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Description: Black and white photograph of a young boy walking a lamb on a lead, May 1958.

Description: Black and white photograph of a toddler crying as a lamb nibbles at his feet. 11-month-old Johnnie Gwilt visiting his uncle's farm in Hereford. Item appeared in the Western Mail on March 9th, 1957.

Description: Black and white photograph of an elephant performing tricks outside the County Theatre, Hereford.

Description: Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Black and white photograph of Margaret Evans (14) and 6 year old Tony Branson (in a wheelchair) with puppies at the Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Heather Needham, Sheila Matthews, Pam Gethen and Carol Piggott, with butterflies, goldfish and tortoises at the Holy Trinity Pet Service in Whitecross, Hereford, 1950s.

Description: Black and white photograph of two youngsters watching a dog and horse touching noses.

Description: Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Black and white photograph of a smiling Margaret Hunter holding her pet dog. Item appeared in the Western Mail and the Western Daily Press November 12th, 1968.

Description: Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be.

Description: Black and white photograph of a young schoolboy carrying a goose. Holy Trinity church’s annual pet blessing, marked the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. It was a pretty major event in its day, at its height seeing the congregation swell from hundreds to thousands – and that doesn’t include pets. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the annual animal Sunday blessing started a world-wide movement, with similar services springing up across the world. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. He started the tradition in the late 1940s. It was a spectacle unlike anything we are likely to see in Hereford today. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, even gold fish bowls. With limited space in the church, hundreds more waited outside listening to a public-address system. For one Sunday of the year, Holy Trinity was the place to be. Appeared in the Birmingham Weekly Post October 7th 1955.

Description: Two young girls at the annual pet blessing service in the Holy Trinity Church in Whitecross. Starting in the 1947, it was a major event in its day, seeing the congregation swell from dozens, to thousands. It even caught the attention of Pathe News, who claimed the event started a world-wide movement. It was the inspired idea of Holy Trinity’s Reverend Snell, who was also Chairman of the local RSPCA branch. Reverend Snell set the tone arriving for the service on horseback. He was followed through the doors of the church by hundreds of pet owners, dragging dogs, sheep, goats, ponies, or carrying parrots, mice, hamsters, and even gold fish bowls.

Description: Black and white photograph of Les Kedward attends to a budgie, watched by 4-year-old Christopher Meyers.

Description: Black and white photograph of a smiling young lady holding a chicken.

Description: Black and white photograph of a young lady with Alsatian dog.

Description: Black and white photograph of Veronica Jaine of Dinmore with Sunday, her 7-month-old pet fox cub. Variation of this image appeared in the Empire News and Sunday Chronicle June 2nd, 1957.

Description: Black and white photograph of a toddler not enjoying the attention of a young lamb.

Description: A young boy cuddling a lamb.