HANLEY MATTERS Issue the Newsletter of No
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HANLEY MATTERS Issue the newsletter of No. 33 The Hanleys’ Village Society Winter 2013/14 OFFICERS WHAT DID THE ROMANS DO FOR US? President Nick Lechmere Tel: 07771 644927 Among other things, they brought us apples. In a talk following the AGM on the Marcher Apple Network (MAN), Tom Froggatt traced the origins of the Chair Jenny McGowran cultivated apple to central Asia. The Persians passed the techniques of Tel: 311820 grafting to the Greeks and the Romans brought dwarf rootstocks to Britain. Treasurer After they left, the work of maintaining sweet varieties was continued by John Boardman Tel: 311748 monks, the orchards of the monastery at Ely being particularly famous. By Secretary & Newsletter the 13th century the Costard variety was grown in many parts of England Editor and apple sellers became known as costermongers. Malcolm Fare Tel: 311197 Henry VIII instructed his gardener to introduce new varieties from France, among them the red skinned Pippin. Towards the end of the 18th Programme Secretary David Thomas century, Thomas Andrew Knight was the first to pollinate apples by hand, Tel: 310437 which led to the development of many improved varieties. His work influ- enced nurserymen such as Thomas Laxton and Richard Cox, who both FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES gave their name to well-known varieties. The Bramley Seedling, which 24 January 2014 remains the finest apple in the world for cooking, was first exhibited in The story of the 1876, having been grown from a pip of unknown origin in 1809. Birmingham ‘Back-to- Backs’ by Liz Baker - the The National Apple Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent, has social history as well as around 2600 varieties and there can be as many as 400 varieties on one the buildings. Village Hall, 7.30pm. tree. But much of our national heritage of apple diversity has disappeared 15 February 2014 due to large-scale marketing of apples from overseas and the central The launch of Jim purchasing power of supermarkets. Toomey’s last book - an account of the visit to Twenty years ago MAN was founded to identify and preserve apples in Hanley Castle by the the Marcher counties of England and Wales. Its aim is to resuscitate Duke of York in 1409-10. Village Hall, 2.30pm. interest in native apple and pear varieties for people to grow for themselves 21 March 2014 or buy at farmers’ markets. It has issued two CDs - The Herefordshire A talk about the Mercian Pomona, reproducing a beautifully illustrated book on apples first published Staffordshire Hoard by Ray Aspden - the in 1878, and Vintage Fruit, which includes classic descriptions and colour artefacts and the people plates of cider apples and perry pears. who would have buried them. Vera Mortimer, who owns a small orchard in Hanley Swan, has Village Hall, 7.30pm. generously given it to the community. More than a dozen people descended on the orchard towards the end of October and picked half a ton of apples. The crop was pressed at Clive’s Fruit Farm, yielding 340 bottles of juice which quickly sold out as word spread. Council tree expert Wade Muggleton then spent half a day in the orchard, showing volunteers how to prune old apple trees. Picking apples in Vera’s orchard DEFFORD AIRFIELD In 1947 Defford became a dry title of a work by medieval civilian HQ for the police and historian and Society member At a talk in November, Deffield fire brigade. But it also James Toomey, who sadly Airfield Heritage Group archi- continued providing facilities died just before the vist Dennis Williams gave an for research work, including an Worcestershire Historical absorbing account of the work experimental inflatable aircraft, Society (WHS) was able to carried out at Defford Airfield and in 1951 the first jet bomb- publish his book. during the war. er, the English Electric He spent many years Partly built on Defford Canberra, arrived. researching the visit of the Common and spilling over on In 1957 the airfield had to Duke of York’s household to to the Croome Park estate, close as a flying base when the castle in 1409/10 and the the 3-runway airfield was a Vickers Valiant bombers result is a fascinating insight satellite to RAF Pershore and needed a longer runway, into medieval life in our par- an operational training unit for although its radar work ish. We learn what those who Bomber Command flying continued. Today, the Merlin lived in the castle ate and Vickers Wellington bombers. multi-element radio-linked drank, how they sourced It opened for flying in interferometer network tel- their foodstuffs and other September 1941, with pilots, escope provides data to provisions, and how an navigators and bomb aimers Jodrell Bank. upper-class household was trained separately and brought Dennis Williams finished by run five centuries before together to form 6-man crews. pointing out that, in Downton Abbey! In May 1942 the unit moved to conjunction with the National The book will be Pershore to make way for Trust at Croome Park, the introduced by WHS president radar research work at a time Defford Airfield Heritage Group Professor Chris Dyer of when radar stations were has recently launched a Leicester University, who has being installed across Britain self-guided tour of the site, made a special study of the to give early warning of enemy known as the RAF Defford economic and social history aircraft. walk, and is proceeding with of medieval England, in par- Early successes with plans for a museum in a ticular the west midlands Airborne Interception systems restored wartime decontami- region. were demonstrated by night nation unit. This promises to be one of fighter pilots and Air-to- the most interesting meetings Surface Vessel radar enabled BOOK LAUNCH of our Village Society and the German U-boat menace to members are urged to support be effectively countered. the occasion. Copies of the Defford was a young and book will be on sale at a vibrant station with special price of £18, including approximately 2500 personnel WHS membership (normal and 100 aircraft. There were retails price £28). sports facilities, two dance Refreshments of tea and bands and a theatre group run cake will be provided and the by a social section where all event will start at 2.30 pm. ranks met. The world's first automatic VISIT TO BROADWAY approach and landing took place at Defford in 1945, The WI are organising a trip to paving the way for today’s A detailed account of life at Broadway to visit the Gordon airliners which are able to Hanley’s castle in the early Russell Design Museum of arrive safely at their 15th century will be the Arts & Crafts furniture and the destinations, whatever the subject of a talk and book Ashmolean Museum of fine weather. And in the same launch at the village hall on art. It will take place on year, the airfield staged the Saturday 15th February. Wednesday 12 February, world's first demonstration Noble Household when a coach will leave of an aircraft making a Management and Spiritual Hanley Swan village hall at 9 hands-free automatic blind Dscipline in 15th Century am. For more details ring landing. Worcestershire is the rather Joanna Bowles on 311931. .