A VERY SPECIAL "KIBWORTHIAN"

The "Looking Back" feature in our June issue again brought back memories to our readers. Mrs Mary Haynes, of East Langton telephoned us on behalf of her father, Mr George Bromley - a true "Kibworthian" .....

GEORGE BROMLEY

To reach the age of 92 and to look at least ten years younger is a great achievement. To attain that age and still have an incredible memory is quite remarkable. This surely says something for an active life with plenty of wholesome food. One person with these distinctive qualities is George Bromley, who has lived in the village for over 88 years.

George, who was born in Walnut Street, Leicester, came to live in Weir Road, Kibworth, with his parents and sister, when he was three years old. They lived there until 1914 and then moved to the old thatched cottage opposite. According to F P Woodford in his "History and Reminiscences of Kibworth", the Bromley family have resided at Little End (now Station Hollow) for many generations - over four hundred years. George's father and uncles set up the family business, Bromley Brothers, Carters and Coal Merchants, in Station Street, in 1907.

George started his schooldays at the age of five, attending the Council School in Paget Street, moving on to the Church of England School, where Dr Bell's surgery is now. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Grammar School. In those days, the school catered for around 100 pupils, who came from Kibworth and surrounding villages. Boys and girls arrived at school on their bicycles and ponies; George remembers at least eight ponies being tethered up for the day in the stables opposite. He always had a lot of homework to do and felt compelled to hand it in on time. Anyone who caused any trouble was sent to the Headmaster's study, where they were forced to lean over his desk for a thrashing with the dreaded cane - a rod six feet long!

WORLD CHAMPION!

Boxing was a popular sport at this time, and George often donned his boxing gloves and joined in the matches on the school playground. He became so professional at it that one of his masters told him that he could win the world championship!

George was at school during the First World War and nearly every day after school, boys practised barracks square drill with wooden rifles. Another part of the drill involved shooting with an air rifle at a black and white target fixed to a tree. A 25 yard trench was dug out in the Grammar School garden for this purpose, and under the guidance of the Headmaster, Mr Ryley, the boys were allowed to shoot live bullets. George comments, "They were getting us ready for the War. Young men from the villages, who had never shot a rifle before, were sent over to France."

Reverend Gwilyn Thomas, minister of the Congregational Chapel, had two sons, Allan and Emrys. "They trained a jackdaw to come down the footpath to school with them. When the windows were open, the jackdaw would fly in onto your desk and drink some ink before making off with a pen!" said George.

George was a member of St Wilfrid's Church all male choir from the age of seven until his voice changed at 16. He became the top boy in the choir and received individual singing tuition from Reverend "Sammy" Fletcher, who accompanied George on the harmonium in the rectory. George comments, "I had to pronounce the words correctly and sometimes sing solo!" Mr Thomas Croxwell, later Reverend Croxwell, played the organ and Mr Henry Barrow, who followed in his footsteps, went on to become organist at St Alban's Cathedral. Mrs Grant also gave George singing lessons, preparing him for concerts and one special performance of "Cantorside". After choir practice, George often bought a ha'pennies worth of tiger nuts from Mrs Mansfield, who kept the newspaper and sweets shop in Church Road (photo in our June issue). Mr Mansfield ran the adjoining garage and the garage and showroom, then situated opposite the "Fox Hound" public house in Leicester Road.

George also joined the Boy Scount movement and during the war they marched up to Kibworth Hall for a welcome tea party. During the long summer holidays, the boy scouts joined the Leicestershire Camp at the Earl of Ancaster's estate at Grimsthorpe in Lincolnshire. They picked flax which was then made into linen for aeroplane wings, earning 7/6d a week and their keep! During 1920, Boy Scouts travelled from all over the world to the Scouts' Jamboree, held at Olympia in London. George has vivid memories of this special occasion. Excited youngsters, who rarely ventured far from home, took a tram ride to Tottenham Court Road. They travelled along the empty streets of London and enjoyed a guided tour of many famous places: Lyons corner cafe, The Corn Exchange, The Bank of England and St Paul's Cathedral.

George can only remember one occasion when a full circus came to Kibworth; this was during the war. The "Big Top" was set up in fields adjoining Weir Road and villagers gathered to see Sir Robert Fossett's circus, a ringmaster, riders on horse-back, trained dogs, camels and elephants - all performed in Kibworth. George has not forgotten one special performance: he regularly fed the elephants with apples. One day, while an elephant was eating sweet-smelling hay, George took an apple out of his pocket and as he reached toward the elephant's trunk, he was grabbed around the waist, lifted in the air and tossed into a pile of 'muck" behind!

After leaving school, George served his apprenticeship at a garage and machine shop in Leicester, where he stayed for three years. He then worked at Humbers in Coventry for two years before joining the family business. At this time, George drove his first car, a 1908 Beeston Humber.

Bromley Brothers delivered coal by horse and cart in Kibworth, surrounding villages, and as far afield as Market Harborough. During slack periods, they farmed local land and worked on the roads for the Council. When times were hard after the First World War, they became tenants of the "Glebeland": farming fields in and around Kibworth.

ROYAL OCCASIONS

George occasionally worked for Mr Bellville at Kibworth Hall. One day, when he had just finished chain harrowing, a gentleman on horseback stopped and asked him the way to Kibworth Post Office. The stranger, whom George escorted to his destination, turned out to be none other than Edward, Prince of Wales, who had come to Leicestershire to ride with the Fernie Hunt!

Eventually, George ran the family business and lorries gradually took the place of the horse and cart. He became a dab hand at stacking all the corn - there being no combine harvesters in those days! In 1946, at Foxton Agricultural Show, George won first prize for stacking and thatching cornstacks.

George and his late wife Corah were married at Sedgley in Worcestershire in 1927, setting up home in High Street where George still lives. Before Corah came to live in Kibworth, she worked for Lord Ednam at Himley Hall. During their married life, George and Corah were invited to the Hall, where Lord Ednam entertained his great friend, Edward, Prince of Wales. They were met at the station and chauffeur driven to the Hall in a Rolls Royce, emblazoned with the Earl of Dudley's coat-of-arms. Corah had the privilege of ironing the Prince's dress shirts, receiving a princely sum of a pound or two from detectives! Amongst Corah's other jobs, she worked as a laundry maid for Lady de Trafford in Market Harborough. Her married life was spent bringing up a family of four children, Leonard, Mary, Norma and Patricia. George may well feel proud and can boast of his large family, which now consists of 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren!

During the Second World War, George and his comrades, members of the "Home Guard", were trained better than the Army. They used to practise shooting at the Army Rifle Range on Tur Langton Road. A quantity of American army rifles from the First World War were sent over, and the "Home Guard" tested them for accuracy. On many occasions, this involved a long day of continuous shooting - from nine o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the evening. At the Bombing Range on the outskirts of Smeeton Westerby, they even practised with "Mills bombs" (live hand-grenades). George pointed out that you "pull the pin and throw"!

At the age of 80, after a very active life, George finally handed over the reins to his son, Leonard. Four years ago, Leonard sold the family business to Capell's, who still keep the name of '"Bromley Brothers".

George is certainly one of the great old characters of Kibworth, and it was a wonderful privilege to share his memories of a time long past.

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