Lynne About Loughborough

Sunday, 2 August 2026

Half a Century of Creativity: Charnwood Arts Turns 50

As this blog celebrates its 13th birthday in August, I'm hosting a few guest blogposts during the month...

Today's guest post has been contributed by the CEO of Charnwood Arts, Shirley Novak, and is a celebration of CA's 50 years! What an amazing thing it is that the organisation has been an integral part of Loughborough's creative scene for such a long time! During those 50 years, CA have been based in several different places, including an Edwardian building on Granby Street, and in Fearon Hall, but today they can be found on Steeple Row, where they have been in offices previously occupied by a firm of solicitors, since about 2022, not long after Shirley arrived. CA has a broad reach, and an ethos of inclusivity - even if, like me, you think you're hopeless at art and not a creative at all - and there are big, bold plans for its 50th year, and beyond. But, I'll let Shirley tell you about this ...

Half a Century of Creativity: Charnwood Arts Turns 50

Shirley Novak, CEO Charnwood Arts

June/July 2026

Charnwood Arts is based in the former Straw & Pearce offices

It was exactly fifty years ago that Charnwood Arts first opened its doors, and was born from a powerful vision, boundless passion, and a firm belief that creativity has the unique power to bring people together.

We all know that for so many of those years, Kevin Ryan was at the helm, guiding and shaping every step of the journey.

Kev Ryan at Picnic in the Park, 2016

Picnic in the Park 2017, organised by Charnwood Arts

Over these five decades, Charnwood Arts has become far more than just a place to make art; it has been the heartbeat of our community, a space where ideas grow, stories are told, and every single voice is welcomed and heard.

This month marks six years since I took the position of CEO during the COVID pandemic. Looking back, it was an immensely challenging time for everyone, not only within Charnwood Arts but across society as a whole. It was a turning point after which nothing would ever return to how it was before.

We needed to rethink everything. The Arts Council (who are our main funders) worked closely with us to ‘make ready’ the organisation for another successful application for the National Portfolio funding to keep Charnwood Arts doing and what it does best for another 4 years, despite the uncertainties through COVID. Those 4 years have turned into 6, and here we still are and will be for some time to come yet!

Back in the mid-1970s, a small group of passionate local people saw a gap: there was plenty of talent in Charnwood, but few opportunities for residents to access, enjoy, or take part in the arts. With determination and a shared vision, they founded what would become Charnwood Arts, an independent charity dedicated to making creativity accessible to all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. What started with simple workshops, exhibitions, and community events soon took root.

Word spread: here was an organisation that listened, adapted, and put people first. Whether you were a child picking up a pencil for the first time, an older adult looking for connection, or an emerging artist needing a platform, Charnwood Arts opened its doors, which pretty much remains our focus today. One of the most wonderful things about Charnwood Arts is how it evolves. It has moved to embrace film, creative crafts, music, digital art, and installations, and the emerging artist programme means we celebrate local talent employing local artists to deliver a wide variety of sessions, creating opportunities with support to many new artists. Charnwood Arts, always keeps pace with the times while staying true to its original mission.

When you look back at 50 years, you realise Charnwood Arts has never been only about making art. It’s about building community. It’s the friendships formed in a weekly session, the pride of seeing your work displayed in our little exhibition space, hearing yourself reading your own written podcast, making music from sounds found in the forest to help with anxiety, and attending the successful Breathe Create sessions set up to specifically to use creativity to improve wellbeing. Breathe Create is not a new concept, but a simple approach, such as take a deep breathe, take some time for yourself and be creative has literally saved lives, given space and feedback tells us that it makes a huge difference to how people use creativity in their own time away from Charnwood Arts as well. Basically, in moments of change, economic shifts, social challenges, or even times of separation, Charnwood Arts has remained a constant: a safe, welcoming space where creativity helps people connect, heal, and feel part of something bigger.

Pottery workshops at Charnwood Arts

Our recent Bells Bridges and Belonging heritage installation has been a highlight of the year so far and helps us kick off the start of the planned 50th celebrations across a 12-month period.

Bells, Bridges & Belonging is a creative heritage project led by Charnwood Arts in partnership with One to One Development Trust and hosted at Taylors Bell Foundry Museum, celebrating Loughborough and Charnwood’s unique history, culture, and community identity.

