Monday 18th September 2017

I had a interview for job at St Johns Museum in Warwick today. Pretty intense stuff..see how it goes?

I had to choose an object off the table and produce a lesson plan to deliver to primary children. I chose the what what described as WWI entrenching tool but was in fact WWII entrenching tool stamped 1941 WD.

The Grotto at Pozzuoli was a 700-metre long tunnel built by the Roman emperor Nerva, which linked Naples with nearby Pozzuoli. It was believed to be the burial place of the Roman poet, Virgil, and his tomb can be seen to the left of the entrance to the grotto. Van Wittel produced twelve versions of this composition in order to satisfy popular demand.

Gaspar van Wittel (known as Gaspare Vanvitelli) The Grotto of Pozzuoli, with Virgil’s Tomb 1702

The tunnel was built during the reign of Augustus connecting Neapolis (ancient Naples) to Pozzuoli and Baiae. The tunnel is over 700 metres (2,300 ft) in length and between 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 ft) wide. The height varies from 7 to 30 metres (23 to 98 ft). Until the beginning of the 20th century the tunnel could be used to travel from Naples to Baiae.

The Seiano cave is named after Lucius Aelius Sejanus, prefect of Tiberius, who according to tradition, commissioned its enlargement in the first century AD. The first tunnel was built by architect Lucius Cocceius Auctus for Agrippa during the civil war between Octavian and Sextus Pompeius in c.37 BC to connect the villa Vedius Pollio and other patrician villas of Pausilypon to the ports of Puteoli and Cumae. The tunnel is one of a number of such works in the Naples area built by Cocceius.

Fallen into disuse and forgotten over the centuries, it was discovered by chance during work on a new road in 1841 and immediately brought to light and made viable by the will of Ferdinand II of Bourbon, becoming a destination for tourists. During the Second World War it was used as a bomb shelter for the inhabitants of Bagnoli; the war and some landslides during the fifties put it back into a state of neglect.

It was superseded by two modern tunnels in the early 20th century. Today it has been restored as an archaeological site. According to medieval legend, the tunnel was built by Virgil in a single night!

Virgil was the object of literary admiration and veneration before his death. In the following centuries and particularly in the Middle Ages his name became associated with legends of miraculous powers and his tomb the object of pilgrimages and pagan veneration. At the time of Virgil’s death, a large bay tree was near the entrance. According to a local legend, it died when Dante died, and Petrarch planted a new one; because visitors took branches as souvenirs the second tree died as well.

When Virgil died at Brindisi in 19 BCE, he asked that his ashes be taken back to his villa just outside Naples. There a shrine was created for him, and sacred rites were held every year on his birthday. He was given the rites of a hero, at whose tomb the devout may find protection and counsel. Virgil’s tomb became a place of pilgrimage for many centuries, and Petrarch and Boccaccio found their way to the shrine. Presently, the tomb serves as a tourist attraction, and still contains a tripod burner originally dedicated to Apollo. There are no human remains in the tomb, however, as Virgil’s ashes were lost while being moved during the Middle Ages.

The tunnel passes beneath the Posillipo hill and connects Naples with the so-called Phlegrean Fields and the town of Pozzuoli along the road known as the via Domiziana. The tunnel is over 700 metres long. The eastern entrance (that is, on the Naples side) is in the part of Naples known as Piedigrotta (“at the foot of the grotta”); the western end is in the area now called Fuorigrotta (“outside the grotta”). The Piedigrotta entrance is now enclosed within an archaeological park, and the site of the villa of Vedius Pollio, and later imperial villa. The site is also noteworthy for the presence of the so-called Virgil’s tomb, as well as the tomb of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi. Three secondary tunnels end in openings overhanging the bay, providing light and ventilation.

The Phlegraean Fields  are a large volcanic area situated to the west of Naples, Italy. It was declared a regional park in 2003. Lying mostly underwater, the area of the caldera consists of 24 craters and volcanic edifices. Hydrothermal activity can be observed at Lucrino, Agnano and the town of Pozzuoli. There are also effusive gaseous manifestations in the Solfatara crater, the mythological home of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. This area is monitored by the Vesuvius Observatory.

Virgil’s tomb  is a Roman burial vault in Naples, said to be the tomb of the poet Virgil (October 15, 70 BC – September 21, 19 BC). It is located at the entrance to the old Roman tunnel known as the grotta vecchia or cripta napoletana in the Piedigrotta district of the city, between Mergellina and Fuorigrotta. It is a small structure, with a small dome of rocks located at the top of the park.

Below is the view of the Temple of Hera at Paestum near Salerno, south of Naples, reflects the revival of interest in the exceptionally well-preserved Greek temples there, which became popular destinations for Grand Tourists of the day. Fabris depicts the second of two temples at Paestum dedicated to Hera, goddess of fertility, dating from around 450 BC.

Pietro Fabris The Temple of Hera at Paestum Late 1770

The second Temple of Hera was built around 460–450 BC, just north of the first Hera Temple. It was once mistakenly thought to be dedicated to Poseidon. The columns do not have the typical 20 flutes on each column, but have 24 flutes. The Temple of Hera II also has a wider column size and smaller intervals between columns. The temple was also used to worship Zeus and another deity, whose identity is unknown. There are visible on the east side the remains of two altars, one large and one smaller. The smaller one is a Roman addition, built when a road leading to a Roman forum was cut through the larger one. It also is possible that the temple originally was dedicated to both Hera and Poseidon; some offertory statues found around the larger altar are thought to demonstrate this identification.

Hera is the goddess of women and marriage in Greek mythology and religion. She is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Hera is married to her brother Zeus and is titled as the Queen of Heaven. One of her characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus’s other lovers and offspring and against the mortals who cross her. Hera is commonly seen with the animals she considers sacred including the cow, lion and the peacock. Portrayed as majestic and solemn, often enthroned, and crowned with the polos (a high cylindrical crown worn by several of the Great Goddesses), Hera may hold a pomegranate in her hand, emblem of fertile blood and death and a substitute for the narcotic capsule of the opium poppy. Scholar of Greek mythology Walter Burkert writes in Greek Religion, “Nevertheless, there are memories of an earlier aniconic representation, as a pillar in Argos and as a plank in Samos.”

