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

On Taylors Zeppelins railways churches soldiers and plants

Ok, so I admit it! Today I am being grumpy because it is simply too hot! It's too hot to do anything, too hot to hang out red washing, too hot to cook a roast chicken and too hot to walk anywhere! I had planned to do the Art Trail, but the heat has sapped away any energy I had - and I never have much of that at the best of times!

Having said that, this week has been another interesting one, with loads going on, so lots of choices to make about what to do. 

Thursday was a super day: I met up with some visitors from Canada who were researching their Loughborough roots. As if meeting them and receiving their thanks wasn't enough, they were also kindly brought me a little gift. You can read a bit more about their visit over on the Old Rectory blog. 

Afterwards, I was out and about in town taking pictures of Zeppelin-related things for a friend who is writing a book about Zeppelin raids in the UK during the First World War. The photo session was only partially successful: I managed to safely stand in the middle of The Rushes without getting run over (it seemed quiet for a Thursday), but the sun was a bit too hot for me to walk to Empress Road. Ah well, maybe another day. In the meantime, I scoured my hard drive for slightly older photos that would do the trick.

On the way home I popped into the library to drop a few things off for a forthcoming exhibition on Taylors Bell Founders, and to see the current exhibition about the three railways in Loughborough. Do pop along if you get a chance: it's a most interesting exhibition, very informative and easy to follow. Well done to all involved.

Let's not talk about Friday. I don't always work on a Friday but this week I had to go in because I am having a massive clearout prior to moving office. 32 year's worth of paperwork is a lot to sort through!! I was interested that a friend who had said they wanted to research into railway posters had sent me some copies of posters, which I had kept for some reason: I guessed now was the time to dispose of them. I was amused, also, to find that in 1996, when I had created my first web pages, I had talked about Mount St Bernard Abbey, and had printed out some information about it: obviously the Railton work a friend and I have recently done for St Paul's church in Woodhouse Eaves, was a continuation of work I started over 20 years ago!!

As a late birthday celebration, we popped over to Oakley Grange for breakfast on Saturday: very nice, and not too hot under the umbrella. Sadly, I missed that pesky Scotsman who was once again steaming through Loughborough! Lunchtime found us in the town centre. How fortuitous that town was really busy, and the Armed Forces Day was in full swing. Lots of interesting stalls to visit, cars/landrovers/bikes to look at and soldiers to talk to. There was also a fantastic part of Loughborough's In Bloom competition entry in the form of a set of shelves adorned with used boots full of plants which had been made up by local school children.

In the afternoon we went over to St Paul's church in Woodhouse Eaves to hear a talk on the Taylor's bells they have, and to learn a bit more about bell founding. 

Absolutely fascinating to hear about all the detailed records that have been unearthed, both from the Taylor's archive, and from the church's own records. Great too, to talk to lots of folk, to see some of the banners on display, and to pick up a booklet about the stained glass windows in the church. Makes me all the more determined to fit in that trip to the stained glass museum in Ely (and hope it's open this time)!

Last evening was spent in Birstall at the gala. Hathern Band were playing the proms-type finale again, and again, it was a good 'un, especially that trombone piece!

So, maybe I've done enough this week, and can be forgiven for staying indoors, writing blog posts today?!

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

Dyer, Lynne (2018). On Taylors, Zeppelins, railways, churches, soldiers and plants. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2018/07/on-taylors-zeppelins-railways-churches.html  [Accessed 1 July 2018]

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