20th Century 24 - Leamington History Group

The Theatre Royal

August 11, 2026April 29, 2013

The Leamington Theatre Company was formed in 1881 and it commissioned London architect C J Phipps to design a 1,200 seat theatre for its site adjoining Denby Buildings in Regent Grove. Charles John Phipps was the foremost theatre architect of his day and in a long career designed over thirty theatres including some of the … Read more

Edith Mary Warr

August 11, 2026April 18, 2013

Edie, aged 100, recalls lively episodes from her long life in Leamington – her workdays, her husband’s bands, their motorbike and sidecar.

48 minutes. 47MB file.

The Free Czechoslovak Army

August 11, 2026April 17, 2013

During the Second World War, the Free Czechoslovak Army (FCA) was based in Leamington Spa and a memorial fountain in the shape of a parachute in the town’s Jephson Gardens records their stay. It also commemorates one of the most daring undercover missions of the war which was carried out by Czechoslovak paratroop agents. The … Read more

The Last Bath Chair

August 11, 2026April 9, 2013

The small building in Farley Street, indicated by an arrow at the bottom of the map was the shed where the last Bath Chair in Leamington was kept, observed by Kit Smith, as he walked to school in about 1932. George David Taylor was the Bath Chair man, from about 1909 onwards. He operated from … Read more

A Regal Ghost

August 11, 2026April 9, 2013

Leamington’s Vue Cinema started life as ‘The Regal’, designed in Art Deco style by Horace G Bradley and opened in September 1931. It was then one of the 15 largest cinemas in the UK. Remodelled several times since then, it is reputedly haunted, by a lady thought by many to be the late Edith Devis. Mrs … Read more

The Parish Church

August 11, 2026April 9, 2013

A presentation by Alan Griffin, Chair of Leamington History Group, about the history of Leamington’s Parish Church. Click on the forward and back arrows to navigate through the presentation. Click on the two-headed arrow symbol in the bottom right to enter full-screen mode.

Methodist chapels

August 11, 2026April 8, 2013

Portland Street Wesleyan Chapel This was the original purpose built home of Methodism in Leamington. ‘The earliest Leamington Methodists went over to Warwick to worship’, by 1817 William Scott and his wife had founded a place of worship in ‘Barnacle’s Yard, Satchwell St., they later moved to Brunswick St. The next move was to purchase … Read more

Proprietary Chapels

August 11, 2026April 8, 2013

Leamington Episcopal Chapel This was, in 1825, the first of the proprietary chapels or chapel of ease, built in Leamington. The chosen site across the top of the Parade, was at the opposite end of the town from the parish church and it was built on open land, which soon became the centre of a … Read more

Congregational Church, Spencer Street

August 21, 2026April 8, 2013

The New Church In July 1836 a group of nonconformist worshippers who called themselves Congregationalists opened a new chapel set amongst green meadows near the banks of the river Leam. The architect of this elegant building was Mr John Russell himself a member of the congregation. The chapel was the third nonconformist place of worship … Read more

The Wilkinsons: florists of Leamington

August 11, 2026April 8, 2013

Alexander and May Wilkinson moved to Leamington from Birmingham in 1946, to open a garden and flower shop at No 9 Spencer Street. Birmingham, 1900-1946 May had always loved working with flowers, having started at the age of 12 helping in her auntie’s florist’s shop in Birmingham. It was hard work. Saturday meant starting at … Read more

The Bone family of 9 Spencer Street

August 11, 2026April 8, 2013

1700s William and Sarah Bone lived in Saltisford Warwick in the late 1700’s. They were married around 1790 with their first child being born in 1793. Their fifth child Hannah was born on 21st April 1805. Sarah outlived William and died in Saltisford in 1848 aged 82 1805 Hannah Bone remained all her life in … Read more

Ron Ransford

August 11, 2026April 5, 2013

Ron Ransford is a very well-known figure in Leamington. For many years, his family ran a building/demolition/recycling business in the town, and Ron has personally “seen off” a number of old Leamington landmarks during his working life.If you want to know where some significant artefact or piece of equipment from a long-vanished Leamington building, Ron … Read more

20th Century

The Theatre Royal

Edith Mary Warr

The Free Czechoslovak Army

The Last Bath Chair

A Regal Ghost

The Parish Church

Methodist chapels

Proprietary Chapels

Congregational Church, Spencer Street

The Wilkinsons: florists of Leamington

The Bone family of 9 Spencer Street

Ron Ransford

Sergeant Charles Derek Brown

Loft Theatre

Leamington History WW2 Civilian Remembrance Service

Leamington History Cafe: The Long March

Leamington History Group Walks Royal Leamington Spa Town Hall with Martin Harrison