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THE BENDIGO HERITAGE PROJECT

Celebrating Boxing's Original Southpaw

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WELCOME TO THE BENDIGO HERITAGE PROJECT

You can support us in many ways.

Read about our mission, follow us on social media, help fund our work, or get in
touch with us.

UKRAINIANS WELCOMED TO NOTTINGHAM

We have recently offered our guided tour to families who have arrived in
Nottingham from the war in Ukraine. It is the least we can do to welcome them to
Nottingham. We have adapted our tour to include details of modern Nottingham,
but still managed to tell The Bendigo Story.

Welcome to Nottingham

Ukraine has of course produced some of the best heavyweight fighters in recent
years. Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko were in their prime between 2004
and 2015. Then there is Usyk, who is due to fight Anthony Joshua again later
this year.

The Guinness World Records show the Klitschkos as the pair of brothers with most
world heavyweight title fight wins.

Vitali retired from boxing in 2013, relinquishing the WBC world title, and
became a politician. He is now the the mayor of Kyiv. Wladimir successfully
defended his titles before losing to Tyson Fury in 2015. Both brothers hold
doctorates in sports science and speak multiple languages.

Our Ukrainian guests seemed to enjoy the wonderful buildings and the sporting
heritage that Nottingham has to offer. They were shown the Motorpoint Arena and
interested to learn that another Ukrainian boxer fought there in 2005.

Andry Kotelnik is from Lviv in Ukraine and had a very successful fourteen year
career, winning and retaining the WBA Super lightweight title. His visit to
Nottingham in 2005 ended in a rare defeat for him, losing to Junior Witter after
12 rounds and by Unanimous Decision.

Kotelnik went on to winning the world title and successfully defended it three
year later in Cardiff, against Gavin Rees in his home town. Kotelnik
sensationally won in the twelfth round by a stoppage.

The circumstances of our Ukrainian friends is an awful situation, but we hope
that their stay in Nottingham is a positive one, until it is safe for them to
return.

Our Ukrainian guests at the Bendigo memorial

We have also offered our Welcome to Nottingham tour to other refugee groups in
Nottingham.

FeaturedPosted on July 5, 2022July 7, 2022Categories NewsTags guided tour,
klitschko, kotelnik, motorpoint arena, ukraine, ukrainians in nottingham, visit
nottingham, visit notts, welcomeLeave a comment on Ukrainians Welcomed to
Nottingham

MORE THAN A STATUE APPEAL

You may have noticed we have changed our ‘trading name’ to The Bendigo Heritage
Project.

At a recent meeting, we reviewed the objectives of our campaign and also the
individual roles of the trustees.

We realised the project has developed into something wider than a statue appeal.
It has become a broader heritage project. Whilst the ultimate goal is to
commission a prominent statue of Bendigo in Nottingham, the project is an
ongoing celebration of Bendigo’s life and achievements.

> We want all visitors to Nottingham to be aware of The Bendigo Story, whether
> they are from the area, tourists, on business. or visiting for another event.
>
> Alan Dawson – Trustee of The Bendigo Heritage Project

To ensure this, the project now includes:

Guided Tour – Publications – Merchandise – Establishing an Archive of Images and
Items – Exhibitions and other events – Ensuring that the Local Authority
Celebrate The Bendigo Story at every opportunity (Using Civic Plaques and
Signage).

We hope you will continue to support us in any way you can.

Here’s a couple of items we have obtained for our collection:

> Bendigo – Antique Aquatint by Charles Hunt. London. Published April 10, 1846
> by J. Moore.

Card from 1938 issued in a series for Knock Out Razor Blades

Home Brewery bottle label c 1970

FeaturedPosted on January 27, 2022February 24, 2022Categories News,
UncategorizedTags bendigo project nottingham, home breweryLeave a comment on
More Than a Statue Appeal

BENDIGO AND CRICKET

Bendigo’s interest and involvement with the sport of cricket is well recorded.
Not only was the man himself a capable cricketer, he was also a regular visitor
to Trent Bridge cricket ground from its inception in the 1830s.

This was the decade that Bendigo’s boxing career took off, and Bendigo would
have been somewhat of a celebrity who was always good entertainment. There is a
story about Bendigo being at a match when a ball was hit and heading in his
direction. He calmly removed his top hat and caught the ball using the hat, only
for the ball to go straight through it, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Nottingham Cricket Club is known to have played matches from 1771 and fifteen
matches involving this side have been awarded first-class status. There was also
a first-class match played by a combined Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire side
in 1803. The first matches played as a Nottinghamshire side took place in 1829.

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club was formally created in 1841, when William
Clarke established Trent Bridge as a cricket venue adjacent to the public house
he ran. It was Clarke’s successor as Nottinghamshire captain, George Parr, who
first captained a united England touring team in 1859.

