Description: This view shows Gedling Street and the Town Mission Ragged School building in the background. The idea of ragged schools was developed by John Pounds, a Portsmouth shoemaker. In 1818 Pounds began teaching poor children without charging fees. Thomas Guthrie helped to promote Pounds' idea of free schooling for working class children. Guthrie started a ragged school in Edinburgh and Sheriff Watson established another in Aberdeen. Lord Shaftesbury formed the Ragged School Union in 1844 and over the next eight years over 200 free schools for poor children were established in Britain. The Old Ragged School is now the new headquarters of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. When taken over in the late 1990s it was a derelict, listed pre-Education Act (1870) school on the 'Buildings At Risk Register' and at risk of demolition. The restoration was supported by funding from ERDF, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the landfill tax. The project incorporated recycled materials, timber from managed sources, insulation, heat recovery systems, condensing boilers and low energy light fittings. It was later awarded Nottingham City Council Lord Mayor's Award for Conservation and Nottingham Civic Society Commendation. Sneinton market has always sold (and still does!) a strange variety of goods. At the time of this photograph, it sold mainly second-hand articles, from clothing, reading glasses! and shoes to bric-a-brac, as well as household goods. Sneinton Market was established around 1850 and there is still a very lively traditional market held every Monday and Saturday morning, but articles for sale now tend to be new (although there is still a thriving trade in slightly worn shoes!, fruit and vegetables that are 'fully ripe', hence cheap, and 'seconds' clothing. It is well worth a visit!) See also NTGM000776 and 777 and NTGM002156... 2157... 2159... 2160 ... 2158 ... 2162 ... 2164 ... 2165 and 2166