This England Winter 2014 by D C Thomson & Co Ltd

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WINTER 2014 Quarterly £4.75

Volume Forty Seven Number Four WINTER 2014

There may be other worlds beyond my window Or wonders of a far flung scenery; There may be vistas of untold enchantment, But my oasis — home — is here for me.

Quarterly

There may be other paths for me to travel, And unfamiliar ways that I must tread; There may be times of challenge that will beckon, But home is where my heart will wait, instead.

There may be other plans for me tomorrow, Or other hopes, and other wishes too — There may be dreams of some new road to follow, But home — for me holds joys from every view. ELIZABETH GOZNEY Welcome home at Kentmere in Westmorland.

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TOM RICHARDSON

07/10/2014 10:13

Enjoy England Throughout the Year “We were absolutely delighted to receive the This England calendar. You have no idea how much happiness and joy it brings to us, all the beautiful photographs evoking memories of past days.”— VALDA & GORDON BUCKTON, AUSTRALIA.

elebrate the scenic splendour of our green and pleasant land with This England’s Country 2015 A selection of Calendar 2015. 15 superb photographs takes you on a marvellous journey across the English counties from Actual size when open — 17 " x 11" Northumberland to Norfolk and Cumberland to Cornwall. The wonderful views capture the breathtaking beauty of the English countryside amid all the seasons. Each monthly section includes verses of poetry, and details of important events — saints’ days, anniversaries, bank holidays etc. There’s space beside each day for you to jot down your own appointments. Days and dates are printed in contrasting colours enabling you to see the weeks at a glance. For more than 30 years it has been one of the best-selling calendars in Britain, but it is exclusive and only available direct from This England. Next year’s calendar is bound to be a sell-out once again and if you take advantage of our special discount (see below) the price is reduced. This England’s Country Calendar 2015 is the perfect gift to send to anyone who cherishes England, and one which will continue to give pleasure throughout the year.

“As every year, the pictures and verses are beautiful.”

JOHN BLAKE

The Historic Homes of England

— MRS. H. HARRISON, BRADFORD, YORKSHIRE.

Shugborough Estate, Milford, Staffordshire

isitors to Shugborough will find a marvellous working historic estate awaiting them. In addition to the Georgian mansion, there are servants’ quarters, a farm, walled gardens, extensive parkland, unusual monuments, riverside gardens and an island arboretum to explore and enjoy.

Home to the Earls of Lichfield since the 17th century, the house has been extended and remodelled by successive generations. Probably the best-known member of the family was the 5th Earl — Patrick Lichfield (1939-2005), the acclaimed photographer and the Queen’s first cousin-once-removed. An exhibition of Lord Lichfield’s work is on display and visitors can also see his private apartments together with the impressive state rooms. Equally fascinating as the mansion house are the Servants’ Quarters, featuring demonstrations by costumed guides, and a County Museum collection, which chronicles aspects of Staffordshire’s social history. The working farm, with its mill and dairy, also provides an engaging insight into farm life in past centuries.

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Although owned by the National Trust since 1966, Shugborough is managed by Staffordshire County Council. Further information including opening times and a calendar of special events are available from 0845 459 8900, www.shugborough.org.uk or by e-mailing shugborough@nationaltrust.org.uk .

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Winter 2014 . . . is a quarterly journal published in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, for all who love our green and pleasant land. Annual subscription rates: (4 quarterly editions, inc. postage and packing): U.K. addresses £19; Overseas addresses £26 (by Airmail) Personal dollar cheques accepted from USA at $48.50 per subscription; Canada $48.50; Australia $53.50; New Zealand $63.50. Next four UK Publication Dates (approx): Spring 2015: 11th Feb.; Summer 2015: 13th May; Autumn 2015: 12th Aug.; Winter 2015: 4th Nov. Editor: Stephen Garnett Deputy Editor: Angeline Wilcox Assistant Editors: Susan Kelleher, Peter Worsley Media: Edmund Whitehouse Production: Ann Augur, Keren Bowers Music Editor: Percy Bickerdyke Recording Engineer: Eric Holmes Advertising: Bryn Piper Editorial Secretary: Christine Freeman Head of Publishing: Neil O’Brien

Sales/Subscriptions: This England, PO Box 326, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8BR. Telephone: UK 01795 412823 Overseas +44 1795 412823 E-mail: sales@thisengland.co.uk Internet: www.thisengland.co.uk Editorial: This England, The Lypiatts, Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2JA. Telephone: UK 01242 225780 Overseas +44 (0) 1242 225780 E-mail: editor@thisengland.co.uk Articles and photographs submitted for publication must be accompanied by a stamped addressed e nvelope for return if unsuitable. Whilst all reasonable care will be taken, the Publishers do not accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to material sent in for consideration. Address all submissions to the Editor at This England’s Editorial Office.