BENDIGO MATCHED WITH GEORGE PARR

Bendigo’s cricketing ability is further enhanced by an invitation from George
Parr to a challenge match one-on-one. George Parr was considered the best player
in the world at the time.

Bendigo describes it in this article from BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk

Bendigo’s comments show his bravado has not diminished

In this article Bendigo brags about his achievements.

> ‘I have also played and beat at cricket Gerland of Leeds, one of the great All
> England players at that time’.
>
> Bendigo appears to have mixed up the name Girling with Crossland to make
> Gerland!

> I was matched to throw a cricket ball and then play the then great All-England
> cricketer George Parr. The match did not take place on account of me being
> seized with gout.
>
> Bendigo forgets to say that Parr graciously declined to claim forfeit.

GEORGE PARR IS COMMEMORATED AT TRENT BRIDGE

Trent Bridge was first used as a cricket ground in the 1830s. The first recorded
cricket match was held on an area of ground behind the Trent Bridge Inn in 1838
with Trent Bridge hosting its first Test match in 1899, with England playing
against Australia.

The modern Trent Bridge ground has stands that commemorate William Clarke and
George Parr.

George Parr is widely considered to be the best cricket player in the world in
his time

George Parr’s first-class career lasted from 1844 to 1870. He was a big name in
cricket and was known as the “Lion of the North”. He was a right-handed batsman
and bowled occasional right-handed underarm deliveries. He played mainly for
Nottinghamshire, and was club captain from 1856 to 1870 making occasional
appearances for other counties and for Marylebone Cricket Club.

Parr was a stalwart of the All-England Eleven and was captain of the first
England touring team, which went to North America in 1859. He also captained
England’s unbeaten second tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1864.

Parr played in 207 first-class matches and had 358 innings, in 30 of which he
was not out. Parr is widely considered as the best cricket player in the world
in his time. He scored 6,626 runs (average 20.20) at a time when conditions
greatly favoured bowlers. His highest score was 130 for Nottinghamshire, against
Surrey at The Oval on 14 July 1859. He made 31 fifties and took 126 catches. He
took 29 wickets in his career.

REPORTS ABOUT BENDIGO FACING ARTHUR GIRLING

*
*

The match against Girling was at Alrewas near Lichfield in 1836

Arthur Girling (1807 – 1849) was a first-class cricketer and umpire. He was born
at Burton upon Trent and made his debut in first-class cricket for the North
against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord’s in 1841. He next played
first-class cricket in 1845, when he appeared for Manchester against Yorkshire.
He played cricket for Manchester until 1848, making six appearances. His best
figures of 6 for 32 came against Sheffield in 1848, a match in which he took two
five-wicket hauls. He also stood as an umpire in two first-class matches in 1840
and 1841. Girling died at Manchester in June 1849 at the age of 42.

BENDIGO FACED ANOTHER FIRST CLASS CRICKETER IN LEEDS

There is also a report of Bendigo visiting Leeds in Yorkshire where he played a
two-on-two at Woodhouse Moor. Bendigo easily beat a man named Ibbetson who was
described as a ‘professor of the noble game’ and who played professionally
around 1850. This win against Ibbetson allowed Bendigo (and a fielder) to play
Mr J Holland and Andrew Crossland (a first class cricketer and umpire).

Bendigo’s shows himself to be a ‘bad loser’.

Andrew Crossland (1816 – 1902) was active from 1844 who played for Sheffield
Cricket Club. Born in Dalton, Huddersfield, he died in November 1902 in Hull.
His son Samuel Crossland also played first-class cricket

THE TOP-HAT STORY

This story featured in a 1903 copy of the Evening Star. The game in question is
suggested to be 1847 and at Trent Bridge where George Parr was playing.

It was etiquette to wear a top-hat at cricket matches. Before the game, the
batsman were practicing, and one of them hit a ball towards Bendigo who was
described as a fine athlete and a great cricketer. Bendigo was described as more
than capable of catching the ball, removed his hat to preserve his hands and
attempted to catch the ball using his hat. However, the ball went straight
through – to the amusement of the crowd.

The Top-Hat Article

GEORGE ‘THE SQUIRE’ OSBALDESTON

We shouldn’t finish without mentioning George Osbaldeston, a first class
cricketer (as well as Member of Parliament for East Retford) who played
professionally for Marylebone Cricket Club, Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire.

He also took on the unenviable task of refereeing the third fight between
Bendigo and Ben Caunt in 1845, the one that was described as ‘the most
scandalous brawl in boxing history.

George Osbaldeston was the classic sporting hero of the period. The Cricket Mash
blog describes him as ‘a versatile all-round sportsman, compulsive gambler and
life-long philanderer. He was one of the most colourful characters of early
cricket’.

