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Bob White - Chairman of the World Wide Robin Hood Society - Obituary

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Written by Super User

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on Tuesday, 16 July 2024 08:35

Bob White - Chairman of the World Wide Robin Hood Society - Obituary

The man they called “Mr Robin Hood”

It is with enormous sadness that we announce the passing of our Chairman of the World Wide Robin Hood Society, Bob White.

Bob left to take his place in the greenwood in June 2024 and our huge condolences go out to his family in these sad times.

Bob was quite simply an incredible and unique person. Musician, artist, raconteur, marketeer  and expert on the Robin Hood legend and its cultural relevance.  Bob was also the nicest and kindest person you could ever hope to meet. We will miss him deeply.

For many years, Bob was Head of Corporate Affairs with Nottingham City Council, where he played a key role in promoting Nottingham and its most significant tourism asset, Robin Hood.  From organising coach trips to arranging cultural and tourism exchange visits across Europe and beyond, Bob worked tirelessly to bring people from across the world to Nottingham to check out what our City has to offer.

One of Bob’s highlights was securing the Premiere of the Hollywood blockbuster “Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves” in his home town, with props from that film later placed on display in Nottingham Castle.

Bob’s passion and enthusiasm for the world’s favourite outlaw didn’t end with his retirement from the Council, as he quickly helped to establish “The World Wide Robin Hood Society” in Sherwood in Nottingham in 1998. This was a Society with a difference, as it was one of the first organisations to harness the potential of the newly emerged World Wide Web and the internet to reach a global audience - not bad for a man who often proclaimed that he didn’t know how to turn on his computer!

Through the Society, Bob built a huge network of contacts and spent much of his time answering queries, writing press releases, undertaking speaking engagements and offering advice and support to anyone with an interest in the Robin Hood legend.

His output was prodigious, with numerous TV Documentary, radio and film appearances, articles, comments pieces and speaking engagements on all aspects of Robin but always with a fresh anecdote or piece of new information about the Robin Hood story.

In his later years, Bob began to pull together the wide range of Robin Hood information and collectibles he had amassed over time and released a book “Robin Hood - The Legacy of a Folk Hero” in 2019. This publication is without doubt the crowning glory of Bob’s career and a must read for anyone with an interest in the Robin Hood story.

Now, 26 years after its formation, the World Wide Robin Hood Society has lost its own legend. He leaves a hole impossible to fill but also a legacy that can’t be ignored. Our job now is to honour his memory, gather our thoughts and do our best to keep his passion for the greatest outlaw story ever told alive today.

Rest in Peace Mr. Robin Hood. We will always remember you.

Robin Hood Statue 70th Anniversary

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Written by Super User

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on Wednesday, 20 July 2022 11:36

RO BIN HOOD STATUE

 70^th Anniversary, 24^th July 2022

Looking back over the 7 decades of its life.

A miscellany of facts compiled by the World Wide Robin Hood Society www.robinhood.info

Send in your pictures and past memories associated with the Statue to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The Robin Hood Statue was commissioned by local businessman, Philip E. F. Clay to provide a landmark that recognised Nottingham’s connection with the world-famous folk hero.

Royal Academy Sculptor, James Woodford, was chosen to design and make the statue at a cost of £5,000, together with the surrounding descriptive plaques and complimentary statuary. He was born and educated in Nottingham and had won a scholarship to study at the Nottingham School of Art.

Cast in eight pieces of half inch thick bronze (made to last 6,000 years), the figure stands in a traditional archer’s pose on a two and a half ton block of white Clipsham stone.

It was presented to the City to commemorate the visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on June 28^th 1949 during Nottingham’s Quincentenary celebrations but wasn’t actually completed and unveiled until 3 years later.

Meticulous research was undertaken by the sculptor to accurately represent how the historians believed the stocky-built medieval foresters of the period would look. However, the public were expecting to see a triangular pointed hat with a long feather, similar to actor Errol Flynn’s costume in his film role. So the statue’s authentic headgear of a woodsman’s leather skull cap sparked a controversial and divided debate that continues even to this day.

