Monthly Podcast
A little about our Podcast
A monthly podcast from the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum. Hosted by Colonel Andy Taylor (Honorary Curator) and Rev Paul Roberts. Stroll with us around the highways and byways of Herefordshire while we explore the story of our regiment and county in war and peace. Special guests, featured items from the museum's collection and highlights from the lives of those who served from our beautiful county... and a pint (or two) of good ale as well!
The attached snap enables you to put a face to the names! Colonel Andy Taylor and the Reverend Paul Roberts record a podcast in the Museum.
The podcast is also available in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Listen Notes, Player FM and Podcast Index.
Enjoy - and if there is a specific topic you would like discussed then please e-mail the curator at hfdlimuseum@gmail.com
Listen here for an introduction to our Podcast titled - Just A Walk In The Sun
Episode 9
Just a Moth-Eaten Rag and other Leominster Stories
This month's episode finds Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts taking a walk around the highways and byways of Herefordshire market town, Leominster. They start at the railway station exploring the story of the breakfast stop over for the a party of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment returning the Regimental Colours to Hereford at the end of the First World War. Enjoy Andy trying (and eventually succeeding) to remember Sir Edmund Hamley's famous poem about Regimental Colours "A Moth-Eaten Rag"; the role colours continue to play in our army and the consecration of unique colours for the Hereford & Worcester Army Cadet Force in 2015.
They then explore Etnam Street and Grange Court - built by the King's Carpenter, John Abel and on the way try to solve the mystery of George Greenhouse's medals. A little bit more walking takes our intrepid pair to New Street, site of the former Borough Gaol, turned Drill Hall and the replacement Drill Hall built in 1962, shortly before the end of the Herefordshire Light Intantry (TA).
Finally, in the surroundings of Leominster Priory, they discuss the wartime service of former Leominster Vicar, Revd Robert Gillenders MC - army chaplain to Wilfred Owen of the 2nd Manchesters and Military Cross winner.
To slake their thirst our duo retire to the Chequers on Etnam Street for a well-deserved pint and a look forward to some of other fascinating stories that Leominster has to tell when they take Just another Walk in the Sun.
Listen here:
Episode 8
Rotherwas and DORA
This month's episode finds Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts in the grounds of St Michael's and All Angels' Church, Bodenham at the grave of William Garland, who died on 27th July 1942. Further research shows that, this Great War veteran died in the bombing of the Rotherwas Ordnance Factory, on the south-east outskirts of Hereford.
Our intrepid pair visit the site of the Royal Ordnance Factory, exploring its history during both world wars, including the fatal air raid, and other dangers and accidents faced by the workers there - who came in from many surrounding towns and villages to do their bit in the war effort.
Paul and Andy repair to the Wye Inn just along the "Rotherwas straight mile" for a pint, and catch up with DORA... with some sobering facts for our wandering clergyman, and sadly no opportunity to be served beer out of a bath tub as happened there in the past!
Note from the editing suite: the location of the ammunition storage facility that our presenters could not remember was at Callow, south of the city of Hereford!
Listen here:
Episode 7
A Christmas Special
Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts explore different Christmases with the 1/1st and 2/1st Herefordshire Regiment during the Great War and with the Regiment on the River Maas in 1944. They uncover the shopping list for Christmas dinner in 1914, which included 825 oranges and four hundredweight of plum pudding.
In contrast, they also explore the 1940 Christmas of Fr John King, former Vicar of All Saints, Hereford, in Oflag VII-C - an officer's prisoner of war camp in Laufen on the German - Austrian border.
Listen now:
Episode 6
A Walk Around Ledbury
In this month's episode, Col Andy Taylor and Reverend Paul Roberts reveal a family secret, explore the high streets and bye streets of the Herefordshire market town of Ledbury, and follow in the footsteps of Territorial bandsman and prisoner of war, Charles Percy Taylor. Any relation? Listen to find out!
