NEWSLETTER 6 OCTOBER 2020 Local History Cafe

Sir John Moore Foundation, Appleby Magna

Hello Heritage … Appleby Magna puts its historic roots on display ...

020 will forever go down as the year of change, and none more so in Appleby Magna. Instead of our normal Open Heritage weekend at the 2Sir John Moore Foundation, we were able to partner with North West Bumpy Nights District Council to create Hello Heritage boards that celebrate The word Appleby's heritage. There were eight boards altogether, with the base map Halloween or sited by the Recreation playground. Each board was designed to tell the Hallowe'en dates to story of a about 1745 particular building or area of the village. A good deal of research had to be completed to ensure details were concise and The mouse ran accurate. Further up where ? delving into the Jean Turnbull, a © Heather Griffin photographic current LHC archive of the village allowed the boards to show historic images for direct member, tells of comparison to the present day. Some of the images were unique to the rodent mayhem .. Page 4. Hello Heritage Project. There are more images and comments on pages 5 and 6. Further information is still available at www.nwleics.gov.uk/ The Gas House pages/helloheritage providing the light.

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HISTORY MYSTERY 100 NOT OUT UP COMING DATES Page 4 Last months image was Appleby’s War History Cafe Meetings Memorial is 100 years a vinaigrette. For more 20th October * information … Page 3 old … Page 4

1 * To be confirmed LOCAL HISTORY CAFE NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2020 “Whats happening on School Spuds… Whats App …” Appleby School children lend a hand What’s been online this month in the Autumn fields ...

fter a quiet time on the Whats App n years gone by Appleby Magna, October Group, this month saw a plethora of was the month that the village had its topics that led to all sorts of Iannual Wakes Week. Records from the A Boys School log-book kept by Mr S C discussions. One particular thread was started off by an old photograph of petrol Robinson (headmaster between 1925-27), pumps being used in the 1960’s, and this lead show that the boys had a holiday – a half day to memories of even older pumps that were or a whole day - for 'Appleby Wake'. In 1919 hand cranked. The conversation morphed into some of us recalling childhood toys such as spinning tops and Duncan telling the group of how he made tops both out of wood and metal.

We discussed writing lines at school and Jackie Magazine. Other threads included The Janet & John reading books, Jean’s desire to drive an excavator and despite its popularity at the time, not many members really like Fry’s Chocolate, preferring instead Caramac. there was a whole week: 'Oct 10th, Closed the School today for the usual week's holiday for the Wake and potato picking'. During and immediately following the First World War there was clearly a need for the children's labour to help get in the potato harvest.

The original meaning of Appleby Wake was one of abstinence from sleep or of watching, practised as a religious observance and was often coupled with fasting. © alamy stock photographs

History mystery ???

This delightful little object was made by Tiffany around 1900. Any ideas as to its use?

The answer will be in our November Newsletter

2 LOCAL HISTORY CAFE NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2020 All Hallows’ Eve… Facebook Snippets … ‘What a Appleby continues this autumn whiff …’ tradition … Local History Cafe A ‘vinaigrette’ hroughout Britain and no doubt in Online would have been Appleby Magna, Halloween has carried by the traditionally been celebrated by f you are not already T delicate people of children’s games such as bobbing for aware Local History Appleby. Both men apples in containers full of water, telling ICafe Online has a and women would ghost stories and the carving of faces into photograph of the week use them. hollowed-out vegetables such as swedes every Saturday. On the and turnips. These faces would usually be 5th of September Kate illuminated from within by a candle, the lanterns displayed on window sills to ward off any evil spirits.

This day marked the end of summer and the The silver object harvest and the beginning would contain of the dark, cold winter, a vinegar and maybe herbs that could be held up to the nose to block out the time offending odours of year that was often that came from the © Erewash Museum Collection associated with human unspeakable filth death. Celts believed that posted this image from and stench that on the night before the The Erewash Museum accompanied 18th new year, the boundary Collection. It is an image and 19th century between the worlds of of coal mining at Shipley living. the living and the dead Colliery around 1930 and became blurred. On the night of certainly in the days October 31 they celebrated before Health and Safety Samhain, when it was believed that had made mining a safer the ghosts of the dead returned to occupation. earth.

Not as bad as ’s “Big Stink”, Appleby’s streets would have been strewn with rotting waste.

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Harvest Mouse .. Appleby War Memorial ... Jean Turnbull tells of mice and stockings! This year is the 100 year anniversary of its dedication ... t m y g r a n d p a r e n t s ' smallholding, near Corby t was on a cold day in October A in , www.sirjohnmoore.org.uk 1920, that the Appleby War Dad always scythed a small IMemorial was unveiled. The 9 foot paddock of grass for hay for the Celtic cross had been paid for by goats in winter. We had a public subscription. During a service makeshift sledge made of led by the Rev. C T Moore, a large corrugated tin which we used to Union Flag was used to unveil the drag the hay to a barn, then in my stone edifice by Colonel Bryon of the teens, we always went bean SirJohn Moore Leicestershire Yeomanry. He urged picking and potato gathering in Foundation Heritage those gathered to carry them torch of the autumn - £1 a day - thought Centre duty’ on behalf of those that were we were rich. commemorated. Harvest Festival in church was In this month always an important date on the church calendar. I loved the church all decorated with produce The Local History Cafe 1066 ... Harold II, ’s last Extended meets every which was sold off the evening Anglo Saxon King was killed at the third Tuesday of the after in the village hall. My friend Battle of Hastings. month and I sang in the church choir and 1632 ...Birth of English architect on one occasion, we spotted a Sir Christopher Wren mouse., attracted in by all the produce. During the sermon, my NEXT ISSUE Many patriotic hymns were sung friend could feel something Bonfire Night including ‘O Valiant Hearts’ and the going up her leg and looked Village Shops service concluded with a muffled peal panic stricken - from the church bells and the fortunately, it was a � � � sounding of the “Last Post.” Many ladder in her floral tributes stocking which she were placed could feel around the running up her memorial leg! w h i c h h a d been designed and carved by Mr Charlie Peelings ... Mitchell of The Gas House in Appleby is where the gas for the hall Tamworth. was produced. However most of the villagers only had

From Tamworth Herald October paraffin lamps and candles at that time ... 1920 Northcliffe Media Ltd

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Ff Hello Heritage Appleby Magna September 2020

elcome to our W Special Section looking at Hello Heritage in From Appleby Magna Village Chat Group … Appleby Magna. “I don’t know who’s responsible for the Hello Heritage signs We have included around the village but I love pictures of all them. Great Idea!” eight of the sites “They are great. Thank you so around the village much … Shame they are not a along with the ‘Vox permanent feature” Populi” of visitors Elly Berrill and villagers who enjoyed them during September.

“What a wonderful idea, particularly for newcomers to the village … Thank you” Alison

5 © Heather Griffin & Andrew Moore ut of the mouths Oof babes. On seeing the Hello Heritage Boards, 6 year old Ruben told “Brilliant. Well done our SJM Heritage Team” his mum “This is SUCH a good idea! It’s great ”My cousin and I are on the we can see the almshouse photo. � ” village in the Mary Hatwell olden times”. His mum replied “It just proves h o w i t ’ s interesting kids too. We love it!”

8th September 2020

“Well done SJMF team, this is brilliant! We’ve really enjoyed searching them all out and learnt loads about the village, thank you”

8th September 2020

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