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Sunday 17th September 2017

St John’s House Museum

St John’s House Museum is a historic house located in Warwick, just east of the town centre, in Warwickshire, England. It is now a museum, and has had a history spanning almost 900 years. To the side of the house is a small garden belonging to St John’s and to the rear is the large St. Nicholas’ Park. The museum is currently operated by Warwickshire Heritage and Culture’s Museum Service, a branch of Warwickshire County Council.

Historic 

In the almost 900 years of its existence, St. John’s House has had a wide and varied history. Many of its uses have been related directly to helping local people, particularly in the realms of health and education – a tradition which is continued today in its use as a free museum to educate the local community on the area’s history.

A hospital

In the mid 12th century, during the reign of Henry II, the land on which St. John’s House stands was given to the establishment of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. The hospital was brought into being by William de Beaumont, then Earl of Warwick. This hospital provided two purposes: To help the local poor and ill; and to provide casual overnight boarding and food to impoverished travelers such as pilgrims. The Hospital of St. John the Baptist was one of two such hospitals in the town of Warwick at the time. The other was the Hospital of St. Michael, founded with the sole purpose of providing help and respite to those in the parish suffering from leprosy. Of both hospitals, only the chapel building of St. Michael still stands.

In 1291’s taxatio, the Hospital was noted to own a dovecote worth 2 shillings. Additionally, the carucate of land owned by the Hospital was valued at 10 shilling per year. In 1337, protection was granted to the hospital’s brethren and their attorneys for the collection of alms at churches. At this time it was suggested that some building renovation was necessary.

It is known that in 1610 the site comprised four standing buildings, including a gatehouse topped with crenelations. The largest of the three other buildings has crosses at the roof’s apex, suggesting its religious use as the site’s chapel.[3] At the time the hospital site also included a cemetery – remains have often been dug up during refurbishment or remodeling works on the House. The first recorded case was in the 1830s when work was being undertaken in the kitchen garden. In 1987, two workmen digging to the Coten End front of St. John’s Court flats discovered two skulls.

The Taxatio Ecclesiastica was compiled in furtherance of the collection of a tax on all ecclesiastical property in England and Wales, in order to defray the costs of an expedition to the Holy Land. The Pope promised Edward I one tenth of the annual profits of every ecclesiastical benefice for the endeavour.  A further tax, entitled Nova Taxatio, was levied in 1318 by virtue of a royal mandate directed to the Bishop of Carlisle. The Nova Taxatio was conducted largely to pay for the war with Scotland. The database is reportedly “complete or virtually complete for the dioceses of Canterbury, Rochester, London, Lincoln, Norwich, Chichester, Exeter, Hereford, Salisbury, Bath and Wells, Winchester, Worcester, Ely, St Davids, Llandaff, St Asaph and Bangor.” Robinson has demonstrated many inaccuracies and omissions in the Taxatio and that it must be exercised with caution as a source. Nonetheless, it remains an important source document for the medieval period.

A residence

During the Dissolution of the Monasteries at the behest of Henry VIII, St. John’s was granted to Anthony Stoughton, for services to the King. The land was later passed to his eldest son William by inheritance. Neither of the two lived in the house, but they leased it out to others such as Richard Townsende, a yeoman at Warwick. Eventually the land was inherited by the son of William Stoughton, Anthony Stoughton (junior), who built a house on the site. Of note is the fact that in the East Wing of the house there is a door lintel which bears the date 1626 and the initials A.S.. The house remained in the possession of the Stoughton family until 1960.

A school

In 1791, the building was rented out for the first time by the Earl of Warwick for public use, with the intent of converting it into a school. The school, then known as St John’s Academy, was founded by William T Fowler and was set up as a school for “Young Gentlemen” (as advertised on the hand-bill. Throughout the life of the school, its cohorts changed frequently. In 1828, the daughters of William Fowler, then running the school, changed it to a school for girls. It was then reverted in 1845 under a Mr. Townsend. Then it returned to a girls’ school in 1884, which continued until the very end of the 19th Century. In the later part of the school’s life, as money became tighter, the school restricted itself to the lower part of the house, with upper rooms being leased out to local artists and other public figures, with their studios being open for public viewing. The school was declared bankrupt in 1900 and closed down.

As a public service

After a brief spell of private tenancy in the start of the 20th century, the house became property of the War Department, where it was used for the administration of the Home Counties and East Anglian Brigades. In 1959 the Lord Warwick declared sale of the Warwick Castle Estates, including the St. John’s House. It was bought by Warwickshire County Council along with the Royal Regiment of Fusileers (Royal Warwickshire), who own it to this day. The building was then turned into a museum, with some of the premises leased to the Regiment. The museum was officially opened in 1960 by Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein.

The Museum

Now, the museum provides information about the history of the site, as well as Warwick and the surrounding area. Features of the museum include: A full-sized replica of a Victorian classroom, as it would have appeared during the educational period of St. John’s House. The display includes benches and seating, charts and diagrams, as well as teaching tools such as abacuses and blackboards, all contemporary of the time. This display is designed to give people (young people in particular) an idea of what education would have been like in 19th century compared with now. The Museum currently runs activities based on this exhibit for schools.
The second floor houses a museum dedicated to the history of the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers.
In 2011, the Museum Service established a themed outdoor space, St John’s Brook Gardens, between St John’s House Museum and St Nicholas’ Park. This features woodcarving and information on natural history.
The museum is free and open to the public. The museum is located half a mile from Market Square and Central Bus Station, and a short walk from Warwick railway station.

Ghosts!

St John’s House is thought to be haunted by many spirits but in particular there are two sisters who are vociferous in their attempts to drive people away from visiting this Jacobean Mansion. It is thought two sisters both met tragic ends at the house; one was burnt to death when her clothing caught light while trying to dry herself by an open fire and the other fell ill after the house was broken into and many believe she literally died of fright. Some of the paranormal activity within the building includes ghostly footsteps and voices thought to belong to young girls. Over the years the figure of a woman has also been seen wearing long clothing and almost oblivious of anybody else.Children have been seen walking the many corridors of St John’s House. Their laughter is often heard as is the sound of running. There is also a spirit of a man who is violent towards women which was picked up in the cellar as well as lurking figures being seen in the corner.

Royal Warwickshire Regiment

The Regiment originated in the 17th Century in Holland where the English government retained two Regiments of English and Scots troops and one Irish. In 1685 King James II requested their services during the Duke of Monmouth rebellion, when James Scott the 1st Duke of Monmouth (his nephew and the illegitimate son of the Charles II), tried to claim the throne for himself. The Regiment was organised into two units, the 5th and 6th Regiments of Foot and helped to defeat the Monmouth force at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Once Monmouth was defeated the Regiments returned to Holland.

