Carillon and bellfoundry on Heritage Open Days

I have to offer you many sincere apologies for the radio silence last week. Life has been particularly hectic over the last couple of weeks. Read on to find out more!

On a visit to Oakham last weekend to listen to the Hathern Band performing at Oakham's Party in the Park. As you'd expect, there were several things that reminded me of Loughborough, aside from Party in the Park! The display of bikes in the park reminded me of the bike show in Loughborough Market Place that takes place in June each year. The band, of course, is the main connection, with many of the players being from Loughborough. 

The bandstand in Cutts Park, behind the castle in Oakham was an interesting one, too. So, Loughborough's was created by Hill and Smith of Brierley Hill, West Midlands in 1902, although it was moved from its original position, close to Granby Street, to its present position in about 1914, this because the ground can get (and still does get) rather soggy. The roof and columns have since been replaced, but the balustrade is the original. Other nearby bandstands created by this company include those at Church Gresley, Swadlincote, and Alton Towers. 

The bandstand at Oakham was created by the Lion Foundry in Kirkintilloch and placed in the park in 1948. There are no nearby bandstands created by that company, the nearest probably are in Birmingham. The bandstand was apparently the subject of an expensive makeover in 2012, and this prompted its renaming to the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Bandstand. 

Loughborough's bandstand

Loughborough's bandstand

Oakham's bandstand showing dedication

Oakham's bandstand

Some of the bikes on display in Oakham park

Lord Lieutenant of the county and the High Sherrif of the county

While we're on the topic of bandstands, this weekend I was in Nottingham Arboretum where there was a green festival happening. The bandstand was alive with fabulous music and there were loads of people enjoying the event. The opening ceremony for the bandstand was on Thursday 16th May, 1907, although as yet the maker has not been identified.

Nottingham Arboretum bandstand

My next visit this last week was to St Peter's church as part of a podcast for local radio. I went along to look at the items that had been found hidden behind a wall during the renovation work way back in 2013. This was so fascinating, so much social history hidden in a glass container, and now stored in a box file in an office! I am still fascinated by the bell rope on the stairs, the First World War memorial on the ground floor and the amazing copper font.

The glass container

The bell pull on the stairs

The First World War memorial

The copper font

The visit to St Peter's was followed by a visit to Beaumanor Hall where I was lucky enough to be shown around the attic rooms, the cellars, and some of the huts associated with the work of the women who were involved in transcribing encrypted messages received via morse code during the Second World War when Beaumanor was a Y listening station. I don't have any photos of the inside of Beaumanor, but here's what I do have!

The front entrance to Beaumanor Hall

The Beaumanor tour guides being photographed

The next day saw me lunching in town before wandering over to the public library where there is currently a display of all the libraries in the countries that Andrew Carnegie donated to in the main body of the library, and an exhibition of Victorian Loughborough in the Local and Family History Centre. 

Yesterday saw me leading a walk from the Carillon to Taylor's Bellfoundry via the parish church as part of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Heritage Open Day initiative. Both the Carillon and the bellfoundry were open to visitors and both were jam-packed as those visitors took the opportunity to experience the unique war memorial and the workings of a Victorian factory. The route we walked took us through the park, out onto Granby Street, to Frederick Street, along Derby Square where we saw some of the Ladybird Collective artwork, through Clay Pipe Jitty, up Church Gate, across to the parish church, into Sparrow Hill and through the Chapman Street housing estate into the bellfoundry, passing the bellfoundry's own carillon. Here's some pictures inside the bellfoundry works. 

A beautiful mode of transport!

Bells destined for Zennor in Cornwall

In between all this busy-ness, I managed a relaxing trip to Thornton Reservoir, where I chilled, breathed in some fresh air, got up close to a cow, and marvelled at the trees!

And now, I'm off for a bit of a rest!!!

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Dyer, Lynne (2019). Carillon and bellfoundry on Heritage Open Days. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2019/09/carillon-and-bellfoundry-on-heritage.html   [Accessed 15 September 2019]

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Lynne