Jane Birkin R.I.P

[DAVIDW 1,690]

I see it's been announced that Jane Birkin has passed away aged 76 on 16th July 2023.

 

Famous for the song Je T'aime and also as an actress , she had Nottm connections to the Birkin lace manufacturers.

 

Her father was David Leslie Birkin born in 1914, who in turn was the son of First World War veteran  , Harry Lawrence Birkin and Olive ( nee Russell ), who ran the lacemaking business and lived at Lincoln House in The Park.

 

 David Birkin spent much of his youth in hospital but was
determined to join his brothers in the fight against Hitler and in league with French Resistance is said to have helped many servicemen back to England during WW2.

 

David Birkin married actress Judy Campbell (of Grantham) in 1943 and Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone in 1946.

 

 

 

 

[Jill Sparrow 10,325]

I believe the late Edward VIII, latterly Duke of Windsor had a fairly long-term dalliance with one of the Birkin females.  

 

I walked along a section of Birkin Avenue before the Berridge visit recently. Always think about that family when I see Birkin Avenue.

[philmayfield 6,203]

I remember a furniture store in the Birkin Avenue area. Remind me what was it called?

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

I never realised Jane B was connected to the Birkins of Nottingham Lace.

[Jill Sparrow 10,325]

18 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

I remember a furniture store in the Birkin Avenue area. Remind me what was it called?

Unless you mean Staddon's (on Radford Road) I can't think of another.

 

Freda Dudley-Ward was born a Birkin. The Duke of Windsor maintained a relationship with her for years but dropped her like a hot brick after Wallis worked her magic on him.

 

The Duke purchased a farm somewhere in the south Nottinghamshire area as it was fairly close to the Dudley-Ward residence and it gave him a legitimate excuse to be in the area. He was a well known drinker in the local pub, where no one stood on ceremony with him which he seemed to like. They all knew why he was there. Freda was eventually divorced but by that time, the Duke had moved on.

[Jill Sparrow 10,325]

https://picturenottingham.co.uk/image-library/image-details/poster/ntgm020606/posterid/ntgm020606.html

 

This article gives a photo and some information about the farm and the Duke's Birkin connections.

[DAVIDW 1,690]

From the Evening Post Dec 11th 1999: 

 

FREDA Dudley Ward was a member of the Birkin family, one of the most prominent in Notts.
Her grandfather, Sir Thomas Birkin, lived at Ruddington Grange.
He was a successful merchant who was awarded a baronet-an hereditary title-in 1905. He died in 1922.

Freda's father was lace manufacturer Colonel Charles Wilfrid Birkin, Sir Thomas's fourth son. He lived at Lamcote, near Radcliffe-on-Trent, serving as Deputy Lieutenant of Notts and a JP in the county.

 

He was also a lieutenant colonel commanding the 7th battalion of the Notts and Derbyshire Regiment in the First World War.
The colonel was mentioned in despatches and awarded the CMG in 1916.

 

He married an American woman called Clare Howe. She became president of the Nottingham Women's Conservative Association.

 

Freda - real name Winifred - was the couple's eldest daughter.
Their younger daughter, Vera, married James Seely at St Mary's Church, Nottingham, at a ceremony attended by Edward, who was then Prince of Wales.

Freda's brother was Sir Charles Birkin who served in the Second World War.

Her nephew, Sir John Birkin, who lives in London, is the current baronet. Sir John is a freelance television producer.

 

Freda married William Dudley Ward, MP for Southampton, in 1913. She had two children before the marriage was dissolved in 1931.
She married the Marquis De Casa Maury six years later.

[philmayfield 6,203]

The name of the furniture shop in Birkin Avenue was Gold and Dunn.

[LizzieM 9,519]

Gold and Dunn may have been on Birkin Avenue at some stage but I used to walk past their place on Beech Avenue every day from 1967-1975 when I worked at Thorn Bendix further along the road, opposite the Birkin lace factory.  My parents bought a lot of reproduction furniture from Gold and Dunn and in fact we bought a carpet from them in the mid 70s and had it delivered and fitted at our house near Banbury.  There was an issue with the carpet and they had excellent customer service and replaced it immediately.  

[Jill Sparrow 10,325]

I can't think where that would have been on Birkin Avenue. It was mainly housing along there. Parts have now been totally redeveloped.

[LizzieM 9,519]

There’s a Birkin family mausoleum in Wilford Hill cemetery, not far from my Dad’s grave.  I’ve been over to it several times to read all the tablets in there.  

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

And this is the Birkin building in the Lace Market.....a recognisable landmark.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/roER65h3qKkB7SVS7

[LizzieM 9,519]

I never realised that building used to be a Birkin factory.  A Watson Fothergill masterpiece.   I frequented a club in the early 1970s in the far left corner of Broadway, called ‘Pharoahs’. It later became a punk club called ‘Sandpipers’ I believe ……. that was after my clubbing days though.   The Guy Birkin factory I was familiar with, on Beech Avenue in New Basford, is still there I think, in a very delapidated state, and can be seen from the Forest, sitting on top of the hill.  

[Oztalgian 3,332]

4 hours ago, DAVIDW said:

Famous for the song Je T'aime and also as an actress

Here it is.

How many teen boys had erotic memories of this and Jane Birkin in the 60s 

Never knew there was a Nottingham link.

 

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

This is the factory in Basford, on Beech Avenue.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/QQQvckGeyuAEtSzW8

[benjamin1945 16,206]

You beat me to it OZ...................Bit special wern't it...............such memories.....

 

''Oh Mon Amour''

 

 

 

[Annesley Red 80]

Made money out of faking an orgasm

[West Bridgfordian 144]

16 minutes ago, Annesley Red said:

Made money out of faking an orgasm

Many, many women appear to do that!

 

[Cliff Ton 10,488]

If you really want to go into the subject of Birkin in great detail .......

 

http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/books/nottsillus1898/textiles02.htm