We Are Chesterfield: "Unsung volunteers make the town a great place to live"

A retired architect has paid tribute to Chesterfield's army of dedicated volunteers who make the town a great place to live.
David Botham, pictured bottom row on the far right, with pupils at Highfield Hall School.David Botham, pictured bottom row on the far right, with pupils at Highfield Hall School.
David Botham, pictured bottom row on the far right, with pupils at Highfield Hall School.

David Botham said: "They are largely unsung and are what gives Chesterfield a lot of its character and appeal.

"The townsfolk pulled together to get through the Covid crisis. We had cards through the letterboxes which said we're volunteering to do shopping for you; if you have to self-isolate, phone us up and we'll help. That sort of initiative has brought out the best in a lot of people and is one of the reasons why I like Chesterfield so much.

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"The churches do a brilliant job of running all sorts of activities, not just Sunday school or Sunday services, they are a venue for half the social life of the town.”

Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.
Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.

He's also full of praise for those who are doing their bit to improve the look of Chesterfield.

David, 71, of Highfield Road, Newbold, said: "I'm particularly pleased when an old building gets a dramatic facelift and is fitted out to last for another 30 years of good use. There are some ugly late 1930s offices owned by the water board next to the Beetwell Street multi-storey car park facing Markham Road. They've been renovated and transformed to a much higher standard than I expected. The developer has made a nice job of them.”

His passion for the town’s buildings stretches back half a century.

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When he was a student at The School of Architecture at Liverpool Polytechnic, David learned that plans were afoot to demolish the whole of Chesterfield market hall and Low Pavement and build a large shopping complex with malls and a smaller market square. David said: "One of a local firm of architects, the then civic society and the father of one of my friends mounted a campaign against this proposal. There was a march on the town hall and 34,000 signatures were gathered in a relatively short space of time. A lot of folk were horrified that Chesterfield town centre was about to be flattened. Lo and behold, the councillors did a complete about-turn and in the face of the opposition the developers decided that economic uncertainties had caused them to withdraw the proposals.

Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.
Retired architect David Botham of Newbold, Chesterfield.

"A firm of town planning consultants were brought in to prepare alternative proposals, those proposals in due course resulted in The Pavements shopping centre and the retention of all the Low Pavement frontages."

David tendered his own scheme for redevelopment of the area as part of a major project during his course. This included a balsa wood model that was shown in an exhibition in Chesterfield.

After qualifying as an architect, David started work at Derby City Council and commuted from Chesterfield.

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He then got a job at NE Derbyshire District Council at a time when retirement bungalows were being built. David said: "That was one of the most rewarding bits of the job because there were so many folk of retirement age that were desperate to move out of unsuitable accommodation - a large council house where they brought up their family was now too big for them or they couldn't manage the stairs. The bungalows went like hot cakes, there was never any difficulty in letting them. You got to meet the tenants that had moved in. On some occasions, they were so grateful it brought tears to my eyes. I remember one chap in a development just off Bridge Street in Killamarsh giving me a pot plant - that would be over 30 years ago and I still have the plant!"

David Botham with the model of Chesterfield Market Hall which he made during his student days.David Botham with the model of Chesterfield Market Hall which he made during his student days.
David Botham with the model of Chesterfield Market Hall which he made during his student days.

David moved on to Chesterfield Borough Council where he worked for 22 years. He said: "The restoration of the Stephenson Memorial Hall which houses the Pomegranate Theatre and the derelict library in 1990 was the nicest project I ever worked on. The theatre roof was in a parlous state with dry rot in the ends of all the roof timbers and we had to scaffold it inside and out and re-roof. We put in the lighting gantry, we tanked out the basement and the toilets were renewed completely. This was immediately followed by converting the then derelict library that had been empty for ten years into the town museum. It was the borough council's own works department that won the tender and worked really hard and really skilfully on that job."

During his work for the borough authority David was heavily involved in ensuring that council buildings, shops, offices, sports centres and houses complied with new legislation governing access for those with disabilities.

David has lived in Chesterfield since the age of four and was educated at Highfield Hall School. He said: "It was a jolly good school with very good staff who got me through the 11-plus exam and gave me a good standard of mental arithmetic.”

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He then went to Chesterfield Boys Grammar School where he was tutored by inspirational teachers. "I owe my love of literature, singing, geography and history to the teachers of that time," said David.

David Botham and his wife Sue, of Highfield Road, Newbold, have a son, a daughter and three granddaughters.David Botham and his wife Sue, of Highfield Road, Newbold, have a son, a daughter and three granddaughters.
David Botham and his wife Sue, of Highfield Road, Newbold, have a son, a daughter and three granddaughters.

A youth club run by Holy Trinity Church was where he met his future wife, Sue, and they later married at The Ragged School in 1978 on the 100th anniversary of the chapel’s opening.

They have a son Daniel, a daughter Ruth, a son-in-law Gordon and three granddaughters Keira, Carys and Isla.

David and Sue are members of the congregation at The Ragged School Chapel and Cross Street Baptist Church.

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A tenor singer, David performs with Chesterfield Co-operative Choral Society and Staveley United Churches Choir.

He has an allotment where he excels at growing beans and has built a shed. “I've made several cabin stools for boats and about 100 nest boxes for birds out of recycled timber,” said David. “I love repairing and restoring broken things.”

Away from Chesterfield, David and Sue enjoy spending time on their half-length narrowboat which is moored at Sawley on the River Trent.