In 1688 Prince William of Orange (King James II’s son-in-law) was invited to take the throne from the unpopular King by the English lords, to become King William III. The 6th Regiment accompanied William III to England and was renamed as “The Dutch Guards”. Although James II initially fled to France, he later managed to cultivate support in the Catholic fringes of the ‘Three kingdoms’; Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. During the rebellion the Regiment help defeat the Jacobite forces at the Battle of the Boyne 1690 and Aughrim 1691 in Ireland.

The Regiment went on to serve in the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714) fighting during the Battle of Saragossa and Brihuega. During the Jacobite Rising of 1745 the 6th were sent to secure forts between Inverness and Fort William, when Bonnie Prince Charlie (the grandson of James II of England) tried to claim the throne instead of the Hanoverian King George I. In 1776 during the American War of Independence the 6th saw action in New York but were later sent home due to insufficient strength.

In 1782 all British Regiments without Royal titles were awarded county titles in order to aid recruitment therefore the 6th became the 6th (Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. It went on to serve during the Peninsula War (1808–1814), fighting at the Battles of Roleia, Vimiera, Corunna, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes. The Regiment gained their Royal title in 1832 when it became The Royal (1st) Warwickshire Regiment. The Regiment took part in two campaigns in South Africa known as the Kaffir Wars (7th Kaffir War 1846-47 and 8th Kaffir War 1850-53), protecting Dutch and English settlers from the aggressive native tribes north of Cape Town. The Regiment also took part in the suppressing the India Rebellion of 1857.

In 1881 the Childers Reforms restructured the British army infantry Regiments into a network of multi-battalion Regiments each consisting of; two regular and two militia battalions. The Regiment managed to avoid amalgamation with any other Regiment but the order of precedence title was dropped and became The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. The newly titled Regiment went on to serve during the Second Sudan War (1896-98), fighting at the Battles of Atbara and Khartoum. It also served during the Second Boer War (1889-1902) which was inevitable when the Afrikaners discovered gold on land given them by the British following the First Boer War (1880–1881). The British sought their share of the gold but were also concerned this would make the Boers more powerful and threaten British settlements. The Regiment also served in the Somaliland Operations 1902-04 against the forces of Sayyîd Muhammad `Abd Allâh al-Hasan (called the Mad Mullah by the British) and during the Mohmand Expedition on the North West Frontier in 1908.

In 1963 Queen Elizabeth II approved the Regiment becoming fusiliers and adopted the title of Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers. Due to Government defence reviews, on the 23rd April 1968 the Regiment was merged with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and the Lancashire Fusiliers to form The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers of the Queens Division.
Royal Warwickshire Regiment during WW1

Since 1815 the balance of power in Europe had been maintained by a series of treaties. In 1888 Wilhelm II was crowned ‘German Emperor and King of Prussia’ and moved from a policy of maintaining the status quo to a more aggressive position. He did not renew a treaty with Russia, aligned Germany with the declining Austro-Hungarian Empire and started to build a Navy rivalling that of Britain. These actions greatly concerned Germany’s neighbours, who quickly forged new treaties and alliances in the event of war. On 28th June 1914 Franz Ferdinand the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by the Bosnian-Serb nationalist group Young Bosnia who wanted pan-Serbian independence. Franz Joseph’s the Austro-Hungarian Emperor (with the backing of Germany) responded aggressively, presenting Serbia with an intentionally unacceptable ultimatum, to provoke Serbia into war. Serbia agreed to 8 of the 10 terms and on the 28th July 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia, producing a cascade effect across Europe. Russia bound by treaty to Serbia declared war with Austro-Hungary, Germany declared war with Russia and France declared war with Germany. Germany’s army crossed into neutral Belgium in order to reach Paris, forcing Britain to declare war with Germany (due to the Treaty of London (1839) whereby Britain agreed to defend Belgium in the event of invasion). By the 4th August 1914 Britain and much of Europe were pulled into a war which would last 1,566 days, cost 8,528,831 lives and 28,938,073 casualties or missing on both sides.

The Regiment raised 30 additional Battalions and was awarded 70 Battle Honours and 5 Victoria Crosses losing 11,610 during the course of the war.

1st Battalion
04.08.1914 Stationed at Shorncliffe at the outbreak of war as part of the 10th Brigade of the 4th Division.
22.08.1914 Mobilised for war and landed in France and the Division engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
During 1914
The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of Messines 1914.
Dec 1914 This Battalion took part in the Christmas Truce of 1914
During 1915
The Second Battle of Ypres.
During 1916
The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Le Transloy.
During 1917
The First Battle of the Scarpe, The Third Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle, The First Battle of Passchendaele.
During 1918
The First Battle of Arras 1918, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Battle of Bethune, The Advance in Flanders, The Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of Drocourt-Queant, The Battle of the Canal du Nord, The Battle of the Selle, The Battle of Valenciennes.
11.11.1918 Ended the war in France S.E. of Valenciennes.

2nd Battalion
04.08.1914 Stationed at Malta at the outbreak of war.
19.09.1914 Returned to England and joined the 22nd Brigade of the 7th Division and moved to Lyndhurst.
06.10.1914 Mobilised for war and landed in Zeebrugge and the Division engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
During 1914
The First Battle of Ypres
During 1915
The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers, The Battle of Festubert, The second action of Givenchy, The Battle of Loos.
During 1916
The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, Operations on the Ancre.
During 1917
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The Arras offensive, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle, The Second Battle of Passchendaele.
24.11.1917 Moved to Italy in order to strengthen the Italian Resistance and the Division was involved in various actions including the Battle of Vittoria Veneto.
04.11.1918 Ended the war in Italy west of Udine.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
04.08.1914 Stationed at Warwick at the outbreak of war.
Aug 1914 Moved to Portsmouth and then the Isle of Wight.
Nov 1917 Moved to Dover and remained there for the rest of the war.

 

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred

Since ancient times soldiers have been honoured for gallantry in battle. Over the years and in different societies such honours have taken many forms but since the 1850s specific acts of bravery ‘in the face of the enemy’ by British and Imperial forces have been recognised by the award of a range of wearable decorations. These provide a visible indication both of the bravery of the recipient and of its recognition by the government and nation.

