The Lace Market Nottingham

Lace Market Skyline looking from Broadmarsh

For those unfamiliar with the Lace Market area of Nottingham, let's take a little tour and delve into a bit of history, and see what's still there today. Lacemaking is one of the key aspects of the history of Nottingham, and this quarter-mile square area shows something of the impact lace has had upon the area. The area was officially named 'The Lace Market' in 1847.

The area is bordered by the City Centre, Hockley Village, the Ice Rink and the Capital FM Arena. The majority of the Lace Market is typical Victorian, with alleys and narrow streets in-between densely packed 4-7 story red brick buildings. Pre-industrialisation, it is said that "as many as 120,000 people and their families made their living by creating stockings and bobbin lace from cotton thread in their own homes, fuelled by the cotton mill built in the village of Hockley by Richard Arkwright in 1770". The first stocking machine was invented in Nottingham by William Lee in 1685, but it was really the Industrial Revolution that left its mark on the City. The move was away from the home to the factory, as even some of the early machines were 600 times more productive than one person making by hand.

In 1870 there were 224 factories  in Nottingham, and just 20 years later there were 500, where nearly 17,000 were employed in the lace trade. Throughout the early 1900's, Nottingham dominated the machine-made lace industry, with nearly all of the machine lace in the United Kingdom being produced, finished, processed or shipped through one or another of the City's lace businesses. Nearly every passenger ship that travelled across the Atlantic in those decades carried a cargo of Nottingham lace.

In addition to the vast amount of trade created, the area is renowned for its buildings, and the prolific local architect, Watson Fothergill was responsible for designing around 100 buildings alone in the Lace Market between 1870 and 1906. Many buildings go back before his time of course, and I thought that you might value a brief look at four such buildings, as you get a flavour of the area. I'll focus on two roads, High Pavement and Stoney Street.

Galleries of Justice

The Galleries of Justice is a museum of Crime and Punishment and tourist attraction on High Pavement. Officially known as Shire Hall, as during the Norman period , Sheriffs were appointed to keep the peace and to collect taxes.

The first written record of the site being used as a law court is 1375, and its use as a prison from 1449. The museum is housed in what was once a fully functioning Victorian courtroom, and claims to be, according to the Chief Executive of the Galleries of Justice, "The only site in the country where you could be arrested, sentenced and executed".

The hall was re-built about 1770 (so says the inscription above the door), and over the next 100 years, new wings were added and major improvements made. The Victorians closed the jail in 1878, and it lay empty until 1995. A police station was added in 1905, which closed in 1985. The Hall continued in use as Nottingham's civil and criminal courts until 1991, when the new Crown Court was opened. One of the little things that I love about the building is the work of a stonemason above one of the doors. He had carved "COUNTY GOAL", and it can be clearly seen today the correction to GAOL. I wonder what sort of punishment he received for that mistake? Perhaps it's best not to know.

I visited the Galleries of Justice some time ago with my Son, and while I would normally run a mile from any interactive tours, this one was fascinating, as you were given some insight into life in court, and underground in the cells. The building is fantastic, and well worth a visit.

The Adams Building, Stoney Street

The Adams Building is the largest building in the Lace Market, and for some, "It is probably the largest and finest example of a Victorian lace warehouse to survive in the country".

It was built in 1854 (opened officially in 1855) and it was added to over the next 20 years. It is without doubt one of my favourite buildings in the Lace Market. The frontage on Stoney Street, which my picture doesn't do justice to, is unbelievably elaborate, sitting behind a railed courtyard.

The building is named after its original owner, Thomas Adams, and was designed by another renowned Nottingham architect, Thomas Chambers Hine, who was also responsible for the creation of The Park area. It was designed as a lace showroom and warehouse, in which lace products brought in from other factories were finished off then sold. There was a main display area with apparently a spectacular two-story lightwell in the centre of the building, approached by a grand staircase. Unfortunately, the lightwell has now been closed up. T.C. Hine and Thomas Adams were innovators not just in the physical appearance of the building, but also in the use of light and heat, which became models for other factories to follow. The sheer size and grandeur of the building must have caused astonishment when it opened, not least because of the contrast with the other plainer industrial buildings in the vicinity. A local newspaper described it as the "finest building in the Midlands".

In 1996, the Adams Building was bought by the Lace Market Heritage Trust, and following a £16.5 million restoration, it became the home of New College Nottingham (ncn). Many of the courses held here (such as fashion and textiles) continue the traditional purpose of the building for the design and manufacture of clothing.