Bells, Bridges and Belonging installation is a visually stunning interactive experience featuring a transformational 3D bell as its centrepiece. The installation incorporates film, photography, audio interviews, graphics and soundtrack and One to One has curated existing materials from Charnwood Arts previous Bell Festivals, as well as drawing on the extensive archive of Loughborough Bell foundry Museum Trust. The installation will live at the Foundry museum, but plans to tour the piece with large projections and used as school presentations are being planned as I write. https://onetoonedevelopment.org/portfolio/bells-bridges-and-belonging/

It centres on three powerful symbols:

*Bells: Honours Loughborough’s world-famous bell-founding heritage, how bells mark time, events, memory, and community life.

*Bridges: Represents connection between people, places, past & present, different cultures and generations.

*Belonging: Explores what it means to be part of this area, sharing stories, voices, and experiences of all communities here.

Banner from the Bell Festival 2024

Preparing for 'Bells, Bridges & Belonging' down at the bellfoundry

Other 50th celebrations include a brand-new edition of ‘Coffee House’.

The ’Coffee House’ was, originally, a literary journal, produced by Charnwood Arts featuring poetry, prose, and visual art. It was edited by Charnwood-based poet and fiction writer, Deborah Tyler-Bennett, and included creative writing and artwork by contributors from Charnwood’s writing communities, and beyond, including poets from Europe, Ireland, France, and America.

The journal appeared in print twice a year and was renowned for its high-quality artistic content. It remained well reviewed and featured in the Poetry Society’s ‘Poetry Map of Britain’. Part of the magazine’s legacy was past issues being digitally stored by the South Bank Poetry Library.

As part of the 50th Birthday Celebrations Charnwood Arts is creating a special edition of the ‘Coffee House’, which will include poems, short stories, flash fiction, and artworks. There will also be Coffee House Podcasts for this special anniversary year.

We are also planning a community weave for the railings outside our building, a 50 pieces of artwork exhibition a short film and much, much more so keep your eyes peeled.

In closing, let’s just absorb that figure again, fifty years! Over those years, Charnwood Arts has touched so many lives, inspired generations, and become a thread in our community’s cultural fabric. We continue to evolve, holding fast to the idea that art belongs to everyone. You get to decide what art looks like to you. Personally, I don’t care about skill level, background, or anything else that might feel like a barrier because our mission is simple: to ‘make things possible’ where others might see only limits.”

Here’s to 50 years of imagination, inspiration, and community and to many more years of creativity ahead!

Join the Celebration

Throughout 2026, Charnwood Arts will be hosting special events, exhibitions, and celebrations across the borough. It’s a chance to revisit favourite memories, meet the people behind the work, and see what the next chapter holds. Whether you have been involved since the very beginning, joined along the way, or are discovering Charnwood Arts for the first time this is your celebration too.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Charnwood Arts!

Shirley Novak CEO Charnwood Arts

www.charnwoodarts.com

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About Shirley Novak

In the mid 80's to mid 90's Shirley was a professional singer-songwriter touring nationally and throughout Europe. She wrote and recorded four albums of original material in her own brand of acoustic-based music. Following her father’s death in 1993, Shirley lost her soul and decided to stop touring and change her purpose.

Shirley then spent many years sharing her passion for learning to communicate through music, using music technology delivering music/media centred workshops providing opportunities to enable anyone with an interest, or a range of skills to access music/media at all levels.

Shirley worked with people with disabilities, children on the autistic spectrum, people in rehabilitation through injury, disadvantaged groups people struggling with their mental health, and children with SEN.

In 2012, she began working part-time at Newark MIND, a support service for people with mental health struggles as CEO alongside her interactive music work. After 7 great years, Shirley went back to music full-time for a year, but when the CEO role at Charnwood Arts appeared in 2020, it seemed a fantastic opportunity to combine skills along with the passion of enabling people to do something they never dreamed they could, alongside creativity for wellbeing.

