Sketches of leafy Warwickshire, rural and urban . w had relaxed. It was in 1844 that Leamington began to lose the soundof stage coaches from its streets. At that date the railways hadcommenced to make their inroads, and, indeed, had already begunto run the coach off the highway; so that in Leamington thecareer of the stage coach was short, if glorious. In the days when the Leamington Steeplechases were firstheld, between the years 1837 and 1840, the pleasure coachesof the Marquis of Waterford, Sir Edward Mostyn, CaptainLamb, and others were features of the streets, as pronouncedas the scarlet
Sketches of leafy Warwickshire, rural and urban . w had relaxed. It was in 1844 that Leamington began to lose the soundof stage coaches from its streets. At that date the railways hadcommenced to make their inroads, and, indeed, had already begunto run the coach off the highway; so that in Leamington thecareer of the stage coach was short, if glorious. In the days when the Leamington Steeplechases were firstheld, between the years 1837 and 1840, the pleasure coachesof the Marquis of Waterford, Sir Edward Mostyn, CaptainLamb, and others were features of the streets, as pronouncedas the scarlet hunting-coat was ; and it was no doubt at thattime that Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer—afterwards Lord Lytton—formed his acquaintance with Leamington, which he mentions inMy Novel; his brother, Henry Lytton Bulwer, being aboutthat time Member of Parliament for the City of Coventry. As the Royal Spa went out of vogue, and the men offashion migrated to other resorts, the pleasure coach becamea less distinctive feature; and it was not for a long time. 1-o (C t- >-> z< lU I^- Coaching Days at Leamington 41 afterwards that the streets echoed to the rattle of the four-in-hand and the sound of the coach horn. The late Lord Aylesford revived the pleasure coach inApril, 1878, driving between Birmingham and Coventry duringthe summer months, and sometimes passing through 1880, The Shakespeare Coach trotted out from the RegentHotel yard on summer mornings, bound for Stratford-on-Avon,Since Lord Aylesfords time, pleasure coaches have been drivenfrom the Regent Hotel successively by Captain Riddell, Osborne, Mr. Craven, the late Mr. Jennings, and Blackwood, to various places of interest in the historicneighbourhood. It is scarcely probable, however, that a revival of coaching,under the conditions adopted by these gentlemen whips, is atpresent meditated. Pleasure coaching is a somewhat costly pas-time, and has hitherto been confined to the higher class of
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