Nottingham's Unique Silver Penny

This unique old silver penny dating from the eleventh century (both sides are shown above) now belongs to Nottingham City Council. It was either struck at Shelford, near Radcliffe-On-Trent in Nottinghamshire, or on Bridlesmith Gate in Nottingham. Although the small 1.55mm diameter coin is very thin and fragile and not complete, you can still see the image of a newly crowned William the Conqueror (c.1028-1087) on one side, unusually facing forward carrying a sceptre patte and a sceptre botonne. The inscription partly missing reads : WILLIAM REX ANGLOR– William King of England.

On the reverse, there is a cross fleury with an annulet in the centre over saltire botonne with the legend, M[AN] ON SNOTINGI. ‘M’ could indicate that the coin was struck by the moneyer Manna and SNOTINGI ( Snotting) was the ancient name of Nottingham. It cost Nottingham Council £860 to bring this silver penny home.

Sherwood: The Living Legend

Unfortunately the bid for the Peoples Lottery Grant, to re-plant and improve facilities at Sherwood Forest- known as Sherwood: The Living Legend- was un-successful today. It was won by Conect2. Which has a UK wide project to improve local travel in 79 different communities, by creating walking and cycling routes.

Let's hope funding can be found soon, to protect Sherwood and its wildlife, so that future generations get the chance to run and play in the ancient forest.

Peter Finch

Peoples Millions Competition

Sherwood: The Living Legend will protect the fragile ecology of one of the world’s most famous forests so it can be enjoyed by future generations.

"Sherwood Forest is no longer the majestic expanse of woods and heathland that it once was. Industrialisation and the march of time have taken their toll on the ancient greenwood that Robin Hood called home. But that is set to change…
Sherwood: the Living Legend will more than double the core size of the ancient oak forest; provide environmentally friendly visitor facilities; create one of the biggest walking, cycling and horse riding networks in Europe and help local communities celebrate and share their connections to Sherwood’s nature, history and legends.
Most importantly, our project will protect the fragile ecology of one of the world’s most famous forests and its veteran oak trees, so it can be enjoyed by future generations.
A major makeover
We will recreate 300 hectares (or 400 football pitches) of new forest, restoring the beauty of the landscape and wildlife habitat. Amongst the ancient oaks live more than 200 types of fungi, many bats and birds and 1000 species of beetle and spider – some of which are very rare.
A 250-kilometre network of walking, horse riding and cycling routes will provide greater access to Sherwood. The routes will connect to the national cycle network and 20 railway stations, as well as local towns, villages and visitor attractions.
Improving facilities
A new visitor complex called ‘The Tree’ will be built using cutting-edge, sustainable technology and be linked to the ancient forest by a raised walkway. ‘The Tree’ will stand on the edge of Sherwood and will teach visitors all about the Forest and Robin Hood.
Sherwood: the Living Legend will celebrate the unique and distinct character of the people and places that surround the Forest. So whether it’s bows and arrows, birds and beetles, or simply taking a walk with the family in the great British countryside – the improved Sherwood Forest will have something for everyone. "

VOTE FOR SHERWOOD FOREST: 0870 24 24 603 *

Typetalk users should dial 18001 before the number they want to dial.

Lines open at 9am Friday 7 December 2007 and close at 12 midday Monday 10 December 2007.
If you experience any difficulties with phone voting please call 0844 881 4150.

Ink Illustration

This rare ink illustration, was used as a publicity picture for Walt Disney's live-action film, The Story of Robin Hood in 1952.

Elton Hayes

Daily Telegraph Obituary 29th September 2001


"ELTON HAYES, who has died aged 86, was well-known to radio and television audiences of the 1950s as "the man with the small guitar".
Hayes specialised in old English folk songs and ballads such as From Priggs that Snaffle the Prancers Strong and The Ratcatcher's Daughter. He sang to his own guitar accompaniments with an easy charm that came strongly over the microphone.

After making his radio debut on Children's Hour, Hayes occupied the guest star slot on every major radio variety show including In Town Tonight, Workers' Playtime, Variety Bandbox, Terry-Thomas's Top of the Town and Eric Barker's Just Fancy. He occasionally presented Housewives' Choice; and on Children's Hour, he sang Edward Lear's nonsense rhymes. Hayes's version of The Owl and the Pussy Cat was recorded by Parlophone and became a regular item on Children's Favourites.

