Just A Walk In The Sun with the Hereford Regiment Museum

Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum
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A monthly podcast from the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum. Hosted by Colonel Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts. Stroll with us around the highways and byways of Herefordshire while we explore the story of the our regiment and county in war and peace. Special guests, featured items from the museum's collection and highlights from the lives of those who served from our beautiful county... and a pint or two as well!

  1. 6D AGO

    Discovering a Victoria Cross hero at Peterchurch

    Send a text In this episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a springtime visit to Peterchurch in the Golden Valley on Herefordshire's western border with Wales.  Standing in the corner of the churchyard, they spot the grave of a Victoria Cross winner and explore the story of Robert Jones VC of the 24th Regiment of Foot (which later became the South Wales Borderers).  They uncover the story of how Pte Jones won this highest of all gallantry awards at the Battle of Rorkes Drift in 1879, his depiction in the 1964 film Zulu, and his later life in Peterchurch after leaving the army, including his tragic death.  A warning that this episode does feature the topic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide. A little later, in the nearby Boughton Arms, Andy and Paul discuss the importance of war memorials in town and village life - from the time of Robert Jones when the ordinary soldier was unlikely to be memorialised, through the Second Boer War and the First World War when such memorials became an essential focus for individual and communal grief.   The poem "Drummer Hodge" by Thomas Hardy gets a mention, along with the temporary cenotaph set up in High Town, its eventual permanent replacement in St Peter's Square, Hereford, along with a number of other local war memorials which were installed in the county between 1919 and 1926.  Kings Pyon, Walford, Staunton-on-Wye and Tupsley all get a mention, and the commissioning of the hymn "O Valiant Hearts", first sung at the unveiling of Bodenham War Memorial is explored... with perhaps a promise of a later episde. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    39 min
  2. A Culinary Special - What does a wartime Christmas Pudding taste like?

    12/31/2025

    A Culinary Special - What does a wartime Christmas Pudding taste like?

    Send a text Join us for this New Year special episode where Colonel Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts are joined by the family to try out a wartime Christmas pudding recipe prepared - complete with grated potato and carrot - by Andy's wife Penny.   Listen in as Paul and Andy discuss the provision of comforts to the troops, including the amazing amount raised by the county of Herefordshire in 1915/16 for servicemen overseas.  And then they are joined by Penny, Rosie, Brian, Anne, Alison, Jack and Ben to sample the plum pudding, complete with custard made from powdered egg?  Will it be eggsellent or awful - listen to find out. And a happy new year from all at the Herefordshire Light Infantry.  If you have any requests for what you would like to hear us explore in 2026, just get in touch. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    28 min
  3. Hold it, flash, bang, wallop, what a picture - a seasonal look at images in the Museum collection

    12/11/2025

    Hold it, flash, bang, wallop, what a picture - a seasonal look at images in the Museum collection

    Send a text If you're missing those nostalgic days of nothing more than a small picture behind each door on your Advent calendar, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a stroll around the museum's collection of photographs and images: each with a fascinating story to tell. Delving into the archives of our monthly feature The Camera Returns, our picturesque duo, explore some of their favourite images then and now - from group photographs in Hereford, Holland and beyond, to spigot mortars on King George V playing fields, long gone railway lines and poignant reunions.   Despite failing to adequately locate the town of Rushden, once home to the Herefordshire Regiment pre-Gallipoli employment (its in Northamptonshire by the way), Andy and Paul delve into the value of the image in the work of the family, military and social historian - even through this very non-visual media of a podcast!  But then, we always knew they both had looks ideally suited for radio! Check out our Camera Returns feature to see what Paul and Andy were seeing and look out for further fascinating updates.   Look out too for a Christmas special taking our presenters back over a 100 years to test out a famous culinary delight! Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    35 min

  4. 11/01/2025

    Waterless, rocky ridges and ravines - the Battle of Khuweilfe 1917

    Send a text Welcome back to Series 3.  Reverend Paul Roberts and Colonel Andy Taylor take a misty November wander and discuss events of the summer and the significance of November for the Herefordshire Regiment.  As well as Remembrance, the 1st November 1917 marks the anniversary of the battalion's bloodiest battle of the First World War - Khuweilfe.   After evacuation from Suvla Bay, the regiment regrouped in Egypt, joining the Suez Canal defences and participating in the Battle of Romani in 1916. The defeat of Turkish forces opened the way for British advances across the Sinai, with significant logistical challenges due to harsh desert conditions and limited infrastructure.  Strong defensive lines were established between Gaza and Beersheba.  The latter fell on 31 October 1917, prompting Ottoman retreats to defensive high ground, including Tel-el-Khuweilfe.  The terrain was described as a stony, waterless desert with difficult fighting conditions compounded by rain and cold. The Herefordshire Regiment and supporting units attacked these defences.  The Regiment sustained its worst losses of the war: 79 fatalities recorded in a single day, with estimated total casualties (including wounded) about 400—over half the battalion. Modern and historical photographs of Tel-el-Khuweilfe, show preserved trench lines. The capture of Gaza opened the road to Jerusalem, which was reached at Christmas 1917 under Allenby’s leadership. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    30 min

  5. 07/19/2025

    The remarkable Hull Brothers - from South Africa, Hereford Cathedral, Internment Camp to the Three Choirs Festival