Percy Taylor caused havoc in the town as one of the Mafeking Boys before running away to sea, only to return to Ledbury to work at Hopkins Garage and join the Herefordshire Regiment. The war found him more at danger from friends than enemies - receiving a bullet wound to the chest from a fellow Ledburian, before overseas service with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. Taken prisoner in the Spring Offensive of 1918, Percy spent a number of months in a German Stammlager or Stalag before repatriation and return to civilian life in the town.
Part of civvie life included regular trips to the Brewery Inn on the Bye Street - so this is where our hosts end up too, for a nostalgic pint and a discussion about research into the men of the town in the First and Second World Wars. If you have any information on Second World War servicemen or women from the town do contact us. (You may also wish to contact us to correct a glaring error made by Paul in describing the famous Ledbury Market House!)
Listen now:
Episode 5
Cheese possessed, bacon gorilla and other treasures in the Museum's cabinets
In this month's episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts explore the contents of some of the Museum's cabinets - including a trip down memory lane for anyone who experienced army "compo" rations from the 1960s to the 1990s.
They look too at some exhibits dating from the Volunteer Service Companies' time in the Boer War in 1900, including ghost-dated medals, rare tunics and the strangest of Christmas cards. We also hear of the Hull brothers - Percy, later Sir Percy Hull organist of Hereford Cathedral interned in 1914 in Germany and his brother Claude who served with the Volunteers in South Africa and died with the Canadian Field Artillery in the Great War.
Dry throats lead our hosts to the Rose and Crown pub at Tupsley, just up the road from the Museum. Here during the Second World War, the local Home Guard had its Company HQ, we find out how the building has changed, take a look at the camera returns feature for August.
Listen now:
Episode 4
From The Museum
This month, in a delayed episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts dodge the rain clouds and stay warm inside the Regimental Museum, exploring the history of Suvla Barracks, the Museum itself and one of it's prized possessions - Grand Admiral Doenitz's Car Pennant, liberated by the Regiment from Flensburg on the arrest of the Third Reich's final government in Operation Blackout on 23rd May 1945.
Though despite not stretching their legs, they do manage a beer to quench their thirst with a beer made in Poperinge, Belgium. This town, seven miles west of Ieper (Ypres) was known as a wartime centre of shopping, recreation and rest - although not safe from long distance shelling - and is home to Talbot House, or Toc H an all ranks club opened by Army Chaplain, Tubby Clayton. Poperinge Hommel Bier has been made from hops grown in the town since 1981 and is delicious, if not dangerously strong!
Listen now:
Episode 3 - August 2022
The Hoptons of Canon Frome
This month, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a walk in the sun around Canon Frome Court and St Laurence's Church, Stretton Grandison in search of the Hopton family.
Learn about General Sir Edward Hopton whose medals the Herefordshire Regimental Museum recently reunited, and his crack shot, cello playing Olympian nephew, Lieut Colonel John Hopton who inherited the estate. A visit to St Laurence's Church also reveals the original grave marker to Captain Guy Hopwood who was killed in action with the Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1915
The walk in the sun finishes at the nearby Trumpet Inn, where more is revealed about military history of this pub and the why the Lincolnshire Poacher is the Regimental Quick March of the Herefordshire Regiment.
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
Listen now:
Episode 2 - July 2022
A walk around Withington
Our second podcast features Andy and Paul visiting and chatting about Withington and its military memorials - the village War Memorial, Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones in the Churchyard and the memorial tablets in the Church ................ and of course a visit to a local hostelry for a well earned pint!
Listen now:
Episode 1 June 2022
Episode 1 - Introduction - 'Just A Walk In The Sun'
This episode is available at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1968663/10786305
This teaser episode announces a brand new monthly podcast from the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum.
Join curator, Colonel Andy Taylor and trustee, Rev Paul Roberts to discover more about the history of this local Regiment from formation in 1908, through war service at Gallipoli 1915, Palestine 1917 and through to D-Day and North-West Europe 1944-45. Find out why "Just A Walk in the Sun", and if anyone knows why the Lincolnshire Poacher was chosen as the Regimental Quick March. Find out too whether the Hereford Best Bitter from the Hereford Brewery helped or hindered the discussions.
Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
