Sherwood through the Ages, 3-4 October 2015

 Sherwood through the Ages,

3-4 October 2015

We will be doing a display as 1960s Civil Defence Corps at the Sherwood through the Ages multi-period event this year.

There will be couple of us kitted out as Rescue Section members with a display of CDC kit and related paraphenalia.

It is being held at the Sherwood Forest Visitors' Centre, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, Edwinstowe, Nr Mansfield, Notts NG21 9HN.  

There is a timeline from the Romans to the 1980s running around the Major Oak path.

 The event is free (parking charges apply) and is open to the Public from 11am to 4.30pm Saturday 3rd October & Sunday 4th October 2015.

Civil Defence related sites in Leicestershire – Part One.

 Civil Defence related sites in Leicestershire – Part One.

 50/52 Belvoir Street, Leicester, Leicestershire.

(Now part of Leicester College) 

Built in 1845, Belvoir Street chapel was sold in 1947. By 1950, it was part of Leicester College and offices in the complex housed the headquarters of the Leicester CDC Division and the CDC 35A Administrative Area (East) of the Leicestershire Division.

By September 1950, only 303 people (1.3 per 1,000 population) had joined the Leicester Division. In 1952, there was a house to house CDC recruiting drive in city. This was so successful that the city was one of 23 divisions, nationally, that reached its CDC peacetime establishment target. In 1957, Leicester had 1,547 CDC members.

70 New Walk, Leicester, Leicestershire.

(now a private residence)

Listed in the 1960 Kelly's Directory as 'The Civil Defence Training and Social Club'.

Park House, 43, London Road, Coalville, Leicestershire.

(now a private residence) 

Headquarters and training centre for CDC Area 35B (West).

List of Manuals, Pamphlets, Handbooks, Pocket Books etc.

As a way of trying to organise my collection of Civil Defence ephemera, I have produced a list by combining one found in my 1962 CD Volunteers pocket book with all the various titles rapidly filling my bookcase.

This list can be found here: 

If you read this and know of any others, let me know and I will add them to the list.

Wicksteed at War 13th/14th June 2015.

  Wicksteed at War 

13th/14th June 2015.

 

With a weekend free in our re-enactment schedule, we decided to go to Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire and try our first big Cold War display. We set up next to some nice chaps, from the Military Vehicle Trust, who had a 1980s Bundeswehr ambulance. Together we formed a little area of Cold War allies amongst the Second World War camps.

Here are a handful of photos:

Rescue section planning their next move. 

Checking the dosimeter and radiac meter – with the Bundeswehr ambulance on the right of the photo.

Showing the Civil Defence Corps Rescue section (left) Manpack Mk1 and (right) Mk II (containing tools) and first aid haversacks hanging below.

A bit of stretcher training with some assistance from the WVS.

A lass from the WVS in her natural habitat.

An Introduction.

The 'Civil Defence Is Common Sense'  blog primarily covers the UK’s Civil Defence organisations from its post-war re-establishment in 1948 to its stand down in 1968. 

It will include items on the Civil Defence Corps (CDC), Industrial Civil Defence Service (ICDS), the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), National Hospital Service Reserve (NHSR) and the Women’s (Royal) Voluntary Service (W(R)VS).  I aim to record my continuing research on post-war Leicestershire Civil Defence here too.

Other related topics may be included, from time to time,  such as the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) and some military aspects of the Cold War.

My interest in this topic was sparked by a friend of mine who has renovated a ROC post bunker at Buckminster in north-east Leicestershire.  In 2012, we did a Cuban Missile Crisis 50th anniversary event in Buckminster which has now developed into a twice-yearly open day for the bunker and Cold War displays in the village hall.

From these open days, we have moved on to do some work with schools about the Cold War. Now, a small group of reenactment friends have collected enough kit to stage full-blown displays and we did our first big event at Wicksteed Park, Northamptonshire, a few weeks ago.

And finally:

I'll admit that I wanted to call the blog 'The Waking Point' after the CDC recruiting film but it appears that there is a band of that name who have bagged that name on all the different blog sites I looked at.