Three of the British campaign medals: The 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Three of the British campaign medals: The 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred are the affectionate names given to the three WW1 campaign medals — The 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal respectively. These medals were primarily awarded to the Old Contemptibles (B.E.F.). and by convention all three medals are worn together and in the same order from left to right when viewed from the front. The set of three medals or at least the British War Medal and the Victory Medal are the most likely medals to be found among family heirlooms.

When the WW1 medals were issued in the 1920’s it coincided with a popular comic strip published by the Daily Mirror newspaper. It was written by Bertram J. Lamb (Uncle Dick), and drawn by the cartoonist Austin Bowen Payne (A.B. Payne). Pip was the dog, Squeak the penguin and Wilfred the young rabbit. It is believed that A. B. Payne’s batman during the war had been nicknamed “Pip-squeak” and this is where the idea for the names of the dog and penguin came from. For some reason the three names of the characters became associated with the three campaign medals being issued at that time to many thousands of returning servicemen, and they stuck.

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred was a long-running British strip cartoon published in the Daily Mirror from 1919 to 1956, as well as the Sunday Pictorial in the early years. It was conceived by Bertram Lamb, who took the role of Uncle Dick, signing himself (B.J.L.) in an early book, and was drawn until c. 1939 by Austin Bowen Payne, who always signed as A. B. Payne. It concerned the adventures of an orphaned family of anímals. Pip, who assumed the “father” role, was a dog, while the “mother”, Squeak, was a penguin. Wilfred was the “young son” and was a rabbit with very long ears.

The origins of the characters are mentioned in the cartoon strips. Squeak was found in the London Zoological Gardens after hatching on the South African coast years before. Pip was discovered begging by a policeman on the Thames Embankment, and was sent to a dogs’ home, where he was bought for half-a-crown. Wilfred was found in a field near to his burrow and was adopted by Pip and Squeak, who were in turn looked after by Uncle Dick and Angeline, the housemaid of their family house on the edge of London.

The 1914 Star or ‘Mons Star’. PIP

This bronze medal award was authorized by King George V in April 1917 for those who had served in France or Belgium between 5th August 1914 to midnight on 22nd November 1914 inclusive. The award was open to officers and men of the British and Indian Expeditionary Forces, doctors and nurses as well as Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Navy Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who served ashore with the Royal Naval Division in France or Belgium.

A narrow horizontal bronze clasp sewn onto the ribbon, bearing the dates ‘5th AUG. – 22nd NOV. 1914’ shows that the recipient had actually served under fire of the enemy during that period. For every seven medals issued without a clasp there were approximately five issued with the clasp.

The Silver Heraldic Rose worn on a 1914 Star ribbon
Recipients who received the medal with the clasp were also entitled to attach a small silver heraldic rose to the ribbon when just the ribbon was being worn.

The reverse is plain with the recipient’s service number, rank, name and unit impressed on it.

It should be remembered that recipients of this medal were responsible for assisting the French to hold back the German army while new recruits could be trained and equipped. Collectively, they fully deserve a great deal of honour for their part in the first sixteen weeks of the Great War. This included the battle of Mons, the retreat to the Seine, the battles of Le Cateau, the Marne, the Aisne and the first battle of Ypres. There were approximately 378,000 1914 Stars issued.

The 1914-15 Star
Established in December 1918.

This bronze medal was authorized in 1918. It is very similar to the 1914 Star but it was issued to a much wider range of recipients. Broadly speaking it was awarded to all who served in any theatre of war against Germany between 5th August 1914 and 31st December 1915, except those eligible for the 1914 Star. Similarly, those who received the Africa General Service Medal or the Sudan 1910 Medal were not eligible for the award.

Like the 1914 Star, the 1914-15 Star was not awarded alone. The recipient had to have received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The reverse is plain with the recipient’s service number, rank, name and unit impressed on it.

An estimated 2.4 million of these medals were issued.

The British War Medal, 1914-18  SQUEAK
The silver or bronze medal was awarded to officers and men of the British and Imperial Forces who either entered a theatre of war or entered service overseas between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918 inclusive. This was later extended to services in Russia, Siberia and some other areas in 1919 and 1920.

Approximately 6.5 million British War Medals were issued. Approximately 6.4 million of these were the silver versions of this medal. Around 110,000 of a bronze version were issued mainly to Chinese, Maltese and Indian Labour Corps. The front (obv or obverse) of the medal depicts the head of George V.

The recipient’s service number, rank, name and unit was impressed on the rim.

The Allied Victory Medal  WILFRED

It was decided that each of the allies should each issue their own bronze victory medal with a similar design, similar equivalent wording and identical ribbon.

The British medal was designed by W. McMillan. The front depicts a winged classical figure representing victory.

Approximately 5.7 million victory medals were issued. Interestingly, eligibility for this medal was more restrictive and not everyone who received the British War Medal (‘Squeak’) also received the Victory Medal (‘Wilfred’). However, in general, all recipients of ‘Wilfred’ also received ‘Squeak’ and all recipients of ‘Pip’ also received both ‘Squeak’ and ‘Wilfred’.

The recipient’s service number, rank, name and unit was impressed on the rim.

The Territorial Force War Medal, 1914-1919
The front of the Territorial Force War Medal.
Instituted on 26th April 1920.

Only members of the Territorial Force and Territorial Force Nursing Service were only eligible for this medal. They had to have been a member of the Territorial Force on or before 30th September 1914 and to have served in an operational theatre of war outside the United Kingdom between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918. An individual who was eligible to receive the 1914 Star or 1914/15 Star could not receive the Territorial War Medal.

The obverse (front) of the medal shows an effigy of King George V with the words GEORGIVS BRITT OMN:REX ET IND: IMP:

The reverse of the Territorial Force War Medal.
The reverse of the medal has the words TERRITORIAL WAR MEDAL around the rim, with a laurel wreath and the words inside the wreath FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS 1914-1919.

Approximately 34,000 Territorial Force War Medals were issued.

The Silver War Badge
The Silver War Badge
The Silver War Badge was issued on 12th September 1916.

The badge was originally issued to officers and men who were discharged or retired from the military forces as a result of sickness or injury caused by their war service. After April 1918 the eligibility was amended to include civilians serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, female nurses, staff and aid workers.