It was originally intended to have been sited at the top of Castle Road in the roadway but common sense prevailed with the realisation that traffic dangers and congestion would be a nightmare. There was also common agreement that Robin, as possibly the greatest “outsider” of them all, should be situated outside the Castle, in the shadow of its walls, typically aiming his bow at the Establishment!

At 11.30 am on Thursday July 24^th 1952, the Robin Hood Statue was finally unveiled by the Duchess of Portland on the specially-prepared lawn beneath the walls of Nottingham Castle on Castle Road - where it still remains, as the only City-based landmark providing a tangible link for visitors to see relating to Nottingham’s internationally known folk hero. The People’s champion of justice and freedom  A principled defender of the poor and the down-trodden.

After the ceremony a banquet was held in the Council House to celebrate the occasion, where guests attended a medieval themed luncheon which included Venison Chasseur on the menu, preceded by a fish course of Fillet of Sole Robin Hood.

The benefactor of the statue, Philip E.F. Clay had originally wished to remain anonymous but when the time came for the unveiling he had been talked out of his generosity by a grateful City Council and he was honoured at the ceremony by local dignitaries.

From the moment it was unveiled the impressive figure became the definitive image of Robin Hood which has been copied and adapted thousands of times and often used by local companies to promote their goods and services. The image also became a featured “trademark” for Nottingham that over the decades has helped promote the city around the world, making it a particularly successful ambassador in regional and global tourism.

Inevitably the Robin Hood Statue has become an iconic image for Nottingham, frequently representing the city in the international media and it has graced the front pages and covers of newspapers and magazines around the world - all giving valuable, free, high profile publicity for the city. The statue has also featured in many international television and film documentaries and appeared on BBC TV’s “The One Show”.

Numerous celebrities have been photographed alongside the Robin Hood Statue including, Brian Clough, Torvill and Dean, Jonathan Ross, Cilla Black, Pudsey Bear, Brian Blessed and Wallace and Gromit. It is the perfect location for the millions of souvenir photographs taken by visitors and as one leading travel writer remarked, “Be sure to have your photo taken next to the Robin Hood Statue at Nottingham Castle. You know you want to….”

The Statue often became a target for souvenir hunters and in the Fifties and Sixties replacement arrows were regularly costing the City Council £55 a time from the South Lambert foundry that provided them. Ironically, it was a former Sheriff of Nottingham, Alderman Frank Dennett, who came to Robin’s aid and enlisted the help of the engineers at the Royal Ordnance Factory. They made an arrow from a tough metal used for the manufacture of tank gun barrels and secured it to the statue with a special welding process, to help deter the vandals.

During its lifetime, the Statue has been involved in various diverse events, including, in 1986, being photographed with a nude model in “Penthouse”, a glossy magazine for men, which was also featured in a television documentary. It was once boarded-up to protect it from being damaged during a right wing English Defence League demonstration and was the location for a Guinness World Record attempt sponsored by Nottingham Building Society, which set the record for the most people gathered in one place dressed as Robin Hood. The statue has been “yarn bombed”, garlanded with flowers and frequently subjected to wearing all kinds of sporting and educational scarves, together with assorted banners, headgear and the inevitable Red Nose to support Comic Relief!

In 2015, a fibreglass, life-size copy was made of the Robin Hood Statue and given to Nottingham’s sister city, Ningbo in China in return for Nottingham having been presented with a pair of Chinese Guardian Lions when the University of Nottingham became the first foreign university to establish an independent campus in China, which opened to students in 2004. The replica Statue was produced by Richard Arm, flexural composites research fellow at Nottingham Trent University, who said that the moulding process would also clean the original statue and leave it looking as it did when it was first unveiled.

