Dear Old Bradgate Park

The song ‘Bradgate Park’ was published in 1930, not long after Charles Bennion had given the park to the people of Leicestershire.

The words of the song were written by Joe Smith and the music by Harry Payne, both Anstey residents.

Born in 1875, Harry was a popular character and was described as one of nature’s gentlemen. He was the only newsagent in the village to sell morning newspapers and would cycle to Leicester every morning to collect them.

He was well known in Anstey for putting on magic lantern shows in the front room of his thatched cottage, in The Nook, charging one farthing to attend.

Sadly, these shows were stopped by the police who said it was a fire hazard with so many children present in one room and only one exit.

Harry was an excellent self-taught pianist and a violinist and was well known for writing music.

Joe was born in 1871 in Quorn and started his working life as a cordwainer. He moved to Anstey in the 1870s after which he was always known as Quornie Smith.

He had a shoe shop in Church Lane where Botterill’s Curtain shop is now situated.

Joe was a poet who loved to sing and having been inspired by the beauty of Bradgate Park, he wrote the words of a song and then, in what seems to have been a regular occurrence, Joe asked Harry to write the music.

The song speaks of oak trees, ferns, wishing stones, lovers’ dreams and Bank Holidays.

When the song was published a day’s walk to Bradgate was the nearest most people ever got to a summer holiday and Joe wrote this song from his heart.

‘Dear Old Bradgate Park was performed in June 2014 by the Newtown Linford Choral Society as part of their Summer Concert.
It was the first time the song had been performed for almost 50 years.