大象传媒

The main role of Buxton in the Second World War was as a 'Safe Area' (the official term may have been 'Reception Area') and as such the town received an influx of evacuees of all types. The most important of these were H.M. Customs and Excise which took pver the Palace Hotel and the Norwich Union Insurance Company which occupied the Spa Hotel on the site of the present Hartington Gardens sheltered accommodation. Several smaller firms took over properties or workshops in the town, of which the Shannon File Co, of Kingston-on-Thames springs to mind.

The grange School in Buxton park was taken over for the boys of the 'Belgian College' and most of the smaller hotels filled up with residents who were here for the duration, the billeting officer at the Town Hall being responsible for allocating people to any private houses where there was spare accommodation. The army again took over the Empire Hotel, probably for training, with units of the Pioneer Corps and Royal Artillery, the balmoral Hotel being the NCO's Mess. Later in the war there were prisoner of war camps both on Lismore Fields and the site of the former Burbage Golf Course. The RAF Maintenance Unit at the back of Harpur Hill, which was established in the 1930's, became principally an underground storage depot for bombs and other munitions and was, of course, of considerable importance.

The large main hall of the Town Hall was turned into a forces canteen and restroom run by WVS (Women's Voluntary Service) or similar groups and was reputed to be one of the best in the region. The garage of the Palace Hotel became the main depot of the NFS (National Fire Service) and in various parts of the the town there were erected unsightly static water tanks whose function it was to provide a reservoir of water for fire-fighting purposes. There was a Home Guard or 'Dad's Army' unit in town. The local authority had the extra involvement of salvage collection (a new departure) and ARP (air raid precautions) of which the town hall cellars and Market Street depot were important centres. At the town hall were the Food Control and the Fuel Control offices as well as the billiting officer and staff already mentioned. The WVS collection point in Spring gardens , sometimes known as the 'spitfire shop', collected aluminium pots and pans for the war effort and was instrumental in raising the money to buy a Spitfire to be named 'Buxton'. This may later have become the war charities shop where my mother and sister both helped out. There was also throughout the town a major effort to seel War savings certificates with mabny prominent local people on the various committees.

As a consequence of the vastly increased numbers of temporary residents in the town, all the sporting and entertainment venues, such as the Pavillion Gardens and cinemas, were well patronised and experienced a high point which has probably not since been equalled.

Oliver Gomersall

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