Here’s an odd thing. We came across this sticker recently, attached to a lamppost in a part of Shrewsbury called The Dana.
What’s odd about it is that, for its central picture, it uses an image of the 600 year-old Great Seal of Shrewsbury. (On the image of the seal you can just about see some loggerheads, which appeared in history for the first time on this seal).
But… what does it all mean? The motto has nothing to do with the ancient seal and has, presumably, been written by a modern citizen of the town. It reads: “One Hand Clapping all things in common all people one”. But who ‘One Hand Clapping’ is, no one seems to know.
What OHC may have seized upon in using such an ancient image is that the seal was cut, back in 1425, to commemorate “the free commune of Shrewsbury”. Perhaps OHC would like to see the free commune revived…?
It’s certainly wonderful to think that a dusty old historical artefact seems to have inspired a modern-day idealist…!
A new book has now been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.
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