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Notes

Charnwood Arts is based on Steeple Row, opposite the Old Rectory, and Chesterton House. Address: 27 Rectory Place, Loughborough, LE11 1UW. The front door can be found at whatthreewords: commented.clock.models

You can follow events hosted by Charnwood Arts, and get involved in some of their activities. Checkout their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Charnwood-Arts/100070695557908/

More about the Poetry Society project

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

Dyer, Lynne (2026). Half a Century of Creativity: Charnwood Arts Turns 50. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/07/half-century-of-creativity-charnwood.html [ URL e.g. https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2023/03/loughborough-and-isaac-newton.html] [Accessed 2 August 2026]

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Lynne

Friday, 31 July 2026

Queen’s Park and the Carillon

I’ve wandered through our beautiful Queen’s Park quite a few times recently, and been struck by how fabulous it looks! Of course, I had quite forgotten that on 22nd July, the Carillon celebrated its 103rd year! It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating Carillon100, with a lovely event in the park.

Although I didn’t visit the park on the day, I was there for a bit of a photoshoot the day before, and a few days later, I enjoyed listening to the Quorn Ukulele Orchestra playing in the bandstand. And, yesterday, whilst out hunting down drain covers (as you do!) I captured the Carillon on film, from a couple of different vantage points.

Of course, there’s a lot of work goes on in the park which we’re not always aware of. IdVerde and the Friends of Queen’s Park do a wonderful job of maintaining and re-imagining the displays. I admit, I was sad to see the Olympic rings near the New Street entrance go, but, no doubt, the flower displays replacing them will be magnificent.

I was interested to read recently that the aviaries are to be replaced. They are going to be kept in the same position, but interestingly, they were not originally placed where they are now. You can hear me talking about this back in 2019, and you can see my hands in the BBC report about the forthcoming work! I believe the work has already started, so I must pop back to the park and record the progress!

As part of Loughborough’s offering for Heritage Open Days in September, I’ll be leading some walks around town, some of which will focus on Queen’s Park. Check the Heritage Open Days website for more details of all the events, and all the venues that are open in Loughborough!

And, the other big news is that next week is the blog’s 13th birthday!! As in the previous couple of years, I will again be hosting some exciting guest blogposts, so do pop back here and check them out!

In the meantime, enjoy the photos of my recent visits to Queen's Park and the Carillon.

21st July 2026, the day before the Carillon's 103rd birthday!

Olympic rings are now gone

The Quorn Ukulele Orchestra playing in the bandstand, Sunday 26 July 2026

Viewed from Arthur Street, 30 July 2026

Viewed from Brown's Lane, 30 July 2026

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

Dyer, Lynne (2026). Queen’s Park and the Carillon. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/07/queens-park-and-carillon.html [Accessed 31 July 2026]

Take down policy:

External Links:

Blog archive and tags:

Searching the blog:

site: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/ “Radmoor House”

NOTE – the words you’re actually looking for must be in “” and the first of these must be preceded by a space

Thank you for reading this blog.

Lynne

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Billposters

On a rare occasion, I recently found myself sitting waiting for someone to cook my dinner for me! As I twiddled my thumbs, did a bit of doom scrolling, and a bit of people watching (feeling glad I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t be bothered to cook!!) I happened to glance out of the window, where my attention was caught by the advertising board. Of course, I’d noticed that the traditional poster board had been replaced across town with electronic boards – who hadn’t! But it got me to thinking …

There was a glitch the day I looked, so this was a permanent advert!

At one time there was actually a company called the Loughborough Bill Posting Company, based at 35 Ashby Road, so let’s have a bit of a wander around the world of billposting.

It’s a bit of an odd term, to my mind, bill posting. We tend to think of a bill in terms of money that we need to pay out, and indeed the technical meaning of ‘bill’ is about it being a written list. Arguably, written bills have been around since the invention of moveable type printing, invented by Gutenberg in 1450. Posters, used as a term for people who put up bills, as in adverts, is a much newer concept, probably coined around 1830, and the combination of the terms, i.e. ‘billposter’ came about around 1864. However …

In an 1854 trade directory for Leicestershire, we find one Cornelius Wooding listed as a newsagent and billposter on Church Gate (some sources say at No.15, others at No.16). The same entry appeared in an 1863 directory, and throughout his life, Cornelius was referred to variously as a newsagent, tobacconist, billposter, and stationer. He advertised his services in various newspapers, adding ‘publicity agent’ to his roles. This advert appeared in the ‘Hinckley News and General Advertiser’ in April 1868:

Cornelius’s billposting activities seem to take place around the same time as those of Joseph Ryder, although I’ve only been able to find Joseph advertising in 1866-7. Also working around the same time was Charles Adcock, whose offices were on Upper Charles Street in Leicester, but who by 1872 appears to have offices in Loughborough, too.

