I found this poem in The Argus-August 1891 but it could just as well been written in 2012!!
The Rain!!
Rain !rain! rain!
By night and day it comes
It inundates our rivers
Our gardens and our homes.
Fretting the narrow brooks
Filling them to the brim
Making the cunning water vole
Out of their lairs to swim
Down on hayfields ripe and ready
For the scythe or the machine
There spoiling what it nourished
The heavy rain hath been
To see the golden cornfields
Is a great grief to me
Their lovely heads bowed down
Like men in slavery
The ripening wheat and barley,
The bells of waving oats
There seems a dirge of sadness
In their erst cheerful notes.
A very little sunshine
Not much of summer sky
Loaded with rain o’erhanging clouds
Day after day go by
A rainbow! Oh cheering picture
A token and a sign
To erring man assurances
Of love and power Divine
Forgiven he our complaining
The harvest time we know
Shall come and seed time bless
And turn to joy our woe
Penned by John A??
Report of a town meeting
From W’boro News Oct 2nd 1887
Mr. Corby called the attention of those present to the condition of the old Cross. It was getting very dilapidated and the big stones lying around were dangerous. He believed the improvement committee had a little money in hand and if they were willing to spend it on the Cross it would be well spent.
Rev. Thomas Grabham said he sympathised with the object and though a great many of the Parish would do so too. He enquired if anyone present could give a any idea of the probable cost. Opinions were given but it was generally felt the cost would be small.
They thought they had enough funds in hand to take it down –and if it was taken down and some temporary arrangement as made for a time, they though the Parishioners and some others who were interested would subscribe handsomely to rebuild it.
With our old Cross in such poor condition this could have been written today but as to whether the “handsome” contributions to rebuild it would be forthcoming seems doubtful, never the less many of us older folk would be very sorry if we were ever to see the demise of the Cross.
Kimbolton Castle
Following on from our visit last year to Kimbolton, members and friends paid a visit to Kimbolton Castle in July for a guided tour.
The first castle on the present site was built about 1200 as a fortified manor house it has been rebuilt and extended on numerous occasions. There was an earlier castle in Kimbolton but this was at the opposite end pf the village to the present castle and was a timber construction.
The tour started via the Dining Hall with its ornate and heavily gilded ceiling and continued on to the White Hall (formerly the Great Hall) where pine panelling alternates with ornate plasters. In this room there are a number of paintings including portraits of past headmasters of the school which took over the castle in 1950.
Next we came to the Red Drawing room where the walls were once hung with red damask. At the outbreak of war the room was being converted into a library and bookcases are still to be seen.
We the went though to the Green Drawing room where there was a fine collection of hand drawn maps of Huntingdonshire dating from 1610-1843, all beautifully coloured with the use of watercolours.
On to the Saloon, a fine room which occupies the key position in the house, overlooking the formal gardens, canal and park. In this room there is a fine marble fireplace and many portraits including one of the 2nd Earl of Manchester as a Parliamentary General in the Civil War
From the saloon we entered the Queen’s Room where Queen Katherine of Aragon spent many years in isolation and finally died in 1536. It is said that her ghost still haunts the castle. The adjacent boudoir is now used as an office and has a Queen Anne fireplace and a beautiful painted ceiling. Quite the best office I have ever seen
Next stop was the Chapel, of Tudor origin but remodelled between 1690 and 1720. Murals of Saints Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are painted on the walls and the Transfiguration is depicted above the altar.
Into the Courtyard, where we saw the finely carved stonework above the doorway and the windows, decorated lead rainwater pipes and a large bell on the roof commemorating the appointment of the 2nd Earl as Lord Chamberlain to King Charles 11.
On re entering the castle we went up the Main Staircase to the upper floor. There were fine carvings and wrought iron balustrades up the stairs and beautiful murals covered walls and ceiling. The upper floor is used as classrooms by the school.
Finally we left the castle and returned to our cars which were parked by the Robert Adams designed gatehouse with the North Pavilion, formerly the brew house, on one side and the South Pavilion ,formerly the Laundry on the other.
The evening was a great success only marred by the torrential downpour on the journey home.
Contributed by Stan Collet.
Battle of Waterloo
Dozens and dozens of ‘extras’ were needed for the filming of the Battle of Waterloo and the film company made two very attractive offers to persuade local men to shun employment on the farm or in the factory for a few days.
Firstly, a payment of seven shillings and sixpence per day was offered – secondly, any man who could provide his own horse would be offered a part in the film as an officer!
Needless to say, the offer was too good to miss and production of boots and shoes in the factories came almost to a standstill as their employees were quickly lured by the prospect of ‘quick riches’. The factory owners got their own back when the filming had finished by closing down for two weeks for a ‘holiday with no pay’.
What you could buy with £1 in 1914
80 pints of beer
67 portions of fish & chips
66 cinema seats
640 cigarettes
1 good quality shirt & 20 pairs of socks
94 large loaves of bread
240 pints of milk (delivered to your door)
353 lbs of potatoes
53 pkts [4oz] of tea
16 cwt of coal
5.7 gallons of petrol
Stamps to post 240 letters
A ticket to travel 252 miles on the train
Next year is the Centenary celebration of the making of the film The Battle of Waterloo and the Society is making plans to mark the occasion. Watch this space!!
The Wash-house
You gave me two good reminders of Bull yard with the “wash houses and the asbestos garages”.
The wash houses– they could be anything they have certainly been been anything in our imaginations, from bandit hideaways if it was just me and Ricey, to a hospital ward if it was some the older girls who used to gather in the yard. They only had to mention” doctors and nurses” and I would fling myself on to the examination table (OH !! happy days) This is always assuming that we were not “oofed” out by the vigilante committee
It was always best to keep clear on a Monday, wash day. Steam would be pouring out of every door and window and all the women would be singing and “going at full throttle”.
They used to work in pairs I think. I know Alice Johnson and MUM were a team The only comment I would get from them was “take your trolley and fetch more cardboard bits”, these were from the Box factory up Finedon road
One black day was when I learnt the art of fire-raising. Just a few scraps and a box of matches and before I knew it a rafter was smouldering. I have no idea who put it out wish they could have given the same treatment to my backside after DAD had finished with me. MUM used dish out the day to day clips of the ear or a clang across the back of your leg but really serious crimes were dealt with by DAD .I’m glad to say he only gave me two thrashings and this was one of them. Don’t forget it was short trousers up to 12 or 13 years so there was no blue jean protection then..
The garages were used as a stage when those older girls put on a show,— big rehearsals and lots of arguing but it was good entertainment in those days. No competition to the CLAUDINE FOLLIES but who could do that?
Thanks to Terry Marshall for this contribution
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STOP PRESS
NEW DVD Available from 26th June 2012
“Laundry on the Hill” 60 minutes of memories of the days of the Co-op Laundry.
£5.00+£2.00 p&p (UK only)
Please send cheque made out to ‘Irthlingborough Historical Society’ with order.