A winter walk amid the snow and sunshine at Lanhydrock in Cornwall. PETER HERRING

Page Contents

WINTER 2014

12 The Historic Homes of England: Shugborough Estate, Milford, Staffordshire 14 A Christmas Prayer from the Trenches 10 The Editor’s Letter 12 This England Photography Competition 14 A Royal History of England: King Edward V 18 An English Christmas Stocking 20 Literary Landscapes of England: Return to ‘Lark Rise’ 24 Nelson’s Column: Keeping an eye on the nation 26 Gone West?: The Return of the Biggles Biplane 30 Notes from a Cottage Garden 32 English Excursions: Out and about in Bath 35 Explore England 36 Poets’ Corner 38 Centenary of the First World War: Bruce Bairnsfather: The cartoonist whose comic creation, ‘Old Bill’, lifted the nation’s spirits 42 In England — Now!: Working for Wildlife 44 Pictures of England: David Moignard’s Coast & City 46 Post Box: Letters to the Editor 47 Silver Cross of St. George: Gordon Cockburn 52 Forget-Me-Nots: A Christmas Posting 54 Mini Memories 55 A Childhood Christmas during the First World War 56 England’s Unsung Composers: Havergal Brian 58 London Pride: Walking in the footsteps of Dickens and Shakespeare 62 Mind Your Language! 64 Musical Treats in a Tobacco Tin: Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake by the Small Faces 65 Made in England: Vimto 66 Cornucopia 70 English Books 74 English Diary 84 Home

John Blake Cyril Winterbotham Stephen Garnett —

Paul James —

Henry Westbury George Nelson John Greeves Rosemary Pettigrew Steve Roberts —

Susan Kelleher Tonie and Valmai Holt Stuart Millson Angeline Wilcox —

Andy Smith Derek Threadgall David Hiscox Gladys Bryant Walter Bourne Roberta Grieve Adam Jacot de Boinod Bill Baxter — — — —

Elizabeth Gozney

This England — read by two million patriots all over the World! Printed in England by Webmart Ltd, OX26 4UL Distributed by Marketforce, The Blue Fin Building,110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU. © 2014 This England Publishing Ltd.

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Source/Contributor

THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2014

15/10/2014 10:29

here is no doubt that Lark Rise to Candleford has become a classic in the annals of English social history and popularity has been intensified following the very successful BBC TV series. Viewers were quite saddened when the final series came to an end and many new readers were encouraged to take a look at Flora Thompson’s books in their search for continuity. Fortunately in a quiet corner of West Oxfordshire help was on hand. The first draft for an autobiographical novel which was written by Flora Thompson’s younger sister Ethel Elizabeth (Betty) some 70 to 80 years ago was being prepared for publication after it had been discovered in a rather delicate and faded condition. The good news is that the resultant novel has now been released under the title of More Tales from Lark Rise. Betty was 10 years younger than Flora Cottisford School. and she was, like Flora, an accomplished writer. She is best known for a children’s book The Little Grey Men of the Moor which was first published in 1926. The new book is, however, quite different in that it recalls incidents and people from her childhood spent in the North Oxfordshire village communities of Juniper Hill and Cottisford during the 1890s. Her observations and stories cast fresh light on the happenings in the Timms family and also in the local community.

Betty is forthright in her descriptions and comment and she uses phonetic dialect freely for conversations between villagers. There are many new and colourful characters and plenty of wonderful new stories, but the book also includes a number of characters which

However, in 1918 her postal career came to an abrupt end when she had to leave to care for her father, who had become very ill. Following the death of their brother Edwin in 1916, Betty was the member of the family who most keenly shared Flora’s interest in literature, and the desire to write strengthened further their very close and lasting relationship. Betty achieved success with writing competitions in 1924 and again in 1925, but in 1926 there was a major breakthrough when Harrap accepted her children’s book, The Little Grey Men of the Moor, for publication. It is a delightful tale of two brothers who live in an isolated corner of Dartmoor. They are dwarfs who have special powers, and these enable them to converse with the four winds. The winds relate wonderful stories, which are based upon their experiences gained as they traverse the globe. The book was well received and was clearly successful because it had a second printing in 1933. There is no doubt that Flora would have been very proud of her younger sister and the success would also have given her some encouragement with her own endeavours. On 17th July 1928 Betty, who was then 42 years old, married Henry Eastwood at Hungerford and they set up home together there. Tragically Henry died in

Return to ‘Lark Rise’

can easily be recognised as those that appeared in Lark Rise. Betty was born on 10th June 1886 at the North Oxfordshire hamlet of Juniper Hill where she spent a very happy childhood with her brothers and sisters. At the tender age of 14 years, Betty began her working life as a domestic servant to the family of a Wesleyan minister in Brackley, but later she did follow in the footsteps of her older sister Flora and became a postal employee.

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1930 at the age of 63, and Betty decided to move to Henstridge in Somerset. It has now been established that Betty continued her writing with a 55,000-word semi-autobiographical novel which she entitled A Pin to See a Pin-A-Sight, a number of short stories and a further children’s book which she entitled The Island of Kaboo. None of these works were ever developed beyond the draft stage but fortunately the draft typescripts have survived. When Flora’s son Peter was lost at sea in 1941, Betty helped her sister considerably by spending a great deal of time with her at Brixham. They enjoyed browsing the local shops for books and antiques. Leslie Castle, who was their sister Annie’s son, had always shown a keen interest in the literary pursuits of Flora and Betty and he visited them both as often as he could. His close relationship with Betty had been strengthened through grief following the death of Flora in 1947. Betty remained at Henstridge until she was admitted to a nursing home in Devizes shortly before her death in 1980. She had designated Leslie as her executor and principal beneficiary and he was deeply moved to find that he had inherited the typewriter that had been used by both of his aunts for their books, together with a number of other family items and a large bundle of Betty’s written work. Leslie

pered The children scam nging in si in through the ra ng voices li nk their little ti r all the which sounded fo sic from an mu e world like th sical box. old fashioned mu to Spain,” Go “Rain. Rain. sun came e th and then, as lver the si out turning to of rain, s ak slanting stre shower, won’t ny “It’s a sunshi ”. But look! last half an hour stopped to A rainbow! They surprise as d gaze in please – and always d they always di were little would until they aning their grey old women le on their knobbly hands up sticks. elf,” said “That’s God Hims truck voice. Eileen in an awes lours He “What a lot of co give me a bit is. I wish He’d ur to make me of that plum colo that I do.” a Sunday frock, x, “One - from Chapter Si summer’s day”

literary lands winter.indd 21

Betty Timms.