A smaller one-dimensional, gold coloured fibreglass model of the Statue had previously been made as part of the original fascia of the City Council’s Tourism and Information Office, when it moved into new premises in Wheeler Gate, just off the Old Market Square. However, in a violent windstorm one night it was ripped from the frontage and found blowing around near the entrance to the Broad Marsh Centre. The feature was never replaced and appeared on occasional exhibition stands and displays and languished in various Council storerooms until, in 1997, the Queen visited Nottingham to mark the City’s Centenary Year. In conjunction with BBC Radio Nottingham, one of the commemorative projects the City staged was to photograph 100 Nottingham citizens, from 1 – 100, in an exclusive group picture with Her Majesty taken on a specially constructed set in the Council House Ballroom and the gold fibreglass image of the Robin Hood Statue was hung on the Minstrel Gallery to perfectly balance the composition of the photograph.

When the Statue celebrated its 50^th Anniversary in 2002, the benefactor’s daughter, Susan Clay (now Mrs Neal) was a guest of the then Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Ali Asghar and  alongside the Statue, in the shadow of the Castle Rock, cut a cake made specially by the Catering Faculty of Clarendon College. Recalling the original unveiling, Mrs Neal, the last surviving member of the Clay family, said “Although I was only a young girl at the time, I remember thinking how marvellous it was that my father was giving something so splendid to Nottingham. I remember all the children and the music, it was a great event.

A poem about the Robin Hood Statue “Standing Up For Nottingham” was specially written by the World Wide Robin Hood Society to mark its 50^th Anniversary. Now the poem is reproduced below and up-dated to mark the current 70^th Anniversary celebration.

“STANDING UP FOR NOTTINGHAM”

They say I stand for justice, a champion of the poor,

Well, I’ve stood here now for 70 years and God my feet are sore!

Pigeons perch upon my head, pecking at my nose,

Tourists clamber round my legs, treading on my toes.

I’m hardly dressed for the weather, wearing just tunic and hose

And it’s draughty round my sensitive bits when it blows up Castle Road.

They say I’m world famous. I’ve been photographed a lot.

My picture and legend has been round the globe, yet I’ve never left this spot!

My legs are aching, my back is breaking yet there’s nothing I can do

But stand tall and stout and tough it out, just seeing each day through.

Though any pain and suffering is more than made worthwhile

When I catch a glimpse of wonder in a child’s wide-eyed smile.

“Hey look, it’s a statue of Robin Hood! “- shout the kids in excited voice.

Then I’m proud to stand up for Nottingham and let’s face it I haven’t much choice!

(Copyright: 2022 - World Wide Robin Hood Society / Robert White)

Crick Crack Club Talk Review

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Written by Super User

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on Tuesday, 15 January 2019 16:40

Crick Crack Club Talk Review

In his personally engaging and enigmatic style, respected historian, Professor Ronald Hutton from Bristol University recently captivated the audience at the Crick Crack Club's April meeting in London with a fascinating look at the fact and fiction behind the archetypical figure of the outlaw hero, Robin Hood.

Explaining that he had decided to approach his talk on the assumption that Robin had actually been a real person, he proceeded to peel away the myths of popular culture and Hollywood scriptwriters and look closely at the various historical texts that placed likely "contenders" in a relevant time frame and a plausible location.

Along the way, his "legend-stripping" technique saw many aspects of the traditional Robin Hood tales become systematically dismissed as mythical fiction and the audience gasped as Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, King Richard the Lionheart, the Sheriff of Nottingham and even Sherwood Forest, all fell by the wayside as he concluded that, in his opinion, based on the research carried out for his various books, Robert Hood of Sherburn-in-Elmet in North Yorkshire was a strong possible source on which the exploits of England's famous hero could be founded. However, he also admitted that along with the many other "usual suspects" claiming to be the original Robin Hood historical figure, it was highly unlikely that any such claims might ever be verified beyond doubt!

After a short break and refreshments, the audience divided into small groups to discuss and consider some specific questions including: - Do we need our legendary figures to be real? : How does Robin Hood's role as a national hero relate to the national psyche? : and: Is the medieval Robin too radical for modern tastes?

