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HUNGERFORD ARCADE – A CREATION FOR GRANNIE’S FRONT GARDEN

It was a great surprise to see my ‘project’ appear on the front cover of the Goring Gap News this week after I delivered the ‘creation’ to Grannie’s front garden as a bit of a Lockdown surprise for her. It seems to have captured people’s imagination and I could probably start a business, if I had the time to do it!

During the first lockdown, I needed a project to keep me busy and had seen pot people before around the village of Shere near Guildford. Thinking I could probably make some as well, I went about collecting the bits needed, mostly from the Hungerford Arcade – particularly the bench ends and pots. Most of the other bits can be found in local charity shops (children’s wellies etc.).

Hungerford Arcade Blog Goring Gap Feb 2021ring

Copyright © 2021 Jim Emerson

I had great fun in the garage figuring out how to put it all together and probably painting the faces was the hardest part. The big benefit from Grannie’s point of view is that lots of families with kids lean over the fence to take a look and often are happy to have a socially distanced chat with her. Just what you need during isolation to stop you going crazy.

What I hadn’t appreciated was the demand to follow! I would recommend this as a project to any of Hungerford Arcade’s customers who have similar needs during these crazy times…..

Barry Waddell

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – THE BLUNDERBUSS!

These are two fine examples of Blunderbuss’s from the 1780’s. Some of several available in unit 11 here at Hungerford Arcade along with a multitude of other militaria memorabilia.

The blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzel. It was used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use. It was effective only at short range, lacking accuracy at long distances.

Hungerford Arcade Blunderbuss

The term “Blunderbuss” is from the Dutch word donderbus, which is a combination of donder, meaning “thunder”, and bus, meaning “Pipe”. The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss. The muzzle was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon making it easier to reload on horseback or on a moving carriage.

Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The blunderbuss was typically issued to troops such as cavelry who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm. In addition to the cavalry, the blunderbuss found use for other duties in which the shotgun-like qualities were desirable, such as for guarding prisoners or defending a mail coach. They were also commonly carried by officers on naval warships for use in close-quarters boarding actions.

HUNGERFORD ARCADE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

Hungerford Arcade was transported back to the Middle Ages when regular customer, Stephen Payne called in to buy things for his fascinating hobby. I am sure you will enjoy Stephen’s story about himself and his hobby!

I am a Living History re-enactor specialising in the middle ages period (circa 1485) and as such I ‘play’ three very different characters, a mercenary ‘Man-at-Arms’, a goldsmith and a Peddler. During the summer I travel to castles and stately homes around the south of England, taking part in jousts, battles and trading fairs. My three very different characters are:

1. Master Stephen – Peddler

The origin of the word peddler is unknown, but it might come from the French ‘pied’ or Latin ‘pedis’ meaning “foot”, referring to a trader on foot. Peddlers usually carried their wares in a back pack or used a cart and were important visitors to any village. Poor roads meant wealthy merchants saw no profit in rural areas, giving an opportunity for Hawkers to make money trading between villages and hamlets which rarely saw anyone else. They bought, sold and bartered second-hand goods among the villages and brought in new goods in from neighbouring towns and ports. Most carried an extremely diverse range of goods which could be sold or bartered and included: combs, pins, cheap jewellery, knives, woodenware, knitted goods, books, needles and needlecases, cloth, metalware, baskets, rings, wooden instruments, dyes, ink, paper, parchment, rugs, pots, religious objects, spices, caps, yarn, stockings, ready-made shoes, wool hats, cups, flagons, brushes, brooms and wooden toys. They had to be careful when trading woollen items, especially in raw form or on rolls as the Guilds were jealous of their monopoly. Peddlers and Hawkers also had to be careful not to encroach upon the livelihood of local blacksmiths when trading or repairing metal items as every village depended on the local blacksmith for several services and could not afford to alienate them.

2. Stephen of Loxwood – Mercenary Man-at-Arms

soldier. It was used to describe a fully armoured heavy foot soldier who was occasionally mounted, but while all knights certainly were men-at-arms, not all men-at-arms were knights. The man-at-arms primarily denoted a military function, rather than a social rank. The military function was to fight. Stephen is an ‘old soldier’ with twenty years experience on the battlefield. Although not wealthy, (his clothing and equipment shows the wear and tear of long service) he has accumulated a large variety of practical equipment, interesting stories and scars over the years. As a professional soldier, Master Stephen fights on foot, on horseback, in line formation or on his own. He gets regular pay from his Lord and also collects whatever items of value he can find after a battle, giving half to his Lord in tribute. His current employer is Sir William Marshall, Knight Commander of the forces of the Earl of Arundel.

