Abbotskerswell, Devon

Dornafield Midsummer Promenade

Totnes Rotary Club invited Heather and Gorse Clog Morris to dance at the Dornafield Midsummer Promenade along with other entertainers. The weather was dry and cool for a mid-June evening and just right for some vigorous dancing!

Refreshments were available in the open air bar on this lovely caravan and camp site. A large crowd of holidaymakers and evening visitors made it a succesful charity fundraising event. The dancers rounded off their performance by inviting the audience to join in a massed processional dance which was great fun for the fifty or sixty who accepted the challenge!

Newton Abbot, Haccombe House 1890

My mother lived at Haccombe House and worked for Lord & Lady Carew from the age of 13yrs. in 1914 until about 1930. The Carew family had other residences in London, Highcliffe (Bournemouth), and South Brent. Their staff (servants) moved around with them during the different seasons.
Haccombe House was owned by the Carew family for many years, there is still a Lord Carew in the House of Lords.
Probably the reason why in the 1881 census there were only 4 people entered is that the family were residing at one of their other residences at that time.
My mother and all the servants were required to attend two services at the estate church every Sunday. In the 1950s the Rev. Keble Martin was the Arch Priest of the estate church which I believe was called St. Blasius. In the 1950s he designed the famous flora & fauna postage stamps, and I was baptised by him in 1937.

Wolborough Church

My paternal grandparents, William Harris and Millie Bray were married here 30th July 1921

No idea why they chose this church, although beautiful, they were living in Garston Avenue at the time and there are several churches closer than Wolborough

family ties

I am at present looking into my family history and have discovered today that my maternal grandmother Mrs Beatrice Maud White was married in this church on the 3rd July 1920.

I have not been to the church before but on my next visit to Newton Abbot I shall certainly give it a visit.

Elizabeth Brown Plymouth.