Born in 1787 to a wealthy family, Osbaldeston went from Eton to Brasenose
College.

In the same year he had his famous duel with Lord George Bentinck. Osbaldeston
putting a bullet through his opponent’s hat within two inches of the brain.

Known as ‘The Squire’, Osbaldeston was a High Sheriff of Yorkshire and for six
years M.P. for East Retford.

He died in 1866, leaving no heir, just his reputation.

George Osbaldeston: The Squire and one of the greatest all-round sportsmen

Thanks to BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk for the articles featured here.

FeaturedPosted on September 23, 2021September 23, 2021Categories History and
ResearchTags andrew crossland, cricket, george osbaldeston, george parr, trent
bridgeLeave a comment on Bendigo and Cricket

IF BELFAST CAN DO IT THEN NOTTINGHAM SHOULD TOO.

When our campaign started in 2016, former world featherweight champion Barry
McGuigan wished us luck. He also mentioned a similar campaign, for a statue to
Rinty Monaghan in Belfast.

In 2015, a statue of the former world champion boxer, John ‘Rinty’ Monaghan was
unveiled close to his birthplace in Belfast. Monaghan was the first boxer from
the city to win a world title, becoming flyweight champion in 1948.

We have recently discovered that, long before our campaign started, McGuigan had
even celebrated the contribution of Bendigo to the sport.

In September 1991, he spoke about Bendigo in a BBC Radio 4 programme. The
programme was mentioned in The Reading Evening Post as a Radio Highlight.

SIMILARITIES IN THE TWO CAMPAIGNS

Having looked at the news reports about the Rinty Monaghan statue, we have
identified a number of similarities to the campaign here in Nottingham. The two
cities even have a similar population. Belfast 280,000 and Nottingham weighing
in at 330,000.

BBC News in Northern Ireland reported:

> ‘He wasn’t just a fighter, he was an entertainer’

This was the description of Monaghan by the sculptor Alan Beattie Herriot. The
same has been said of Bendigo.

Photo by Albert Bridge ©

Monaghan was the first boxer from the Belfast to win a world title, becoming
flyweight champion in 1948.

Bendigo was the first boxer from Nottingham to win the All England title in 1839
and again in 1845.

The 3m bronze statue of Monaghan was erected in Cathedral Gardens Belfast, close
to where he grew up.

The statue of Bendigo will (most likely) be erected in Trinity Square
Nottingham, close to his birthplace.

Monaghan’s family attended the ceremony, and were joined by well-known boxers,
Belfast councillors and crowds of boxing fans.

The ceremony in Nottingham will welcome the many people who have helped us and
who have a connection with Bendigo’s story.

The website for Irish Boxing reported that ‘the unveiling of the Rinty Monaghan
statue in Belfast this year was one of the biggest occasions in Belfast Boxing.

We know that when Nottingham’s statue to Bendigo is unveiled, it will be one of
the biggest occasions in Nottingham Boxing.

FIVE YEAR CAMPAIGN

In the BBC article, Rinty Monaghan’s great-nephew Eamon McAuley said that the
statue was ‘absolutely beautiful’. He described his great-uncle as a
‘working-class hero. He also said that after a five-year campaign to erect the
statue, his family were going to celebrate ‘a wonderful day’.

We expect that our statue to Bendigo will also be a beautiful work of art to
honour Nottingham’s ‘working class hero’.

Our campaign is now five years old.

> Maybe it’s time that we celebrated with a beautiful day too?

FeaturedPosted on May 26, 2021May 26, 2021Categories NewsTags belfast, irish
boxing, mcguigan, monaghanLeave a comment on If Belfast Can Do It Then
Nottingham Should Too.

THE BENDIGO STORY – GUIDED WALK

Visitors to Nottingham can now learn about the incredible life of William
‘Bendigo’ Thomson in a new guided walking tour in the city centre.

‘The Bendigo Story’ is led by trustees of the Bendigo Memorial Fund. The tour
starts in Nottingham’s Old Market Square and finishes at St Mary’s Church in the
Lace Market.

Jevon and Alan at the grave with their ‘tour-guide’ umbrellas

Total walking distance is about two miles, at a relaxed pace and with regular
stops to talk and explain the incredible story of Bendigo and 19th century
Nottingham.

Here’s a review from Trip Advisor.

> Lovely Saturday morning on the Bendigo Heritage Walk. Alan is very informative
> and entertaining. Lots of tales of Bendigo’s life, and some other interesting
> facts and hidden gems of Nottingham.
>
> Julie (April 2021)

Two tours are scheduled every weekend up until 16th May when the schedule will
be reviewed. There is a choice between Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon.
Tpurs are currently limited to five guests.