3. Master Stephen – Goldsmith

The relative value of jewellery was much higher in the middle ages than it is today. It was said that at his wedding, Charles V of Burgundy wore ‘jewels, crowns, belts, rings and other good worked stuff’ worth the county of Shropshire and everything in it (around £50-£100 billion by today’s standards). Gemstones were prized both for their looks and for magical properties. Pope Clement VII consumed over 40,000 golden ducats worth of ground gemstones by his death in 1534 in an attempt to cure his various illnesses. The geographical origin of gems in medieval jewellery shows the extent of trade throughout the world, for example the 53.5 carat ‘Sancy’ diamond belonging to Charles the Bold and listed amongst his possessions at his death in 1477 originated in India, and the 194.7 carat ‘Orloff’ diamond in the Russian crown jewels was originally the left eye of a statue in a Brahmin temple in Madras. Master Stephen trades in small pieces to the local nobility, concentrating on rings and hat badges.

The Hungerford Arcade is an excellent place to find all manner of goods for these three characters. A recent visit netted some silver plate and pewter dishes, goblets for a banquet, a wooden stool and some jewellery which was taken apart, gold plated, and is now a series of hat badges being worn by the ‘Destrier Pro’ international jousting team. Previous pieces bought in the arcade have been reworked into items shown on film and TV shows such as ‘The Tudors’, ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Robin Hood’. A surprising find was some long hazel stakes which can now be seen as the support poles for the awning of the Peddlers cart (see photo).

Master Stephen - Goldsmith

Master Stephen – Goldsmith

Some shiny finds from Hungerford Arcade

The Peddler with hazel stakes made into support poles for the Peddler’s awning

Some shiny finds from Hungerford Arcade

Some shiny finds from Hungerford Arcade

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – Mourning Ring

This is a fine example of a 19th century Mourning Ring. A now unusual and rarely seen piece of jewellery which back in the 17th, 18th and 19th century were much more commonly found.

https://www.antiquejewelleryboutique.com/antiqueringsover500/victorian-mourning-ring-with-pearls-amp-diamonds

A mourning ring would be worn in memory of a loved one that had passed and would often have their name or a motto displayed. If it could be afforded they would usually bare a black stone of Jet, otherwise the cheaper options of enamel or vulcanite could be used. If the loss was of a child then it was common to use white enamel instead for clarity.

https://www.antiquejewelleryboutique.com/antiqueringsover500/victorian-mourning-ring-with-pearls-amp-diamonds

The use of mourning rings dates back as far as the 14th century but it was not until the 17th century a clear name for the ring arrived. In the 18th century jewellers were even advertising mourning rings with a clear style having one small single stone and the details of the decedent recorded in enamel on the hoop.

https://www.antiquejewelleryboutique.com/antiqueringsover500/victorian-mourning-ring-with-pearls-amp-diamonds

In the latter 19th century the style shifted to a mass production of mourning rings which now had a photograph of the decedent on display rather than a stone. Towards the end of the 19th century the use of mourning rings largely ceased and only had a short stint of popularity again in the United States over the 1930’s and 1940’s.

https://www.antiquejewelleryboutique.com/antiqueringsover500/victorian-mourning-ring-with-pearls-amp-diamonds

This is just one of the many fine antique rings or piece of jewellery with unique history that you will find here at the Hungerford Arcade!

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – MERRYTHOUGHT VINTAGE CAT

Here we have a beautiful example of a vintage Merrythought toy cat. These now very rare and sort after soft toys are manufactured by Merrythought based at Ironbridge in Shropshire. Merrythought is now the UK’s last remaining teddy bear factory which originally started manufacturing soft toys in the 1930’s and became the UK’s largest toy factory by 1935. The company was started by Gordon Holmes in the 30’s and is still family run by his 2 daughters to this day now coming up on 100 years!

They have many famous bears such as the original “Mr Whoppit”, known as the mascot for the famous land and water speed record breaker, Donald Campbell. In 1957 the “Cheeky” bear was introdused and is still manufactured at the same factory in the same way today!

