Hello Again,

Here in the UK, we are just entering the fourth week of lockdown and I have just finished War and Peace for the second time and Hilary’s, The Mirror and The Light awaits me on the shelf.

cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Peter Jordan – geograph.org.uk/p/164221

Seriously though, Caron and I are well although my Hay Fever has kicked off as it normally does at this time of the year and I have had to explain this allergy to others on a couple of occasions.

At the time of writing, the good news is that things seem to be improving for our Spanish, French and Italian cousins and slowly but surely, the first steps to recovery seem to have been taken.

One thing that fascinates me is why the German model appears to have been quite successful against other countries in Europe.  If my sums are correct, there are about eighty three million people in Germany against some sixty seven million in the UK but the models have been so different.

When this whole thing dies down, the research into this pandemic will be vital to future generations.

Thankfully Boris is on the mend as many of us feared for him.  Like Churchill in the last war, you need strong leaders and Boris for all his faults has provided that.

During this lockdown Caron and I have looked for interesting things to do and one of these was to make use of Caron’s undoubted culinary skills and to eat from some of our favourite plates.

We started this about a week ago when Caron cooked a great Beef Bourguignon (thank you Julia) and we were going to use some of our much prized Susie Cooper plates just to celebrate the dish.  But first we had to queue at Tesco’s for a few days to get the ingredients and here lies a story of our times.

As normal, Caron and I combine our shopping with exercise and after purchasing the essentials we walk around the almost deserted common to the east of the town.  On this day in particular, the sun was quite warm and we rested for a while on one of the terraces with a bottle of water.

Whilst we were there we noticed a jogger dressed all in black who appeared to be photographing the one or two people on the common which was a little odd.  But we thought no more about it until we were stopped by a handsome blonde policeman in his beautiful squad car on the railway bridge.

He asked if we were ok which I thought was a rather strange question even though we were carrying a Tesco bag.  Caron in her best Celia Johnson voice, explained what we were doing and how she hoped to cook a delicious Julia Child based Beef Bourguignon for our evening meal.

Poole Pottery Twintone

She explained that at present, we might not be able to go to France but we can certainly try to bring France to Hungerford.  The young policeman smiled and drove off quite happily and we continued our gentle walk.

The meal that evening tasted heavenly and was made all the better by our little adventure although, I am sure that the jogger in black reported us.

Call me Fox Mulder but some things cannot be explained.

This said, apart from Caron’s delicious meal, the whole experience was made all the better by our use of our Susie plates and drinking a delicious red wine from our vintage glasses.  And guess what, these were all purchased from the Arcade and this short article is about having fun with ceramics.

 

That is the great thing about the Arcade, you can pop in at any time and these items will be awaiting you either in the Junk Stall or some of the other units.  It is fun to do it this way as quite frequently one can purchase a named dinner set for less than twenty quid.

 

Susie Cooper Teaset

Before the restrictions were imposed, there was a quite modern Susie Cooper tea set that tempted me and there is always plenty of Poole to be found.

 

We each have our favourites I like Susie’s works and Caron absolutely adores Poole.

 

I asked her why she likes Poole (especially Twintone) so much when we were taking tea a day or so ago.

 

Here are her thoughts:-

 

I have enjoyed collecting Poole ever since my Mother-in Law gave me a cup of coffee in a Poole Mug many years ago.

 

To drink or eat from anything made by the Poole Pottery, it is an experience that I believe should be shared.

 

This said, I have my favourites and show these off when having friends around for dinner.

 

Twintone has to be the ideal dinner set with its soft easy colours and smooth texture.  It compliments any meal whether it be good or bad.

 

Each of the mixed colours has its own personality and one can become quite obsessive when purchasing these beautiful items.

 

It is a guilty pleasure but why not, as it is there to be enjoyed.

 

Whilst I do like Poole, I tend to collect Susie as a first choice.

 

This said, although Susie Copper creations can be quite cheap as with all things some are much rarer than others and therefore more expensive.