treasured all of these items and added them to his collection, which already included Timms family photographs and the numerous letters which he had received from his Aunt Flora. The typewriter had made a brief appearance as the centrepiece of the Lark Rise Festival which was held at Shellswell Park to celebrate

the Flora Thompson Centenary and some access to the documents was also permitted to Gillian Lindsay when she was researching for Flora’s biography. However, Leslie was concerned that many of Flora’s personal documents were held in America and therefore he felt strongly that his collection should remain in this country. THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2014

06/10/2014 09:35

e n o ? t G s e W The Return of the Biggles Biplane

iggles is more than just an intrepid air-ace — he has become a literary phenomenon. Even today Captain W.E. Johns’ books sustain a lasting popularity, spanning eight decades in more than a dozen languages while continuing to captivate successive generations of new readers. In 1969, a year after Captain W.E. Johns’ death, Universal Studios decided to make a big-budget movie called Biggles Sweeps the Skies based on his books. The studio commissioned Charles Boddington (an engineer and film pilot) to recreate a flying replica of a BE2 at his Sywell aerodrome in Northamptonshire. The BE2 was the world’s first purpose-designed military aeroplane. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland just before the Great War for artillery observation and was the mainstay of the Royal Flying Corps, along with French types such as the Bleriot monoplane and Farman “pusher” biplane. The BE2 piloted by Lieut. H.D. Harvey-Kelly landed at Amiens and became the first military aircraft to arrive in the theatre of war in 1914. It was an extremely stable aircraft, designed for reconnaissance and initially not required to carry guns. It became the “eyes of the infantry” until it was gradually withdrawn from the front line due to heavy losses. Universal Studios gave Charles Boddington and his team just 16 weeks to design, build and test his replica BE2 biplane. The deadline seemed impossible. Charles assisted by his brother David and a small group of local engineers worked every hour to complete the aircraft on time. David Boddington, a leading scale-model maker and editor then of Radio Controlled Model Flyer, drew up highspecification design drawings for the BE2 and the team set to work. The deadline was almost impossible but after 13 weeks the aircraft was complete and Charles Boddington took to the skies. However, another company commissioned to deliver two replica Rumpler First World war aircraft and a Sopwith Camel failed to complete their order. By the time all the aircraft were constructed, doubts existed as to whether it would be safe to fly the aeroplanes in the searing desert heat of Tunisia in North Africa. The film was canned and the BE2 crated up and shipped to the USA. Charles Boddington never saw his creation again. He was killed in the September of that year in a flying accident while making the film Baron Von Richthofen. Charles was a wellknown film pilot and starred in many flying epics such as The Blue Max, long before special effects and CGI had been invented. The BE2 was sold in 1970 to a flying circus in Bealeton, Virginia, and flew until it crashed seven years later in Wisconsin. The pilot tried to stagger the aircraft over some trees at the end of the airfield but lost control and spun the aircraft into the

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ground. Luckily he survived with a broken leg, but the aircraft was considered a write-off with two crushed wings and the engine set four feet back from impact. The wrecked aircraft then effectively disappeared. The rest of this story reads like a Biggles novel with the aircraft in pieces and many considering it had simply “gone west”. The insurers, however, sold the remnants on. Cole Palen, a reputable aircraft restorer, acquired the wreckage, before he in turn sold it to Bill King, a Tiger Moth enthusiast who bought it hoping it would provide spares for his aircraft. Unfortunately for him, nothing would fit and it remained in his barn for over 25 years. Then in 2004, Sywell-based Tiger Moth owner Chris Parker

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visited Reinbeck in upstate New York while on holiday; he recognised the remains of the aircraft in the back of the barn. Back in 1969 he had seen Charles Boddington take to the air and knew the distinctive lines of the aircraft. On his return Chris shared his information with Matthew Boddington, the son of the replica’s original builder. Matt was only a boy when his father died and like his father he had become an aeronautical engineer and vintage aircraft pilot. Matthew then approached Steve Slater to become his partner in the project. Steve is the popular voice of Formula One in Asia, chairman of the Vintage Aircraft Club, as well as being a vintage pilot and restorer, TV presenter, motoring and aviation journalist and PR man.

Three factors persuaded Steve to join the venture: the Light Aircraft Association agreed to handle the airworthiness administration, which made it viable from a cost point of view; David Boddingtons’s original drawings still existed; and Matt, according to Steve, was prepared to give up half of his time to the restoration. “Matt and I became partners in crime.” As Steve says, “When we started on the project, there was only one complete example of a BE2 in the UK and that was hanging from the roof of the Imperial War Museum.” Matt and Steve wasted no time in travelling out to America to view the remnants and bring the wreckage back to Sywell. “It was a pretty emotional moment,” says Matt. “I walked F

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English Excursions

MATT CARDY

had visited Bath twice before, once as a bachelor and once as a married man and on both occasions had confined myself to a day trip and the famous sights that lie inside (north and west) of the River Avon. This had enabled me to see the Roman Baths, Abbey, Royal Crescent, Circus, Pump Room and Pulteney Bridge, the landmarks that most people would associate with the city. On the occasion of my third visit in November 2011 (and my first overnight stay) I wanted to see something of the other