Gordon Cragg / Merrythought Teddy Bear Shop

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merrythought_Ironbridge_2009.jpg

Production continued right up to the early 2000’s before the influence of cheaper foreign products began to flood the UK markets forcing Merrythought to change their direction. In 2007 they started to focus on a small much sharper “collector” based group of products.

All the toys are still hand made in England using traditional methods such as mohair to produce a limited range of toys for the high end of the market. More Recently they have produced limited edition bears for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the Queens Diamond Jubilee!

This is one of many wonderfully rare items with such a history in its making that we have here at Hungerford Arcade.

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – THE BENTLEY BOYS

One of the joys of living in this corner of West Berkshire is that frequently ones sees a vintage car pass on one of the local roads. The driver is open to the air as the car glides without effort towards its destination. Most people pause for a moment to witness the beauty of the machine. It is inbuilt in us, we all like witnessing the machines of yesteryear in fine working order, whether it be a steam train crossing the bridge at Hungerford or a vintage car on the road.

In these days of high performance cars, I believe that for some of us the actual thrill of driving along the open road has been diluted and given the chance, we would all like to drive a vintage car. Imagine the thrill of driving through the Savernake Forest with its peculiar geography and arriving in Marlborough for tea and buttered scones, whilst looking out of the window at your machine parked proudly in the island on the main street.

Unfortunately, many of us do not have pockets deep enough to be able to experience this first hand, but we can buy framed prints and old photographs of these machines to place on our walls. In most antique shops and arcades, one will find these pictures, which are well worth collecting. They are usually representations of a racing car at speed with the driver in a white helmet. The background is blurred and sometimes you are informed of who the driver was and maybe the event represented.

In these days of hi-tech formula one racing one feels an immediate nostalgia for these brave pioneers, many of who died young in their early machines. But what of these men who risked life and limb in the first three decades of the twentieth century?

Tim Birkin with

Malcolm Campbell

My father mentioned The Bentley Boys when he took me to a race meeting when I was quite young and I remembered these men without really knowing too much about them. That was until about twenty years ago when I came across a framed photograph of a certain Tim Birkin (1896-1933) who was one of these famous Bentley Boys. It was then I decided to research the history of these drivers.

In the 1920s, it was quite expensive to run a car (nothing has changed you may say) and to race one was even more demanding on ones finances. The Bentley Boys were a bunch of enthusiasts who were not by any means on the breadline. They were to some extent the bright young things of the era. Anybody who has read Evelyn Waugh will recognise the type of person. This is not to say they were dilettantes, they were deadly serious about their pursuits.

They were called The Bentley Boys because obviously they drove the famous Bentley car. As we all know, the Bentley was a car with a reputation for high performance and reliability. You paid for what you drove and this was what the marque represented. In 1925 the Bentley brand ran into problems and probably the most famous of The Bentley Boys, Woolf Barnato (1895-1948) purchased the company and in time developed the memorable Bentley Blower car.

The company which was based in Cricklewood and with its dedication and innovation, led to four consecutive wins at the 24 Hour Le Mans race between 1927 and 1930. The main competitor, the Italian Bugatti, which was much more lightweight and fragile, was no match for the more rugged Bentley’s which, as my researches indicate, were sometimes called “ The worlds fastest lorries”.

Barnato’s Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupé, often believed to be the car that raced the Blue Train despite being delivered to Barnato weeks after the race

Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1930s there were the Blue Train Races between cars and the Le Train Bleu which took place between Calais and the French Riviera some 750 miles apart. Woolf in March 1930 actually raced the Blue Train from Cannes to Calais and won and in time the Blue Train Bentleys were developed and sold. But as with F Scott Fitzgerald’s novels set in the South of France and Waugh’s main characters the good times were not going to last forever. The depression that hit the world in the 1930s soon hit the demand for the Bentley cars which were never that cheap in first place and in time, the company wassold to Rolls Royce.

There were a number of Bentley Boys apart from Woolf, one of these was Clive Dunfree (1904-1932) who was sadly killed in a spectacular crash at Brooklands which I believe was recorded on the newsreel of the time. He was married to the actress Jane Baxter (1909-1996) who was of the leading lights of the British cinema in the 1930s. It was all very glamorous in what was a dour decade.

Another was Tim Birkin who raced at Brooklands a few times as well as Le Mans which he won in 1931 in a Alfa Romeo (He actually received a telegram of congratulation from Mussolini at the time). Tim actually raced John Cobb (1899-1952) at Brooklands as the result of a wager. This is commemorated in a painting by the artist Terence Cuneo.