Billposting was quite a fraught occupation, and in 1862 the United Kingdom Bill Posting Association was created 1862 by Edward Sheldon. Sheldon was a billposter in Briggate, Leeds, where he’d taken over the business from his father-in-law. I say the occupation was fraught because the industry was unregulated, and there was a lot of competition, with people sticking up bills without permission, which caused friction with other billposters. Hence, Sheldon’s association, which changed its name in 1890 to the United Billposters’ Association, was created to turn the chaos that was billposting into a respectable trade by standardising practice, enforcing ethical working practice, thereby unifying the industry. The Association had its own journal, the ‘Bill Poster’ which ran from 1887-1910, and was published monthly. Charles Adcock’s business in Leicester was a member of the United Kingdom Bill Posting Association.

Back to Loughborough …

In 1868, another billposter appears on the Loughborough scene – John Preston, working from Court A on Fennel Street. Preston is a member of the United Kingdom Bill Posters’ Association, and in mid-February he also advertises in the ‘Hinckley News and General Advertiser’:

In late February 1868, Preston accused Cornelius Wooding of defacing his posters, which Preston had posted on walls that cost him 5s. a year to rent. However, the case was dismissed as Preston had permission from the landlord or owner of the premises, while Cornelius had permission from the tenant. Strangely, a similar charge was brought against Joseph Ryder, but was not carried through. This is the report that appeared in the ‘Leicester Mail’ on 25 April 1868:

“RIVAL Bill Posters - John Preston v. Cornelius Wooding.
The plaintiff in this case sued defendant for the sum of £3 - £1 for damages alleged to have been sustained by him by defendant having fixed placards upon certain stations rented by him; £1 12s. 6d. for expenses involved in a previous suit taken before the magistrates; and 7s. 6d. for loss of time incurred by going before the magistrates and watching his walls.
His Honour said the two last items could not be sustained.
It appeared from the evidence brought before the court that plaintiff rented two posting-stations, one in Pinfold-gate and the other in Pinfold-jetty, from Mr. Start and Mr. Capewell, at a nominal rate of 5s. and 3s. 6d. per annum respectively.
A spirit of rivalry or animosity existing between the parties at suit in respect to the posting of their bills, plaintiff, to ensure himself if possible from the repeated annoyances to which he was subjected by defendant placing his placards over those fixed by him, took the precaution in February last of renting the places above mentioned.
However, notwithstanding that he published notices notifying that these stations were exclusively his by right of tenure, his bills continued to be torn down and posted over, in consequence of which he contended his business was disparaged, and to recover damages for which he brought the present action.
In cross-examination plaintiff said he had pulled defendant’s bills down many times from the walls, but he did not go out purposely to do so.
He knew a wall on the Ashby-road, but he did not get an iron rake one night to tear some of the placards down.
It had been a custom for anyone to post bills on those walls before he rented them.
He put a notice on the walls stating that they were rented by him, and that those who covered his bills would be prosecuted according to law; someone however had even put a bill right over the notice.
There was another bill-poster in the town beside defendant, named Ryder, and they were determined, if possible, to put him down, but he would not be put down (laughter).
Mr. Ryder and Mr. Capewell spoke as to the treaty entered into.
Mr. Black said that on Thursday, the 20th of February, he saw defendant pulling down bills and sticking others up on Mr. Capewell’s walls, in Pinfold-gate.
His Honour said his judgment would involve the suggestion of the reply of the Irish rebel to his brother, when he had killed one of the Hessians troops brought over from Germany to quell the insurrection, who, as he was proceeding to rob him of his green uniform, wished to go shares in the spoil; but he replied, “Go, and kill a Hessian yourself.”
So he would say to defendant, “Go and rent walls of your own, and don’t interfere with plaintiff any more.”
Plaintiff had simply proved that defendant had interfered with the wall belonging to Mr. Capewell, and he would therefore only give the amount of rent paid, 8s. 6d., as damages.
If, however, either interfered again with any portion of the walls rented by them, they would render themselves liable to damages for a considerable amount as, those practices must necessarily do the aggrieved person injury.”