Bath that exists outside the River Avon (so south and east). I wanted not only to see this other Bath, but also write about it as an alternative view of a beautiful city, the Bath that exists away from the well-trodden streets of the stereotypical photograph and the shopping centre. Wanting to be close to the city centre, but not right in it, I chose the Windsor Guest House, which is just two minutes from the centre, but, crucially for me, on the other side of the Avon from all the main attractions. Arriving on a wet Friday afternoon we soon decided that the Windsor was our home from home, being in a quiet location, a short walk from Pulteney Bridge and the throng of the city beyond. The Windsor occupies a Grade I listed building on Great Pulteney Street, which is a charming and handsome Georgian boulevard. We were fortunate enough to have a room overlooking the rear of the guest house, which afforded splendid views over Bath’s Recreation Ground and guaranteed peace and quiet (fortunately Bath Rugby Football Club were playing away this weekend so we didn’t have 12,000 fanatical rugby followers in our back garden). I have to confess that we began our long weekend in Bath by cheating and heading straight over Pulteney Bridge to join the massed ranks of humanity bobbing and weaving through the shopping centre. We wanted to see the Christmas Market, which had just opened all around the Abbey precinct, and in spite of the crowds we were agreed that it had been worthwhile experiencing one of the foremost Christmas markets in the United Kingdom. The cheating continued by paying a return visit to the Pump Room and partaking of the “traditional Pump Room tea”. Our excuse was that the weather was poor, the shops crowded and this probably our only opportunity to do this during our stay. We took a good couple of hours over high tea, enjoying the music of the Pump Room Trio and the refinement of the surroundings. Although tea was expensive, it was also

Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon. STEVE BRYANT

Above: A fountain in the Pump Room.

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The Holburne Museum and elegant houses on Bathwick Hill. JOHN HUSBAND

extensive so there was no need for any supper. So, it was back across the river to the “alternative” side and beginning what this article is really supposed to be about. Walking past the Windsor to the end of Great Pulteney Street brought us to the Holburne Museum of Art in Sydney Pleasure Gardens, in the Bathwick area of Bath. This Grade I listed building closes off the view from Pulteney Bridge up Great Pulteney Street. The building was designed by Charles Harcourt Masters and built in Bath stone in 1795–56 to be the Sydney Hotel, a social gathering place rather than a residential hotel in the modern sense. During the course of the 19th century the building went through a number of changes of use, as well as structural alterations, until in the early years of the 20th century it was converted by the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield to become the present home of the Holburne Museum. On walking up to the impressive porticoed building we discovered the “Field of Light” in the gardens surrounding the restaurant. Bruce Munro’s beautiful artwork was an “ethereal and uplifting experience to lighten the darkest time of year” according to the museum mini-guide and was in Bath for the winter. It was like a cornfield in conception, but with lights atop the stalks. It was incredibly effective, had featured on the local news earlier in the evening and amazingly had only switched on that night. The Christmas Market had only just materialised as well so we seemed to have timed our arrival almost to perfection, I say “almost” as the crowds everywhere were heaving. By Saturday morning we were in need of some more food so indulged in a continental breakfast at the guest house, ensconced at a window table watching the denizens of Bath setting out from their Georgian apartments and heading for the city centre.

We headed in the opposite direction, though, back to the Holburne to browse the collection of over 4,000 objects, pictures and books which were formed by Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874) and bequeathed to the people of Bath in 1882 by Holburne’s sister, Mary Anne Barbara Holburne. The Holburne Museum is well worth visiting. It is free admission although you will have to pay to view any of the temporary exhibitions. There is also a Garden Café which is open during museum opening hours. Leaving the Holburne we quickly found the home of Jane Austen at 4 Sydney Place, which looks across at the Holburne. Austen lived here from 1801 to 1805 and used to enjoy watching the comings and goings at the erstwhile Sydney Hotel. There are two steps up to an impressive white front door and a simple plaque to the left of the door which records that, “Here lived Jane Austen 1801-1805”. Bath’s most celebrated resident set two of her novels in the city, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. In Northanger Abbey Jane wrote, “They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; her eyes were here, there, everywhere, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already.” I understand exactly how she felt. After a light lunch we separated for the afternoon, my wife taking on the crowds of the shopping centre, while I sought out a different crowd entirely at Twerton Park, the home of Bath City Football Club. This involved catching a number 5 bus from Grand Parade in the city centre to the suburb of Twerton, situated to the west of the city. Twerton has a bit more history than you might think when you get dropped right outside the football ground with modest Twerton High Street in view comprising pubs, a minimarket

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f the Centenary o War First World

BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER

The cartoonist whose comic creation, ‘Old Bill’, “England owes Bruce Bairnsfather a lifted the nation’s spirits

good deal more than its leaders have yet recognised.” British Legion Journal, 1934

n the cold and wet of the first winter of the war, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment huddled in muddy trenches around the small Belgian forest they called, “Plugstreet”, not far from Armentières. Barely 150 yards away were the German lines and sporadic sniping and machinegun fire was exchanged night and day. Weaving and ducking his way along the British trenches to visit his outlying machine-gun teams was a young Lieutenant of the Warwicks. His name was Bruce Bairnsfather. In the same regiment were Captain Bernard Law Montgomery, who in the Second World War would win a famous victory at El Alamein, and Lieutenant A. A. Milne who would also become famous through his creation of Winnie the Pooh. But of the three of these men only Bairnsfather would earn the accolade, “The Man who Won the War”. Charles Bruce Bairnsfather was born on 9th July 1887 at Murree, an isolated Hill Station in the Himalayas, 30 miles north of Rawalpindi. His father, Thomas Henry Bairnsfather, was a Lieutenant in the Cheshire Regiment attached to the Indian Staff Corps with the Bengal Infantry. Regimental life in India divided into two main periods — the Hot Season and the Rest of the Year, and during the former the wives and families moved to the hills Captain Bruce Bairnsfather. where it was cooler and where they had to find things to do to occupy themselves. Bruce’s mother Janie painted well, her favourite subject being birds, a talent she had inherited from her father Colonel Edward

The play, Old Bill MP, ran from July to November 1922 at the Lyceum Theatre in London.

Every Clayton, a one-time Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire, while Bruce’s father composed music, some of which was published by Boosey & Co. the famous London publisher. Thus Bruce inevitably inherited an artistic talent, in his case the ability to draw, and as soon as his fingers could hold a pencil he did exactly that, snakes, camels and elephants appearing on every suitable surface. As was the common practice with Army and Diplomatic Service families overseas, Bruce was sent to school in England and at age 11 he joined Westward Ho!, a school that had earlier tutored another famous son — Rudyard Kipling. Like Kipling he was often in trouble, generally for cartooning his masters, creations that often secretly amused the staff room. However, his school work was poor and only by cramming did he manage to pass the exam to enter the army — the 3rd Militia Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, stationed at Budbrook Barracks, Warwick. It was 1905 and he was 18 years old. Two years later, “bored to tears”, he left the army. Over the next seven years he struggled to become an artist, taking lessons at the John Hassall School near Earls Court in London

and winning a couple of minor art prizes and gaining the occasional commission. He then worked as an electrical apprentice for Spencers and drew some advertisements for their company, Flowers the brewers, but friends of the family told his parents how sorry they were that, “they couldn’t do something with Bruce”. The family’s tongue-incheek solution was that Bruce “would have to marry money”. In August 1914 when the war began, Spencers sent Bruce a letter saying that, “Owing to the outbreak of European War, your services are no longer required”. Bruce went straight to his old Regimental HQ at Stratford and volunteered. He was just what they wanted — a trained soldier. By November he was in the trenches at Ploegsteert as the Machine Gun Officer with the 1st Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and it was there that he began “to win the war”. So grim were the conditions in the trenches with the rain, the mud, the rats, the lice, the cold — and the Germans — that maintaining the morale of the men was extremely difficult and yet essential. Bruce did what he had always done. He drew cartoons on any surface available, “Where did that one go to?”

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on walls, on ammunition boxes, on any convenient scrap of paper and very soon his machine gunners found themselves able to laugh, and laughter was the best medicine. The news about his cartoons spread rapidly and soon HQs were asking for some drawings for their walls and a fellow officer suggested to Bruce that he should offer a drawing to the Bystander magazine. He did, sending a cartoon based upon an incident when a German shell had exploded just outside his billet. He called it, “Where did that one go to?” The Bystander loved the drawing and wanted more. So too did the magazine’s readers. Bairnsfather obliged and so “They’ve Evidently Seen Me.”

began a long series of weekly cartoons, first published in a magazine called Fragments from France, that made the soldiers in the trenches, and those at home, laugh — at the enemy and more importantly at themselves. In 1919 General Sir Ian Hamilton referred to Bruce as “a great asset... the man who had relieved the strain of war... who made the Empire laugh in its darkest hour”. Soon three particular characters emerged — Bert, Alf and Old Bill. Old Bill became the symbol of Bairnsfather’s drawings: a dishevelled, stoical, sardonic “old” soldier who, with his two chums, told the nation more about the realities of life at the front than any other medium, so much so that some top brass were not at all pleased. The cartoons appeared on all manner of pottery, on ladies’ scarves, on playing cards, on cigarette cards, as dolls. Series of collectable postcards were produced. Almost every house in the country had some form of a Bairnsfather cartoon. Later there were stage productions, films, and jugs, mugs and car mascots featuring Old Bill’s head. The nation was gripped by the adventures of Old Bill, its morale sustained through four long years. One cartoon in particular, whose caption can now be found in the Oxford English Dictionary, stood out. It shows Old Bill in a shell hole telling his complaining companion, “If you knows of a better ’ole, go to it”. That drawing is still an inspiration for modern cartoonists, who often put personalities, from Prime Ministers to Archbishops of Canterbury, into the same ’Ole. But it was on Christmas Day 1914 that Bruce was involved in an incident that might have had him court-martialled. On that morning the British and the Germans around Ploegsteert Wood held a truce, and Bruce and his soldiers took part in it. Not just a cartoonist, but later an author, Bairnsfather recorded what happened, including, “The last I saw of this little affair was a vision of one of my machine gunners, who was a bit of an amateur hairdresser in civil life, cutting the unnaturally long hair of a docile Boche who was patiently kneeling on the ground ...” Naturally

Bruce drew a cartoon. The authors placed a memorial plaque on the rebuilt cottage in St. Yvon, at the site of Bairnsfather’s exploding billet. It carries a version of one of his early cartoons, “They’ve Evidently Seen Me”, which captures what happened to him just up the road from the cottage when, as he put it, he “tried his hand at sniping”. Had that shell been closer we might not have won the war. By the time that the First World War ended Bairnsfather was known worldwide. His Fragments magazines had sold in their millions, his cartoons had

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Artist, David Moignard.