Tickets can be obtained at
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-bendigo-story-tickets-127381011033

Private tours can be arranged by contacting the Bendigo Memorial Fund at
bendigofund@gmail.com

> “Our guided walk has taken a lot of planning but we feel it has been worth it.
> We can tailor the tour to different groups with specific interests. We are
> sure it will be of interest to locals and to people visiting Nottingham for a
> city break or sporting event”.
>
> Tour guide Alan Dawson

> “We’re so excited about this! We can’t wait to introduce people to a story
> that has been Nottingham’s hidden, little gem. We’re going to unravel a tale
> that would be fit for filmmakers in Hollywood – and it’s on the city’s
> doorstep!”
>
> Tour guide Jevon Patrick

Ryan Walker-Drain, the chair of Bendigo Memorial Fund said:

> Thanks go to Alan and Jevon (the tour guides) for setting this up, The Bendigo
> Story will be a great way for visitors to learn about our first boxing
> superstar. It will also raise funds for our statue appeal.

*
*
*
*
*

A few images from the tour

FeaturedPosted on April 23, 2021January 11, 2022Categories NewsTags guided,
Nottingham, notts, tourism, visit, walkLeave a comment on The Bendigo Story –
Guided Walk

A YEAR TO FORGET

2020 was a year to forget wasn’t it?

As we all tried to cope with the COVID19 pandemic, all non-essential activity
was put on hold. This included our events and fundraising ideas. Let’s hope that
2021 is a year to remember.

Now that things seem to be improving, we are pleased to announce that in the
near future, we will be launching The Bendigo Story. A guided heritage walk in
Bendigo’s old ‘stomping ground’ of Nottingham’s city centre.

We are excited about this as it will allow us to meet visitors to Nottingham,
and show them around. The timing of it will also coincide with the long awaited
re-opening of Nottingham Castle as a major tourist attraction.

The 68 years of Bendigo’s life were during the most turbulent period in
Nottingham’s history. On his 20th birthday, Nottingham Castle was destroyed by
fire (1831) and it remained a ruin until two years before his death. Nottingham
Castle became a museum in 1978, having been purchased by the Nottingham
Corporation in 1875.

Was Bendigo one of the first visitors? We don’t know, but the sight of the burnt
out ducal palace on Castle Rock would have been a permanent reminder to Bendigo
of the political unrest in Nottingham.

The Bendigo Story is a guided walk that celebrates the life and times of William
‘Bendigo’ Thompson, Nottingham’s legendary Prize-Fighter and All England
Champion. It will take you to a number of locations where you will learn not
just about his life, but also what Nottingham was like during his time.

Image from nottinghamcastle.org.uk

Without giving everything away, the walk will last about two hours and we have
decided it will finish up at St Mary’s Church in the Lace Market. At the end of
the walk, each guest will receive a complimentary copy of our heritage booklet
‘10 Bells For Bendigo’.

Watch this space for more details.

Many thanks for your continued support, in particular those of you that follow
our social media pages. We are all learning as we go along.

We will end with a recent image sent to us via our Twitter account
@bendigonotts.

Emile Degand pays his respects to Bendigo

It is an image from a book that shows a Belgian flyweight boxer visiting
Bendigo’s grave. His name was Emile Degand and he was in Nottingham for a bout
with George ‘Tish’ Marsden. It gives the year as 1953. We have checked this and
for some reason the date is wrong (by almost 20 years).

George Marsden fought 372 times between 1927 and 1946. He beat Emile Degand on
5th March 1934. We also noticed that Marsden’s birth (1911) and death (1980)
were exactly 100 years on from Bendigo. Some coincidence eh?

Thanks for reading and maybe we will see you on the guided walk soon.

FeaturedPosted on February 19, 2021February 19, 2021Categories NewsTags emile
degand, guided walk, heritage walk, Nottingham, nottingham castle, tourismLeave
a comment on A Year to Forget

BENDY AND THE BAER

It is possibly unfair to try to compare Bendigo to other boxers with whom we
might be more familiar. However, what is unfortunate for Bendigo, is that
technology was not there for him. The invention of film allowed us to get to
know boxers more personally. Facial features, fighting style, and personality
are all aspects we can find out about regarding any boxer after the 1900s but,
when it comes to Bendigo, we are not that spoilt. We must rely on articles,
books and sketches. Owing to this, it seems more natural to use more current
fighters to get a better feel for past pugilists and that is exactly what the
New York Times did in 1935.

John Kieran, was a sportswriter for the New York Times and would go on to become
a Hall of Fame sports broadcaster and a regular face on US television. His
article in 1935 had the headline.