Around the rim of the badge was inscribed “For King and Empire; Services Rendered”. It became known for this reason also as the “Services Rendered Badge”. Each badge was also engraved with a unique number on the reverse, although this number is not related to the recipient’s Service Number.

The recipient would also receive a certificate with the badge. The badge was made of Sterling silver and was intended to be worn on the right breast of a recipient’s civilian clothing. It could not be worn on a military uniform.

There were about 1,150,000 Silver War Badges issued in total for First World War service.

“Mutt and Jeff”
The two British campaign medals commonly found as family heirlooms nicknamed Mutt and Jeff: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The two British campaign medals: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In a similar vein when only the British War Medal and Victory Medal are on display together they are sometimes known as “Mutt and Jeff”.

The Seahawks opened the game with a fairly encouraging 68-yard drive that ended with a field goal, then added three more points after a Bobby Wagner interception gave them a short field. But after those two first quarter scores, the Seahawks punted six times, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to stay in the game despite a very strong performance by Seattle’s defense.
The Seahawks had dropped passes cost them chances at touchdowns and first downs, they struggled to gain yardage on the ground at times, and Russell Wilson missed a couple of passes that are usually automatic for him.
It was, as receiver Doug Baldwin put it, “ugly as hell” at times. “Very ugly,” Baldwin continued. “But we did enough.”
And indeed that’s where the beauty can be found in an at-time ugly day. As has been the case several times before since Wilson became the Seahawks’ quarterback, Seattle’s offense found a little magic late in the game despite its earlier struggles, driving 82 yards on 10 plays to score the game’s only touchdown, a 9-yard Wilson pass to Paul Richardson, who had left the game earlier with a dislocated figure.
Then, after yet another defensive stop, Chris Carson and the offensive line took over, rushing for 41 yards on five carries to run out the clock.
“It talks about our resiliency,” Baldwin said. “We call ourselves a tribe here. All the letters stand for something—it’s trust, resiliency, our investment to each other, our belief, and then the execution of it. And we had to use all of that today. Now I don’t want to take anything away from the 49ers, but we felt like we should have come in here and had success, and it was ugly. But we had to dig into who we truly are, our identity as men—not just as football players, but as men—to pull this out, and I can’t be more proud of our offense today… We know we could have played better, everybody knows we could have played better, but at this point, we’re thankful for the win, but we’ll get the things corrected that we need to get corrected.”

And as is always the case in a late-game drive, the quarterback had a big hand in that game-winning possession. Wilson would be the first to admit that he wasn’t at his very best throughout the game, but with the game on the line, he was masterful, using both his arms and legs to get the Seahawks down the field. Wilson ran four times for 27 yards on that go-ahead drive, and completed three of four passes, most impressively the touchdown pass to Richardson on which he avoided a sack, ran to his left, then hit Richardson with a strike as the receiver tapped his feet inches from the sideline.
“That’s what you love about him,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s who he is. He was right in his element, we were hurried up a little bit and up-tempo just to make sure that we could just shift what was going on, and he handled that beautifully and took advantage of it, and he took off four times in that drive, and made first downs. Pretty big-time stuff.”
Added Wilson: “I think that the biggest thing is we have a lot of guys who are competitors, a lot of guys who battle. At the end of the day, that’s what you want to be around and the guys you want to play with. The guys up front were able to battle and battle and battle. I thought that the running backs were able to battle. I thought that the receivers and tight ends kept battling and we were able to get first downs. Ultimately, we were able to make a big time play at the end of the game. That’s what it takes. That was huge for us.”

Seattle’s defense, meanwhile, gave the offense a chance to produce a game-winner by keeping the 49ers at bay almost the entire game. San Francisco did manage three field goals, two of which were set up by long Carlos Hyde runs, including a 61-yarder, but the 49ers managed just 89 passing yards and went 2 for 12 on third down.

 

Saturday 16th September 2017

Spurs 0 Swansea 0

Frustration was the name of the game at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as we were held to a goalless draw against Swansea City.
Despite having 75 per cent possession of the ball, we were unable to break down the visitors’ massed ranks in defence and, when we did a glimpse of goal, Lukasz Fabianski was there to deny us.

Our best chances in the first half came within the opening quarter-of-an-hour, Harry Kane bringing a smart save out of Fabianski from his 30-yard free-kick before the Swansea goalkeeper denied Heung-Min Son’s shot from a tight angle.
The visitors were more than content to just sit back and soak up the pressure and we struggled to carve out good opportunities as a result. Kane did have a good sight of goal on 56 minutes, just seconds after Fabianski had again thwarted Son, but our England striker rattled the crossbar with his effort from 12 yards.

Kane’s near-post flick from a Christian Eriksen was tipped over by the Swans’ custodian as we continued to surge forwards and Kieran Trippier was unlucky when his fierce shot flew inches wide late on.
The visitors didn’t muster a single shot on Hugo Lloris’ goal, but they did leave north-west London with a point.

It Comes at Night

A highly contagious outbreak has ravaged the world. Paul, his wife Sarah, and their teenage son Travis have secluded themselves in their home deep in the woods in an undisclosed location. When Sarah’s father, Bud, contracts the disease, they kill him and burn his body in a shallow grave. The next night, they capture an intruder breaking into the house. Paul ties him to a tree and places a bag over his head overnight to confirm he is not suffering from the disease. The stranger, Will, explains that he did not know the house was occupied and was only searching for fresh water for himself, his wife, and his young son. Will offers to trade some of their supply of food for water. Sarah suggests bringing Will’s family back to their home, reasoning that the more people they have with them, the easier it would be to defend themselves should anyone else discover their location. Paul agrees, and he takes Will to collect his family. Along the way, they are ambushed by two men. Paul kills them and accuses Will of having set him up. Will points out that he fought them as well and assuages Paul’s mistrust.

A few days later, Paul returns along with Will, his wife Kim, and son Andrew. After establishing the rules that Paul and Sarah have used to stay safe, including keeping the only entrance locked with a key Paul or Sarah wear around their neck, and keeping nighttime excursions to a minimum, the two families begin to establish a sense of normalcy and grow closer to each other. One day, Travis’s dog Stanley begins barking aggressively at and chases an unseen presence in the woods. Travis follows the dog deeper into the woods before Stanley’s barking suddenly ceases. Travis insists to Paul and Will that he heard something in the woods. They decide to return home, as Paul insists Stanley knows the woods and will find his own way home. That night, Will seemingly contradicts a story he had told Paul earlier about what he and Kim were doing prior to finding the abandoned house. This causes Paul to begin distrusting Will.

