Son’s tribute to dad Arthur Large
ARTHUR Large was born in 1920 in the idyllic village of Kegworth, where he grew up with his three brothers Bob, Harold and Roy.
Their great grandad, fisherman and three times All-England casting champion William Woolley began the family tradition in 1908 of running one of Kegworth’s oldest pubs ‘The Cap and Stocking’.
After serving in the armed forces in World War Two and subsequently living around Melton Mowbray, Arthur returned to Kegworth to run an establishment more affectionately known to locals as ‘The Cap’.
Arthur was in Normandy during the D-Day landings on June 6th 1944 and was recently awarded The Legion D’ Honneur, a medal first established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and France’s highest military distinction.
In the last few years, the French government decided to award The Legion D’ Honneur to thank British World War Two veterans, who fought and risked their lives to secure France’s liberation from the evils of fascism.
For many years Arthur marched at every remembrance day parade in Kegworth, displaying more honours for serving his country in the British army.
From the 1960s for over 20 years with his late wife Brenda, Arthur became the Landlord of ‘The Cap’.
He embraced the pub’s individualism of serving beer from the jug to coincide with the emergence of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).
The pub courted much media attention in the 1970s, as people came from miles around to have a pint served from the jug by Arthur and Brenda. Synonymous with the many regulars that frequented the pub daily. A golden era full of characters from ‘Jim the Post’ to Iris and Joe.
Life was straightforward and simple back then. It was dominoes and beer on tap in the tap room. Regulars sat at their tables surrounded by glass cases of stuffed fish caught by Arthur’s great grandad William Woolley. Arthur and Brenda topping up customers pint glasses with a choice of mild or bitter every time they tapped their glass for a refill.
Over in the jukebox room, the records much remained the same and the price certainly did. Three plays for five pence. An aptly named Rock Ola jukebox that the locals certainly rocked every time the needle got stuck on the record. The favourites known as ‘Cap Classics’ became timeless from ‘Paddy On The Railway’ to ‘Brown Sugar’. But as Arthur used to say ‘He’d rather hear a good song twice than a bad one once.’
He wasn’t into baffling people with endless choices. At one point the only flavour of crisps on offer were cheese and onion.
Arthur was a positive person and saw positivity in everything. He’d seen the perils of war and an era of ration books. His response and business brain to if you didn’t like cheese and onion. ‘Why don’t you still buy them? Because if you don’t like them...they last longer.’
‘The Cap’ was home to local football teams and football was also a family tradition. Arthur’s grandad Robert was nicknamed ‘Bloomer’ after Derby County’s record goalscorer Steve Bloomer.
Centrally situated in Kegworth halfway between Nottingham and Derby, the family enjoyed good humoured banter of being either Forest or Derby fans.
Arthur though was a Leicester fan. Having seen them at Wembley in 1963 with his late son Burnall, lose to Manchester United in the FA cup final. All was not lost. In 2010, Arthur and one of the Leicester City players who played in that final, Graham Cross starred in a short film together, screened at international film festivals around the world.
‘The Cap’ of course was naturally the headquarters of The Kegworth Angling Society which Arthur became president of until retiring from the pub with Brenda in 1985.
They enjoyed a long and happy retirement together. Going on many holidays through Arthur’s new hobby of playing bowls. A game he kept playing home and away for Kegworth Bowls Club until the age of 93.
He won many trophies playing bowls. His most memorable was with two of his finest friends Brian Goddard and Jim Bagguley with the highest winning rink in the gala at Coalville.
In the week Arthur and Brenda could often be seen out playing cards at local whist drives. Arthur also took up golf and was a member at Breedon golf club.
Local people will also remember him riding on his bike to the shops in Kegworth. Arthur was the master of the freewheel. Car drivers didn’t know that, cautiously hanging back to give him plenty of road space as he went freewheeling down High Street and Dragwell.
In his final years his favourite place became The King’s Arms at Hathern. Every weekend he could be seen there having a meal with Keith.
Also with his great friend George Mellors he travelled long distances to visit countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Canada and America.
He was a man ahead of his time as he loved meeting people of all nationalities. He was a placid, positive, fun loving, laughing, smiling, happy, kind man.
He’d seen first hand the waste of hate and war. He solved problems with humour, laughter and love.
• The funeral of the late Mr Arthur Large who passed away peacefully in The Royal Derby Hospital on Good Friday 14th April 2017 aged 97 years will take place on Friday, May 12, at 2pm at Loughborough Crematorium followed by a main service at Kegworth Baptist Church at 3pm,
then all welcome afterwards for refreshments and to share fond memories of Arthur at the Yew Lodge Hotel, Packington Hill, Kegworth.
All Flowers welcome or Donations are welcome in aid of the ‘Stroke Association’ (to which any cheques should be made payable) and may be sent c/o Ginns & Gutteridge Funeral Directors, 73 Ashby Road, Loughborough, LE11 3AA. Tel 01509 238912.