“Bending Backward From Baer to Bendigo”

“Here. Read about Bendigo. He must have been the Max Baer of old England”
cheerfully declared a gentleman as he dropped a hefty book onto Kieran’s office
desk.

That book was the famed “The Story of Boxing” by Trevor Wignall. In the book,
which covers many 19th century old British bare-knuckle boxers, it describes
Bendigo as a “Pugilist, Harlequin, and Revivalist”. It is the word ‘Harlequin’
that really grabs Kieran’s attention as to what the cheerful fellow was
suggesting.

At the time of New York Times article, Max Baer (the ‘Clown Prince of Boxing’)
was the heavyweight champion of the world.

Baer was a remarkable character who enlightened America during a time the
country was rocked by the Great Depression. He was an old school American
heart-throb, an eccentric, a joker, and sadly misunderstood. (Hollywood’s
depiction of Baer in the film ‘Cinderella Man’ is quite inaccurate).

Bendigo was also a very colourful character.

Many people during his fighting career referred to him as the ‘Nottingham
Jester’ and every article you can read about him describes him as being
eccentric.

Bendigo was a master at taunting his opponents, he would dance around them, pull
silly faces, reciting rude rhymes, calling his rival ‘a big chucklehead’- the
crowds loved it.

When Bendigo retired from the prize ring, he began to enter a particularly dark
time in his life, which involved too many pubs and cell bars. However, he would
turn his life around when a priest would grab his attention with the story of
David and Goliath. Bendigo replied,

‘I should like to know more about that David bloke. He must have been a good’un for a lightweight’.

A notable example of Baer’s mischief and jest was before his world title fight
with the ‘Ambling Alp’ Primo Carnera, he sneakily plucked a hair from Carnera’s
chest as if it was a garden daisy and said “He loves me!”. He then managed to
grab another before the man mountain realised what he was doing and said “He
loves me not!”, reporters present were rolling around laughing.

Carnero and Baer

Kieran suggests that the Bendigo comparison is perhaps a lazy one and that he
could equally be likened to ‘The Fighting Marine’ Gene Tunney, who twice beat
the famous Jack Dempsey and middleweight king Mickey Walker. Interestingly, they
both had a history of saving people from drowning, which Bendigo did numerous
times whilst fishing on the Trent river in Nottingham.

His heroic act of saving a drowning person was once mentioned to Max Baer whilst
he was training at Asbury Park and he cheekily responded that ‘the waves were
pretty high’ and that he would not attempt to rescue anyone unless they were a
‘prominent person like Johnny Weissmuller’. Maybe this was another example of
the boxer’s jest. (Johnny Weissmuller was an Olympic Swimmer who became more
well known in the 1930’s as an actor).

Another aspect of the Bendigo-Baer comparison that Kieran perhaps overlooks in
his article is that both fighters had to overcome significant size disadvantages
to win their championships. (In Bendigo’s case, to regain his championship in
his third meeting with Ben Caunt).

Max Baer overcame four inches in height, four inches in reach and nearly a four
stone weight disadvantage against the colossal Primo Carnera, who stood 6ft
5inches.

Bendigo was also the much smaller man in his battles against Ben Caunt who was
6ft 2 inches – a giant of the time when the average height of a man was 5ft 5
inches. Bendigo’s height was chalked up at just under 5ft 10 inches and he would
also enter the ring around the 11st 11lb mark. He would look like a snack stood
next to Caunt ‘The Tockard Giant’, as he entered the ring weighing up to 18st.

The main aspect that I think links Baer and Bendigo is that they both stood out
and entertained people. They were different. They made the sport better and that
is why they both have their names in the Boxing Hall of Fame.

I mentioned earlier that Baer was misunderstood and also misrepresented in the
film ‘Cinderella Man’. The film seems to portray him as a killer. In my opinion,
Baer’s manager’s view has to be considered. He said that Baer’s ‘Heart was too
big for his fists’. I invite readers to watch the Max Baer documentary called
‘Tender Hearted Tiger’ so you can decide in which thought league you stand.

Article written and research by Jevon Patrick for the Bendigo Memorial Fund

FeaturedPosted on August 26, 2020Categories History and ResearchTags ben caunt,
boxing, hall of fame, john kiernan, max baer, new york times, primo carnera,
story of boxingLeave a comment on Bendy And The Baer

BENDIGO EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION TO CELEBRATE ‘BENDIGO’

The Bendigo Heritage Project has teamed up with Cafe Sobar on Friar Lane to
exhibit a number of images and artwork that promote the importance of Bendigo to
the City of Nottingham.

Visitors to Cafe Sobar can now see a variety of items collated by the project
since they formed in 2016. There are photographs, some pieces of modern art and
memorabilia. It is hoped that the display will stimulate interest in the story
of Nottingham’s first sporting superstar.