Kidston – Autocar 1931

I did not purchase the photograph of Tim Birkin but wish I had as I knew my father would have been very interested at the time. The well known Glen Kidston (1899-1931) was another member of The Bentley Boys who was known for his racing and other exploits. If you want to see a more comprehensive list of The Bentley Boys then the internet has plenty of information and has helped me in my researches.

One of the many family holidays I took as a child was to Pendine Sands in Wales. As many of us know, this is a vast stretch of beach (some seven miles long). I can remember walking with my father on the beach one day and he told me that a racing car was buried under the sands after a fatal accident many years ago. He really did not elaborate, but the subject fascinated me especially after reading an article in a motoring magazine some years later. I was aware that the sands had been used as the venue for car and motorcycle races since the beginning of the 20th century but what I did not realise was that it was also the venue for attempts at the world land speed record and this lead to the burial of the machine.

Babs

edvvc from London, UK, CC BY 2.0<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>

via Wikimedia CommonS

The driver in question was John Godfrey Parry-Thomas (1884-1927) as with The Bentley Boys, he had connections with Brooklands but here the similarities ended. Unlike the Bentley clan, he lived a very quiet life but still won over thirty races in five or so seasons. But Parry-Thomas was looking beyond that at the world land speed record. He developed a car named Babs which he took to Pendine Sands and on the 28th April 1926 achieved over 170 mph a speed record which stood for nearly a year.

His great rival was Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948). Soon Campbell reached 174 mph in his famous Bluebird. This lead to an attempt on the 3rd March 1927 by Parry – Thomas. Sadly due to a mechanical fault Babs crashed and killed Parry-Thomas. This was the final attempt at speed records on Pendine Sands. Babs was buried in the dunes near the village of Pendine and remained there until 1969 (some two or three years after our previous visit) when Owen Wyn Owen a restorer and mechanic recovered the wreck.

As you would think, Babs was in a terrible state after being buried for some forty two years. But with a great deal of effort and dedication Babs was rebuilt and was actually driven again. Babs can be seen at the Pendine Museum of Speed and at times at the Brooklands museum. I have not yet seen her but look forward to meeting her when I am next in the area.

Blue Bird, Pendine, January 1927

Andy Dingley (scanner), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I have already noted that you can quite easily find racing memorabilia in antique shops and the Arcade. Apart from framed prints and photographs, these men also I believe, appeared on cigarette cards and maybe postcards. I do not really collect these as I have more of a nostalgic interest than an actual interest in motor racing. As with a number of people, I like to see the ships, trains, aeroplanes and cars of previous years. I also like the supposed romance of the era and when thinking about these things, it brings back memories of those times spent at Pendine Sands with my father and the long forgotten race meetings we occasionally attended.

Stuart Miller-Osborne

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – CHARM BRACELETS

Hungerford Arcade is full of all sorts of wonderful treasures and trinkets. Today we have this beautiul childrens silver charm bracelet!

Hungerford Arcade Blog - Charm Bracelet Jan 2021

Charm bracelets are known to have been used even as far back as 75,000 years ago made from shells or bone. They were originally thought to be made or given to warn off evil spirits or bad luck! In more recent times, Queen Victoria was famously known to wear and gift charm bracelets even starting a fashion for them amongst Europian nobles.

Hungerford Arcade Blog - Charm Bracelet Jan 2021

Such intricate detailing on the very small charms “Mouse with Cheese, Wishing Well, Sledging Bear and Mare with Foal!”

The individual charms on the bracelets usually carry a personal or sentimental attachment to the owner making many of these very unique indeed!

Today most famous for their charm bracelets, “Tiffany & Co” released their first charm bracelet in 1989 with the iconic dangling single heart cham. Although public interest in the Charm Bracelet waned in the latter 20th century, popularity increased after 2000 and vintage charms have been much sort after in fashion and by collectors.

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – SWEETHEART BROOCHES

Hungerford Arcade has many wonderful things in all the units and today, I want to show you the beautiful Sweetheart Brooches in Ann Parker’s Unit 42P.

Many wonderful things were made in the trenches of WWI from old shell cases and bullet casings. This gave the soldiers something to while away the hours and help take their mind off the long wait for the next order to go over the top and face the enemy once again! This was called Trench Art which is very popular from a collector’s point of view and you can often find wonderful examples of them at the Arcade.

