The Bendigo Heritage Project

17/10/2026

Our Bendigo Gallery is back and we a thrilled to be hosted by the Boathouse Cafe at the popular Beeston Marina on the River Trent. Proprietor Tony Gayle is big fan of Bendigo, boxing and Beeston so it's a perfect fit for us. Make sure to visit and take a stroll along the this stretch of the river where Bendigo fished and took time out.

13/10/2026

We visited the Tom Cribb pub in London this weekend.
Tom Cribb was born in Hanham near Bristol, but moved to London at the age of 13 and after working as a bell-hanger sought work as a coal porter in Wapping.
Cribb was All England Champion from 1808 and was the recipient of the first ever boxing championship belt in 1810, after he defeated American challenger Tom Molineaux. King George III presented Cribb with a unique belt made of real lion skin (symbolizing British power), featuring a large silver buckle and real lion claws
Having beaten Gregson, Belcher and Molineaux, Cribb's reputation was so high that he received no further challenges for a further eleven years, and eventually retired from the ring in 1822. 
After retirement Cribb became a coal merchant (and part-time boxing trainer). Later he was landlord of the Union Arms, Panton Street, close to Haymarket in central London. The Tom Cribb pub now stands at this location.
Cribb died in 1848, aged 66. He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich

11/10/2026

Born on this day in 1811

William Thompson

BENDIGO OF NOTTINGHAM

Pioneer in the Sport of Boxing

Undefeated Champion of All England

The Original Southpaw

10/10/2026

On this day 10th October 1831. The burning ofNottingham Castle.

Nottingham Castle was an important medieval royal fortress and occasional royal residence. King Richard I once laid siege to it to take it back from agents of his brother, Prince John.

Construction of the castle was started in 1068 soon after the Norman Conquest. Originally wood and earth before stone walls were added. The original medieval castle, except for its walls and outer gate, was demolished after the English Civil War in 1651.

William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, started to build a mansion on the site in the 1670s; it was completed by his son, the 2nd Duke of Newcastle.

It was this ducal palace that was burnt to the ground by angry mob of Nottingham rioters in 1831.

It was then left as a ruin until renovated in the 1870s as an art gallery and museum, which remain in use today. Little of the original castle survives other than the gatehouse and parts of the ramparts, but sufficient portions remain to give an impression of the layout of the site.

It is NOT the great medieval fortress depicted in the Robin Hood movies.

It was NOT the home or base of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

19/09/2026

PURE VIOLENCE….!!!👀😳

Luke Brassfield & Ryan Dawson are MADE FOR THIS!! 👊🏼

Both men have competed at a high level and are highly ranked across bare knuckle organisations… On 17th October they meet in 4oz gloves!😬

📍 The Palais, Nottingham
📅 Saturday 17th October
🎟️ Tickets available NOW!

04/09/2026

Katie Taylor

What a story!

An inside look at Katie Taylor's emotional final fight week as 80,000 fans prepare to salute Ireland's boxing icon at Croke Park on Saturday.

02/09/2026

Help out if you can. Great cause and incredible task.

🚨 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 🚨

Could you be part of a Guinness World Records attempt whilst helping to raise money for a local children's charity? 🥊❤️

We are looking for reliable volunteers to support an incredible 24-hour Guinness World Records attempt, taking place in aid of The Harley Jae Trust.

Our challenger will be attempting to throw an incredible number of correct punches over 24 hours, and we need volunteers to help make the attempt possible!

🥊 Volunteer roles will include:
✨ Counting and recording punches
✨ Observing the attempt and helping ensure punches meet the required criteria
✨ Acting as part of a team of counters and witnesses
✨ Helping us maintain accurate records throughout the challenge

You DON'T need to be a boxing expert or have any special qualifications to volunteer! We just need people who are reliable, focused, good at following instructions and happy to be part of an amazing team. Some knowledge or interest in boxing would be helpful, but full guidance will be provided.

There will be different shifts available throughout the 24-hour challenge, so you don't need to commit to the whole event.

This is a brilliant opportunity to be part of something truly unforgettable, support an official Guinness World Records attempt and, most importantly, help us raise funds for children and families supported by The Harley Jae Trust ❤️

📍 60 Goose Gate, Hockley, Nottingham, NG1 1FF
📅 Saturday 5th September
⏰ Various volunteer shifts available over 24 hour period.

If you think you could help, or know someone who might be interested, please comment below, send us a message or tag them in this post!

Please share far and wide — we need an incredible team behind us to make this happen! 🙌
ONLY 11 DAYS TO GO!🥊❤️

30/08/2026

Heritage Open Days 2026 run from 11th to 20th September.
We haven’t got a specific event for you this year but we are offering you a FREE Guided Tour between those dates, at a date and time to suit you and your group. 
All you need to do is get a group of between 6 and 10 people together, email us, putting 'Heritage Open Days' in the subject line, and we’ll get a date arranged (subject to availability)

28/08/2026

All building up nicely for the big test tomorrow.

29/04/2026

Good luck to our friend and supporter Ekow Essuman at the Wardley v Dubois undercard a week on Saturday at Co-Op Live in Manchester.
It’s 7 belts in 7 years and another one up for grabs when he fights Jack Rafferty for the WBA Continental title.
Rafferty is a Mancunian and will have a lot of support, so get up to the impressive arena on the Etihad Campus if you can.