Helen has lived at The Limes, Mapperley, since she was born. Many local people will remember her parents Gordon and Muriel Durow.  They both played a very big part in the village and were always close to the heart of the community.  The Durow family go back many generations and Helen has discovered so many members of the family who lived in Mapperley, the list is very long!

Helen has found that the first member of the Durow family to have lived in Mapperley was Thomas Durow, born approx 1771. He is Helen's great, great, great Grandad. He died in Mapperley in 1853.

He had 4 sons, Frank b 1796, John b 1799, Joseph b 1801and Thomas b 1804.

8 generations have lived in Mapperley, the most recent being Brian Durows son, Lewis.

Gordon’s father was Charles Percy Durow, his father was William Durow.

Gordon was born in Mapperley in 1930. He attended Mapperley School and then Scargill School in West Hallam.

Gordon

Muriel came to Mapperley with her parents Reverend William Harold Vaughan and Hilda Vaughan nee Fell.  William was born 26 April 1887 in Carlton, Nottingham. They married during the First World War in Birmingham in April 1915. At that time William was a soldier and lived in Ilkeston. He was.aged 27 and Hilda was 24 and lived in Birmingham. Their parents, Muriels Grandparents, were Benjamin and Clara Vaughan.  Clara passed away in 1953. Muriel had a brother Arthur.

Muriel

The reason they came to Mapperley was to improve Muriel’s health, she had rheumatic fever. The vicarage they lived in had a canal at the bottom of the garden and they needed to move Muriel away from that to improve her health. Her father saw a barge going by one day which had Mapperley Colliery Company written on the side and said that is where we are going.  So, after Reverend Swain retired Muriel’s father applied for and was given the position of curate at Mapperley. They moved into The Vicarage, the large house opposite the current church, Holy Trinity. Muriel had worked at the local National Westminster bank before moving and had been in line to become the first Manageress. Her mum Hilda taught at Mapperley School for a while.

Muriel

Muriel Durows mum Hilda

Muriel and Gordon met during this time. They were married on 17th February 1951 in Mapperley Holy Trinity Church. Gordon was living at The Limes and Muriel at The Vicarage. He was 21 and an electrician and she was 23. They were married by Muriel’s father, Reverend Vaughan. After marriage they lived at The Limes were the family still remain today.

Gordon and Muriel had 3 children, Trevor, Helen and Brian. Helen was baptised twice, the first time soon after her birth as she was very poorly and there was concern as to whether she would live or not.  Trevor now has 2 children, Lindsey and Russell, Helen has Laura and Bethany and Brian has Abbie and Lewis.

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Lilly Durow, Great Grandmother of Helen. Photograph taken on crossroad in the centre of Mapperley village

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Gordon and Muriel Durow

Gordon spent some of his working life working for Raleigh. He was an avid footballer and played for Mapperley FC for many years, mainly as goalkeeper. He broke his ribs 3 times and in the end the doctors told him he could no longer play. He was also a member of Mapperley’s voluntary Fire Service.

Gordon Durow's Derbyshire Fire Service badge

Gordon Durow. Open Day at Ilkeston Fire Station

Helen remembers her dad coming home from work after a shift and then going out and doing peoples lawns and mowing the churchyard. Helen used to go along and help him.

Muriel would get involved in village life helping where she could. She washed the football team’s kit and allowed them to change in her home. Muriel would do lots of baking, sausage rolls, pies, bread etc. Helen would love to help her and she would then take it round the village to different people.

Both Gordon and Muriel worked very hard to benefit others.

Gordon Durow June 1960

In 1977 Gordon had a stroke. It was the same year as the Queens Silver Jubilee and only a few months before the stroke he had been putting up bunting round the village. He had the stroke in the September, a day before Helen’s 13th birthday.

The family were devastated. It hit Muriel very hard. Gordon was not expected to survive but through sheer determination and after 3 months in hospital he eventually came home. Albeit it was only supposed to be for the weekend but he refused to go back! Helen remembers so well how much amazing support the family had from the villagers. During the 3 months that Gordon was in hospital in Derby and Etwall, Muriel visited him every day and never had to catch the bus once. There were so many willing to take her by car.

Helen, Gordon, Kevin, Muriel and Laura

Gordon eventually got his own electric wheelchair and could be seen doing his daily tour of the village, stopping to natter with people and generally surround himself with the village and the people he loved.  Everyone loved Gordon. He was cared for my Muriel and his children and his brother Hadrian who lived with them. Muriel passed away on 9th January 1996. Helen then became Gordon’s carer until he passed away on 13th May 1998.

A final memory to end on and a very special one. After Gordon returned home from hospital the family were keen to get him back into the Black Horse. My dad Ron was the Landlord and although Helen was only 13 years old, Ron let her in the pub with her dad because that was the only way to get him back in.  Helen’s aim was to get her dad to walk her down the aisle.  It was 13 years to the day of his stroke that he walked Helen down the aisle. An amazing, wonderful man.

Helen’s personal memories of growing up in Mapperley to follow…

Elaine Sarson
December 2012.

Muriel Durow with granddaughter Bethany Cook and Joyce Cook, Kevin's mum.
The occasion being Bethany's Christening February 1995

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Commemorative Plaque in Memory of Trevor Durow

We are very pleased to inform you that a Commemorative Plaque has been installed on to a memorial bench within The Bandstand area at Whitby. This was made possible by the very kind and generous donations from his many friends and family.

If you were not fortunate enough to have spent time in Trevor’s favorite place, Whitby, he would often meet up with friends and left them saying ‘See ya in Angel’. These are two pubs called ‘The Angel’ and ‘The Little Angel’ Appropriate names.

We know that we as a family will enjoy the seat for many years to come and we also very much hope his friends will pay it a visit and remember Trev when in Whitby.

The Durow/Cook family

Trevor Durow's Memories
Laura and Joe Wedding