It will also highlight the work of Café Sobar as an innovative alcohol-free cafe
and social space in Nottingham city centre.

William Thompson (known as ‘Bendigo’) was a 19th century boxer who fought 21
times between 1831 and 1850. He went on to become the undefeated Champion of
England and is credited with introducing the ‘southpaw’ boxing stance.

Shortly after his retirement, his mother died and Bendigo developed a problem
with alcohol. This led to a number of arrests, behaviour that tarnished his
reputation for a number of years.

His life had to change and the moment came when he attended The Mechanics
Institute to hear a talk by a preacher named Richard Weaver. Bendigo joined
Weaver’s revivalist church and he also preached the sermon to congregations up
and down the country. His conversion was written about in various publications,
including a well known poem titled Bendigo’s Sermon by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle.

Alan Dawson, trustee of the Bendigo Heritage Project said:

> We are keen for the public to see the items that we have collated, and Cafe
> Sobar is an ideal venue. It is a supportive network that gets people back into
> a positive lifestyle, something that wouldn’t have been available to Bendigo.
> Our gallery of items is not extensive but there is a variety of Bendigo
> related imagery to get people’s attention.
>
> Alan Dawson

Jason Loftus, the general manager at Cafe Sobar said:

> “Café Sobar and its parent charity Double Impact are honoured and excited to
> be in partnership with the amazing Bendigo Heritage Project. There are so many
> parallels with the life of this Nottingham legend and our own social mission.
> This partnership is the perfect fit for us to spread the legend of Bendigo and
> the transformative message he shared even further.”
>
> Jason Loftus

A preview evening was held to allow supporters of the project to see these
previously unseen items.

The free exhibition will run from Saturday 3rd February to the 1st April. It
will be accessible during normal opening times at Cafe Sobar.

Posted on February 5, 2023February 5, 2023Categories UncategorizedLeave a
comment on Bendigo Exhibition

NEW CIVIC PLAQUE FOR BENDIGO

Legendary Prize-Fighter ‘Bendigo’ is known to have a strong association with the
Forest Tavern in Nottingham. He was close to the landlord John Ellis, who
supported him in his career and beyond. The building now has a plaque installed
in his memory, thanks to funding by Nottingham Civic Society.

The unveiling was conducted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Cllr Nicola Heaton,
who spoke about Nottingham’s sporting heritage and the importance of Bendigo to
it.

Cllr Nicola Heaton unveiling the plaque

In the 1830s, the Forest Tavern would not have been surrounded by housing, as it
is now. It would have had a rural feel to it. The location had until then been
known as a place of public execution and was also a turnpike. There were even a
dozen windmills along what is now Forest Road, taking advantage of the hilltop
location. The Forest Tavern was one of the first properties built along that
stretch of Mansfield Road, before the Enclosure Act allowed Nottingham to
expand. The Rock Cemetery was created in 1845 and St Andrews Church in 1871.

Alan Dawson of the Bendigo Heritage Project said:

> ‘We know that the first proprietor of the Forest Tavern was a Londoner named
> John Ellis. It seems he was a close friend of Bendigo. In addition to allowing
> the tavern as a base for him to train, it was also used to exhibit his cups
> and belts. John Ellis was also on the committee that organised and funded the
> lion memorial over Bendigo’s grave. It’s an important part of the Bendigo
> story.’

Jevon Patrick of the Bendigo Heritage Project said:

> We are really grateful to the Nottingham Civic Society for supporting us and
> in recognising Bendigo’s contribution to our city. The building is no longer a
> pub but it has been tastefully maintained in keeping with the Arboretum
> Conservation Area. The plaque will be a constant reminder to people using the
> busy Mansfield Road. We have specifically chosen a blue plaque to represent
> the colour that Bendigo used at his fights, ‘Bird’s Eye Blue’.

Funding for the plaque has been provided by the Nottingham Civic Society.

Hilary Silvester Chair of Nottingham Civic Society said:

> Nottingham Civic Society is delighted to be joining with the Bendigo Heritage
> Project, to celebrate and commemorate Nottingham’s 19th Century sporting hero,
> William Thompson, nicknamed Bendigo. For a number of years, it seems, he was
> largely forgotten, so it is good that he once more has an enthusiastic band of
> followers. We congratulate them on their achievements on Bendigo’s behalf, and
> wish them well in their future work to publicise the city’s Victorian
> pugilist.’
>
> Hilary Silvester

Ian Wells of the Nottingham Civic Society also spoke about why they wanted to
support us in keeping the Bendigo story accessible to future generations.

