Inside Salisbury: Winnie-the-Pooh, the Canadian Army and Sarum Lights
How local historical research can reveal something special
An historical county connection to Winnie-the-Pooh and the Canadian Army discovered
by Annette J Beveridge
RESEARCH can lead historians down a rabbit hole of intrigue as more and more information comes to light and this is exactly what happened when a council employee spotted something that stirred his curiosity.
A seemingly unimportant piece of wood which was found hanging up at Devizes Library by Wiltshire Council IT employee, Wayne Dicker, revealed a far-reaching link across the county and beyond. He was immediately intrigued when he saw the object.
The inscription said: ‘Maple Leaf Villa.’
He said: “I was asked to attend the Devizes Library site to fix a laptop fault. Whilst waiting for a laptop to do some updates in the back office stockroom I looked around and spotted the wooden plaque hanging on the wall. I was interested straight away because of the wording ‘Maple Leaf Villa’. Being ex Forces and having worked with the Canadian Army, I took a closer look.
“What struck me next was the wording someone had put underneath the plaque indicating it was from an ex Canadian Army Hut and had relevance to the first Library HQ in Great Britain, and also dating back to 1914. I was startled that this wooden plaque was so old and if it was validated as a genuine item it would be over 100 years old. I got people into this and uncovered the story.”
This led to a chain of events with the Collections Manager at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, Ian Hicks, delving into the history and provenance of this long-forgotten piece of Wiltshire's heritage.
His expert knowledge of the archives led him to uncover an enthralling story with an unexpected twist.
The first Wiltshire library headquarters was actually an ex-Canadian Army hut, and it was purchased from Old Sarum Aerodrome by Wiltshire County Council in 1919 for £100. The humble-looking structure, was then re-erected on the grounds of Trowbridge Adcroft Council Boys' School on Prospect Place, and christened by the Canadian Army as the 'Maple Leaf Villa'.
Wayne Dicker added: “I'm very pleased that I started something off that at first may have just seemed to be an old piece of a wooden hut but it has uncovered hundreds of years of missing history and history that needed to be remembered.”
Research into the library headquarters also led to another little-known story. Lieutenant Harry Colborn of the Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps, The Fort Garry Horse cavalry regiment, brought to Salisbury from Canada an American black bear, which he affectionately named Winnie because of his home-town of Winnipeg.
When Harry went to fight in Europe, he left Winnie at London Zoo. In 1924, A.A. Milne regularly took his son, Christopher Robin Milne, to see Winnie. Christopher's love for Winnie inspired A.A. Milne to create the beloved fictional character Winnie-the-Pooh.
Hicks said: “This project has been an opportunity to highlight Wiltshire’s rich archival history. Utilising the extensive archive and local studies collections held at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, we are able to tell this captivating story with many elements, all with a Wiltshire connection. I have truly enjoyed working on this project, which, with all archival research, has been a voyage of discovery”.
Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Libraries, Ian Blair-Pilling, said: “A discovery of a seemingly humble item has resulted in a fascinating glimpse into the county’s history, particularly our long standing and proud association with the Armed Forces, as well as our own library service.
“It’s only fitting that our library service shares a history with one of the most popular literary characters, Winnie-the-Pooh, and I’m delighted more can now be found out about this. I encourage people to go and take a look at the display because it’s a brilliant story, one of thousands to be found at our libraries.”
A permanent plaque was unveiled at Trowbridge Library on Friday, October 11, and an exhibition was launched so people can find out all about the discovery. It will be in place until the end of October.
The event was attended by Cllr Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council Chief Executive Lucy Townsend and Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Air Vice-Marshal David Couzens among others.
An extraordinary exploration of humanity’s relationship with the concept of time
A brand-new light and sound show will create a spectacular, ever-changing projection on the exterior west front of Salisbury Cathedral, while inside the architecture will be lit up by fascinating light shows. There will be a finale down the full length of the nave portraying the building in a new light.
5,000 tickets have already been sold for the return of Sarum Lights by Luxmuralis which takes place at the Cathedral this November.
Sarum Lights: Time will be an extraordinary exploration of humanity’s relationship with the concept of time, offering visitors an unforgettable journey through history, science and imagination. Through the immersive projected artworks visitors will traverse wormholes, venture inside the intricate workings of clocks and experience a dramatic narrative that stretches from the present day back to the very beginning of time.
The show will include examples of early cave paintings, a walk through Einstein’s theories of relativity and text from HG Wells’ The Time Machine.
In addition, there will be A Note to Myself, which will encourage visitors to write a message to themselves, either their younger selves, themselves today or their thoughts for the future.
The postcards will then form a growing cascade in the north transept of the Cathedral.
Time runs from Tuesday, November 5 – Saturday, November 9 from 5.30pm each evening, with 15 minute timed slots available. Tickets must be booked in advance, and are available to purchase from www.salisburycathedral.org.uk
Sarum Light: Illuminating Art by Luxmuralis 2023 Photo Martin Cook