Hungerford Arcade

VINTAGE MILITARY VEHICLES DISPLAY

SUNDAY, 5th NOVEMBER 2017

9.00 am to 4.00 pm

For The Royal British Legion

Poppy Appeal

Hungerford Arcade is very proud once again this year to have the Vintage Military Vehicles outside at the front of the building on Sunday, 5^th November.  We also welcome back the Wessex Rangers  who this year will be joined by Dad’s Army who will also be helping to raise much needed money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Please come along, see these wonderful old vehicles, chat to the owners and give them your support and hopefully, raise lots of money for our brave service men and women who made such big sacrifices in conflicts that have gone before and are still going on in the world today.

Lest We Forget

I have been visiting Hungerford Arcade for a number of years now and have seen it in its various moods.  Whether during the hot dog days of summer or during the chilly days of winter with the sharp winds whipping in off of the Salisbury Plain, I have been there.  I enjoying visiting the Arcade and looking at things (and sometimes purchasing them) it makes a welcome break from the madness of real life.

But yesterday, which was the 21^st of October 2017, was rather special as I experienced something that I had not experienced before.  Total or near total darkness.  The day started as many had with the only unusual thing being that Caron and I were actually in Hungerford on a Saturday having been in sunny Kent (do visit the Turner/Emin/Arp exhibition in Margate if you can) and Bath during the previous two weekends.

My wife had trotted off to Tesco’s and was visiting the splendid new W.H. Smith store in the High Street on her way back, as I was too idle to pick up the weekend newspapers.  I had agreed to meet her outside of the Town Hall so that we might share the shopping load.  The Arcade was busy, but not especially so and I made my way to the junk stall straight away as I knew that my time was limited.

Quite soon after negotiating the steep stairs to the cellar, I found a rather faded teapot stand dating from the early twentieth century showing a view of Morecambe which I thought to be rather nice (and also practical).  Later, I found a leather wallet containing two handkerchiefs commemorating the 1953 Coronation of our Queen.  Soon after, I found myself in the book department under the café and almost immediately found The Young Naturalist by Alicia Catherine Mant dating from 1824.  And then it happened, my world was plunged into complete darkness along with most of my fellow Arcade visitors.  Only Rafters Café retained the daylight and its patrons continued eating without protest.

I had never been in the Arcade in darkness and it was a rather nice experience and I could almost sense the ghosts, who are supposed to haunt the building, moving around.  But one has to be practical and I had a brainwave.  The torch on my new mobile phone, that would be the answer.  That is when my problems started as my mobile phone was so complex that it took me about ten minutes to figure out what button to press to activate the tiny torch.  But when I did, the effect as magical with its sharp light illuminating the books as I spent a happy few minutes looking at other editions before I decided to leave and meet Caron.

As I walked down the stairs towards the junction with the main right hand passage, I was met by a large number of stars floating without association in the air.  Well enough of the Keats.  I was met by a number of people holding their mobile phone torches in the air for illumination.  Although this did remind me of Tinker Bell in the Peter Pan stories, I must say.

Alex and the arcade staff were ensuring that everybody was okay  and I was told that the whole of Hungerford had been plunged into darkness by the power cut which did not surprise me as for some reason, our lovely little town seems to have more than its fair share of power cuts.  I was thinking of designing a poster noting this as a further tourist attraction.  If You Want to Experience Real Power Cuts then come to Beautiful Hungerford  the poster might say, but enough of this thin wit and back to the dark right hand passage at the arcade.

From my vantage point, I could see that the counter area was lit by the fading daylight of the autumn afternoon.  The counter was surprisingly busy and after getting some change from the Antique Market in Town Hall (as the arcade’s till was down), I paid for my goods and made my way back to my little cottage as I knew that Tesco’s would have suffered the same problems as the Arcade and my wife would have gone home.  The power was restored about an hour later and life continued as normal as it always does in Hungerford.