Pictures of England David Moignard’s Coast & City

he English coast has always been a particular influence in the work of the artist David Moignard. Perhaps this was inevitable as he was born on the outskirts of Portsmouth and later lived on the coasts of both Dorset and northern France before returning to his Hampshire roots. “Water and far horizons have always held a fascination for me, perhaps because they offer a kind of idyllic stillness and tranquillity,” he explains.

Repairs in Old Portsmouth.

David recalls how the maritime environment made a vivid impression on him from his youngest days. “Where I lived as a child there was a view of a harbour literally outside the window. At that time it was busy with trawlers and dredgers plying the waters, with a number of houseboats on the shoreline.” Today, the coastline of his home county provides him with plenty of inspiration, variety and colour. “The sense of nautical history is tangible in Old Portsmouth; it still has many characterful aspects despite so much being lost in the war,” he says. He singles out treasured landmarks including the Historic Dockyard with HMS Victory, HMS Warrior describing them as “great The Camber, Old Portsmouth.

The Round Tower, Old Portsmouth.

subjects for a painting”. But he points out that the Hampshire coast is awash with creative catalysts for the artist. “Scope also lies in the wide variety of shipping along the Solent’s busy waterways — not forgetting the yachts at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Further westwards, Portchester Castle stands at the water’s edge with views of Portsmouth Dockyard, and a coastline nestled in a natural, rural setting, while next door, the Hamble river is a hive of boat-building activity with some interesting old hulks further upstream. Moving eastwards, Emsworth’s traditional coastal village feel offers the painter a number of possibilities: a busy, yet relaxed harbour with big skies, old cottages and fishermen’s huts hugging the shoreline.” David paints an idyllic image in words as well as pictures and it’s marvellous to hear him enthusing about the scenic

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Worcester shopfront.

David started his career in graphic communications and illustration before making the transition to fine art and teaching — first in France and now back in Hampshire. Time away from a place can often give a fresh perspective and a different view, so what does David find most inspiring about England? “For me it’s the sheer diversity and richness to be found in town, country and coastline,” he says. “Whether it’s a view across the South Downs, the Crescent in Bath, the shores of Norfolk or the streets of Winchester, there is so much in terms of colour and contrast to inspire the artist.” ANGELINE WILCOX

Worcester Cathedral.

splendour of his corner of England. When it comes to capturing these scenes and subjects, he prefers working in watercolour liking the flexibility it offers. “It can consist of a few thin washes or be as intense as an oil painting,” he says. Even though water and the surrounding shores are a recurring theme in his portfolio, he mentions another subject, which “vies” for his attention. “I love old buildings,” he notes, “because of their Tryst at Old Portsmouth.

character and sense of history they evoke.” His interest in architecture has often lured him away from his beloved coast to paint in cities such as Worcester and Bath. In addition to his own paintings, David runs art courses, workshops and summer schools. Seeing the progress made by aspiring artists is, he says, a source of “great pleasure”. Another strand of his work involves accepting commissions for house portraits. He describes one of the most architecturally interesting buildings he’s painted as “a wonderful red-brick Edwin Lutyens house in Hampshire, with amazing tall chimneys.”

Further Information For further information about David’s work, exhibitions and his courses visit www.davidmoignard.co.uk

The Circus, Bath.

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Walking in the footsteps of

Dickens and Shakespeare

was part-owner of Blackfriars Theatre he area of London south of the and wrote several of his plays here, as Thames is steeped in links to well as performing with the company two of our most famous literary After immersing ourselves in known as The King’s Men. greats. But, due to extensive bombing in Shakespeare and the theatrical world of The theatre took its name from the the Second World War, followed in the Elizabethan and Jacobean England, we monastery which had been confiscated 1960s by the rapid mushrooming of highcrossed Blackfriars Bridge, following in during the Reformation. Few signs rise flats and office blocks, retracing the Charles Dickens’s footsteps. remain and we really had to use our footsteps of William Shakespeare and The young Dickens would have taken imaginations as our guide told us Charles Dickens requires a great deal of this route from the blacking imagination and an enthuwarehouse where he worked siastic and well-informed The Marshalsea to his lodgings in Lant Street guide. near the Marshalsea where On a warm spring day I set We are quiet here; we don’t get badgered here; there’s no knocker, sir, to be his father was imprisoned for out with a group of friends, hammered at by creditors and bring a man’s heart into his mouth. Nobody debt. led by literary enthusiast, comes here to ask if a man’s at home, and to say he’ll stand on the door All the bridges have Charles Kay, to discover mat till he is. Nobody writes threatening letters about money to this place. been built or replaced Southwark’s connections It’s freedom, sir, it’s freedom! ... we have got to the bottom, we can’t fall, since Dickens’s time so with my two literary heroes. and what have we found? Peace. — Dr. Haggage in Little Dorrit again it was time to use our Before crossing Blackfriars imagination, picturing him Bridge into Southwark, we pausing to look downstream towards about the company of child actors experienced our first Shakespeare moment Southwark Bridge and London Bridge, who performed there and the various outside the Cockpit pub, which stands on sometimes peering through thick fog. stages the theatre went through. The the site of the entrance to the Blackfriars The busy scene crowded with ships, Blackfriars ran in parallel with the more precinct. This was once a house which was lighters and barges, was one he was to famous Globe, and in bad weather bought by Shakespeare in 1613, the only describe in the opening of Our Mutual performances would then move to this one in London he actually owned, although Friend when Lizzie and Gaffer Hexham indoor theatre. he never actually lived there. It would were in their boat looking for bodies. Shakespeare wrote The Tempest, have overlooked St. Ann’s churchyard Cymbeline and The Winter’s Tale for and the old monastery buildings, of which Over the bridge it was back to production here. He also wrote Henry only a small section of the monastery wall Shakespeare country again as we VIII in partnership with John Fletcher. remains. descended the steps to Bankside, leaving Later there were performances of Ben This area of Blackfriars was the site the river to enter a shady square. The Jonson’s The Alchemist and Webster’s of two Elizabethan theatres but only Paris Garden is not so much a garden The Duchess of Malfi. The theatre ran the modern street sign, Playhouse Yard, now, just a few trees and benches, until the start of the Civil War in 1642. gives a clue to its history. Shakespeare a pleasant spot away from the busy

