Sir Raymond Unwin - signed!

I’m out canvassing chatting to the voters and I comment that the house of the people I’m speaking to was built by local architect William Martin Ashmore. 

The resident enquires who William Ashmore is and I explain that he develops and builds most of lower Newbold, that he was close personal friends with Edward Carpenter and a direct contemporary and associate of Raymond Unwin.

Yes, Sir Raymond Unwin - who lived at Cross Street, Chesterfield and when he lived here was a budding architect and new on the block. I explain that with Barry Parker they go on to be giants of the architectural world.

The chap I’m speaking to says “in that case look at this” and there on the wall, on a brick at the front of the house the young Raymond Unwin has scratched his name into the wall.

Yes, really, here in Chesterfield, never seen before, the father of the Garden Suburb movement has etched his name into the wall of a house built by his best mate William Ashmore...

And as far as we can tell, this is totally unknown and has never been seen before by those interested in architecture, the history of Chesterfield or Unwin and Parker themselves.

I am excited and frankly flabbergasted!!