Armed Forces Day in Loughborough

So, this week has seen a number of commemorations and anniversaries, including the birthday of my beautiful daughter, celebrated in style with lunch on the day at Oakley Grange, and the following day at a barbeque at one of the university halls, where youngest son and I had a great couple of games of pool. Took me back to my days as a student when I played pool in Towers Refectory, although my preferred game was bar billiards (there used to be a table in the Blacksmith's Arms).

The birthday

I managed to get across to Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester to see their changing display, which at the moment is commemorating 45 years since the Imperial Typewriters strike of 1974, when over 500 people came out on strike. Here's more info and analysis of the strike if you want it. I noticed a reference to the Mansfield Hosiery strike in Loughborough mentioned too, which also took place in 1972. Mansfield Hosiery was situated on Trinity Street, where there are now flats, opposite the side of the former Holy Trinity Church, which is now recognised as part of the parish church - All Saints with Holy Trinity. The vicar of Holy Trinity was at one time Reverend David Dewar, whose sons both died in WW1, and who lived in 68A Leicester Road, which is now Holywell Guest House, run by Lez Cope Newman and Derek Hunter.

The Imperial Typewriter strike at Newarke Houses Museum

The week before last I visited Queen's Park. It was difficult to traverse the park because many of the paths were flooded, and the grass was more like a bog. This Saturday, however, the park was basking in 30 degree heat and brilliant sunshine! Along with hundreds of other people, I went along to the unveiling of the Songster armature, having first spent some time around town.

The flooded park

The town centre events

Songster was Loughborough's war horse, whose story I have told on this blog before, whose story has been written in a lovely book, written by Alison Mott and beautifully illustrated by Liz Waddell, and also appears in both of my own books. The Carillon is currently being renovated and refurbished, but the ground floor was open with a display of WW1 memorablia and information, including the original grave marker used at Songster's burial place on a farm in Woodhouse Eaves.

In June 2018 a ceremony was held at Songster's grave, and a new grave marker installed. Also in 2018, the armature was created and was used during the November 2018 Armistice Day commemorations, adorned by poppies made by local schoolchildren and groups. The descendants of Songster's companion, Trooper Bert Main, and of Harry Pool, the owner of the farm where Songster lived out his days, were guests of hounour at the event, and the youngest member attending helped to unveil the armature. A nearby information board was also revealed by descendants.

As usual, being a bit vertically challenged, I've taken a range of photos, none of which are particularly good, but might give you an idea of the event.

The sunny park and the unveiling event

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2019). Armed Forces Day in Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2019/06/armed-forces-day-in-loughborough.html  [Accessed 30 June 2019]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne

Nearby country homes

Another very exciting week learning about local history - in a small pub in Leicester, in Loughborough's Town Hall, and on a walk around the local countryside.

In the Two-Tailed Lion pub, a small, but fantastic building, in the heart of Leicester's Greyfriars area, I heard a very interesting talk by someone who works at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. The topic was the impact of the slave trade on the English country house, which seems to be a hot topic at the moment, with people campaigning to eradicate and remove all reminders of Britain's involvement. Anyway, it appears there are many country houses that were built, and architects influenced, by money earned through things like the sugar trade etc.. These now wealthy people - new money - wanted to introduce an air of respectability to their lives and to rub shoulders with the aristocratic land owners. This helps to explain to me why there are so many country houses in our area, of which more later.

The next evening we went along to the Town Hall to see Lucy Worsley sharing her knowledge of, and love for Queen Victoria, on what would have been her 200th birthday. Incidentally, it would also have been Prince Albert's 200th birthday, but he really wasn't the topic of the evening!!! It was fascinating to hear Lucy Worsley's views about the life and times of Queen Victoria, and I was pleased to hear mention of the poor, unfortunate Lady Flora Hastings, as she makes an appearance in my latest book. In the second half of the show, there were some brilliant questions from the floor: no matter what they were, the answers always centred around Queen Victoria!!!

This weekend we popped down to the Old Rectory in Loughborough, to see the wonderful art exhibition that was on, and to meet the artists, who showed us around. It was a beautifully sunny day, the Rectory looked stunning, and the artwork was amazing!

Later that same day I was promised a meal out at The Plough in Normanton, a pretty riverside pub. But, of course, there was a catch! We parked the car on Stanford Lane, not far from the lovely St John the Baptist church which is on Main Street, Stanford. I hadn't really given it any consideration before, but apparently this church is the most southerly in the northern province of York (but I'm guessing it's part of the Diocese of Southwell??). 

So, having parked the car, we then walked along the further of the two footpaths on the left heading towards Cotes, for a bit of a walk! I was promised it was only going to be about an hour, but it took about two, probably mostly my fault for stopping to take photographs of things that are not normally quite so visible! So, we walked a rectangle, from Stanford Lane, along one side, keeping the A60 and Hoton to our right, then down towards the Church of All Saints at Rempstone, then running parallel to the A6006 Melton/Ashby Road, and then finally back to the lower footpath leading out onto Stanford Lane (something like that anyway - I'm not good at orientating myself once I've turned but one corner!). It really was quite a picturesque walk, and only one shortish patch was rather overgrown, the rest was quite easily traversed. Once back at the car we headed off to Normanton, and enjoyed a nice meal by the riverside in the last of the sunshine!