    Send a text In this month's episode, in the run up to the Three Choirs Festival, Col Andy Taylor and Revd Paul Roberts explore the fascinating and poignant story of brothers Claude and Percy Hull of Hereford.  Claude a member of the Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers served in the Boer War, emigrated to Canada and served during the First World War with Canadian Forces. His brother Percy, sang in Hereford Cathedral Choir where he later became Assistant Organist.  He found himself in Germany at the outbreak of the First World War and was interned along with thousands of other men - musicians, sportsmen, businessmen and merchant seaman among them - at Ruhleben Internment Camp, west of Berlin.  Hear about the fascinating self-governing community at Ruhleben, including the story of professional footballer and coach Stephen Bloomer. After the war Percy became Organist at Hereford Cathedral and was instrumental in restarting the Three Choirs Festival.  He was later knighted for similar efforts restarting this oldest musical festival in the world after the Second World War. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    30 min

  6. 06/27/2025

    A night at the Town Hall: Op Blackout and the story of reuniting Doenitz' baton and pennants

    Send a text In this episode we listen in to the Museum's presentation of Op Blackout, 80 years after the last operation of WW2 and the first of the rebuilding of post-war Germany in which the Herefordshire Regiment took a pivotal role.   On 18th May 1945 The Herefordshire Regiment helped to liquidate the puppet Government headed by Hitler's nominated successor, Grand Admiral Doenitz.  This administration was suspected of harbouring a number of hard-line Nazis and Doenitz was summoned to a meeting, while troops moved in to round up his government at Flensburg Castle.   Men of the Herefords arrested Doenitz and relieved him of his car pennants and later his baton was taken into safe custody also.  Today the baton is proudly displayed at the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum in Shrewsbury Castle and on our Op Blackout evening these items were reunited for only the third time in 50 years. Listen in to Colonel Marius Coulon of the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum who had the unenviable task of bringing Doenitz's baton down the A49; Hugh Patterson, chair of the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum Trust and Colonel Andy Taylor who tells the story of Op Blackout (apologies for the poor quality of this section).  Finally thanks are given by HM Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire, Mr Edward Harley. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    36 min

  7. 04/26/2025

    Investigating a quintessentially Territorial award - the enigmatic Territorial Force War Medal

    Send a text In this month's episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a "deep dive" into a scarce and unusual award for the First World War made only to Territorial soldiers 1914-1919.  They investigate the origins and exacting criteria for this WW1 campaign service medal, common misconceptions and the many anomalies caused by it, along with the character of the men and women who were awarded it.   A fascinating insight into policy of deploying Territorial troops to garrison the British Empire and the willingness of part time soldiers and nurses from Herefordshire - and across the country - to sign up to serve overseas, which they were under no obligation to do under Territorial Force Regulations until May 1916.  One of the illustrations they use is their shared ancestor, Charles Percy Taylor from Ledbury. Paul and Andy discuss research possibilities for the military and family historian alike of this attractive and enigmatic award, by far the scarcest of all First World War service medals.  And how First World War service medals can still be claimed today, over a century later in certain circumstances. Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    37 min

  8. 04/02/2025

    Hoarwithy - Byzantine beauty and the mystery of a pub with no beer

    Send a text In this month's delayed episode, Col Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts take a walk out to Hoarwithy, between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye on the banks of the river Wye.  The impressive Byzantine / Romanesque / Tuscan beauty of St Catherine's Church catches their eye and they explore then local men commemorated on the War Memorial there. The great great uncle of regular listener Steve Parkes was one on those commemorated here.  George Edwards of the Herefordshire Regiment is buried in St Catherine's Churchyard and in 2018 a service was held to rededicate his repaired headstone.  George was wounded at Gallipoli and in Palestine and died of wounds in Bristol.  Other men Andy and Paul look into include 61 year old Royal Naval Reserve officer Ernest Baker, who died in September 1945. The next port of call is the New Harp Inn below the church in the centre of the village.  In 1908 the newly formed Herefordshire Regiment of the Territorial Force camped behind the pub as part of a recruiting drive.  The men repaired to the New Harp and managed to drink the pub dry.  A contemporary newspaper account reports that a fracas ensued and several windows were broken, which had to be paid for by the Regiment.      Despite their best efforts Paul and Andy weren't able to repeat this feat! Op Freshman Fundraising Talk - 5th March 7.30pm - The Welsh Club, Hereford To book email hfdlimuseum@gmail.com By Dr Bruce A Tocher on Operation Freshman, the Allies’ first glider borne raid of WW2, targeting the hydrogen electrolysis plant in Telemark, Norway.  Hear about Spr William Faulkner, Hereford’s own hero of Telemark who was killed in the raid. Tickets £5.  Doors open at 1900hrs.  Cash bar available.  Paid Parking available Support the show If you like what you hear, don't forget to like and subscribe to help us reach a wider audience. Visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube. Support the Museum? Become a Patreon supporter or a Become a Friend Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band. This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

    33 min
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A monthly podcast from the Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum. Hosted by Colonel Andy Taylor and Rev Paul Roberts. Stroll with us around the highways and byways of Herefordshire while we explore the story of the our regiment and county in war and peace. Special guests, featured items from the museum's collection and highlights from the lives of those who served from our beautiful county... and a pint or two as well!

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