The November 28th meeting at Scaldwell Village Hall saw some 38 members of the Local History group hear about local hero W.J. Bassett-Lowke from Colin Rowe.
W.J. (or “Whynne”) as most people called him is probably best known as a maker of model trains and ships, but he was much more of a businessman than just that. Who knew, for example, that he built the models of the wartime Bailey Bridges and Mulberry Harbours so that the army engineers could practice putting them together.
We also learnt that he was a very fine photographer, and it was through his photographs of a train crash at Wellingborough sold to newspapers that provided him with the funds to begin his model-making business.
He lived, as most people know, at 78 Derngate and “New Ways” in Wellingborough Road – and knew exactly what he wanted from his architects. I imagine he was quite an opinionated client! The photo above is of Whynne as part of the memorials of “Becket Buddies” (John Clare, Rennie-Mackintosh and Bassett-Lowke) in Becket’s Park.
This model of the SS Aquitania by Bassett-Lowke is in the Halifax Maritime Museum, Nova Scotia.
Report and photos by the Rowes.