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partially excavated. The Rose Theatre Trust was formed to protect the site and the Rose Revealed Project aims to excavate the remainder. The most famous of the theatres is the Globe, “the glory of the banke” as Ben Jonson called it. When the lease ran out on the Shoreditch theatre, some of the material was used to build the new one. We think of the Globe now as “Shakespeare’s Theatre” but in fact he was only a shareholder. The theatrical Burbage family held one half of the lease, the remainder being shared between the players, The King’s Men, of which Shakespeare was a member. The exact site of the original Globe was not known and there was some dispute when a plaque was placed on the

JON JAYES

ADINA TOVY

riverside to sit and listen to tales of the goings-on among the players and playwrights of Shakespeare’s day. No sign remains of the Swan Theatre, built in 1595, which stood in the northeast corner of the square. A visiting Dutch scholar, Johann de Witt, left a detailed description and a sketch, giving us the only contemporary view of the inside of an Elizabethan theatre. In 1597 a play called The Isle of Dogs by Ben Jonson and Thomas Nashe was staged here. It was banned and its authors imprisoned and for a while all the theatres were forced to close. A few years later a riot broke out when a play called England’s Joy sold out but failed to materialise. Back on Bankside, hordes of tourists were queuing for the guided tours of the “new” Globe, but we turned into Park Street, site of the bear gardens and more Elizabethan theatres. The Rose was the first playhouse on Bankside, where Shakespeare’s Henry VI was first performed in 1592. The remains of this theatre were discovered in 1989 and

The Cockpit Tavern, built on the site of William Shakespeare’s house, still contains the tiny gallery where spectators would gather to watch the birds fighting; Blackfriars Bridge today; a plaque and a street sign recall the theatrical world of Shakespeare, as does the Globe Theatre, where the audience prepares for a performance.

wall of the Anchor Brewery. But in 1989 a small part of the remains was discovered nearby. “So, they were almost right,” Charles said, as we peered through iron railings at the excavations in the centre of a courtyard and read the information board with the history of the Globe and drawings of the excavations. We continued our walk, cutting THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2014

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m a ll Fa c e s eS th Stanley Un w of sor’ T in in s

Steve was a lively, cheeky lad, always up to mischief, so when his father arranged for him to audition for a role in Lionel Bart’s Oliver! in the West End he was a natural to play one of the cockney urchins. He remained in the show for a year and on the official soundtrack album to the stage show provided lead vocals on “Consider Yourself”, “Be Back Soon” and “I’d Do Anything”. Encouraged by his family, he continued an acting career and won a place at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. A number of acting roles followed in film, on television and radio. Music remained his first love, however, and at the end of 1962 he turned his back on acting. During the next couple of years he wrote songs and formed a number of bands, most notably, perhaps, The Moments, who built up a loyal following among R&B enthusiasts and supported acts such as The Animals, Georgie Fame and John Mayall. Steve was still only 18 in 1965 when the Small Faces were formed: “Small” because all the members were rather Left to right: Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, Steve short, “Faces” because in the Marriott and Ronnie Lane. Jimmy Winston, remembered on a plaque in Carnaby Street, was an language of the time a “face” early member of the band. Above: Stanley Unwin. was someone who was “cool”. Their first single, “Whatcha These singles, so different from each Gonna Do About It?”, reached number other in sound and style, perhaps 14 in the charts in September 1965 and a hinted at the diverse range of string of hits followed. Most memorable songs that would appear on Ogdens’: was their 1967 release “Itchycoo Park” “Whatcha Gonna Do About It?”, “Sha (number 3 in August) which Marriott coLa La La Lee”, “Hey Girl”, “All Or wrote with Ronnie Lane. Apparently, the Nothing” (number 1 in the UK charts in title refers to a park they knew at Ilford in August 1966), “My Mind’s Eye”, “Here Essex which was full of stinging nettles. Comes The Nice”, “Itchycoo Park”, “Tin Even before you listened to it, Ogdens’ Soldier”. Nut Gone Flake caught the eye and The group’s lead singer, Steve caused comment. The album was released Marriott, was an interesting character. on 24th May 1968 in a special-edition Born on 30th January 1947 into a metal replica of a tobacco tin, based on a working-class family in the East End of popular brand at the time: Ogdens’ Nut London, his father Bill, a printer and Brown Flake. And once you opened the later owner of a jellied eel stall, was a tin and put the record on the turntable popular pianist in the local pubs. His son the surprise continued, with an incredible obviously inherited that gift for music and range of musical styles and sounds. as a boy earned extra money by busking Listening to it today, its unusual mixture at bus stops and winning talent contests at of rock, soul, music hall, psychedelia and their regular summer-holiday destination, folk recalls artists as diverse as Harry a holiday camp at Clacton-on-Sea.