 

I have collected Susie for over twenty years and some of my items will never leave my display cabinets.

 

Clarice Cliff Serving Dish

It is very much like Clarice Cliff who I also collect to a lesser extent and yes, I sometimes use (on special occasions as with Susie) some of my more common Clarice items (like our serving dishes) but I would not dream of using my Bizarre plate which I purchased after my horse romped home in the Grand National.

 

If we have guests (do you remember those days?) I tend also to use my coronation cups and saucers (which are very common) as this adds a nice touch to afternoon tea with your favourite aunt away from your feral and savage children.

 

I have just mentioned Susie Cooper and the Poole Pottery, but there are many others such as Woods, Radford , Meakin , T.G.Green (more for kitchen ware) Grays and Midwinter.  This is by no means a comprehensive list and I have obviously missed as many as I have recorded.

 

Instead of going to a boring old shop and purchasing (and maybe spending more) a foreign made dinner set or the like, you can purchase history from the Arcade.

 

Not everything is that old as there is a great deal of retro stuff around which is just as suitable and if you are into the decade that fashion forgot (the 1970s), then finds in the Arcade are very common.

 

You can eat off of the plates that Mummy and Daddy used to use when you were a child, imagine that.

 

Possibly the most important thing is whether you like what you see or not.  If it floats your boat then purchase it.

 

Also as I pointed out to a dear friend, not all things are dishwasher friendly (I am surprised that I am ever invited out).

 

I do hope that this helps as hopefully quite soon Boris and his buddies will indicate that things are beginning to get back to normal and as long as we are all sensible we can mix together within certain boundaries.

 

For the last four weeks we have had Julia Child staying with us in the spare bedroom and I do not think I have eaten so well.

 

My life has changed and I will be sorry to see Julia leave, but this will mean that the Arcade has reopened and that I will again have the opportunity to have fun with ceramics.

 

Do look after yourselves and we all look forward to life becoming normal once again.

 

Happy Hunting

 

Stuart & Caron  (not forgetting Julia) 

Hello Again 

It does not seem that a week has passed since I last wrote one of my mini articles which is a little scary as the days are beginning to fade into each other.

Caron and I are okay but have not left Hungerford for over three weeks which for us, is some kind of record as we are normally charging around the country.

At the time of writing, Boris is quite poorly in hospital and his girlfriend, who is with child also appears to have contracted the virus.  We all wish them the best and all of the people who are either suffering from or working towards the resolution of this awful virus.  Hungerford salutes you and remember when this nonsense is over, that a warm welcome awaits you in our friendly little town.

The Arcade will open its doors as soon as the Government allows it to reopen and Rita has said the dealers have been very busy, so expect lot of new and interesting stock.

Hopefully the lovely weather will continue and that you will be able to see Hungerford at its best.

However, this little article is not about the town itself but about an area roughly half an mile away which is a joy to visit.  This is a little surprising as apart from the railway on one side. this area is also bordered by the not so lovely A4.   As you can see from the title it is called Freeman’s Marsh.

I would like to think that one of my favourite local writers, Richard Jefferies, might have visited Freeman’s Marsh which obviously would have been a little different in the nineteenth century.

© Copyright Des Blenkinsopp and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The railway would have been there and the cow bridge that is visible from the towpath.

The Kennet & Avon canal would have been a lot busier than it is today with goods being transported in both directions.

On the reverse side, the A4 (Bath Road) would have been quieter than it is today.

Richard was born in Coate which used to be on the outskirts of Swindon, and it is feasible that in his younger years, he might have travelled to Hungerford which is about fifteen miles away.

I often pass the house where he once lived when walking into Swindon.

In those days, the road outside was just a lane and is well described in his beautiful book. Amaryllis at the Fair (1887), which is a great read.