That evening, Travis is awakened by a nightmare about his grandfather. He discovers Andrew sleeping on the floor of Bud’s old room, also suffering from a nightmare. Travis leads him back to his parents’ room before hearing a sound from downstairs. Investigating, Travis finds that the front door of the house is ajar. He wakes Paul and Will, who investigate further and find a bleeding and gravely sick Stanley lying on the floor. They kill and burn the dog. When Travis reveals that the door was already open when he came downstairs, Sarah suggests that a sleepwalking Andrew might have opened the door. As tensions between the two families begin to rise, Paul decides that they should isolate themselves in their own rooms for a couple of days so that they can calm down and ensure no one is infected.

The next morning, Travis overhears a distraught Kim telling Will that they need to leave. Travis informs his parents that Andrew might be infected and, as such, he may be infected himself. Paul and Sarah don protective masks and gloves and take weapons to confront Kim and Will, fearing that they may steal their food and water, or return later by force. When Paul asks to be let in to see if Andrew is sick, Will draws a gun and takes Paul captive. Will insists that his family is healthy and demands Paul give him a fair share of food and water so that they can leave. Paul and Sarah overwhelm Will and force him and his family outside. Will and Paul get into a brutal fight before Sarah shoots and kills Will. Kim flees into the woods with Andrew. Paul fires after them, killing Andrew. Kim hysterically begs Paul to kill her to end her misery, and he does. Having witnessed it all, the dazed Travis vomits blood in the bathroom. Later, he spots signs of illness in the mirror.

Later, Travis awakens in bed, visibly sick. His mother comforts him as he dies. Some time later, Paul and Sarah sit at the dinner table in silence. They share a shattered, devastated look as the film ends.

Friday 15th September 2017

Strange today. Over the past few months I have been studying and reading a lot of books about the Charles I,Charles II, Cromwell and The English Civil War. I have been to K and Richards before and my Sat Nav is programmed from then. As I was driving today on this last programme to visit K and Oliver the sat Nav took me off the A14 and took me through Crick. I kept asking the Sat Nav like you do. Why have you brought me this way stupid thing? Then before I knew it there was a sign saying Nasbey Battlefield 2 miles? Well I had to go take a look.

The Battle of Naseby was a decisive engagement of the English Civil War, fought on 14 June 1645 between the main Royalist army of King Charles I and the Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. It was fought near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. After a disappointing performance by the Parliamentarian army at the Second Battle of Newbury at the tail end of the 1644 campaign season that failed to inflict a decisive defeat on the Royalists, Oliver Cromwell worked to push the Self-denying Ordinance through Parliament, intent on re-forming Parliament’s forces into a more effective, centralised force. This political campaign was successful, forming the New Model Army.

After the Royalists stormed the Parliamentarian stronghold of Leicester, Fairfax was ordered to lift his siege of Oxford, the Royalist capital, and engage the King’s main army. Eager to bring battle to the Royalists, Fairfax set off in pursuit of the Royalist army, which was heading to recover the north. The King, faced with retreating north with Fairfax close behind, or giving battle, decided to give battle, fearing a loss of morale if his army continued retreating. After hard fighting, the Parliamentarian army had all but destroyed the Royalist force, which suffered 6,000 casualties out of 7,400 effectives.
Charles lost the bulk of his veteran infantry and officers, all of his artillery and stores, his personal baggage and many arms, ensuring the Royalists would never again field an army of comparable quality. Captured in the baggage train were the King’s private papers, revealing to the fullest extent his attempts to draw Irish Catholics and foreign mercenaries into the war. Publication of these papers gave Parliament an added moral cause in fighting the war to a finish.
Within a year, Parliament had won the first civil war.

What Happened to Monday

Around the year 2043, overpopulation causes a worldwide crisis, resulting in a strict one-child policy enforced by the Child Allocation Bureau. When multiple children are born to one mother, all but the eldest are put into cryosleep. Karen Settman dies when she gives birth to identical septuplet sisters. Their grandfather Terrence names them after the days of the week and trains them to pose as a single individual named after their mother, and to leave the house only on the day of their name. To safeguard their secret, Terrence ensures they share information on a daily basis and replicates any accident that affects one of the sisters’ physical appearance. The sisters develop a system of wigs and makeup to cover any identifying features.

In 2073, as Sunday returns from her job at a bank, she sees C.A.B. agents detain a child as onlookers protest. The siblings watch the recorded incident and debate turning themselves in, agreeing to continue their act. The following day, Monday prepares her disguise as Karen, nervous about giving a presentation. At a checkpoint, Monday runs into Adrian Knowles, a C.A.B. agent who flirts with her. At the bank, Monday’s co-worker Jerry, a competitor for a promotion, hints at blackmailing her.

When Monday fails to return home, Tuesday retraces her steps. Tuesday learns Monday got the promotion and met Jerry at a bar. Before she can investigate further, C.A.B. agents detain her and cut off her communications. Adrian sees Tuesday being escorted to a cell, where she meets Nicolette Cayman, head of the bureau and a candidate for parliament. Cayman explains she knows about Tuesday’s siblings, and, when Tuesday offers a bribe, Caymen reveals Monday offered the same deal. Cayman orders C.A.B. agents to assassinate Tuesday’s sisters.

C.A.B. agents use a severed eye to bypass a retinal scanner. Thursday ambushes the agents as they arrest the other siblings. The sisters kill the agents, but Sunday dies. Learning the eye is Tuesday’s, the sisters suspect Jerry may have sold them out. The next day, Wednesday leaves without disguising herself and confronts Jerry. He reveals the sisters got the promotion when “Karen” sent millions of euros to Cayman to fund her campaign. After a C.A.B. sniper kills him, Wednesday kills several C.A.B. agents and flees.

As the others remotely guide Wednesday to safety, Adrian shows up at the apartment, concerned about “Karen”. Thursday convinces Saturday to leave with Adrian, who has had a long-term sexual relationship with one of the sisters. Pretending to be Karen, Saturday has sex with Adrian and covertly links their bracelets, allowing Friday to hack into C.A.B. headquarters. On a video feed, they apparently find Monday in a holding cell. Meanwhile, C.A.B. agents corner and kill Wednesday. After Adrian leaves his apartment, C.A.B. agents kill Saturday as she tells them Monday was dating Adrian. Reasoning that she can not survive on her own, Friday sacrifices herself to give Thursday a chance to rescue Monday when C.A.B. agents again storm the sisters’ apartment.