In 1954 he was given his own series Elton Hayes - He Sings to a Small Guitar, a misquotation from The Owl and the Pussycat that became his catchphrase. This was followed by Close Your Eyes, a late night "bedtime" programme of light music, and Elton Hayes in a Tinker's Tales, in which Hayes, as an itinerant tinker, narrated a story which a cast of actors then dramatised as a musical play. Hayes also wrote the music and songs for the series.

On television he appeared in The Minstrel Show (forerunner of The Black and White Minstrel Show) and BBC Caravan Time, and sang and acted in several television plays.
Hayes was the obvious choice for the part of Alan-a-Dale in The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952), directed for Walt Disney by Perce Pearce. So well did Hayes fill the role that although it had started as a few lines, it grew into one of the film's biggest parts.

Elton Hayes was born at Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, on February 16 1915. Both his parents were actors and he made his first stage appearance aged nine in the prologue of a pantomime at the Canterbury Theatre, while also employed as a call boy and assistant stage manager at a salary of five shillings a week. For years he treasured a presentation watch engraved "To Elton Hayes, the youngest call boy and stage manager 1925/26 from Cheerful Charlie Grantly", the actor who had played Buttons.

As a child, Hayes learned the violin and, in his early teens, won a scholarship to the Fay Compton School of Dramatic Arts, run by the Compton family of actor-managers. There he received an extensive theatrical education "from Shakespeare to operetta and from tap dancing to ballet and the mechanics of theatre production".

His first job was as assistant stage manager with the Old Stagers' Company at the Canterbury Theatre. In his spare time he sang as "Eltonio" at local social clubs, obtained small parts in theatre and pantomime, and took a small part as a dancer in the film The First Mrs Fraser. He also joined a tap dancing troupe on the cine variety circuit, and became part of a four-man musical variety act called The Four Brownie Boys.

Hayes took up the guitar shortly before the war when he accepted one as security from a friend who had borrowed 30 shillings. At the outbreak of war, he was invited by ENSA to put together one of their first mobile units.
Eventually, though, Hayes volunteered for military service and, after being commissioned in the Royal West Kent Regiment, was posted to South East Asia Command. After the Japanese surrender, he hitch-hiked to Bombay where he was appointed OC ENSA North West Frontier Province, based in Rawalpindi.

A few days after arriving back in Britain, he visited Broadcasting House, still in uniform, to watch a Children's Hour broadcast and was immediately taken on to write and perform a slot in the programme based on Edward Lear's Nonsense Rhymes, and given a slot on In Town Tonight. From then on, he was seldom off the air.

In 1949 the actor manager John Clements invited him to appear in The Beaux Stratagem, which ran for 18 months in the West End. It was his performance in this that caught the eye of Perce Pearce, who thought that he would make the perfect Alan-a-Dale in Robin Hood.
The success of the film led to a tour of America, where he made 113 television and radio appearances in eight weeks, including visits to Mexico and Canada. In 1952, he made a solo appearance in The Royal Film Performance and in 1956, appeared in The Sooty Show at the Adelphi Theatre.

Towards the end of the 1950s, however, Hayes found that he was becoming affected by nerves before his live performances. Believing that it would be stupid to continue, he decided to give up performing.
Hayes had already bought a small thatched cottage on the Essex-Hertfordshire borders and, after studying at a local agricultural college, he settled down to life as a farmer, breeding pedigree livestock.

In later life, he took up carriage driving and became a member of the British Driving Society. At the 1989 Lord Mayor's Show in London, he was to be seen dressed in a scarlet uniform, standing behind the team on a Post Office Mail coach blowing Clear the Road on a post horn.
After suffering a stroke in 1995, Hayes had to give up his farm and moved to live with friends, who cared for him until his death.
He married in 1942, Betty Inman, who died in 1982."

(To see all posts about Elton Hayes please click on the label marked Elton Hayes in the right-hand panel or below).

Sir Michael Hordern

Gay Hamilton as Marian Fitzwarren

The Scottish actress Gay Hamilton as Lady Marian Fitzwarren, in a publicity shot for the Hammer Studios 1967 film A Challenge for Robin Hood.