lling the R e ca 19 c e c n e t ric 68 he t En a et m Musical gl

which the pop n o bledegook of son m b o u g ‘P g n i lb sh a s To ro i at

fe cco ba

here are a number of albums which, in the history of popular music in the United Kingdom, have come to be regarded as classics. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV would probably be on most people’s list. Among my own personal favourites there are several recordings from the 1960s to more recent times that for one reason or another never seem to make it onto any countdown of best albums that the music industry frequently publishes. One of these, The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks, was highlighted in the Spring 2014 issue of This England. I would suggest that another neglected masterpiece, from the same year, 1968, is the brilliant if slightly barmy Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake by the Small Faces. Comprising Steve Marriott (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Ronnie Lane (bass guitar, vocals), Kenney Jones (drums, percussion) and Ian McLagan (keyboards, guitar, bass guitar), the Small Faces were a London-based mod rock band who had had a number of chart hits before they came to record their unusual LP.

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Champion, Pink Floyd, early Genesis (with Peter Gabriel etc.), The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix and Chas and Dave. A couple of the songs, “Rene” and “Happy Daystoytown”, could be singalong cockney knees-ups in the local pub, while “Song of a Baker” and “Rollin’ Over” are classic rock tracks. The album reached number 1 in the UK album charts, where it remained for six weeks; a single from the LP, “Lazy Sunday” (“Wouldn’t it be nice to get on wiv me neighbours…”), reached number 2. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the album was the “concept” on side two which featured Stanley Unwin, narrating in his own unique gobbledegook or “Unwinese”, a fairy tale about a boy called Happiness Stan who looks up at the sky, sees only half the moon, and sets out on a quest to search for the other half. Unwin, whose career had taken off thanks to a regular slot alongside Ted Ray, June Whitfield and Kenneth Connor on the radio show The Spice of Life during the 1950s, was ideally suited to narrate the whimsical story which was complemented by six songs. To anyone unfamiliar with Stanley Unwin’s mangled English, the following passage from the record will give you an idea: “Now of course, like all real life stories, this also begins, once upon a ti-to. And Happiness Stan, whose life evolved near a femerald coloured dreamy most, had his pure existence and his being in the deep joy and the multicolour of the rainbold.” During a period when listeners liked to find hidden meanings in the lyrics of popular songs, it is easy to imagine earnest young music lovers in bedsits all over England studying these and the rest of “the Professor’s” musings on life. Although critically acclaimed, because a lot of the sounds on Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake had been created in the studio it proved impossible to perform the album live. This was one of the frustrations that led to the break-up of the Small Faces just a few months later. Steve Marriott joined Peter Frampton to form a new band, Humble Pie, while Jones, Lane and McLagan created The Faces with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. Although not to everyone’s taste at the time, and certainly not a record that a lot of today’s listeners would choose to have in their collection, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake captures the heady, joss-stick scented, brightly coloured pop culture of the 1960s. It is also endearingly and eccentrically English. BILL BAXTER

The stories behind some familiar household names

dvertisements using cartoon characters called Purple Ronnie and Vimtoad, a campaign with the catchphrase “Shlurple the Purple”, a song “V-I-M-T-O” sung by Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame and a range of four “seriously mixed up” drinks…Vimto has come a long way since 1908. It was in that year that Noel Nichols, from his modest druggist and herbalist business in the centre of Manchester, created “Vim Tonic”, which he promoted as a healthy pick-me-up which would give consumers “vim and vigour” and, at the height of the temperance movement, provide a refreshing, wholesome alternative to alcohol. In fact, every step along the way, as the company has grown and moved to ever-larger premises, Vimto has constantly adapted to changing trends and developments in technology. These initiatives have included its promotion as a drink which, with the addition of hot water, can be enjoyed warm, attractive labels, bottles and cans to reflect each new era, and imaginative advertising campaigns, from the humorous illustrations of the 1950s by Punch cartoonist Herbert Stanley Terry through memorable television commercials which continue to the present day. The last 100 years have seen a huge demand for Vimto overseas. India was one of the first foreign countries to take a liking to the fruity beverage, but because it does not contain any alcohol it has proved particularly popular in the Arab world. Despite the many changes, the producers of Vimto are proud of the fact that the drink is still based on their founder’s original “secret” recipe. This, they say, includes a mixture of three fruit juices (grape, blackcurrant and raspberry) and a “mysterious blend” of 23 fruit essences, herbs and spices. Today, Vimto is manufactured at Kegworth in Leicestershire and Pontefract in Yorkshire by Cott Beverages on behalf of Vimto Soft Drinks, part of Nichols plc. THIS ENGLAND, Winter, 2014

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THIS ENGLAND

Home

For all who love our green and pleasant land

WINTER 2014 Quarterly £4.75

Volume Forty Seven Number Four WINTER 2014

There may be other worlds beyond my window Or wonders of a far flung scenery; There may be vistas of untold enchantment, But my oasis — home — is here for me.

Quarterly

There may be other paths for me to travel, And unfamiliar ways that I must tread; There may be times of challenge that will beckon, But home is where my heart will wait, instead.

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TOM RICHARDSON

07/10/2014 10:13