An interesting name in the above report was that of Alfred Start who himself went into the billposting business, and who married Emma Wooding, one of Cornelius’s daughters in 1874. Preston continued billposting until at least 1877, but there his trail runs dry. Start, who was based at 23 School Street, had moved to 35 Ashby Road by 1887, and by 1889 also had offices in Ashby, under the business name of Start and Co.. On 10 October 1900, Start’s wife, Emma, née Wooding, was admitted to the Leicester County Lunatic Asylum where she died three days later. In 1901, Start married again. On 5 June 1902, when Start died he was described as a retired billposter, living at 124 King Street. Probate was granted 7 October to his son Lewis, the tobacconist. Effects were £2,455 8s.

From 1908, the billposting company based at 35 Ashby Road, became the Loughborough Bill Posting Company. By 1910, the company was being run by Harry Fellows (12 February 1869-18 July 1944). Harry’s father, Thomas, had been a billposter living at upper Charles Street, Leicester in 1881, so maybe he worked for Adcocks? Harry lived in Leicester in 1891 where he was a billposter; in 1901 he was a billposter in Blackpool, and on the 1911 census, he was working at 35 Ashby Road, as manager of the Loughborough Bill Posting Co.. James Forbes worked as a billposter with the company, around 1921, probably after Fallows had left to start his own company at 17 Derby Square. Sometime between 1928 and 1939, Harry moved his business to 13 The Rushes, where he died in 1944.

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What follows is a short timeline associated with Cornelius Wooding and Harry Fallows:

Cornelius Wooding Timeline

2 April 1823 – birth of Cornelius Wooding to Abolsom Wooding and his wife Mary. Cornelius was baptised on 8 June 1823 in Yardley Hastings, Northampton

1824 – birth of Alice Hefford to Samuel and wife Julia, baptised at St Sepulchre in Northampton, later to become wife of Cornelius

3 September 1831 and 22 April 1837 – Cornelius attended the Northampton General Hospital as an out-patient, the reason for which is not known

1841 – the census records Cornelius Wooding aged 17 living on Bath Street, Northampton, surrounded by shoemakers and cordwainers. Cornelius himself is a cordwainer, and is sharing part of a property with two other cordwainers, while the other part is inhabited by another cordwainer, his wife, and two children

12 June 1843 – Cornelius Wooding married Alice Hefford at St Sepulchre church in Northampton. Cornelius was a shoemaker, as was Alice’s father, Samuel, while Cornelius’s own father, Absolom, was a labourer. Bride and groom were both resident at Harding Street, Northampton

1851 – Cornelius aged 28 and his wife, Alice aged 27 are living on Church Gate with their children, George aged 7, Charles aged 6, and Ann aged 2, where Cornelius is a newsagent. The premises is next door to Dr Fosbrooke, the surgeon and general practitioner

1854 – a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and billposter on Church Gate

1861 – the 1861 classes Cornelius as a newsvendor on Church Gate, living with his wife Alice aged 36, sons George aged 17 who is an assistant in his father’s shop, Charles aged 16 who is working in a ribbon factory, and daughters Mary Ann aged 11, and Emma aged 9 who are both at school

1862/1863 – trade directories list Cornlius as a tobacconist on Church Gate

1870 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and billposter on Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist in Market Place

1871 – Cornelius, the newsagent, aged 48, is living at 15 Church Gate with his wife Alice aged 46, and two daughters, Mary Ann aged 22 and Emma aged 19

1874 – marriage of Cornelius’s daughter, Emma to Alfred Start, a billposter and tobacconist

1875 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist at 16 Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist at 23 Market Place

1877 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a billposter, newsagent, stationer, and tobacconist at 16 Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist at 23 Market Place

September 1880 – death of Alice, wife of Cornelius

1880 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist at 15 Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist at 23 Market Place

1881 – widow Cornelius is living with his daughter, Mary, who is the head of the household and running the newsagent and stationers at 15 Church Gate. On the night of the census returns, the shop was employing two assistants and an errand boy.

