Flying the flag at Badsey
Sir
My brother, Buster Mustoe, of The Round of Gras, Badsey, said he refuses to enter into any arguments about the flag on Johns’ tree for King George V’s Jubilee. I therefore feel I should tell my story of the occasion.
On Jubilee Eve 1935 (I think it was May 5) the late Phil Sparrow and my brother decided that they would show the flag to confuse Harry Johns (who then lived at Pool House) and, with his son Lance, had Moseley connections.
On that night they placed the flag on the top of the tree and Phil told me many times that as they were doing it the clock in the tower of the nearby church struck midnight. He also told me that as he was smaller than my brother he went the last few feet on his own but as he could not secure the flag safely, my brother had to help him.
On Jubilee Day my father was sitting on his usual seat outside the front door of the Royal Oak, as it was then, and saw the flag, and as he knew who had done the deed he said to my brother: “You damned young fool, you could have broker your neck.” My father died three weeks later on May 24 1935.
On March 5 1936 my brother joined the Police Force. He left the district and was certainly not involved in any flag flying for King George VI’s Coronation in 1937.
(Mrs) H Stewart
55 Bretforton Road
Badsey
Evesham
Worcs
June 20 1977
With thanks to Jonathan Granger for supplying this newspaper cutting which was discovered in a file belonging to his father, Denis.
See also: