If you love York’s history then here’s a date for your diary.
The Clements Hall Local History Group is kicking off 2021 with a Zoom talk highlighting their new research about the old shops and pubs on Nunnery Lane.
The talk will take place on Friday 29 January at 7:30pm, led by Susan Major. Talks for non-members cost £3.
Nunnery Lane – previously known as New York Street – was a thriving shopping community which sold basic commodities to the working class as early as the 1840s.
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It reached the peak of its trading in the first 30 years of the 20th century, with as many as 50 shops operating.
However, by the 1960s redevelopment gradually closed the shops and pubs on Nunnery Lane and were replaced by businesses such as hairdressers, dentists and takeaways or turned into houses.
The talk will feature a number of interesting details about the street including old press reports, a renowned sculptor who lived on Nunnery Lane, many pictures of the old shops and pubs, and Guppy’s Enterprise Club.
Guppy’s Enterprise Club was founded by Neal Guppy in the 1960s, and he moved the club to Nunnery Lane in 1974.
It has been a hub for art, education, hobbies and leisure activities and a meeting place for groups, clubs and societies, such as York War Games Society, Micklegate Artists and York Plastic Models Society to name a few.
Neal is a respected figure in the city and he was made an Honorary Freeman of York in 2010.
The Clements Hall Local History Group was founded in 2013, following a series of local history events at Clements Hall.
Anyone and everyone are welcome to join the group, and they are keen to attract new members. It costs £5 to join. For more information, please visit their website here.