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Manfull Street Mission Hall was situated at the junction of Manfull
Street with Lombard Street. Lombard Street was the last street on the
left of Church Street after leaving Lenton Boulevard, while Manfull
Street was a short street at the end of Lombard Street and led to
Willoughby Street. This area was demolished and in its place we now
have the large blocks of flats, all of which take their name from one
of the original streets of that area.
The Mission Hall, the cost of which was borne by the Misses Wright,
daughters of the donor of the Parish Church, was erected in 1873 at a
cost of £660. It was intended for use by the Church for parochial
purposes, and as a centre for the missionary and evangelistic work.
The Misses Wright resided at Lenton Lodge, a large house facing the
vicarage in Church Street, now occupied by the Lenton Unionist Club.
From early records, at the beginning of the century, there was held a
Men's Institute at the mission Hall, open to members every evening of
the week, not Sundays. when men could play billiards, become a member
of the band which was formed for the more musically minded, or try
their luck on their rifle range. There was always a very good
selection of newspapers for those wishing for relaxation.
There was a very good football team, known as Lenton Church Athletic
Club, and it is obvious from the Church accounts of 1908 that that
year was their Cup year. The accounts read something like this:
Extra Championship medals 14 shillings
Brake to Arnold
Decoration of Cup 8 pence.
These organisations possibly died as a result of the 1914/18
war which demanded the services of all youths, many
unfortunately never to return.
To return to the intended basic purpose of the Hall, I would imagine
the above activities were by members who spent their Sundays in Divine
Worship at the Hall. For all the years I remember the Hall, that is
the years following shortly after the Great War, I think of
Mr. J. Harley-Wilson who, as a lay-preacher, held services there on a
Sunday, also children's Sunday school, and prayer meetings during the
week. During the summer he regularly held open-air services in the
various streets of New Lenton.
He was backed by a very faithful team of helpers and rewarded with a
large band of listeners at all his informal services. It was when he
retired from full-time employment at a Radford factory that he became
an ordained minister, helping in this Parish for some years then
leaving to take a living in Lincolnshire.
The Lenton (47th troop) Boy Scouts and Cubs used a small hut at the
back of the Main Hall for many years in the 1920's, and it was used
six days per week. It became a sort of club where apart from scouting
activities, hobbies like hammock-making and various games were
organised to occupy the spare time of the boys, since the attractions
outside were nil as compared with those of today.
The Lenton Priory Hall, situated in Priory Street, Old Lenton, the
Church hall of the Priory Church of St. Anthony, was built in 1826 by
the Wesleyans in Lenton. In 1853 it was sold to the Primitive
Methodists when the Wesleyans left to go to their new Chapel in Church
Street, New Lenton (now demolished, it stood on a site where now are
licensed premises). In 1883 the Primitive Methodists vacated the hall
to move into their newly built Chapel (with school at the rear) on
Abbey Street. Now demolished, it stood on the land between the old
Co-op Store and the bridge, under which now flows the diverted River
Lean.
Lenton Church purchased the hall from the Primitive Methodists for a
sum of £225, secured by the generous donations of the Misses Wright,
Frederick Wright Esquire and Mrs. Sherwin Gregory. The hall served
its purpose for many years as the meeting place for parochial
functions of the Priory Church, serving many organisations such as the
weekly Mothers, meeting, the sewing party held weekly, mid-week prayer
meetings, Boy Scouts and Cubs, Girl Guides and Brownies and a very
strong following of Sunday School scholars. The hall was enlarged in
1929 at a cost of £600, electric lighting being installed at the same
time. Before the alteration took place heating was by solid fuel,
there being a large round stove with chimney in the hall which was
very efficient but not so labour saving as the modern system. The
hall was the weekly meeting place of the Lenton Priory Guild, after
its founding by the Reverend Fred Ginever who was for some years
Curate-in-charge of the Priory Church.
Some years ago the Parochial Church Council of Lenton was approached
by the Brewery who own the premises adjacent to the hall with a
suggestion that they buy the land on which the hall stands. Their
plans were to extend their present premises, they occupying the lower
half of the building and the upper half for the Church hall. The
application was refused.
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