Adrian hears about the incident and rushes to the apartment. Thursday takes him hostage and blames him for her sisters’ deaths. He is at first confused but claims to love Monday after realizing they are siblings. Thursday convinces Adrian to help by telling him Monday is still alive. Adrian sneaks Thursday into C.A.B. headquarters in a body bag. As she is prepared for disposal, a child undergoes cryosleep. Instead of being frozen, she is incinerated, which Thursday records. After overpowering the guards, Adrian and Thursday rescue Monday. But when they reached her cell, they learn that it’s Tuesday. They deduced that it is Monday who has sold them out to Cayman.

After a scuffle, Thursday shoots Monday and leaves her for dead. As Cayman hosts a fundraiser, Tuesday and Adrian broadcast Thursday’s video footage. The crowd turns on Cayman, who insists she only did what was necessary. Monday staggers into the fundraiser, but a C.A.B. agent shoots her before she can kill Cayman. As the crowd flees, dying Monday reveals to the others that she was pregnant. In the aftermath, the Child Allocation Act is repealed and Cayman faces the death penalty. Thursday, Adrian, and Tuesday watch Monday’s and Adrian’s twins develop in an artificial womb. Tuesday and Thursday rename themselves Terry and Karen, respectively.

Thursday 14th September 2017

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)

 Bruce Roberts and Paul F. Jabara

It’s raining, it’s pouring
My lovelife is boring me to tears
After all these years

No sunshine, no moonlight
No stardust, no sign of romance
We don’t stand a chance

I’ve always dreamed I’d found the perfect lover
But he turned out to be like every other man
Our love, our love

Raining (raining)
Pouring (pouring)
There’s nothing left for us here
And we won’t waste another tear

If you’ve had enough
Don’t put up with his stuff
Don’t you do it
If you’ve had your fill
Get the check pay the bill
You can do it

Tell him to just get out
Nothing left to talk about
Pack his raincoat show him out
Just look him in the eyes and simple shout

Enough is enough is enough
I can’t go on, I can’t go on, no more no
Enough is enough, is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now

Enough is enough

If you’ve reached the end
Don’t pretend that it’s right
When it’s over (It’s over)
If the feeling is gone
Don’t think twice just move on
Get it over (over, over)
Tell him to just get out, say it clearly, spell it out

Enough is enough is enough
I can’t go on, I can’t go on, no more no
Enough is enough is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now

Enough is enough

I’ve always dreamed to find the perfect lover
But he turns out to be like every other man
Our love (I had no choice from the start)
Our love (I’ve gotta listen to my heart)
Our love (tearing us apart)

Enough, is enough, is enough
I can’t go on, I can’t go on no more no
Enough, is enough, is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now

Enough is enough

No more tears (no more tears)
No more tears (no more tears)
No more tears (no more tears)
No more tears (no more tears)
Enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough
I’ve had it, you’ve had it, he’s had it, we’ve had it
Enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough
I’ve had it, you’ve had it, he’s had it, we’ve had it

I always dreamed I’d found the perfect lover
But he turned out to be like every other man

I had no choice from the start
I’ve gotta listen to my heart
Tearing us apart

Enough is enough is enough
I can’t go on, I can’t go on, no more no
Enough is enough is enough
I want him out, I want him out that door now

Goodbye mister, goodbye, goodbye mister, goodbye sugar

It’s raining, it’s pouring
There’s nothing left for us here
And we won’t waste another tear

No more tears
Is enough is enough is enough is enough
Is enough is enough is enough is ENOUGH!!!

You Don’t Bring Me Flowers

Neil Diamond
Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

You don’t bring me flowers
You don’t sing me love songs
You hardly talk to me anymore
When you come through the door
At the end of the day

I remember when
You couldn’t wait to love me
Used to hate to leave me

Now after lovin’ me late at night
When it’s good for you
And you’re feeling alright
Well, you just roll over
And you turn out the light

You don’t bring me flowers anymore

It used to be so natural
To talk about forever
But ‘used to be’s’ don’t count anymore
They just lay on the floor
‘Til we sweep them away

And baby, I remember
All the things you taught me
I learned how to laugh
And I learned how to cry
Well I learned how to love
Even learned how to lie

You’d think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye
‘Cause you don’t bring me flowers
Anymore

Well, you’d think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye
‘Cause you don’t bring me flowers
Anymore

“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is a song that hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978. It is a song about two lovers who have drifted apart while they “go through the motions” and heartache of life together.

The song was written by Neil Diamond with Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman for the ill-fated TV show All That Glitters. The song was intended to be the theme song, but Norman Lear changed the concept of the show and the song was no longer appropriate. Diamond then expanded the track from 45 seconds to 3:17, adding instrumental sections and an additional verse. The Bergmans contributed to the song’s lyrics.

In 1977, Diamond released the album I’m Glad You’re Here with Me Tonight, which included the track “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” as a solo performance. Early in 1978, Barbra Streisand covered the song on her album Songbird.

The roots of the duet version, as chronicled in myriad Streisand and Diamond biographies as well as Streisand’s Just for the Record box set, revolve around WAKY-AM/Louisville KY program director, Gary Guthrie, who spliced the two solo tracks together as a going away present to his wife, whom he had just divorced. As the real life fairytale behind the song unfolded, it triggered a media buzz worldwide from Good Morning America and People magazine to the BBC. Interest in the duet caused such a clamor on the retail level that Columbia Records was compelled to bring Streisand and Diamond into the studio to record an “official” version in October 1978. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in December 1978, producing the third number-one hit for both singers. Acknowledgment and gratitude for Guthrie came from CBS with a Gold record plaque, flowers from Diamond and a telegram from Streisand. The duo performed the song at the 1980 Grammy Awards show, a performance released on the 1994 album Grammy’s Greatest Moments Volume I. I heard they had only done a run through over the telephone the night before.

Wednesday 13th September 2017

Guy’s Cliffe has been occupied since Saxon times and derives its name from the legendary Guy of Warwick. Guy is supposed to have retired to a hermitage on this site, this legend led to the founding of a chantry. The chantry was established in 1423 as the Chapel of St Mary Magdelene and the rock-carved stables and storehouses still remain. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII the site passed into private hands.