As I walk past Richard’s home, I almost expect to see Amaryllis looking over wall at all the people passing by and wishing me the time of day.

https://www.richardjefferies.org/

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Richard_Jefferies_Museum%2C_Coate%2C_Swindon%2C_Wiltshire_-_geograph.org.uk_-_252496.jpg

But it is not like that now, as unlovely Swindon has grown and what was once meadows and farmland is now just an ugly urban sprawl.  The sight of it almost brings me to tears, but my emotions are kept in check by trying to survive the crossing of the many roads.

Richard died of TB and exhaustion in August 1887, but suppose, just suppose that he returned in 2020.  He would obviously have been greatly upset at the destruction of the countryside around Coate.

I can just remember that in the mid 1960s, Coate was a lot more open than it is today.  Even in the last thirteen years there has been a great deal of development in the area, which is incredibly sad.

But as much as I have noted that Coate has changed for the worse, it is good to report that Freeman’s Marsh has actually improved in the last one hundred years which is mainly due to the love and hard work of the town and the Freeman’s Marsh Conservation Group.  Their excellent website will give you a great deal of information about the area and discusses the minutiae of all their activities.

Therefore I am only going to share my thoughts and give a brief description of the area as if I am sitting on the seat near the cow bridge with Richard overlooking the marsh.

It is an area of some ninety acres west of Hungerford and both the Kennet & Avon canal and the River Dun pass through it.  One can find many creatures, some of which are quite rare in Southern England.

I am told that over one hundred different species of both migratory and resident birds can be found and you can, from May to August, witness people ringing these birds at the western end of the marsh.  It is quite unusual to think that in this small area so many different birds and other creatures can be easily found.

In the 1860s this area would have been farmland and most likely used by cattle, although some it is now fenced off.

There is evidence that cattle still use the area (if you get my drift), but I cannot say that I have seen any recently (unlike on Hungerford Common which is approximately a mile to the east).

I like cows but they are cumbersome creatures and although they do not mean any harm, create a lot of damage to the fragile eco-systems on Freeman’s Marsh.

One must remember that it is not just other living creatures that hang out on the marsh, but there are many plants that can easily be trodden underfoot by our bovine friends.

I know that Richard would have appreciated Freeman’s Marsh in 2020 and might have described it as follows in more modern terms.

There is a seat next to the ancient railway bridge which we often use when visiting Freeman’s Marsh

It gives uninterrupted views of the canal the river and the fields beyond

Although passing trains occasionally break the silence it is a peaceful place

Where all kinds of birds may be seen from the spectacular Kites to the petite Jenny Wrens

Today I saw a Goldcrest which is the smallest bird in the country and this pleased me a great deal.

The seat provides a hiding place for those who have tired of the madness of their days

I quite often sit there with my lovely wife and watch as she develops watercolours with her steady hand

She lets them dry in the rough grass that is the main feature of the immediate area

Shallow paths have been cut however these are few and the terrain although benign requires some respect

We should spend more time exploring the marsh but we let the our engines take us to distant shores 

Hungerford Arcade sadly remains closed along with every other business, due the  coronavirus.  However, we along with our fellow countrymen and allies around the world, celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day.  What a day that must have been with street parties, singing, dancing and rejoicing, celebrating the end of WWII in Europe.  After six years of war, the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and many thousands injured, the bombing of towns and cities had at last come to an end.

Winston-Churchill-the-Prime-Minister-with-King-George-VI.jpg

L-R Princess Elizbeth in her uniform with Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

Photograph from the Jim Bradshaw Collection

Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer / Public domain

Of course, there were huge VE Day celebrations in and around Hungerford.  From the beautiful photograph below, you can see the sheer joy on the childrens’ faces at the victory party.

19450000 Atherton Crescent Victory Party, 1945

Photograph courtesy of the Hungerford Virtual Museum. Click here and see more from the Museum.

Hungerford Arcade stallholder, Ian Spuffard was due to take part in the 2020 London Marathon today, but due the Coronavirus it has been postponed until later in the year.  Ian had lots of events booked including an auction at Hungerford Town Hall to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support.  Unfortunately, everything had to be cancelled due to the lock down.

