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 West Wiltshire Signs Apart from seeing old friends, one of the personal pleasures of attending the Annual General Meeting is the chance to explore new ground and hopefully discover some new signs. Well, new to the writer! Prior research indicated two Young's houses that might be of interest. The Rattlebone Inn is situated in the pleasant village of Sherston. The eponymous hero was mortally wounded in a skirmish with the Danes, a millennium ago. He fought to the death, clutching a slate to his stomach to prevent his innards falling out. The Horse & Groom Inn at Charlton had an impressive sepia sign and a striking frontage. The place oozes charm and hospitality - at least that was my instant impression. Having visited Malmesbury last year, I did not revisit The Smoking Dog, which was to feature in the post-AGM presentation entertainingly given by Angela Panrucker. She used to live in these parts and has a very thorough knowledge of Wiltshire pubs. Chippenham proved very barren ground. The King Alfred is about to go; in its place, the Tamarind will operate as an Asian restaurant. Both the Five Alls and the George's Railway have closed. According to a passing postman, the latter was demolished and a block of flats was built on the site. Nobody else at the AGM could find the Five Alls, so presumably that too has gone. The Brunel had no pictorial sign, so the only uncommon and readily accessible sign was the Old Road Tavern. At Kington Langley, I found the first of two cricket signs in these parts. The Hit or Miss is probably unique in that it captures the wicketkeeper in the act of whipping off the bails and thereby effecting a stumping. This was another idyllic rural pub, set in the shade of a spreading chestnut tree. The pub was closed, but the friendly landlady came out and talked about the pub's link with the summer game. Midway between Chippenham and Melksham is the village of Lacock, which is considered to be one of the prettiest in the country. At the Sign of the Angel may not be the most attractive of signs, but it certainly adheres to the letter of the law and licence. The AGM was held at the Kings Arms, Melksham. The town has two other pub signs of interest. The Parson's Nose - the previous Gibbs Mew version - is on the Society's short-list for this year's Christmas card selection. The current Enterprise Inns sign is disappointing and badly faded. The Grapes is unusual in that one side of the sign shows a banana. A surprising and worrying number of members seemed to know the reason for the queer sign! After Angela's presentation, I made my roundabout way home via Bradford-on-Avon, the most attractive town of the day. The Kings Arms shows the monarch and coat-of-arms. But who is depicted? Some say James II, others say William of Orange. One succeeded the other, and although unrelated, they were strikingly similar in appearance. My other cricketing find was The Poplars at Wingfield, west of Trowbridge. Many pubs are content to have a beer garden. This attractive pub has just that - plus its own cricket field! The playing area is so small that a local 'six and out' rule applies. A few years ago, the county side played here and the home side trounced them because the Wiltshire batsmen couldn't resist the short boundary! Howzat? Oh, that other Young's house! Their sign of The Bunch of Grapes has been used frequently, but here, the surrounding growth of vine leaves added extra interest. Young's deserve to succeed as each house is pleasant and inviting. It is to be hoped that they will reach the Midlands soon! |
