Alan, Paul and Tony at Well House farmyard, Tirley, Gloucestershire drinking Plumpton Wine. This puts me in mind to addressing ourselves as Tupman, Snodgrass and Winkle of the ‘Plumpton Club’. (after Dickens ‘Pickwick Club’) ‘These Passing Years’ From a beer on a sawdust floor in the Half Moon Pub A trip to Lewes could be great fun, Tony and I, we knew when to run! Or a frothy coffee in a Brighton bar, We now drink fine wines in Tirley,…
Remains of Clare Castle home of our patrons the De Clare’s, Earls of Gloucester On Tuesday, 4th July, I had the great privilege and pleasure to accompany a group of Gloucester freemen and women on a venture to Clare and Sudbury in Suffolk. We were driven, in a mini-bus by President Mr Lee Hensley. The journey from west to east being around 170 miles to Clare. (340-50 m. round trip). Although there was heavy rain at times we had a…
‘Tenacious Trio’- BBBF ‘Old Boys’ born March/April 1940 The quintessential countryside of John Constable and the Suffolk Stour Valley is not typical of the varied English landscapes. However, the sight of agricultural activity will always enhance the rural scene. A Three-part Song I’m just in love with all these three, The W’eald an’ the Marsh an’ the Down countrie; Nor I don’t know which I love the most, The W’eald or the Marsh or the white chalk coast. I’ve buried…
Tewkesbury Abbey Preamble The coincidence of connections between these distant places have largely affected our national history. Chapter 1 ‘Freedom of the Protected Boroughs and the Vikings’ Vikings from Scandinavia had begun raiding parts of the British Isles during the late eighth century. In most events they found little resistance from a relatively undefended peasantry. A mark in time would be when, in 877 on a reconnoitre, a large contingent visited Gloucester, to find a strong walled but unprotected, almost…
Sudbury Common Lands Following the first and second World Wars many common lands were in a parlous state through lack of manual attention. Much of the land was turning to scrub and apparent wasteland. Common land in general represented a large proportion of the national landscape. A Royal Commission was set up in 1955 to make recommendations as to what changes were desirable in the law relating to common lands. This had become necessary as the problems over ownership and…
“While Stewardship may not be anything like semi-natural habitats with their associated wildlife accumulated over several centuries, it does have an important part to play in reducing the haemorrhaging of wildlife from our farmed countryside” AW. Endangered Skylark This is the lament of my pal Adrian, Clerk/Ranger to the Sudbury Common Lands Charity. Not quite as John Clare towards the ‘Inclosures’ but a modern view of the landscape today. He has my sentiments as we observe the seriously diminishing natural…
Preamble: Freedom – by right, influence or law Liberty under Roman law was a privilege given rule and under Scandinavian law, liberty was a birth right by a tradition of entitlement. Of note, people of Scandinavia have always been able to move freely throughout their nations without fear of prosecution for trespass. England inherited the rules (codes) initially set by Roman law and this has been complimented by much of the freedoms recreated by the Anglo-Saxon and subsequent Dane law….
Following the ‘Great Reform’ and the Municipal Corporations Act, 1835, initially the Freemen were stripped of all their powers. Subsequent legislation in recognition of English law preventing the removal of ‘personal property’ allowed the retention of their ‘personal property’, that being title to personal custom of freedom in a restricted form. Charity Trusts were set up to preserve certain assets proven to be owed to the individuals at the time of the reform. Many of these were converted by sales…
Weekend in Sudbury
Notice of Retirement from FEW Executive at the Forthcoming AGM Bedern Hall York, 18 March 2023 Report to the FEW Executive and to the Court Meeting by the VP/DP FEW business and internal activities have continued to be quiet and are virtually at a standstill with the exception of a few specific enquiries. Gilds/Guilds have been regathering and indicate a restored interest in their activities. Following an area warden’s concerns regarding the legitimacy of Freedom – for clarification, I have…