In addition to being an innovator with buildings, Thomas Adams was an innovator in his treatment of workers. He may have been a successful industrialist, but he was also a Quaker, with a deep Christan social conscience. Where sometimes religion takes a knocking, let's give praise when someones religious convictions are used for the good of ones fellow man. Thomas Adam was determined to provide humane conditions and good facilities for his workforce. A large area of the basement was designed as a chapel (complete with Chaplain and vestry) where more than 500 workers and managers would take part in a service before starting work. Indoor toilets, washing facilities and tea rooms were provided for staff, and there are records of a sick fund, savings bank and book club. I sincerely hope that the students of New College Nottingham realise what a special place they are studying in.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin

St Mary's Church is on High Pavement, and is the oldest religious foundation in the City; the largest Church after the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the largest medieval building in Nottingham.

Most of the present building is thought to be at least the third building on the site, and the Church is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The main body of the Church dates from around 1377 (end of the reign of Edward III) to 1509 (Henry VII). The nave and transepts are from the early 15th Century, with the tower being completed during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547).

It is a most wonderful building both outside and in, and I couldn't begin to do descriptive justice to it in a few words. If you are interested in seeing some outstanding photographs, I suggest that you visit the following website http://www.nottingham21.co.uk/build_stmary_thumbnail.htm .

Never let it be said that I don't leave you with useless information. Did you know that from 1716 - 1770, the Church was used to house the town fire engine? And, in 1649, George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was imprisoned in Nottingham after interrupting the preacher at St Mary's? What did he say or do to deserve that?

The Old Angel Inn, Stoney Street

The Old Angel Inn has stood in the Lace Market since at least the 1600's, and has a long and colourful history.

It has been the site of two murders in the 1700's (a policeman and a prostitute) and was formerly a brothel and a chapel. The building is still said to be haunted by the ghost of the young prostitute - her soul trapped forever in the ancient walls.

Of great interest is the fact that deep underneath the pub, down steep winding stairs below the beer cellar are caves, hollowed out of the sub-soil in the shape of a crucifix. The old chapel, with its double height ceilings is now the music venue.

What is it like today? Well, to quote their website, "The Old Angel is a traditional drinkers pub - you won't find posh gasto-grub or 200 expensive wines on offer - but you will get a good pint of well kept beer or cask ale, and the friendliest staff and atmosphere - as well as a great menu of real pub food". It also describes itself as the City's best 'small venue' for live, in-your-face, rock music. So, if "in-your-face" music is not to your taste, but the food and drink is, then get in early - eat, drink and begone.

Did you know that the famous groups, Kasabian, Oasis and The Arctic Monkeys have all played at the Old Angel as they kicked off their long road to stardom?

The Lace Market is a wonderful, fantastic place steeped in history, but the area is not a museum. People live there, eat there, drink there, play there, work there, shop there and run businesses there. It is alive, and if you haven't already done so, do visit it soon. The following pictures are of random locations throughout the area. If you've any thoughts on the Lace Market, do let me know.

Huang Yong Ping

One of the delights of retirement is being able to do things that there never seemed the time to do before. After nearly 50 years of constant work, I did take quite a bit of time to adjust to the new life. I do miss the salary coming in, but that couldn't go on for ever. I certainly don't miss the pressures of work, and really appreciate the time available to read more, attend music evenings, see more of family, make new friends, visit new places, and to write. The latter is becoming a bit obsessive, but hey, I love it. To have time for a wide range of interests makes you a more rounded person I think. (Please, no comments about my girth). I'm finding that Nottingham and district is giving me all that I'm looking for at this present time, and to think that previously all I knew about was Robin Hood. There is so much more to do and see in this wonderful place.

Nottingham Contemporary

Travelling into town today, I decided to get off the bus at the Lace Market and see what was on at the Nottingham Contemporary. I decided that this would be one of my art days, as I'm still fairly clueless about the meaning of it all. Currently there is an exhibition by HUANG YONG PING (more of which later).

External Lace Effect Walls

Nottingham Contemporary was opened on the 14th November 2009, and is one of the largest contemporary art centres in the UK. It is undoubtedly an impressive building, but I'm still struggling to decide what I think about it.

The building was designed by award winning architects Caruso St John, based in London. The site is said to be the oldest in the city - it was the site of a Saxon fort, a medieval Town Hall, and finally a late Victorian railway cutting. The steps at the side of the building have recreated a historic right of way.