Ian would not be deterred.  He got on his bike and rode the 26.2 mile trek around his home town of Swindon in Wiltshire, which was quite a feat in the heat of the day. We are very proud of you Ian.  

Ian has raised a lot of money so far for MacMillan Cancer Support and if you would like to help him meet his target of £2500, just click here and you will be taken to his Virgin Money Giving page.

Hello Again

Like millions of others I am restricting my travel until the current nonsense is over which means of course, I am busier than ever.  Yet the change in my habits has made me think that for a short while at least, we will slowly be returning to a more rural type of life, locally.

If I go back to lets say, 1890 then although we had trains here in Hungerford (and even in Marlborough and some of the many local villages), we did not bomb around like Road Runner and his pals.  It was obviously a more rural economy around Hungerford and photographs from the era confirm this.

But what I did not know until about a year ago was that our lovely little town had a connection with Jethro Tull (no, not the rock band).

It seems that Jethro lived only a few miles from Hungerford at Prosperous Farm near Shalbourne and although I have never visited the farm which was rebuilt in the 19th Century, it is quite easy to find.

Basically, it is a matter of following the sign posts as you leave Hungerford on the A338 towards Salisbury.  You should look out for the turn off towards Ham (of Bloomsbury Group fame) and Shalbourne and follow the road.  Just before you reach Ham, you will see an aged sign post which directs you towards Prosperous Farm.

As I noted, I have yet to visit Jethro’s farm so I cannot say what is left, but you will be walking along the same lanes as Jethro knew in an area which seduces your senses.

Jethro, who I think is a little forgotten, perfected the horse drawn seed drill in 1700 which in turn helped to bring forward the British Agricultural Revolution.   But his improvements were not popular with everyone as the labourers of the field felt threatened because their rural skills were fast being made redundant.

The Swing Riots in Hungerford and elsewhere in 1830 can indirectly be linked to Jethro’s improvements because as agricultural techniques improved, then the lot of the labourer became worse and there was extreme rural poverty.

There is a great deal of information on the internet about Jethro and the British Agricultural Revolution as well as the Swing Riots so I will not try to nutshell them here, although it is a very interesting subject.

Jethro died at Prosperous Farm on the 21st of February 1741 and is buried in Lower Basildon (near Pangbourne) and as I noted, is almost forgotten except by students of the subject.

I had heard of Jethro through my school but was not aware of his connections to Hungerford.

Although at present we cannot move around that easily due to restrictions and the like, it will not be long before some sanity is restored and you can, if you are in the area, visit Hungerford and the beautiful countryside that surrounds the town.  When you do so, then it would be fun to walk in the footsteps of Jethro at Prosperous Farm and the Bloomsbury’s at Ham Spray (which is very near the village of Ham).

These are somewhat difficult times, but they will pass, and here in Hungerford I have noted a community spirit which I believe will be replicated all over the country.

Well Done Hungerford I am proud of you.

Look After Yourselves.

Stuart Miller-Osborne

Hungerford Arcade has many visitors come through the door on a daily basis.  Some have their own antiques business, some are antiques and collectable customers who buy for themselves, but we also get interior designers from London and elsewhere around the country, even from overseas.

                                                     L-R Kerry Collins and Becky Arlow

Today, we had two lovely ladies, Kerry Collins and Becky Arlow come into the Arcade and told us that they were buying items for dementia care patients to help them remember objects from their past.  What a fabulous idea!  Kerry is the manageress of Helping Hands in Newbury and Becky is the manageress of the newly opened Helping Hands branch in Hungerford.

Kerry and Becky explained that Helping Hands take care of all a dementia patient’s needs and their moto is “Giving you the right level of support is our passion.” 