1883/1887 - trade directories list Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist at 15 Church Gate, and his son George as a cigar merchant and tobacconist at 23 Market Place

31 January 1889 – death of Cornelius Wooding aged 65, registered in Loughborough, and listed as being of 16 Church Gate

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Harry Fallows Timeline

12 February 1869 – birth of Harry Fallows to Thomas Fallows an engine driver, and his wife Emma, in West Gorton, Lancaster

1871 – the family moved to Leicester, and lived at Court B off Talbot Lane. Thomas was now a clicker (working in the shoemaking trade), while Emma his wife was a mechanical sewer. Their son, Thomas was aged 5, and at school, while Harry was aged 2

1881 – Harry was now aged 12 and at school, along with his younger siblings, Charlotte aged 10, Charles aged 8, and Frederick aged 5, while older brother Thomas now aged 16 was out of work. Father Thomas was now a billposter, and mother Emma was not listed as working. The family were living at Upper Charles Street. It’s possible that Thomas Fallows was working for Charles Adcock

1888 – Harry Fallows married Mary Laffar in Leicester

1891 – Harry was employed as a billposter and was living at 64 Upper Charles Street, Leicester, with wife Mary aged 23 daughter Emma aged 2, and son Edgar aged 7 months.

February 1893 – Harry was a billposter in Leicester, and commented on the state of a wall and hoardings in Belgrave Gate, Leicester that had fallen and killed Henry Scotton of Leicester

1901 – by 1901 the family had moved to Blackpool, where Harry, now aged 32, was a billposter. Mary was also 32, Emma was now 12, Edgar was now 10, and there was another daughter, Ellen Mabel, aged 8

April 1910 – some boys broke some windows in the offices of architect Willie Thomas Hampton, and also a window at the Loughborough Billposting Company on Ashby Road where Harry Fallows was the manager, having succeeded Alfred Start who had retired by 1901

1911 – by 1911, Harry was manager of the Loughborough Bill Posting Company which was based at 35 Ashby Road. Living with him was his mother Emma now aged 69, who was widowed, son Edgar now aged 20 who was a machine hand in an electrical company (possibly The Brush), daughter Mabel aged 18, an overlocker in the hosiery trade, and youngest daughter, Florence Mary aged 7. Meanwhile, wife Mary was living at No.2, Court H, Upper Charles Street, Leicester, and was occupied as a box maker

1921 – by 1921, Harry, now aged 52, had moved to 17 Derby Square where he was running his own billposting company. Also at the address were Florence May Briers aged 47, a second hand wardrobe dealer, and her children Alfred aged 24, Colin aged 20, Philip aged 17, and Winifred aged 12, and two boarders – a coach painter and an upholsterer who were with Loughborough Technical College. Meanwhile, wife Mary was still at No.2 Court H, Upper Charles Street, Leicester, working as a box maker for Jane Cox and Co, box makers at 30 York Road, Leicester

1928 – a trade directory lists Harry Fallows as a billposter living at 17 Derby Square

1939 – by 1939, Harry Fallows was still working as a billposter, but had moved to 13 The Rushes, along with Florence May Briers, who was still dealing in second hand wardrobes, and Harry’s son Charles, now aged 66 and a commercial traveller

18 July 1944 – death of Harry Follows of 13 The Rushes, Loughborough. Probate was granted on 30 November 1944 to Alfred Briers, a foreman fitter. Effects were £974 4s. 3d.

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

Dyer, Lynne (2026). Billposters. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/07/billposters.html [Accessed 14 July 2026]

Take down policy:

External Links:

Blog archive and tags:

Searching the blog:

site: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/ “Radmoor House”

NOTE – the words you’re actually looking for must be in “” and the first of these must be preceded by a space

Thank you for reading this blog.

Lynne

Sunday, 5 July 2026

Goadby’s History of Loughborough, Chapter 9, Part 1

We’re again picking up the story of Loughborough as presented by journalist Edwin Goady, in his serialization in the ‘Loughborough Monitor’, a newspaper of which he was editor, which ran from 1864 to 1866.

We’re now onto Chapter 9, in which Goadby tells the story of Lord Hastings.

