To “larrup” in the dictionary is defined as “to thrash”. Winifred Foley in her “Child in the Forest” refers to “larruping” as getting a good hiding for bad behaviour. But when a group of thirteen men banded together in 1921 and called themselves “The Larruperz” they had something quite different in mind. They meant “having a good time”, what today we would call “socialising”. They enjoyed each other’s company, drank a bit (not such a lot because as Mrs Taynton, the widow of Bob Taynton, one of the original thirteen pointed out, they didn’t really have a great deal of money to spend). They made music together and formed a dance orchestra. Obviously they had a great sense of fun and this is shown clearly in photos of the group at Ross Carnivals and on other occasions when they met together and enjoyed the comradeship. Most remained friends all their lives.
To accept this picture of the “Larruperz”, just as a group of young men enjoying life, would be to under-estimate greatly their commitment to Ross-on-Wye. Arthur Ryall, who can be seen as the “father” of the group, pointed out that very soon they were using their considerable energies and enthusiasm to improve the facilities of the community of Ross.
It seems that what these young men had in common was a zest for life that went far beyond the laddish culture of the time. They set out to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Extracted with permission from "The History of the Larruperz" © 2001 Ross & District Community Association.
The Original Larruperz (c) R E Davies, Ross