The current, ruined house dates from 1751 and was started by Samuel Greatheed, a West India merchant and Member of Parliament for Coventry 1747-1761. Samuel Greatheed was one of the most prominent slave traders in the Caribbean and later received the large sum of £25,000 in compensation from the government following the abolition of the slave trade. The estate also comprised a mill, stables, kitchen garden and land as far as Blacklow Hill.

In 1308 Edward II travelled to Boulogne to marry Isabella, leaving Piers Gaveston, a Gascon knight to act as regent. Resentment against Edward’s rule and Gaveston’s position of power grew, some barons began to insist Gaveston be banished. Edward could do little to prevent Gaveston being captured in 1312 under the orders of the Earl of Lancaster and his allies. He was captured first by the Earl of Warwick, whom he was seen to have offended, and handed over to two Welshmen. They took him to Blacklow Hill and murdered him; one ran him through the heart with his sword and the other beheaded him. In 1821 Bertie Greatheed erected a stone cross to mark the execution of Piers Gaveston, “Gaveston’s Cross” and later commented in his diary that he could read the inscription on the cross with his telescope from the house.

The house was used as a hospital during World War I and in the World War II became a school for evacuated children. Guy’s Cliffe estate was broken up and sold in 1947. In 1952 the mill became a pub and restaurant and was named The Saxon Mill, the stables became a riding school, the kitchen garden became a nursery, all of which still exist today. A toll house also stood by the road to the north of the Saxon Mill, but this was demolished in the mid 20th century.

The new owner of the house intended to convert it into a hotel, but these plans came to nothing and the house fell into disrepair. In 1955 the house was purchased by Aldwyn Porter and the chapel leased to the Freemasons, establishing a connection with the Masons that remains today. The roof had fallen in by 1966. In 1992 during the filming of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (The Last Vampyre) a fire scene got out of control and seriously damaged the building, leading to an insurance claim. English Heritage has given the building grade II listed status.

Spurs 3 Borussia Dortmund 1

A brace from Harry Kane and one from Heung-Min Son gave us a fine 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund as we opened our UEFA Champions League Group H campaign in some style at Wembley on Wednesday. In a game full of drama and intensity, Kane scored one in each half with Son opening the scoring during a frenetic first 15 minutes that saw Andriy Yarmolenko level things up.

It was a blistering start to the contest, with three goals inside that opening quarter of an hour. Son got the ball rolling after four minutes with a fine strike from a tight angle, but Dortmund were level shortly after when Yarmolenko produced a curling finish past Hugo Lloris. Four minutes later, we were back in front, Kane bursting down our left flank before beating the visitors’ goalkeeper Roman Burki at his near post. The Germans were on top for much of the remainder of the half, but our alert defending kept them at bay and we went in ahead at the break.

Two glorious chances were spurned early in the second period with Kane and Son both blazing over the bar, but our England striker made no mistake on 60 minutes, finishing off a well-worked goal to make it 3-1. That was his 14th in Europe for us, seeing him climb up to third in our all-time European goalscorers chart, behind Jermain Defoe (23) and Martin Chivers (22). Burki denied Ben Davies, Lloris kept out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jeremy Toljan made a smart tackle to thwart Son and Christian Eriksen fired over from 15 yards as both sides continued to attack, making for a wonderful spectacle.

Tuesday 12th September 2017

Long Marston was part of Gloucestershire until 1931, when the Provisional Order Confirmation (Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire) Act transferred it to Warwickshire.

It is recorded in the Domesday Book “In Celfledetorn Hundred, St Marys, Coventry in Merestone, holds 10 hides. In lordship 3 ploughs; 15 villagers and 3 smallholders with 12 ploughs. 6 slaves; meadow at 10s. The value was £8; now 100s. The name of the hundred, Celfledethon means Ceolflaeds thorn, perhaps indicating that the original meeting place in the centre of the hundred was a thorn tree.

Long Marston is known as one of the “Shakespeare villages”. William Shakespeare is said to have joined a party of Stratford folk which set itself to outdrink a drinking club at Bidford-on-Avon, and as a result of his labours in that regard to have fallen asleep under the crab tree of which a descendant is still called Shakespeare’s tree. When morning dawned his friends wished to renew the encounter but he wisely said “No I have drunk with Piping Pebworth, Dancing Marston, Haunted Hillboro’, Hungry Grafton, Dodging Exhall, Papist Wixford, Beggarly Broom and Drunken Bidford’ and so, presumably, I will drink no more.” The story is said to date from the 17th century but of its truth or of any connection of the story or the verse to Shakespeare there is no evidence.

On 10 September 1651 Charles II stayed in Long Marston at the house of a kinsman of Jane Lane called Tomes, on his way from Bentley Hall to Abbots Leigh during his escape following the defeat of the army at the Battle of Worcester. He was travelling incognito as a servant to Jane Lane, sister-in-law of George Norton, the owner of the house at Abbott’s Leigh to which they were bound. In keeping with his outward guise as a servant, the cook of the house put him to work in the kitchen winding up the jack used to roast meat in the fireplace. Charles was very clumsy at this, but explained his clumsiness by saying that as the son of poor people, he so rarely ate meat that he did not know how to use a roasting jack. Given the state of the economy at the time, his story was accepted and he was not identified.

St James The Great dates back to the 13th Century and still remains the most prominent building in the village of Long Marston

Storm Aileen

Is Coming And Everyone’s Making The Same Joke Have you ever heard the one about the Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman walking into a pub? Course you ‘ave, because if you’ve ever been into a pub in this country, you’ll know there’s always at least one person who tells the same jokes over and over and over and thinks they’re the funniest thing on the planet.Well, collectively, that’s exactly what Britain is up to at the moment. The joke? Storm Eileen (read on before you complain) is coming to Britain. Eileen. Coming. Coming to. Oh, come on!!

Yes! You finally got it. Come on Eileen.

Although it was released in 1982, Dexys Midnight Runners hit Come on Eileen has been a staple of weddings, birthday parties and school discos ever since. Its feel-good chorus is the stuff of singalong dreams. The image of Kevin Antony Rowland dressed as a rag and bone man getting jolly in the streets of Kennington while his band play accordions, violins and a bit of string on a stick creates a lovely sense of folkish, barnstorming fun. Come on Eileen? Maybe I will.