Arnold historian Bob Massey is renowned for his local talks on history from around the borough but due to the pandemic had been forced to cancel these popular events.
But Mr Massey still had stories to share so instead of recounting these tales face-to-face, he recorded a series of videos chronicling the borough’s history to help keep people entertained during the recent lockdowns.
In this video Bob shares the story of Mapperley’s tiger, which gripped the local community back in 1827.
A travelling zoo, known as Wombwell’s Menagerie, renowned for touring with wild and strange animals, was making its way through Mapperley as part of the journey to Worksop, where they had a show booked.
But only a dirt track existed taking travellers through Mapperley.
The track was in a poor state – full of potholes, tree stumps and rocks. The zoo cages struggled across the rough terrain, forcing one cage door open allowing the caged beast within to escape.
What happens next? You’ll have to watch to find out…
You can find out more about Bob’s history talks and books for sale via his website: http://www.bobmassey.info/415325374
Bon has also written a number of stories about the area’s history for Gedling Eye, which can be found here: https://www.gedlingeye.co.uk/tag/bob-massey/
