Places to go, people to see
Places to go, people to see is part of the following collections: The Harborough Collection.
Highlights
John Fothergill's cookery book
John Fothergill’s Cookery Book, in the ‘Places to go, people to see’ cabinet at Harborough Museum, was published in 1943 featuring a caricature of Fothergill drawn by political cartoonist, Bert Thomas. This extraordinary Market Harborough innkeeper, who has been likened to the TV sitcom character Basil Fawlty, cooked and served some 200,000 meals using his recipes of ‘strong flavour and colour, practicality and economy’.
Fothergill was host of the Three Swans from 1934-1952, but this iconic coaching inn has actually been a haven for travellers for over 500 years. Exceptionally vibrant during the late 1700s and early 1800s it’s been graced by several famous names: King Charles I visited the day before the Battle of Naseby in 1645, while the young King of Denmark, Christian VII, dined here in 1768 after his carriage broke down.
The Three Swans still has Fothergill’s self-portrait hanging in the back bar keeping an eye on proceedings.
Ritz Cinema booklet
Cinema came to Market Harborough in the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until May 1939 that the Ritz, Northampton Road, opened its doors. The first film to show at this Art Deco, 1930s gem was ‘The Drum’ featuring Sabu. This souvenir brochure, in Harborough Museum’s ‘Places to go, people to see’ case, is from that very night.
The Ritz played a good mix of films, as well as propaganda during the war period, and continued to be popular into the 50s, despite the occasional flood! A new screen with cinemascope opened in 1955 and by 1959 the Ritz was the only cinema in town. However, with the rise of the television, cinema-going decreased and the Ritz closed in April 1978 with some Bruce Lee action in ‘Fist of Fury’.
After a period as a bingo hall, the Ritz was converted into a supermarket, but has since been demolished and replaced with retirement flats.