You can find out all you need to know by visiting the Helping Hands website by clicking here

Hungerford Arcade is very proud of its reputation for beautiful ceramics.  Today we had a visit from Gordon and Susan Pickett, members of the Daniel Ceramic Circle which was formed in 1998.  If you would like to find out more about the Circle, you can visit their website at www.danielcc.org.  Gordon is also the editor of a twice annual Journal for members and also the author along with Susan of the pocket guide, “Identifying Daniel Wares – A Basic Guide” (details below).

                                                   Gordon Pickett, me (Rita) and Susan Pickett

Henry Daniel was the decorator for Spode before setting up his own business in 1822. With his son Richard, he established the manufactory of H & R Daniel. Together they pioneered techniques of enamelling and gilding to produce some of the finest porcelain of the day. In their own day the high quality ceramics produced by H & R Daniel were highly regarded as the equals of Spode and Minton.

Daniel wares were, in the main unmarked, owing to the retailing system prevailing at the time, and this rarity of marked examples was the cause of the eclipse of their reputation until the late 1960s. Research by Leonard Whiter, Geoffrey Godden and Michael Berthoud and the important books they published brought the work of this remarkable factory back to the attention of dealers and collectors. Seminars held by Michael Berthoud led, in 1998, to the founding of the Daniel Collectors Circle, which subsequently became the Daniel Ceramic Circle. The aim of the DCC is to promote and expand knowledge of the work of H & R Daniel, by encouraging research into the wares themselves, the factories, and the family and by publishing relevant material. We also provide information to help identify Daniel items, both on a one-to-one basis and through publications.

If you would like to know more about identifying Daniel wares, please click on the link below which will take you to the relevant page on their website.

IDENTIFYING DANIEL WARES – A BASIC GUIDE
Much more detail highlighting the distinctive features of Daniel wares will be provided
in a handy Pocket Guide. Contact us for details of this book.

The Hungerford Arcade window display is always a delight.  Throughout the year various stallholders take over the window for one month creating splendid eye catching displays.

This month, I was surprised and delighted to see that the window had been turned into an art gallery all the work being from local artist Maureen Derrick.

                               Self-Portrait of Maureen Derrick

Our stallholder, Jane Elliman (unit 12) decorated the window and told how she met Maureen nearly 30 years ago as they were both members of Andover Art Society.  Since then, Maureen has exhibited up and down the country and had continued painting up until 18 months ago when her local painting group unfortunately closed.

                Beautiful Art-Work by Maureen Derrick

Maureen’s work is beautifully executed from simple still lifes of flowers to more dramatic coastal and rural landscapes.   They certainly make for an eye catching window display.

Now in her late 90’s, Maureen is still active, living independently, although she no longer paints, she loves to do some knitting.

Speaking to Maureen’s close friend Jane, she said “Hopefully by selling some of her work we will be able to give her morale a boost as well as a small financial boost”.

You can still view and purchase Maureen’s fabulous work as it remains on display until the end of the month, please make sure you give it a view when passing the Arcade.

It’s definitely something not to be missed.

Rita had to a photo with Marshall before he left for Wales

Arcade has everything for the avid collector.  This week, we had the most amazing gentleman from Australia who is a top-notch collector, Marshall Horne.

Marshall could not believe it when he saw Bob Walpole’s unit 20 as before his very eyes, he saw an enormous selection of whisky jugs, ashtrays and other advertising items.  By the time Marshall had finished, Bob’s unit was almost empty.

You see, back at home in Australia, Marshall has a collection of over 5000 pieces comprising whisky jugs, ashtrays and figurines all advertising different makes of whisky.  

Chris helping Marshall with his boxes

Marshall also likes pin cushions and bought a fabulous large, antique, solid silver oval pin cushion box which stood on beautiful small cabriole legs.  The top opened up to reveal storage where you can keep all sorts of things.

After a full day of collecting, Marshall’s boxes got higher and higher and luckily he was staying over at the Three Swans Hotel just across the road from the Arcade.  We arranged to meet at the Arcade before opening on Sunday morning so that we could carefully load all the boxes into the car for his drive down to Wales. Terrible weather!

