Fabella – A Giraffe with a tale
Poem 1 of 3 – The Pear
The front of Fabella is surrounded by pears and proudly shows off the Worcester Coat of Arms.
Tradition has it, that it was during the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Worcester in 1575 that Worcester acquired its second coat of arms featuring the black pear. It is said that during her procession through the streets of Worcester the Queen saw a pear tree which had been planted in the Foregate in her honour. She was so pleased at the appropriateness of the tree growing right in the heart of a fruit growing region, that she ordered the city add the emblem of pears to its Coat of Arms.
How fitting that Fabella should be placed at Foregate!!
‘The Pear’
The Romans brought us the pear
Unique in its’ colour, very rare
It was fed to the troops at Agincourt
Adorning bowman’s banners during the war
Grown at the Abbey by the monks
Trees heavy with fruit from tip to trunks
Queen Elizabeth so admiring of the tree
Ordering three pears was her decree
to be part of the coat and to this day
the arms grace our city in a wonderful way
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