Unmitigated England is full of buildings and bits of buildings that start life in one place and then wake up one morning in another, sometimes quite incongruous, location. Such is the fate of this bell tower that once looked out over the centre of Market Harborough from the top of the red brick six storey high Symington corset factory. Put up there in 1876, it housed a bell cast by the famous Taylor's in Loughborough. I'm not exactly sure when it was taken down and placed at the centre of flower beds in the town's Welland Park, but a plaque was put on it in 1977 to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee. Symington's were famous in the town for both corsets and soups, and examples of both trades can be found in the excellent museum that now resides in the cupola-less factory. But perhaps even more amazing is the fact that the Symington's of blush-inducing underwear went on to make over one million parachutes for the RAF in the Second World War. When I read this I have to confess that the thought did cross my mind as to whether they were shell pink with elasticated suspension. Only fleetingly of course.
2 comments:
This page suggests that part of Symington's factory came down in 1973.
If so, it was later in the year because I remember that the bridge between the two parts of the factory across Adam & Eve Street was still there when I moved to the town in the spring of that year.
I also drew the view from Welland Park in an art lesson in the summer term of 1973, and that part of Symington's factory was certainly part of it.
I'm an admirer of the Symington's factory, so thanks for this interesting post. But corsets and soups? Gives a new meaning to the phrase cup o'soup...
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