Lydney Cross with the bank building in the background

Row 2 (Back): 1, 2 Mr Richards, 3 Jim Nelmes, 4 W J Culton, caretaker of Lydney Grammar School.
Row 1 (Front): 1 Archie Henderson, 2 Mr G T Needam ?, 3 E Beeley (Lydney Grammar School, headmaster), 4 William Frank Essex, 5 Brigadier R Elsdale, 6 Mr B J Emery- who at this time was headmaster of the village school at Aylburton, 7 Mr F L Wintle the Registrar?.

Peter wrote (July 2009): "... William Frank Essex was a member of Lydney Rural District Council, although I do not have his dates of service in that capacity.   This photo could probably be dated anywhere between approx 1946 and 1960 although from the clothing and the apparent age of William Frank Essex perhaps earlier rather than later in that period". 

Peter added (August 2010): "... I think we've solved who this group were and the date thanks partly to the four names Essex Nelmes Beeley and Richards having been identified already. From visiting Gloucestershire Archives I've confirmed that my Grampy W F Essex was a Lydney Rural District Councillor from 1946-1952 and 1955 to his death in 1961. Mr J Nelmes was also a councillor in this time but Messrs Beeley and Richards were'nt. Similarly we had wondered if these might all be LGS governors but no as I've been through the governors minutes too. However at a Lydney RDC meeting on 24-06-1952 Mr Essex was thanked for his work in organising successful Civil Defence training for a number who were there and then presented with their certificates. Three of them were J Nelmes, E Beeley and W M Richards. This occasion also explains why my grandfather is centre front of the photo and why it was taken outside the Town Hall. So now calling all detectives the others presented were minuted as M E Walters, H W R Hayes, G T Needam, H J Lomar, G F C Walters, E G Williams, M P Brown, H Tyler, F L Wintle, W J Culton, A Henderson, B J Emery and Brigadier R Elsdale. So which of those is also in this photo and who were they? For a start I reckon the moustached man to Grampys left looks like a brigadier".
Peter further added (August 2012): "... It has now come to light from an article in the Personality Piece series in the Lydney Observer of 10 Jan 1958 that between W F Essex's retirement from the police in 1938 and his return to Lydney in 1945 he was in charge of Air Raid Precautions for the borough of Hampstead in North London. From 1949 to 1956 he was Lydney Rural District Council's Head Warden for Civil Defence".

Roy Trotman added (May 2010): "... Mr Richards was Health Inspector for the Lydney Distict Council when I was an apprentice for Joseph Burtons, grocers, 10 Newerne Street.

Thanks also to H J Warren who added (Aug 2009): "... Jim Nelmes (was) landlord of the 'Cross Keys' Lydney".

Thanks also to the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review who published the photo (Sept 2010) and enabled more names to be discovered.

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