Although the limited time available left little opportunity to consider in depth the questions posed, the diversity of each group's response touched on issues of social justice; fiction triumphing over fact and the public desire for "people's champions" etc. all of which reflected just how wide-ranging the influence of the Robin Hood "brand" had become in the 21st Century.

All-in-all, the informative and entertaining evening once again aptly demonstrated the status of the Crick Crack Club as England's premier promoter and programmer of performance storytelling.

Bob White, Chairman, World Wide Robin Hood Society. - 11th April 2015.

21st Century

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 04 January 2019 15:10

In the 21st Century

Nottingham in the 21st century is clearly about much more than just Robin Hood but the legend has developed into a global brand of such scale and impact that City and County cannot afford to ignore its enormous marketing, promotional and public relations potential – particularly as it is handed to the authorities "on a plate" and absolutely free! No one doubts that the Robin Hood legend generates local pride, as well as global recognition but this comes at a price. It creates external expectations and a flexible balance has to be maintained that puts Robin Hood in a realistic perspective. It should not get out of proportion, nor should opportunities be lost.

For some 800 years, the Robin Hood legend has held an enduring place in people's hearts and minds due to the principles of justice, fair play and freedom that the hero of Sherwood Forest represents and such worthy and important principles are still as relevant in the present day - possibly even more so!

Robin Hood has become a symbolic champion of the people, a fighter against oppression and wrong-doing who stands against corruption. Over the centuries his popularity has never wavered, in fact it has continued to grow, establishing him as the greatest and most celebrated figure in English folklore. Universally admired as an icon of popular culture, the Robin Hood "brand" remains a potent marketing and promotional force, recognised and respected around the globe.

Community Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 04 January 2019 14:56

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Ecology Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 04 January 2019 12:51

In Ecology

With the tales and traditional stories being set in Sherwood Forest and other rural woodland locations, Robin Hood is often seen as an ideal ambassador for "green living" and ecological ideals! His folklore origins, together with his understanding of how to survive in the wild, in harmony with nature, make him the perfect character to credibly promote a wide range of environmental –based information. Consequently, his image has frequently appeared on various campaigns carrying healthy lifestyle messages etc.

Spirit and Religion Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 04 January 2019 12:49

In Spirit and Religion

Many historians and academics support the theory that Robin Hood was derived from the original "Green Man" of early Pagan and Medieval beliefs who was seen as a mythological symbol of fertility and the re-birth of nature through the seasons. He was an important character in the early May Games and the mystical element that frequently surrounds his legend has formed the basis for a myriad of spiritual interpretations involving the Dark Arts, spectres and even regression to a past life!

Principle Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 04 January 2019 11:56

In Principle

Numerous worthwhile and influential charity-based initiatives have been founded on the popular principles of the Robin Hood legend – namely, the ethos of "robbing the rich to give to the poor" and championing the fight for injustice. Popularly perceived as "the people's hero", his name is proudly used to "front" such charities and the exposure generated in publicity and promotional terms all helps to further enhance and widen the reputation of the Robin Hood "brand".

Sport and Pastimes Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 07 December 2018 16:53

In Sport and Pastimes

Although the Robin Hood legend has understandably become associated with the traditional sports of Archery and Fencing, the outlaw hero's name has been used extensively as the title for events and trophies etc. in a wide range of competitive sports, leisure pursuits and recreational games. Computer games and war games have also featured the Robin Hood character(s) in various scenarios.

Humour Article List

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Written by Super User

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on Friday, 07 December 2018 16:52

In Humour

It is often said that the measure of a true legend is when it can be ridiculed and "spoofed" in many ways, yet still retain its original dignity and credibility without any damage to its reputation. The Robin Hood legend is no exception – with an extensive range of humorous examples to be found spanning books and magazines, film and television and even political caricature! The ability of the character to lend itself to such "comedic" interpretation further widens the scope and impact of the legend to extend its influence to yet another element of popular culture.