The event also welcomed Nottingham’s rising star, welterweight boxer Ekow
Essuman. Ekow was joined by his Nottingham trainer Barrington Brown. It was
great to see passers-by stopping to acknowledge Ekowe, whose last fight was at
Wembley Stadium in April whne he retained his British, Commonwealth and European
titles against Darren Tetley.

The Sheriff of Nottingham with Ekowe Essuman and Barrington Brown

We were also joined by Colin Wilde and Gaz Peacham, from Castle Rock Brewery.
Castle Rock owned the building of the Forest Tavern until its closure a few
years ago.

Gaz Peacham and Colin Wilde for Castle Rock Brewery
Posted on May 26, 2022July 5, 2022Categories NewsTags boxing, civic plaque,
Nottingham, plaque, sporting plaqueLeave a comment on New Civic Plaque For
Bendigo

CASSIUS CLAY AT NOTTINGHAM ICE STADIUM

In our guided tour, we visit Bendigo’s grave and then Sneinton Market, where we
pause to talk about Nottingham after his death. Most professional boxing in
Nottingham took place at the nearby Victoria Leisure Centre or the Ice Stadium.
Did you know that Cassius Clay was there in 1963?

He didn’t fight there but we’re proud to say he came to a night of boxing in
Bendigo’s town. We found this story by Ethan Lewis and are grateful for the
image too.

> On the 27th of May 1963 my father, aged 15 at the time, met Cassius Clay at
> the Victoria Hotel in Nottingham (now the Hilton Hotel). He also obtained his
> autograph (pictured below).
>
> Ethan Lewis

Cassius Clay was also photographed with two well-known Nottingham Police
Officers. PCs Geoff Baker and Denis ‘Tug’ Wilson were both about 7 feet tall in
their boots and helmets.

Cassius Clay standing 6’3 with Pcs Baker and Wilson

Clay was in the city to watch the British Middleweight Title fight between
George Aldridge and Mick Leahy. This was prior to Clay’s fight with Henry Cooper
at Wembley.

The Aldridge v Leahy fight was for the British Middle Weight Title and took
place on 28th May at the Nottingham Ice Stadium. It lasted just 1 minute 45
seconds. The referee Ike Powell stopped the fight after Aldridge was knocked
down twice, Leahy winning on a Technical Knockout.

BoxRec Profile for Leahy v Aldridge Mick Leahy George Aldridge

Leahy’s career spanned nine years between 1956 and 1965. The orthodox middle
weight lived in Coventry but hailed from Cork, Ireland. It wasn’t the first time
Leahy had fought at Nottingham’s Ice Stadium. He faced Nottingham’s Wally Swift
there in December 1964. The promoter was Reg King and again the British
Middleweight titel was up for grabs. It went the full 15 rounds with Swift
winning on points.

George Aldridge was a middle weight from Market Harborough in Leicestershire.
His career of 52 professional bouts was between 1956 and 1963.

“ASK NO QUESTIONS, I’LL JUST TALK”

Back to Cassius Clay and the Victoria Hotel press-conference. Clay said to the
press ‘Ask no questions, I’ll just talk’.

In true style, Clay predicted that he would beat Cooper in the fifth round. He
was right.

Clay also described that Sonny Liston was an ‘ugly bear’ who would ‘fall in
eight’.

Clay and Cooper met on the 18th June 1963 at Wembley Stadium, the referee was
Tommy Little. Despite knocking Clay down in the 4th round, the fight was
stopped in the next round due to cuts suffered by Cooper. Cooper fought him
again (as Mohammed Ali) in 1966 and that fight was also stopped for the same
reason.

Clay was nearly right about his fight with Sonny Liston, which took place the
following February in Miami. Liston retired in the sixth round, claiming a
shoulder injury.

Cassius Clay (as Mohammed Ali) returned to Nottingham in 1992. This time it was
for a book signing event, at Dillon’s bookshop in the town centre.

Thanks as always to BoxRec for the records of the boxers and their fights.

Posted on February 17, 2022July 5, 2022Categories History and ResearchTags
boxing in nottingham, cassius clay, george aldridge, henry cooper, ice stadium,
mick leahy, mohammad ali, Nottingham, tug wilson, wally swiftLeave a comment on
Cassius Clay at Nottingham Ice Stadium

BENDIGO ON THE BIG SCREEN

We have always thought The Bendigo Story would make it to the big screen. Well
now it has. Well sort of. Bendigo gets name checked and even appears in one
scene of a new film:

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.

The film depicts the true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict
Cumberbatch). Wain became famous with creating playful, sometimes even
psychedelic pictures of cats. Moving from the late 1800s through to the 1930s,
it follow the incredible adventures of this inspiring, unsung hero, as he seeks
to unlock the “electrical” mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better
understand his own life.

