THE CRUMPLED HORN PUBLIC HOUSE

Although we are in a nationwide lockdown, we are allowed to go out once a day for exercise, so Mr. HCB and I decided to go for a walk around our estate.  We haven’t done this for some years, preferring to go towards Coate Water, but thought we would try it today. 

It was bitterly cold, but we were well wrapped up and my thermals came in useful again!  Once we got into our stride, we kept up quite a pace - and as Mr. HCB explained, there were flat bits and not-so-flat bits, so that got our heart rate up.  

The area where we walked is mainly pedestrianised, with cycle paths, and we were pleased to see a postman riding towards us, so I called out, “Hello, Mr. Postman!” because they have done a wonderful job over the Christmas period, and I just wanted to acknowledge him.  As he drew nearer, we realised it was our old Postie, so he stopped and we had a little chat - physically distanced, of course.  He is a staunch Labour man, so we had to hear what he thought of the PM - but there were no fisticuffs!  

We carried on and saw this public house, "The Crumpled Horn", known locally as "The Crump", which was first opened as a community pub in the 1970s.  It used to be quite a thriving pub at one time but is now closed;  when Mr. HCB was working, he and his colleagues often used to pay a visit after work on a Friday evening.  However,  I was confused when I saw the sign because I always thought it was named after the cow with the crumpled horn from the nursery rhyme, first published back in 1755, which many of you may remember having read to children and grandchildren, the last verse of which says:

"This is the horse and the hound and the horn
That belonged to the farmer sowing his corn
That kept the rooster that crowed in the morn
That woke the judge all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That chased the rat that ate the cheese
That lay in the house that Jack built."

Obviously the pub sign shows a completely different “crumpled horn” so I’m not sure how or when that happened and why it was changed and unfortunately, I can’t find any information about it on the internet.  

However, Mr. Google confirms the following : “The Crumpled Horn has been given a Grade II heritage listing, recognising its cultural status, the design being based on the nursery rhyme “This is the House Jack Built” and it is known for its peculiar look.  Heritage inspectors said the eight sided Crumpled Horn pub has an “air of eccentric craftsmanship in its asymmetrical roof and ramshackle brickwork”.  The pub is served from a hexagon-shaped bar which services the whole trading area and all round the pub are separate snug enclosures.”

It took us about 50 minutes to do the whole walk, and I honestly thought I had done about 8,000 steps, but according to my Fitbit, it was only 3,800 - ah well, better to have done that than nothing at all.

“Experts in literacy and child development 
     have discovered that if children know 
          eight nursery rhymes by heart 
by the time they’re four years old, 
     they’re usually among the best readers  
          by the time they’re eight.”
Mem Fox