Location, Location, Location

When I first started writing about Stanley Thomas, the book had the working title “The Whitechapel Boys” because I thought it would be set in the East End of London, but then I thought that was stupid!

I decided it was stupid for 2 reasons;
  1. I’ve only ever been to the East End of London once and I’m not really sure it was the proper East End. 
  2. I wasn’t sure watching “Eastenders” counted as research!

So, I’ve decided that the majority of my book will be set in Nottinghamshire, mainly Mansfield.

They say write about what you know and whilst I don’t know a huge amount about bad men called Stanley Thomas who were hung in the 1950’s, I have pretty much lived my whole life in Nottinghamshire.

I have a few ideas of definite locations I want to include in the book, which has elements set from 1951 to 1989, but I’ve had to make sure that these were around in those decades.

The first absolute no brainer is that Henry Mason is a Mansfield Town fan, the club has played at Field Mill since 1919, so Stanley may have even cheered on the Stags at some point.

In 1988, when the story focuses on Henry, the Stags won the Freight Rover Trophy the previous year. Does anyone know if Radio Nottingham would have carried the radio commentary for the Stags in the 1980's?

The One Call Stadium

The One Call Stadium


Other places I want to include are the Palais de Dance and the Forest Town Dance Hall, which would all be places that Stanley and his gang would have frequented. Maybe Henry would have done the odd shuffle around the dance floor there too.

The Four Seasons Shopping Centre opened in 1974, So Henry and his wife Maisy would shop there.

Watermeadows didn’t open until 1991, so both Stanley and Henry would have gone swimming at Sutton baths (not that I think Stanley would have been into swimming, but he might have tried to drown someone in the pool!) Henry might take his grandchildren there.

What is now the National Justice Museum in Nottingham, has been a prison / a court / a police station throughout its history. The courtroom dates back to the 14thCentury and it was a gaol until at least 1449. Between 1905 and 1985 it was a police station, so it might have been somewhere Stanley found himself on more than one occasion and the Shire Hall was used as a court until 1986 and continued as Nottinghamshire’s Civil and Criminal Courts until 1991, so Henry would probably have visited throughout his career.

I’d really like your help with other local places to feature, should Stanley commit some of his dastardly deeds in Sherwood Forest? Should he terrorise businesses on the Buttercross? Would Henry go to the Palace Theatre?

Where in Nottinghamshire should feature in the book?

Comments

  1. Spangle11114 June 2019 at 13:32

    There were swimming baths on the site where water meadows is now, although not nearly as big

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown14 June 2019 at 15:49

    There were also Sherwood Baths, in Mansfield Woodhouse, I think.

    ReplyDelete

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