The architects, in explaining their design, say, "The site of the new building is in a part of central Nottingham called the Lace Market, whose history and built form has parallels with the cast iron district of New York, giving the centre a loose cultural connection to its site. In our design, we set out to offer a wide range of interiors that will have the variety and specificity of the found spaces of a factory or warehouse, within a new building: rooms that will change the installation and production of contemporary art and offer new ways for performers and audiences to interact. The exterior of the Centre takes its inspiration from the amazing 19th century buildings of Nottingham, and in particular, from the impressive facades of the Lace Market".

Granted that I'm a layman in these matters, and having already stated that the building is impressive, I don't want to come over all Prince Charles here. I love the Lace Market with its fantastic buildings, and I just think that the Nottingham Contemporary building is out of keeping with its surroundings, albeit that its on the edge of the area, rather than right in the middle of it. However, that's only my view, and contemporary art can get away with murder. But, it's up and running now, and is there to be enjoyed, and additionally in my case to be puzzled over. Who ever said that art appreciation comes easily.

Huang Yong Ping

So what of the exhibition that I saw? It will come as no surprise to learn that I'd never heard of the artist before today, and lest you think that I've become all pretentious and 'arty', the descriptions of the exhibits mainly come from the exhibition catalogue and from the artist himself. Please direct any questions to the Director of Nottingham Contemporary.

Huang Yong Ping was born in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China in 1954. He graduated in 1982 from Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts in Zhejiang Province, China.

Because of turmoil in China, and the reaction to some of his work, he moved to France in the late 1980's, where he lives today, though making frequent visits to his homeland. He is described as a contemporary visual artist, though because of the size of much of his work, they could best be called 'installations'. I'll draw attention to three of the exhibits, and the rest you'll have to see for yourself.

Bat Project IV, 2004

Bat Project IV, 2004
Bat Project is a series of related works created between 2001-2004. They refer to an incident in 2001 when a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet in Chinese airspace. The US plane - an EP3 packed with sensitive surveillance equipment - was forced to land and its 24 crew were arrested. The Chinese fighter jet crashed and its pilot is presumed to have died. A diplomatic wrangle followed, but eventually the US was allowed to dismantle its plane and ship the pieces home, as the two countries attempted to paper over the cracks of a newly emerging economic relationship. Bats now roost in the cockpit - an allusion to the bat logo on the tail of the spy plane, but also a direct reference to the cultural differences between East and West. In Chinese mythology bats symbolise happiness and good luck. They are also credited with healing sight defects. In the West they represent the furtive threat of the night.

Huang Yong Ping says, "If the spy plane had been repaired and openly and honourably flown back to the United States, it would have been a rather ordinary and dull ending. When an airplane is dismantled and transported by another aircraft, however, the whole process in itself resembles a 'work of art' in my eyes. It was censored many times, and artistic creation was caught up in the complex, ambiguous games of international diplomacy, internal policy and individual identity".

Amerigo Vespucci, 2003

Amerigo Vespucci, 2003
Commenting on this installation, Huang Yong Ping says, "An Italian-bred bulldog, the Neopolitan mastiff (mastino napoletano) is used here as a metaphor for Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian who documented the discovery of the American continent, and after whom America was supposedly named.

The bulldog's urine forms the geographical outline of America in an instantaneous and accidental way. Here the line between the wall and the ground represents the world's longest straight border (the United States - Canada border). Its fluidity implies extensiveness and overflowingness. It is an example of all 'limits' and 'borders'".

Marche de Punya
(The Market of Merits and Virtues), 2007

The Market of Merits and Virtues, 2007
The market stall is typical of a small street shop in China. This one sells Buddhist statues, incense, candles and fake banknotes used as offerings to the dead.

In keeping with a rapidly expanding economy it has diversified - selling brooms and household goods too. It is a market of 'merits and virtues', or punya - the image of China's economic prosperity.

The elephant is often the guardian of Buddhist temples and a symbol of mental strength. Here it lies dead, overpowered perhaps by market values.

"Religion today is not disappearing, it is stepping back. Another way of looking at this withdrawal is that it now has a substitute ... globalisation itself". - Huang Yong Ping.

So there you have it. An exhibition well worth seeing. I've visited Nottingham Contemporary a number of times, and I believe that this may well be the first time I've come away saying that I liked that, and that I could see what the artist was getting at. Have I really just said that? There may well be artistic hope for me yet.