While removing a staircase during the £3.4 million refurbishment of The Liversage Trust’s Grade II listed almshouses on London Road in Derby, our team uncovered a handwritten note dated 12 October 1959.
The note was tucked away alongside an empty bottle of Black & White Scotch whisky and has remained hidden beneath the staircase for nearly 67 years.
The staircase was being removed to make way for a new downstairs layout; part of our ongoing work to remodel and modernise the homes.
The message gives a snapshot of life in Derby in 1959, it reflects on current affairs, references the recent General Election, comments on the weather after an unusually dry summer and mentions Derby County’s 1-0 victory over Portsmouth just days earlier, while noting that the team was “not doing so well this season.”
The full message reads:
“The Best of Luck Mate. I hope you are not at war – it’s a terrifying thing war. This was bricked up Oct 12th 1959. Just after the general election when the Conservatives got in by a 101 majority. It is raining in Derby now for the first time since about April after a first class summer. Derby 1 Portsmouth 0. Not doing so well this season Derby.”
Signed W H Braid, 3 Swarkestone Drive, Littleover.
Finding hidden features is not uncommon when working on historic buildings, but discovering a message left by previous tradespeople nearly seven decades ago is much less usual.
The handwritten note and whisky bottle aren’t the only items we’ve uncovered so far during the refurbishment. We’ve also found old newspapers and a cigarette packet dating from the 1920s. While small, these items serve as vivid reminders of the long history resting within these walls, leaving us wondering what we might find next!