Martitia Hunt

"Hold! I am Eleanor, by the wrath of God, Queen of England. Down on your knees, you traitorous dogs!”

With these haughty lines, Martitia Hunt as Eleanor of Aquitaine, attempts to stop an attack, by the Sheriff’s soldiers, on the royal entourage in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood. A regal role she played with her usual scene stealing ability.

In the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Donald Roy describes Martitia thus:

"With an arresting appearance and a dominant stage presence, she proved most effective as strong, tragic characters, her Gertrude in Hamlet being accounted by some critics the finest they had seen."

Martitia was born on a ranch in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Alfred and Marta Hunt on 30th January 1900. When she was ten, the family returned to England, where Martitia attended Queenwood boarding-school in Eastbourne. She trained as an actress under Dame Genevieve Ward and Lady Benson. And by 1920 she had appeared in her first movie, an obscure 2 reel, silent film, produced by Walter West called The Rank Outsider.

After joining the Liverpool Repertory Theatre, Martitia moved, in September 1929, to London and later, on John Gielgud’s insistence, she joined Harcourt Williams’s Old Vic Company for a season. It was there that she established herself as a stage actress and went on to make notable performances, particularly in Shakespearian plays, such as, Gertrude in Hamlet, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, the Queen in Richard II and Rosalind in As You Like It, alongside Gielgud.

Like many actors and actresses of her time, Martitia divided her career between stage and film production. In 1932 she made her first ‘talking’ picture debut as Aline, in Alexander Korda’s Service For Ladies. Many supporting, or cameo roles followed, including Aunt Esther in When Knights Were Bold (1936), Lady Francis Brandon Grey in Tudor Rose (1936) (alongside Cedric Hardwick and John Mills) and Lady Bogshott in Good Morning Boys (1937).

With middle age, Martitia finally achieved her greatest success. Firstly with her role as cousin Agatha in the 17th century costume drama, The Wicked Lady (1945) alongside Margaret Lockwood and James Mason. Then with a reprisal of a character she had performed in 1939.

David Lean had seen Martitia as Miss Havesham, along with Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket, in a stage production of Dickens’s novel, after being taken to the Rudolf Steiner Hall by his wife Kay Walsh. This inspired him to film his later award winning classic, Great Expectations (1946) in which both Martitia and Alec Guinness recreated their roles. This masterpiece proved to be a benchmark in movie production and went on to win two Oscars. One for its art direction and also for Guy Green’s (later director of photography on Disney’s Robin Hood (1952)) black and white cinematography.

Martitia’s brilliant, unforgettable performance, as the mad recluse, Miss Havesham, in the atmospheric setting of ‘Statis House,’ brought her world wide recognition. Three years later she made her Broadway debut in The Madwoman of Chaillot and won a Tony Award for Best Actress (Dramatic) for her 'Countess Aurelia'.

But her success, firmly began to typecast her in roles, as an ‘eccentric grand dame’ or ‘evil aristocrat.’ Gradually she reduced her stage work and in May 1956, played in her last theatre production, as Angelique Boniface in Feydeau’s farce, Hotel Paradiso. This was at the Winter Gardens, with Irene Worth and Alec Guinness, whom she had given voice lessons, at the beginning of his acting career.

More regal roles followed in her film career, including Princess Betty Tversky in Anna Karenina (1948) and the Duchess of Berwick in The Fan (1949).

The tall, stately, velvet voiced, Martitia Hunt, was of course, the perfect choice to play the part of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood (1952). As the mother of the crusading King Richard I and his scheming brother Prince John, she found herself the linchpin of a divided kingdom, a part, the elegant Martitia, was made for.

Her later, notable films, included Anastasia (1956) as Baroness Elena von Livenbaum with Ingrid Bergman, The Admirable Crichton (1957) as Lady Brocklehurst and as Anna Richter, the story teller, in The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962).

In the final years of her career, Martitia once again found herself with regal roles like the Empress Matilda in Beckett(1964) and the Grand Duchess Lupavinova in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, (1964). Her last two films were the mystery thriller, Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) in which she played the part of Ada Ford and the sex comedy, The Best House in London (1969) as the headmistress.

Martitia Hunt died of bronchial asthma at 7 Primrose Hill Studios, Fitzroy Road, Hampstead, London, on 13th June 1969. She was 69.