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]

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A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse ...

“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse …”

And so said Richard III in Shakepeare’s play, after he is unhorsed and reaching the climax of the Battle of Bosworth. We all know what happened next, but this is not the subject of this blog post. Let’s turn instead to the topic of horses!

Horses have been in the local news a lot recently, when campaigners signed an online petition to have about 20 horses that were being kept in a field near Fosse Park, moved to somewhere more suitable.

Horses were also in the news back in 2011 when a film called “War Horse” was released. This film showed what life was like for horses during the first World War, and to be honest I hadn’t really given it much thought before that. I studied WW1 for my O level history, but I’ve got so used to thinking of war using tanks, guns, and bombs that I’d forgotten that horses would have played a huge part in WW1.

However, it wasn’t until about a year ago that I learned, courtesy of one of my guiding colleagues, that Loughborough had its very own warhorse, and that there was information on him in the Carillon Museum. Now, since that time I haven’t managed to make it into the Carillon, so I’ve been digging around in my local history books, and on the internet and managed to find the following interesting stuff about Songster. [Editor's note: I have, of course, since worked at the Carillon Tower and War Memorial!]

Songster appears to have been born in about 1900 and he was chestnut horse, which could mean he was anything from a very light brown colour to an almost black colour. Apparently, chestnut horses don’t have any black hairs, but their skin is black, and their eyes dark brown.

Despite originally not being accepted for war service because he was too old, in 1914, Songster was mobilised along with other horses, and assembled in the Market Place, along with members of the Leicestershire Yeomanry. From the look of the pictures I’ve seen, the event filled the Market Place with soldiers and horses, although it’s not possible to identify Songster specifically.

Luckily, he survived the war and came back to live at West Beacon Farm at Woodhouse Eaves, having been purchased at auction by Bert Main, the man who rode him during the war, thus narrowly missing being sold to a butcher, or as a beast of burden to the Middle East. Along with Songster, Bert Main also bought another war horse from the Leicestershire Yeomanry, Fenian, and the two horses lived together, until Fenian died. 

One of the stories about Songster that appeals to me most, is the one about him showing off and walking up the stairs in the Old Boot Hotel, parading round the room, and then walking back downstairs again. Apparently, his hoof marks were visible on the brass stair rods! What a pity the Old Boot  is no longer there. If I’ve got it right, it was next to Town Hall Passage, and is where Santander is, and where Jessops was (or Baker’s Oven if we’re going back a bit!).

Songster himself died in 1940 and was buried on the farm, along with his medals, and there is a small memorial to him. There is an obituary in The Times (you may have to prompt this link a little bit - didn’t seem to want to open properly on my pc, but it is definitely there).

Since then, in May 2013, the TA named one of their Land Rovers after Songster, and there’s a bit more explanation on the Leicester Mercury website.

For a bit more background on the use of horses during times of war there’s a good resource available.

Replica Songster in Loughborough Carillon

For a more detailed account of Songster’s life, have a look at the Carillon Museum’s facebook page, especially the article on Songster. Also, why not visit the museum and see what Songster may have looked like and what he would have faced during the war. The museum is situated in Queen’s Park, Loughborough, and is usually open from Good Friday, but is closed during the winter season.  

A full account of Songster’s life, with copious pictures, appears on the Leicestershire Yeomanry website.

There’s an article in the Leicester Mercury following the release of the film War Horse (the video isn’t showing on my pc, but there is some information further down the page).



PS Can you imagine my surprise yesterday, having written this blog post in advance, knowing that I wouldn’t have much time today, when I went to Southampton, to see "War Horse" on those AA signs! It seems that there was a touring National theatre production of War Horse taking place in the Mayflower Theatre! Rather coincidental since this was the topic of my blog post, and the touring play was only going to about half-a-dozen places!!

Anyway, it may also surprise you to learn that there is a local connection to a very famous horse called Fox Hunter, and that there is another local horse who is also famous. But, I must leave you now and hope to tell you about this in a later post!