Goadby’s paragraphs are rather long, so in order to make reading the chapter a little easier, I have added a few spaces and created new paragraphs. This particular chapter seems fairly straightforward, so I’ve not added any notes this time. Other than that, I’ve changed nothing, so do bear in mind that this text is now about 160 years old, and may no longer be accurate, as there are many more discoveries that have been made that illuminate the history of Loughborough, and some terminology will have changed, so some of the information in this article will be wrong. I have not tried to amend these in any way, so reader, beware!

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THE HISTORY OF LOUGHBOROUGH

In: ‘Loughborough Monitor’ 8 June 1865, pg.3

CHAPTER IX.

THE GREAT LORD HASTINGS.

Part I.—Origin of the Family—Historical Importance of the Lord Hastings—Services and Rewards—A Military Indenture. His local influence—Saint Leonard's, at Leicester—A Letter of his—Gloucester's Character of him.

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We must now retrace our steps a little for the purpose of continuing the manorial history of the town. We have already stated that the manor was granted to Lord Hastings in 1461, and confirmed in 1467. It was not restored, along with other possessions, to Henry, the fifth Lord Beaumont, until 1483, so that Lord Hastings held the manor during the greater portion of his life.

The family of the Hastings were descended from Robert de Hastings, the Portreeve, or principal magistrate of the town of that name, who was also steward to William the Conqueror. William, Lord Hastings, was the eldest son of Sir Leonard Hastings, Knight, of Kirby Muxloe, in this county. Both father and son were retainers of Richard, Duke of York, the father of Edward IV., and a most intimate attachment was early formed between the young prince and the future baron. History and the drama record alike the excellencies and defects of this handsome, courtly, chivalrous, and somewhat unscrupulous nobleman.

It is quite beyond our province to sketch his career, or give anything like an original analysis of his character. A few details of local interest are all that we can give, and the only digression we shall make will but serve the more fully to bring out the social and national usages of the time.

In 1470, Edward IV. returned from exile, landed at Ravenspur, in Yorkshire, and marched thence to York, Wakefield, Sowdal, Doncaster, and Nottingham. In passing from Nottingham to Leicester, through Loughborough, Edward IV. was joined by a large number of adherents collected by Lord Hastings from his tenantry at Kirby Muxloe, Ashby, Loughborough, and other places, "so that he had then," says Leland, "a 4 M men or mo."

For these and other services Lord Hastings obtained, four years later, permission to enclose and impark 3,000 acres of land and wood at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 2,000 acres at Bagworth and Thornton, and 2,000 acres at Kirby Muxloe. In all three places he was also allowed to build a military stronghold. The one at Ashby was both a palace and a fort, with roomy halls, chambers, and a lofty keep, the ruins of which are now so familiar to every one who knows anything of county relics and county history.

His retinue consisted of two Lords, nine Knights, fifty-eight Esquires, and twenty gentlemen, and some of their names are now familiar enough to most of us, as Montfort, Harcourt, Chaworth, Danvers, Green, Sacheverell, Curzon, Neville, Vernon, Shirley, Babington, Bassell, Turville, &c. In 1475, he executed an Indenture with one "John Gryffyne, gentillman," which is of great interest in revealing the military system of those days. The great Barons used to contract with the King to supply him with a certain number of men for a given number of days' service, and upon a certain scale of remuneration; as one mark per day for a Duke, 6s. 8d. for an Earl, 4s. for a Baron, 2s. for a Knight, and 6d. for an archer, these sums being equivalent to ten times the amount in modern money. The Barons then made sub-contracts with smaller men, and usually managed to make money by the transaction. The indenture in question set forth that

"the said John is reteyned and withholden with the said Lord Hastynges to do him service of werre with the Kyng our soverain lord, now on his viage over the see for one hole year at his spere wele and sufficiently horsed, armed, and arrayed as it apperteneth to a man of armes, and iiii archers wele and sufficiently horsed, hernessed, habilled, and arrayed as it apperteneth to an archer, taking for hym selfe xviii d. a day, and for every archer vi d. by the day, of the wiche wages the said John hath receyved the first quarter of the said hole yere the day of sealyng these presentis, at which day the said lord hath yeven (given) knowledge to the said John that he shall make monstres (musters) of hym self and his said retenue, at Portes-downe in Hampshire, the xxiiiith day of May next comencyng, or the same day at any other place upon resonnabil warning."

