Batman and Robin are turning on Gotham’s Christmas lights as part of the village’s fund-raising attempts to help restore the only Well House in Nottinghamshire.
The crime-fighting super heroes will switch on the lights on Sunday, December 6 on the square near the Well House which needs £20,000 worth of repairs.
Chairman of Gotham Parish Council, Mike Sheppard says, “Batman and Robin will do a tour of the village in one of the councillors vintage cars before arriving at the Well House to turn on the Christmas lights.
The dynamic duo will be presenting a cheque from Councillor Stuart Matthews for £1000.
The Well House is the focal point to the village
The council are hoping that because the village shares its name with the fictional crime-ridden city which appears in the Batman films, fans will help to back the fund-raising.
Mike Sheppard chairman of Gorham parish council says, ‘It’s going well and we’re half way there, so hopefully in the next few months we will hit our target”.
Owen Trickett and Paige Lowe, who will be appearing as Batman and Robin, both live in the village and are starring in the ‘Robin Hood’ village pantomime.
Historic feature
The Well house is an historic and unique building. Villagers will gather round it on December 15 for Christmas carols sing song with a brass band performing inside the building.
Mike Sheppard says, “The Well House is the focal point to the village so, hopefully, by next year we will be singing our carols and drinking our mulled wine around a well house that has been restored to its former self.”
Gotham and Batman
- In the 13Th Century villagers in Gotham reportedly tricked the King John into thinking they were insane so that he would not ride through the village collecting taxes. They allegedly tried to drown eels and attempted to fish the moon out of the pond at night.
- Villagers were dubbed ‘The Wise Men of Gotham’ for their trickery in keeping the King and his tax men at bay.
- American writer Washington Irving is thought to have first compared people in New York City to ‘The Wise Men of Gotham’ and producers of the Batman films made it famous as Batman’s home.
The Well House
- Edward Howe built the Pump in 1862 so that water could be pumped from Rushcliffe to Gotham when there was a water drought.
- The Well House is known to locals as the pump and is the only Well house in Nottingham.
- In 1965 the Well House building became unsafe.
- Villagers raised £500 for the structure to be renovated and the following year it was re-erected.
- It was declared a listed building and remains a unique feature of the village.
