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Florence Hill, who was born in Chaddesden and has lived there all her life, learnt about the ancient history of the area, back in the 40s from an informed schoolmaster – as she describes here.

When I was at Nottingham Road Junior School on St Mark’s Road, Derby, our history tutor Mr Hobbs was very keen that we should learn about the Roman past of the ground opposite, which was then Derby Racecourse.

The Royal Artillery are pictured manning anti-aircraft guns on the racecourse in Derby during the 1940s

This was in the 1940s when we were at war, so we were not allowed on the racecourse because the Royal Artillery had many large anti-aircraft guns and deterrents such as old cars filled with concrete to stop enemy invasion.

But Mr Hobbs would take us along the canal, which ran along Stores Road at the back of the racecourse, from where we could view what we were told was the site of a Roman burial ground.

He would also point out things like where the Roman encampment would have been, which was down Caesar Street and on to Chester Green. At that time, there was an RAF barrage balloon unit on the green.

We would then turn and look up Hillcrest Road at the top of Cardigan Street hill, which was, and still is, very steep. It is apparently the first step of the Pennine chain.

We were informed that this was where the Romans would have had their look-out posts because it commanded such a spectacular view over Derby and the Derwent valley.

I know that view very well because I once sat on the pavement kerb on top of Cardigan hill and watched a white Tiger Moth aeroplane land on the racecourse just before the war.

American legend Colonel William Cody, alias Buffalo Bill, brought his Wild West Show to Derby in 1903

Derby Racecourse has hosted many celebrities. My dad would tell me about the time that Bill Cody, the legendary Buffalo Bill, brought his Wild West Show there. Many people in the huge cast took lodgings in the terraced houses on Walpole Street and would walk up there still wearing full Red Indian feathered head-dresses and costumes and make-up. I am pleased to see that those houses are still there.

From our school classroom window, we could see the lovely green dome of the splendid Grandstand Hotel. That was where King George V and Queen Mary used to sit to watch the racing at Derby. All the famous horses and jockeys would be there.

That has now all gone. From Romans to Romany gipsies, who were always attracted to the meetings. They would go round the nearby houses trying to sell their bits of lace, pegs and ribbons etc. If you bought something, they would tell your fortune. If you didn’t, they put a curse on you.

The gipsies would park their caravans on a small piece of waste land at the top of the racecourse. Their horses would be taken down Chequers Lane on to the spacious Meadows and would be left there overnight.

We had an allotment down the Meadows. One night, there was a terrific thunderstorm. The lightning was terrifying and it caused the gipsies’ horses to stampede and rampage all over the allotments, trampling everything in sight into the sodden mud.

Florence’s brother, Jack, shovelling snow.

Dad gave up the allotment after that. My brother, Jack, and I were disappointed because we used to enjoy digging up the Roman coins which were abundant down there. I expect that they are buried under the A52 now or the Wyvern Centre.

Someone told my friend and me that the Queen of the Romany gipsies had died and was going to be buried in Nottingham Road cemetery, so we went to watch. It was amazing. It seemed as if everyone in the world had come. We had never seen so many people at a funeral before.

There were no American soldiers stationed at Derby Racecourse during the Second World War – only British soldiers who rode around the streets on horseback. We called them the cavalry.

I saw them every day. It must have been quite a luxury to have the facilities of the famous Derby Racecourse stables. The paddock, which was off Nottingham Road, to the right of a superb tree-lined avenue, was where we would meet for the Sunday School Treat, wearing our best clothes, our satin ribbons on our lapels and clutching our text cards.

We would sit on the decorated drays and be pulled around the streets by the beautiful Offiler’s Brewery shire horses.

These horses also pulled the great loads of barrelled beer – four horses to a dray – up the steep Walpole Street hill to the Blue Boy pub on Wiltshire Road. What a magnificent sight!

• Do you have any memories of Derby Racecourse, before or after the war? If so, you can write about your recollections on You and Yesterday. To find out more go to the home page.

British soldiers stationed at Derby Racecourse during the Second World War with the horses they cared for.

Florence’s mother, Nellie Hill, in the pointed hat, at a VE Day Party.

Florence Hill’s father used to tell her about Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show coming to Derby.

Roman pottery was found at Derby Racecourse in 1960.

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County:  Derbyshire

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