Their histories and stories by Enid and Phil.
There were so many interesting items in the February talk given to Tideswell Local History Club that it is hard to choose between them. Did we know for instance, that the Marquis of Granby sign remembers a much respected soldier who gave money to some of his retiring staff to start up in the pub business. Similarly the “Wellington” pubs were set up by soldiers with money earned in the Peninsular Wars.
This talk is the fruit of a sixty year hobby for Enid, who started noting pub signs as a little girl when travelling steadily down from Sheffield to the New Forest on family holidays in their Austin Ruby. She and Phil have been logging them ever since and now have photo’s of 1,360 signs in their collection. They even have a picture of the big First Drop Inn sign that used to be in our Market Place until 20 years ago.
They told us that way back in history the earliest sign was either a bush or a vine and that that custom was instigated by the Romans. King Richard the second, however, made them compulsory – he even had official ale-tasters wearing leather britches, going round, to make sure the new brew wasn’t too sweet. They sprinkled some drink onto a wooden bench and then sat on it! If they stuck to the bench, there were too many sugars in the brew.
An industry-based sign is that of the Hoffmann (lime kiln) up at Harpur Hill and we were told that the fire in this continuous process kiln burnt from 1872 and wasn’t put out until 1944. Another pub sign at Brassington portrays the Saxon carving of t’owd man – the old lead miner, complete with his wisket (basket) and pole pick. Samuel Fox from Bradwell invented the modern umbrella frame and we were shown a sign of a very cheeky fox sheltering under an umbrella. Another industrial sign is that of the Rusty Dudley pub in Barnsley. This name was a sly dig at the miner’s drinking can, which was made (not very well) in Dudley – the contents soon went a rusty colour.
Closer to home, they showed the three dimensional sign of the Three Stags Heads at Wardlow Mires. We all go pass it regularly but might not appreciate how striking it is. Similarly, the gallows sign of the Green Man – Blackamoors Head at Ashbourne is unusual because it stretches right across the road.
These and dozens of other pub sign features entertained and informed us and the hour went by very quickly. Years ago, when I was doing my old miner re-enactment for school parties, I always told the children to look out for interesting pub signs – because they can tell us so much about local history. The Miner’s Arms at Eyam, the old Pig of Lead at Bonsall and the Miner’s Standard at Winster all tell us about our lead mining ancestors.
Enid and Phil are to be greatly congratulated on this study of a lifetime. Please come again! Next time in the Institute on March 10th Malcolm Dungworth will be telling us all about the Sheffield Automobile Club. Everyone will be very welcome.
Brian Woodall