Although not on the scale of the York Blackout of 1977, I still enjoyed our little blackout and to be in the Arcade when it happened added to the experience and I will not forget the floating mobile torch lights for a long time.

When you next visit Hungerford and pack your sandwiches and your flask, do leave some space in your bag for your trusty torch.  You never know when you might need it.

Happy Hunting

Stewart Miller-Osborne

Chef Patron Laurent, Adrian and a very smart looking cat!

Hungerford Arcade welcomed a charming gentleman, Laurent Lebeau.  Laurent not only owns the beautiful Red House pub at Marsh Benham, Newbury, he is also the chef.  He came to the Arcade in search of wonderful antiques, which of course, he found.  There was an item that was not antique, but as you can see, it struck a chord and just had to be bought.

Laurent describes The Red House beautifully.  Have a look at what is said about it but best of all, take a look for yourselves.  You will be glad that you did.

The Red House is a traditional thatched pub set in beautiful West Berkshire countryside, a couple of miles to the west of Newbury.  We serve Great British Food, complemented by a well-stocked bar full of local beers and and a hand-picked wine list.  Chef Patron Laurent has been cooking for over 25 years in brasseries, bars and Michelin-starred restaurants and our meals are freshly prepared from the finest locally-sourced ingredients.

Visit the Red House here

Hungerford Arcade was visited by a very interesting young lady, Miriam Stenson.  Miriam told us that she collects hands and was pleasantly surprised to find a beautifully carved wooden hand here at the Arcade.  The detail on it was amazing.

Miriam was a little camera shy so I could not take a photo of her with the hand.  However, Miriam kindly sent me a lovely photograph of her collection of hands and low and behold, in the same picture, we have Miriam reflected in the mirror taking the photo.

Thank you very much Miriam for sharing your wonderful collection of hands with us.  Rita

It is amazing what you find hidden in books.

Over the last few days, I have found a 1910 newspaper cutting noting the death of Florence Nightingale as well as a 1960s family photograph.

Quite frequently you find pressed flowers and ferns (some dating from Victorian times) in books as well as invitations to long forgotten functions.

I have found tickets and receipts of all descriptions as well as items that still mystify me.

On my birthday this year I received a copy of the Gulag Archipelago and on page seventy-six there was an invitation to a council function in Colchester.  This invitation dated from November 1976 which was something of a coincidence.

When you are looking through books always look to see if the pages have been disturbed as this may indicate that a found object might be hidden between the pages.

My greatest find, if you are interested, was the final page of an 1825 letter from Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) who apart from being a poet and critic himself, was a friend of Shelley and some of the other Romantic Poets.

Again, I noted a slight disturbance in a page in a book of his poetry and the rest is history.  But I will not detain you further as my time is short today and you have better things to do than read a sprawling article.

Whether you are in the book department in the Arcade or just browsing books, do look out for what is hidden between the pages of books.  Who knows, you might find a lost letter from TS Eliot or a ticket from the Liverpool Overhead Railway.    Or like me an invitation to a council function in Colchester that was held just over forty years ago. 

Happy Hunting

Stuart Miller-Osborne

Jane and Trevor Elliman have been stallholders at Hungerford Arcade for many years.  We all know what a fantastic artist Jane is and you can discover her paintings for yourself by clicking on the links below.  The painting on this page is of Jess Elliman, their much loved daughter.

Hungerford Arcade welcomed a lovely young lady who came in with her mother and lovely, cheeky young cousin.  Laurel told us that she is a member of the West of England Youth Orchestra and can play several instruments.  Everyone is very proud of her achievements and she enjoys it all very much.  The Orchestra travels across the West Country bringing music and happiness everywhere they go.

The West of England Youth Orchestra serves the region and it is open to all young people in the area who are playing at the required entry level (grade 7+).

You can find out more about this wonderful orchestra by clicking here to visit their website.

Thank you Laurel for sharing your story with us.  Rita