LONG EATON

'Long Eaton' is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about 7 miles southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area. It started as a settlement, ''Aitone'', in the Domesday Book, close to the lowest bridging point of the River Erewash. The town grew around the lace-making and railway wagon industries in the nineteenth century. Long Eaton railway station is on the Midland Main Line and the Erewash Canal passes through the town.

Contents

Notable architecture

County issues

Schools

Brass Band

Notable 'Long Eatoners'

References

External links

Notable architecture

A notable building in the town is the Palladian Long Eaton Hall. Another notable building is the Parish Church of St. Laurence. Local tradition dates the church to the 11th century, possibly built under King Cnut. However, it is more likely that it dates to after the Norman Conquest, possibly into the 12th century. It was originally a daughter church of All Saints, Sawley, but gained its independence in the 19th century. Nowadays the church is overlooked by a large Tesco Extra store, but originally it would have been surrounded by small cottages.

County issues

The Local Government Commission for England (1958 - 1967) recommended that Long Eaton became part of an enlarged Nottingham Council. This was not the only time Long Eaton's status in Derbyshire was threatened as the original draft of the Local Government Act 1972 had considered moving Long Eaton into Nottinghamshire. This issue has been long running, with some residences of the town having address including "Derbyshire" with a Nottingham postcode. However, Long Eaton has remained part of Derbyshire. It is perfectly acceptable to use Derbyshire in the towns postal address, provided the postcode is used.

Schools

Long Eaton has two state secondary schools, Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College and The Long Eaton School as well as several primary schools. It is also home to the public school Trent College.
The Long Eaton school was demolished in 2006, after a new school was built next door, on the same grounds. Both upper and lower sections of the school are now in one building. Previously, the sections were separated by the Erewash Canal. In 2005 Wilsthorpe School gained specialist status in business and enterprise. The Long Eaton School has also gained specialist status in science.

Brass Band

Long Eaton also has a successful Brass Band, the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band, which is one of only two brass bands still functioning in Erewash. The band was formed in 1906 as a result of severance from the local Temperance Society. At the height of its success, it reached the Brass Band Second Section. The band still rehearses in the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band Club on Salisbury Street in Long Eaton.
In recent times, the band has regained some of its former glories under its current Musical Director, Sharon Stansfield. In 2006, the band's centenary year, the band won the Midland Area Regional Championships, the band's first contest win since 1966. This secured them promotion back to the Second Section, and an invitation to the National Championships of Great Britain. The band also won this contest, providing their best contest result since 1927, and also making Sharon Stansfield the first female conductor to win the National Finals in the Third Section.

Notable 'Long Eatoners'

★ Mark Draper - £3.25m Footballer^[3]

★ Saira Khan - TV Presenter

★ Laura Knight - impressionist painter, Dame of the British Empire was born here in 1877

★ Lewis McGugan - Footballer

★ Long Eaton Rangers F.C. founded in 1889 but were bankrupt 10 years later

★ John Walters - Broadcaster

References

1. Image from Wikimedia Commons June 2007
2. Image from Wikimedia Commons June 2007
3. Mark Draper at Sporting Heroes accessed June 2007

External links

★ Long Eaton town website

★ Long Eaton & Sawley Archive

★ Long Eaton School
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