Along the way we were able to see Stanford Hall, now the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), and Rempstone Hall, both of which can be glimpsed from the A60 when the crops are just planted. They are surprisingly located very close to each other, and not that far from Prestwold Hall, which is nestled in the heart of the Leicestershire Wolds. I've seen Rempstone Hall quoted as being in Leicestershire, in Nottinghamshire and on the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border so, take your pick!!! And, I've found a lovely film of coronation scenes at Rempstone Hall in 1937 (George VI and Elizabeth). 

Anyway, I haven't investigated whether the halls were built with new or old money, but here are some pictures from my walk:

Stanford Church at the start of the walk

Stanford Hall in the distance

A bit closer to Stanford Hall

Rempstone Hall in the distance

Stanford Hall in the distance

Closer to Stanford Hall

Even closer!

Closer to Rempstone Hall

Poppies on our walk

Quite close to Stanford Hall

Some of the beautiful views on our walk

Stanford Church at the end of our walk

Hoton church, which is now a family home, in April 2019

Hoton church, which is now a family home, in April 2019

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2019). Nearby country homes. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2019/06/nearby-country-homes.html  [Accessed 23 June 2019]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne

Picnic in Queen's Park and more

Last Saturday saw the 39th annual Loughborough Picnic in the Park, organised by Charnwood Arts. The day was so wet and windy that there was talk of cancelling the event, until Fearon Hall came up trumps and the picnic was transferred to the 'the urban village in the heart of the Loughborough' and the whole kit and caboodle moved in!

It was a bit of a squash, but the many and varied stalls were set out in the main hall, and performances took place in the upstairs space and one of the downstairs rooms, while some things still took place outside the hall, at moments when the weather permitted. It was crowded and noisy inside, but everyone who was looking after a stall, and everyone who visited seemed to be having fun! At one point Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert popped in to enjoy the festive occasion of their 200th birthday!

The rain has been such that at the end of this week, into this weekend, and Queen's Park is pretty waterlooged, with ducks paddling on the paths, the swan maze having an added dimension and the grass drowning. The park is riddled underneath with little streams that meet up with the Wood Brook in various places (I did find a map once, but, of course, I can't find it now). 

Last Sunday I spent the day in Birmngham, singing with the CBSO and a number of community choirs and individual singers. We had quite a long break, and so off I went in search of Loughborough connections! Near the venue was an arts and crafts house called Winterbourne House and botanic gardens, so I popped in to have a look to see if it were anything like Stoneywell Cottage, the house in Charnwood that Ernest Gimson designed for one of his brothers. Of course, it wasn't. In fact, it was totally different! Stoneywell is constructed of the local stone, and Swithland slate, whereas Winterbourne is of red brick construction. There was, however, an interesting use of slate for sculptures in the garden, upon which quotes had been carved. Inside I learned that Annie Oakley who had come to Britain with Buffalo Bill praised the firm owned by the owner of Winterbourne House for their ammunition.

The extensive gardens were beautiful and I was keen to see if the greenhouses and orangery might have a connection to share. Of course, they didn't! No Messenger conservatories here! In an area so close to the city of Birmingham where at one time there were extensive factories and foundries, it was always going to be the case that any ironwork would be produced there!

Back on the University of Birmingham campus, on my walk round I spotted a lovely building that reminded me of Towers on our own university campus, allbeit a little smaller! 

During the week I headed off to the New Walk Museum in Leicester to catch the Mods exhibition. Wow! That was fabulous! I was rather taken with the pinball machine they were auctioning off for charity, as it reminded me of my misspent youth!! And the beautiful scooters reminded me of the bike show in Loughborough market place, which I blogged about last year. Also on display was a bit of Loughborough memorabilia.

This weekend I spent Saturday in Market Harborough and Foxton, attending wedding celebrations. The connection with Loughborough that I was immediately aware of was me, as I had my wedding meal at Foxton Locks a few years ago!! And then, as I was walking around the village hall, I spotted some photographs which included some familiar names (Guy Paget, of the Ibstock Pagets, Hazlerigg, and Colonel Martin) and on the way home, we drove along a road in the village called Swingbridge Street, and over the swingbridge which crossed the canal, which, of course, reminded me of Loughborough's own Swingbridge Road.

The happy couple!

Today I managed to dodge most of the rain showers and headed down to the market place to see the cars on show - and what a show!!! Loads and loads of vehicles of all shapes and sizes, and so many people too!!

To round off the day I walked over to Rosebery Community Centre (formerly St Peter's Community Centre) to view artworks created by local folk. Talented artists showed a huge variety of their work, from pottery to jewellery, paintings to wirework, and tyedye to printing. 

Gosh, a busy 10 days! And as if that weren't enough, I got myself a new car! Oh, and preview copies of my new book arrived through the post for me! 

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2019). Picnic in Queen's Park and more. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2019/06/picnic-in-queens-park-and-more.html  [Accessed 16 June 2019]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Lynne