Some of the other stipulations are rather curious. After "the said monstresse and payment" of the second quarter the men are "with goddis grace (sic) to go to shipp at such tyme as the Kyng and the said lord shall commande them, and for the other halfe of the said yere the said John shall be paid by the said lord, for him selfe and his said retenue on the yonder side of the See, monethly in English money, or in money there rynnyng (running) to the value of English money."

Another clause in this long and curious document shows us other sources of enrichment for the Baron. "Also the said lorde shall have the iiide parte of the wynnynges of werre as well of the said John as the iiide of iiides whereof yche (each) of his retenue shall be answeryng unto him of their wynnynges of werre duryng the tyme above said, be it prisoners, prayes (preys), or other goodes or cattall what so ever thei be, and the said John, or he, or thei that shall so take such prisoners or prayes shall show unto the said lorde within six days after the so takyng as well the names of the said prisoners as their astate, degre, or condicionn, and the quantite and value of the said gettyngis by estimacionn upon payn of forfiture the said prisoners and wynnyngis above said."

The indenture is signed by Hastings himself, and it is easy to comprehend the stir and excitement such enrollments would make in the neighbourhood, and the wasteful expenditure that any considerable army thus raised necessarily entailed upon the crown. We have only to conceive of a modern army of even 40,000 men so raised and paid, to understand the difficulty, expense, jobbing, and unscrupulous dealings that war entailed then, as now, in spite of our notions that people were honester formerly than they are now and avoided many of our supposed red-tapeisms and vicious practices.

The influence Lord Hastings exerted throughout the whole neighbourhood of his properties was very great, and very beneficent. At Leicester, he was a notable person, having obtained from the king a grant of the hospital of St. Leonards, and given the same to the Abbey of Leicester. The dean and chapter, to show their sense of this favour, covenanted by an instrument under their common seal, that

"Whensoever he should fortune to depart this life, they would keep a special obit for him in their church, on the day of his funeral; as also every year to celebrate his anniversary for the health of his soul and of the lady Katherine his wife."

And further to commemorate this gift, the Provost was to pay yearly on that day, at the end of the mass, the sum of 3s. 4d. to the Dean of the Chapter, 2s. to every canon then present, 12d. to every vicar of the choir, 6d. to every clerk, 4d. to every chorister, 4d. to the verger, and 1d. each to every poor man and woman then living in the almshouse belonging to the abbey.

By his will Lord Hastings commanded his executors to give him even greater honours. A thousand priests were to be selected by them to say a thousand Placebos and Dirigls, and a thousand masses for the safety of his soul, and every priest was to receive the sum of sixpence for his trouble. The following letter is characteristic, and exhibits his kindliness and gentleness.

To Richard Butler, Esq., on behalf of his servant Thomas Myles

Trusty and rygth well beloved friend;

I commend me to you, and praye you, insomuch as I am informed ye bend youre labors to vexe a servante of myne, Thomas Myles, of Everden, whom I love wel, withoute caws, reasonable; that ye vouchsaf, because of this my prayer, to have hym the rather in your favor as he be'nt so vexede hereafter, but that he may sit in rest; for I am loth that any of my servantes shulde have cause to complene upon you, or I, to have anything againste you.

Written at London, the 17th day of March (no date)

Your friend, HASTYNGS.

The melancholy end of this brilliant man, is a matter of common history, and even the wicked Gloucester when he has had him executed is made by Shakespeare to say of him, no doubt cunningly and perhaps truly:

"So dear I lov'd the man, that I must weep.

I took him for the plainest harmless creature

That breath'd upon the earth a Christian;

Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded

The history of all her secret thoughts:

So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue,

That, his apparent open guilt omitted,

I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife,

He liv'd from all attainder of suspects."

The end of Chapter 9, Part 1!

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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Copyright:

Dyer, Lynne (2026). Goadby’s History of Loughborough, Chapter 9, Part 1.

Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/07/goadbys-history-of-loughborough-chapter.html [Accessed 5 July 2026]

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Goadby’s History of Loughborough, Chapter 9, Part 1

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