Ludlow Published twice a year by Ludlow Civic Society www.ludlowcivicsociety.org HeritageNo 63 Autumn/Winter 2015 NEWS FREE Inside this issue Luck of An Old Programme e ‘Lad’ Welsh Capital and Events LUCK OF THE ‘LAD’ ‘When smoke stood up from Ludlow, And mist blew o from Teme ....’ is stunning shot by Ludlow’s Two memorable views – one in the form of a hilltop vista He not only advised that the title foremost photographer, Gareth and the other by way of a man’s voiced opinion – have be changed but that the hitherto anonymous author be persuaded to omas, is one of nearly one combined to serve the county of Shropshire with its most hundred appearing in his add his name. ‘Shropshire Lad’ illustrated book. generous slice of literary luck. Fame and immortality have By March of 1896, the immortal e publication was launched by been the ospring of the union. title of ‘A Shropshire Lad’ by Merlin Unwin Books in 2009 and Some time in the second half University to read and make A.E.Housman was oered to the has, not surprisingly, enjoyed two of 1895, one ALFRED WILLIAM comment upon a collection of world. e book was initially reprints. Gareth’s striking images POLLARD is said to have crossed poems written by the same student published by Kegan Paul, but at appear in countless other books the threshold of ‘Byron Cottage’ friend. ey were about to be Housman’s expense. It has never and journals and, as prints, hang in Highgate, North London; he oered to a publisher under the since been out of print. in houses worldwide. had been invited there by a former title of ‘Poems by Terence Hearsay’. Exactly what this slim volume student colleague at Oxford What Pollard did next was crucial. of near-monosyllabic verses has Continued overleaf LUCK OF THE ‘LAD’ (continued) meant to Shropshire in terms of for them.’ Laurence further wrote those popular TV world-wide fame, visitor attraction, that the change in title ‘must have detectives, Lewis and even hard tourist-trade cash, may had a considerable eect upon its Frost have included only be guessed at. And guessed fortunes’ (one is tempted to add... ‘Into my heart..... at by, among others, the poet’s upon Shropshire’s too!). Pollard’s blue remembered own younger brother. Laurence inspired suggestion of ‘A Shropshire hills’. A little more Housman, himself a prolic Lad’ was, he said, ‘a piece of good commercially, I may playwright and author, had no advice which the author luckily was now shop at the doubt at all about the great and not above taking’. Ludlow Food Centre lasting service done to this county’s Although the title was initially for ‘Remembered standing. He wrote in his ‘Memoir’ slow in retail uptake, it found Hills’ cheese and, ‘.....that small book of poems has enormous favour in later years. It maybe, wash it down given to Shropshire place-names has been a rich source for musical with a bottle of an added romance comparable to settings such as the 1909 oering ‘Shropshire Lad’ ale that which attaches to the place- ‘On Wenlock Edge’ by Ralph from Edward Wood’s names of Hardy’s novels....but I Vaughan Williams, and has likewise brewery. e same wonder what would have happened proved an inspirational magnet for two-verse poem had the poems been published scores of artists and photographers. allows me to browse under the title originally chosen In the last decade even scripts for a ‘Lost Content’ museum at Craven Photo credit British Library British credit Photo Arms, though for a Alfred W Pollard was the Oxford proper appreciation student friend of Housman who of the poet’s ‘Loveliest of trees, the suggested a change of title to ‘A cherry....’, I should perhaps journey Shropshire Lad’. He joined the further aeld – to the Housman sta of the British Museum in Society branch in Japan! 1883, and by 1919 was Keeper of As much as good fortune Printed Books. From 1893 to 1934 attached to the change of title, it he was Honorary Secretary of the was even more a stroke of luck Bibliographical Society. us TWO that Shropshire was mentioned alpha Alfreds of great scholarly at all. Housman, aer all, was a achievement. Pollard died in 1944. Worcestershire man – born on 26th March 1859 at Fockbury and imaginary.’ In childhood, the near Bromsgrove – and nearly all Housman siblings oen climbed a of the sixty-three poems within local hill which they referred to as the covers of ASL were written in the biblical ‘Mount Pisgah’. Alfred London. He selected Shropshire was ever aer nostalgic about as his landscape of imagery simply views of the distant Shropshire because of emotions experienced hills, and it was happy chance that in youth. ‘I am Worcestershire by the very rst line of the very rst birth,’ he wrote in 1934, ‘Shropshire poem in ASL should read ‘From was our Western horizon, which Clee to heaven the beacon burns’. made me feel romantic about it. But what if the budding poet and I do not know the county well, classicist had expressed a preference except in parts, and some of my for other hills? Or, maybe, become topographical details are wrong emotional about the horizons to A E HOUSMAN at the age of 35 years in 1894. 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GREETINGS CARDS Large firm experience - small firm prices - first meeting free TWO Ludlow Heritage News the North, South or East? Clearly a by that eminent Head and scholar Muse of poetry must have climbed of Shrewsbury School, Benjamin in Housman’s footsteps and been on Hall Kennedy. Who could possibly Shropshire’s side. Possibly ‘Sabrina’ have guessed that the schoolboy was hiking as well. clutching his Speech Day prize Housman’s confession of would celebrate 1911 by himself topographical waywardness was being installed as Kennedy very quickly conrmed by the Professor of Latin in the University evidence of his brother. ‘It happened of Cambridge? It placed him at the in the same year ‘A Shropshire Lad’ pinnacle of his chosen profession. was published,’ wrote Laurence. From half a century ago, I recall ‘I went to stay with friends at a remark made by the late Enoch Buildwas; and nding that Hughley Powell MP, who studied under and its steeple were only ve miles Housman, and who described his away, I went over to look at the professor as ‘the most charismatic ‘far-known sign’ (ASL LX1) and of people I knew’. Something the graves of ‘suicides’ on the north altogether lighter came from the late side of the tower. When I reached Ludlow constituency Member, Sir it I found that the ‘far-known sign’ Jasper More of Linley. He chanced was buried away in a valley, and to be dining in hall within earshot that the ‘suicides’ were, most of of Housman when some of the dons them, respectable church-wardens fell to chatting about the ‘new’ form and wives of vicars, all in neatly- of travel, the aeroplane. One don tended graves.’ He then added, stated rmly that aeroplanes could ‘When I reproached Alfred for NOT carry luggage. Housman his romantic falsication of local glanced up from his soup course history his explanation was that the to say, ‘I happen to know they place he really meant had an ugly CAN.’ Surprisingly, the prim Latin name so he substituted ‘Hughley’. scholar who appeared decient ‘I did not apprehend,’ he wrote me, in adventurous body bones, was ‘that the faithful would be making particularly well qualied to know A E HOUSMANS passport photograph when aged 70 years. pilgrimages to these holy places.’ about the new-fangled ying But that is what has now happened.’ machines. From as early as 1920 he A PASSENGER WHO BUTTED Border normally represented by A Shropshire connection – this made annual holiday ights to the HIS HEAD THROUGH THE that name.......it is more that in time with no falsication – lay Continent and, on one occasion, WINDOW TO BE SICK!’ ‘creating’ Shropshire, he produced at the very roots of Housman’s noted the novelty of having a No better comments on the a stage, a little world in which to classical scholarship and love of uniformed ‘waiter’ on board to relationship between Housman’s set in motion the characters, the poetry. One of several prizes which serve him with cheese and biscuits. verse and Shropshire exist emotions and the dramas that he won at Bromsgrove School was However, observations to his sister beyond those of the author and he needed to portray. What he a book which, he said, had rst Katherine aer another such jaunt educationalist, Keith Jebb, who was produced is therefore much closer directed him to classical studies were of a far more alarming nature.