Our wonderful stallholder (U128) and staff member, Chris Joliffe kindly came in early to help with the loading.

Marshall is in the process of building an extension to his home back in Australia to house his ever growing collection.  Sounds fabulous!

Marshall, you were great fun and we thoroughly enjoyed your company on Saturday.  Have a great journey home.  Rita, Chris & Chula.

A small section of Marshall’s many, many boxes. The metal piece is a lovely ceiling pot rack

Hello Again

Sir Wilfred Photo of Grenfell from autobiography published in 1912

One of the joys about visiting the Arcade is you do not know what you might find.  I have often found things that I never knew existed.

That was the case today when I found a small book called The Fisherman’s Saint which was an account of an address given by Sir Wilfred Grenfell at St Andrews University in November 1929 and whilst researching this article, I also discovered details of the greatest accidental loss of life in film production history.

To be honest, the reason that I purchased the book was that it was signed by Wilfred Grenfell (it might have been his own copy).  I knew nothing about this memorable man and that is what made this all the more interesting.

Wilfred was born in Parkgate in Cheshire on the 28th February 1865 and moved to London in 1882.

He enrolled at the London Hospital Medical College to study medicine and graduated in 1888.

Four years later in 1892, he was sent as a missionary by The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen to try to improve the lot of the coastal inhabitants and fishermen in Newfoundland.

He soon recruited two doctors and two nurses to help him in the hospital at Indian Harbour and soon after, more cottage hospitals were being opened along the coast of Labrador.  The whole venture was a success and soon exceeded its initial mandate.

NEWFOUNDLAND – CIRCA 1941: A stamp printed by NEWFOUNDLAND shows image portrait of medical missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell – founder of Grenfell Mission, circa 1941 By Sergey Goryachev (Royalty Free)

Interestingly, one the children that was helped was an Inuit girl called Kirkina Mucko (1890-1970) a double amputee who later in 1908 worked at the Grenfell Mission and after losing family members in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, trained to be a nurse and a midwife.  She was much loved and served her community for many years.

In 1908, Wilfred was travelling to a medical emergency in a Newfoundland village when he was caught on a slob (soft ice) and was forced to sacrifice some of his dogs to enable him to make a warm fur coat for himself.

He drifted for some days without fresh food or water before being rescued by some villagers.

Wilfred was so grateful to the dogs that died that he raised a plaque in their memory.

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 71840755 CANADA – CIRCA 1960s: A stamp printed by Canada devoted to 100th Anniversary of Birth of Sir Wilfred Grenfell – a medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador, circa 1960s By Oleg Golovnev

Wilfred was subsequently knighted in 1927 for all his good work in Canada.

In 1931, Wilfred accepted a small speaking role in the movie, The Viking as the narrator and also summarised in a brief statement the tragic circumstances of the worst known accident in film production history.

The films producer was a chap named Varick Frissell (1903-1931) and the movie was essentially an adventure film about sealing in Newfoundland.

It might have been forgotten as many films of the era were, but for an horrific accident caused by the dynamite that was being carried on board igniting (it was used to break the ship clear of ice pans and the like).

The explosion destroyed the stern of the ship causing it to sink killing Varick and twenty-seven other poor souls.  There were survivors who were subsequently rescued, but the number of people killed during this single incident has thankfully never been surpassed in the history of movies.

A documentary about Varick’s life called White Thunder was released in 2002.

After a lifetime of good work, Wilfred retired to Charlotte in Vermont and it was here that he died on the 9th of October 1940.

Yet, I had not heard of him or his missionary work in Canada and as I have noted.  I only purchased the book as it looked interesting and it was signed.

But what an iceberg (forgive the pun) I pulled up when I researched the life of this remarkable man.

You occasionally find books and pamphlets that have recorded lectures at universities and other institutions at the Arcade and initially, this one looked no different.

Yet, I was wrong and I have had the pleasure of writing this short article about Wilfred’s life.

Happy Hunting

Stuart Miller-Osborne