Hungerford Arcade Blog Sweetheart Brooches Jan 2021

During the Great War (WWI), service personnel desperately wanted to stay in touch with their loved ones and sent home many different types of memorbilia. Valentine’s Day, Birthdays and Christmas were all special occasions and men from the different Armed Forces started to make Sweetheart jewellery using their various badges and insignia to make Sweetheart brooches and pendants to send to their wives, girlfriends, sisters and mothers who would wear them with pride, remembering their brave men away at war in a foreign land. At the time, this would have been Regimental badges, Royal Navy insignia and the Royal Flying Corps wings.

Hungerford Arcade Blog Sweetheart Brooches Jan 2021

Very rare Grenadier Guards Sweetheart Brooch in 18ct Gold and Diamonds

This tradition carried on into WWII. This time, the Sweetheart brooches insignia and badges were made in miniature by jewellers and other jewellery makers. Now, it included the Royal Air Force (formerly the Royal Flying Corps). Compared to the mainly big service badges and insignia, they were easier to wear on different types of clothing and were still very much treasured by the ladies who received them.

Today, these Sweetheart brooches are very collectable. They are a wonderful piece of our heritage and when you touch one, you can feel the love with which it was given and received.

As you can see, Ann (Unit 42P) has a wonderful collection. The next time you are in the Arcade, stop by her unit (by the desk) and have a look at the Sweetheart brooches and a great deal more.

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE

Hungerford Arcade is no stranger to television, radio, magazines and newspapers, having appeared many times on and in each. This week, we appeared in the Country Living Magazine, highlighting some of the beautiful garden features owned by Trevor and Jane Elliman (Unit 12) and Kay Davies (Unit 19).

The garden section is huge and and carries a wide variety of beautifuL items, including statues, bird baths, garden wall art, watering cans, gates and much, much more, Stock is changing all the time so, when we reopen, come along and take a look for yourself. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

The Country Living feature was written by Serena Lake and photographs taken by Susie Bell.

Hungerford Arcade featured in Country Living Maga

HUNGERFORD ARCADE – ALEXANDER’S TEA ROOM CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

During the last lockdown we got together and discussed what we could do over the Christmas period to benefit the local community. All sorts of ideas were thrown around, from a raffle to a soup kitchen. Finally, a decision was made that we would put together Christmas hampers and donate them to a local retirement home.

Crown Mews is located in Hungerford directly behind Hungerford Arcade, where Alexanders Tea Room is based. Not wanting to inflict our idea without permission, we got in touch with Yvonne Gillies (the manager for Crown Mews) for her consent to go ahead. She thought it was fantastic and was taken by surprise by the generosity.

Ann Parker from Unit 42P took the above picture of James and Sally and said:

“James and Sally delivering hampers to Crown Mews residents. He and Chez (Cheryl) have enlisted the support of all the local businesses which are used by Alexander’s Tea Room and what a fantastic result. Well done all involved”.

Hungerford is very much a community town and even though Alexanders has only been open for just over six months, we were blown away by the generous response from other local businesses eager to donate to our idea. Also, by the generosity of suppliers & businesses further afield.

All together 9 businesses donated including:

Christian Alba Butchers
Hungerford Bookshop
Martin & The Magpie
Inklings
Beechwood Eggs.
The Runner Bean Coffee Co, Thatcham.
Teapigs
Marshalls Bakery, Pewsey
The Elephant at The Market, Newbury

I would like to wholeheartedly thank each of those businesses for their contribution and support.

The hamper drop was made on Christmas Eve and all were greatly received by the residents of Crown Mews, Hungerford.

It has been a difficult year for all concerned and the team believed that giving something back to those who have had to shelter during these difficult months was the very least we could do.

Keep Safe & Keep Well
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
James, Cheryl, Sally & Izze

All of us here at Hungerford Arcade send our deepest appreciation to Alexander’s Tea Room, James, Cheryl, Sally and Izze. We are very proud of you all.

Ann Parker from Unit 42P summed up the feeling in the town nicely when she said:

“Although this was a lot of hard work for James and Chez. This is the true Christian side of Christmas and won’t be forgotten.

James and Chez have great relationships within the town and the support they received from so many local businesses just emphasises that they are very important to the Hungerford Community and it’s true spirit of Christmas”.

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