‘Loughborough Legend’ tale to be told on stage
A READING by an author, historian and new playwright, is set to present the ground-breaking and enthralling life story of a ‘Loughborough legend’.
On Saturday, May 6, Pamela Roberts is to take to the stage at Cope Auditorium, Loughborough University, with a rehearsed reading of The Loughborough Legend.
The true-life story is that of Shepshed resident James Arthur Harley (18731943), an Antiguan, who left his island home in 1890s and navigated the com- plexities of racism to achieve an esteemed education.
He attended Howard, Yale, Harvard and Oxford University at the turn of the 20th Century.
His childhood dream of becoming a minister in the Church of England finally was achieved when he was ordained at Canterbury Cathedral in 1911.
He secured his first curacy in Shepshed and, despite being embraced by his parishioners, he was treated with disdain by the parish vicars.
He left Shepshed only to return to assist in the Great War effort and this is where he finally settled, becoming the Loughborough Legend.
Pamela Roberts wrote a brief profile about James Arthur Harley in her first book: Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University Black Scholars.
Pamela said: “Harley’s life intrigued and fascinated me after I discovered his personal archive in the hands of a local historian.
“The Loughborough Legend is the culmination of two and a half years’ research. The reading illustrates how his life intersected the complex intertwining of education, politics and race in the early 20th Century. He’s an important part of social history and it’s important to acknowledge his contribution.
“There’s a street named after him in Shepshed and people living there may not know it’s named after him.
“It is also inspiring as it’s a story of human spirit and what’s achievable.”
Tickets, £5, can be bought from Cope Auditorium box office on 01509 231914.