Directed by BAFTA award-winning Will Sharpe. Story by Simon Stephenson,
screenplay by Simon Stephenson and Will Sharpe.

The story starts in 1881.

This immediately rules out Bendigo from being personally involved, but who
cares.

> This is the cinema and if a film about a true 19th century character wants to
> acknowledge that Bendigo was the biggest name in boxing, then so be it.
>
> Bendigo Supporters

In Scene 9, Louis Wain is is seen sparring with James “Jem” Mace (1831 – 1910).
Mace’s fighting career actually started in the 1850s, after Bendigo had retired.

They could though have sparred together though. At the height of his career,
Mace won the English Welterweight, Heavyweight, and Middleweight titles. Like
Bendigo, he was considered one of the most scientific boxers of the era. Most
impressively, he held the World Heavyweight Championship from 1870 to 1871 while
fighting in the United States.

The scene in the film describes them sparring at Mace’s boxing gym in London. It
is known that Mace trained in London at Nat Langham’s Rum Pum Pas boxing club.

Here is the script from two scenes in the film. Taken from Amazon Studio Guilds

SCENE 9 – JEM MACE’S BOXING GYM, LONDON – DAY

SMACK! WALLOP! LOUIS is suddenly boxing. A SKETCH of the famous boxer BENDIGO –
hangs on the wall. LOUIS keeps throwing himself at a much bigger SPARRING
OPPONENT.

THWACK! LOUIS falls onto his back and starts laughing.

JEM MACE

Alright, Wain, that’s enough. You’ll be late for your meetings…

LOUIS

Let me have one last crack at him!

LOUIS dizzily wobbles back to his feet, jiggling about in a febrile dance. OTHER
BOXERS, both men and women, enjoy this.

LOUIS (CONT’D)

The Bendigo Shuffle! Come on, you big brute. Give me your best shot!

THE BIG BOXER thinks about it for a second. Then – THWACK!

THE BENDIGO SHUFFLE’? WE LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT.

The next scene actually features Bendigo

SCENE 100 – EXT. BOXING TENT, LONDON – DAY (1886)

TWO FIGHTERS do battle – the huge JOURNEYMAN and the sprightly BENDIGO, who has
a weird, cheeky charisma, bouncing about and making up insulting rhymes to put
off his opponent.

LOUIS

Go on, Bendigo!

RAILTON

Curious little fellow, isn’t he.

BENDIGO is doing a dance – like LOUIS’ own eccentric boxing dance – pulling
silly faces at the JOURNEYMAN. FLASH PHOTOGRAPHERS huddle to take shots. LOUIS
and RAILTON sit ringside. LOUIS is trying to draw BENDIGO.

LOUIS

But he’s electric, Herb. Look how his fancy all adore him – Half his opponent’s
size but he knows how to harness the electricity of the crowd… look, see! There
it is.

FLASH! POW! WAPOW! FLASH! FLASH!

RAILTON

Are you talking about the photographers?

LOUIS

No, Herb. Look properly. The electricity. Finally, I feel like I’m starting to
understand it. In fact I have a hypothesis that electricity is what pushes us
through time. And if I can find a way to conduct and divert electricity with
more accuracy, I could, in theory, experience the past as if it were no
different to the future…

HAVE YOU SEEN THE FILM?

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

James ‘Jem Mace
Posted on February 9, 2022Categories NewsTags cinema, jem mace, louis wainLeave
a comment on Bendigo On The Big Screen

JUST THE TICKET FROM 1856

An original ticket to one of Bendigo’s exhibition matches is listed on a US
Sports Memorabilia site for $2000.

Jo Sports Inc are currently offering for sale a full, unused ticket for an
exhibition match between Bendigo and Bob Brettle on December 30, 1856. It is the
earliest boxing ticket currently being offered for sale.

The match took place at the Talbot Inn in Digbeth, Birmingham.

Brettle was an active star in boxing at the time and the match was held to raise
money for the retired Bendigo.

Robert “Bob” Brettle, born at Portobello, near Edinburgh, in January 1832. He
was a successful bare-knuckle boxer active in Birmingham, England, during the
1850s. He was known as “The Birmingham Pet”.

A silver belt, given to him by his patrons to honour his achievements, and made
in Birmingham, was featured on the television programme Antiques Roadshow. It
was subsequently donated to the British Boxing Board of Control and is now
displayed at their headquarters.

Brettle died aged 38 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter’s Church,
Harborne in Birmingham.

The ticket is stamped in lower right corner and is not creased or torn. It has
the allocated seat number and is described as in outstanding condition given the
age. The ticket measures 2 3/8″ x 3 1/2.

Posted on March 15, 2021Categories History and ResearchTags birmingham, brettle,
digbeth, ticketLeave a comment on Just The Ticket from 1856

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