deeper ancestral roots amongst Hucknall Huthwaite. The publication of Huthwaite Online has been more of a personal inner battle. Throwing away life shackles by overcoming embarrassment, doubts and fears of ridicule, helping regain self confidence and personal esteem, allowing me to literally do my own thing. This work combines unemployable skills, tests and pushes creative abilities with feelings to express artistic desires.

The Ambitious Challenge

Slowly gathering and piecing together all scattered references mentioning Huthwaite, my computer skills started proving useful. Noting and ordering beliefs and facts using strong logical reasoning, research deepened driven by frustration. Combining long echoed beliefs with basic factual knowledge seemed only to confuse issues, and broader updated understandings added conflict. Organising better known details gradually created a few private pages to begin historically establishing the influence of church and chapels sited between public houses. They helped clear some opaque understandings which, with renewed enthusiasm did set me out on bigger challenges.

The publishing of Huthwaite Online soon managed to attract good community interest and involvement. Encouraging a total revision of our own local history, updates are based upon newly unearthed research and much broader knowledge covering the general history of the UK. Presentation views a growing collection of past images, gathered but largely donated by selfishless readers willing to share a voluntary part in building this future resource. Strange how I now look forward to the future by focusing attentions backward. And this search for our historic truth bears relevance quoting Oscar Wilde in 1895 .. The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.