Monday, October 19th found the marchers on the next leg of their 300 miles journey to London. Mansfield was some 12 miles south of Chesterfield. The weather was not on the side of the marchers with heavy head-on wind and rain all the way to Mansfield. With morale low, they finally entered Mansfield. Sidney Sterck one of the reporters who walked all the way with the men reported in the North Mail.
A wet and bedraggled army, the Jarrow crusaders marched… into the Nottinghamshire mining town of Mansfield and no one raised a sympathetic cheer
Sidney Sterck reporter North Mail.
The above quote says it all! Like Chesterfield before them, Mansfield was no more sympathetic than their neighbor had been.
On arrival in Nottingham, the last few days of disappointment in other towns were soon forgotten. Here the men were given a lovely tea and were inundated with gifts of clothes, footwear, and a large supply of medicines later. In the evening saw the men invited to the Music Hall. After the evening’s entertainment, excellent sleeping accommodation was provided. Nottingham had really pulled out all the stops and done the Midlands proud.
Footwear
Above I mention foot-ware however apparently the people of Nottingham not only repaired the marcher’s much-needed shoes but were ever necessary to replace them.
Many Thanks to (Brenda Nicoll Williamson) for this extra piece of information.
At the center of Nottingham stands the Old Market Square, reported to be the largest square in England and was recently refurbished to include a large water feature, made up of fountains and rapids. Robin Hood is said to have lived in Sherwood Forest, where he set up camp and used the Sheriff of Nottingham as a punching bag. (so to speak).
When the men left Jarrow the marchers were thin and underfed many had been out of work for years. Now because of the good food that had been provided along the way they did not look like the same people. Many years had gone by since any of the marches had eaten so well, this in itself raised the men’s spirits.
Follow the Marchers: Nottingham to Leicester.