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... [more]

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... [more]

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.

Police constable John Baker

My great grandfather lived at 49 Chapel Hill, Highweek, Newton Abbot. He was 39 then and he had a wife called Susan and 6 children. He was a policeman in Highweek and I am trying to find out more about him and his mother and father, his children were Mary Ann, Susan Ann, William, Samuel, Elizabeth M and John Henry who... [more]

Whyte family

I am researching family history and have established that the wife of my 2nd Great-Grand Uncle lived at Haccombe House in 1881. His name was James Richard Whyte, he married Janet Bogle in 1874. she was his second wife, his first wife died in 1870. He was aged 71 when he died in 1880. On the 1881 census ... [more]

Heather and Gorse dance outside Austins in Newton Abbot

I had never been to Newton Abbot until today but the excuse for my visit this afternoon was an invitation to bring my accordian and play some music for the lovely Heather and Gorse clog morris dancers.  

First we tucked into a healthy lunch and coffee at the nearby veggie restaurant called Country Tables and then having packed... [more]

Stilings Pharmacy Courtenay Street

I have just bought a print of Frith's postcard of Courtney Street in 1955 and am delighted to see the premises named "Stilings Pharmacy" on the right of the picture. My father ran this business for the Misses Stiling who inherited it from their father and he was there during the 1930's and 1940's. The shop is now part of Austins... [more]