Chillington, Devon

Childhood and Marriage

I went to Sunday School here from 1949, and I sang in the church choir from 1950 until 1960 alongside my Nan.I was also allowed to learn to play the organ, the church has (had?) a wonderful organ, 2 keyboards and foot operated keyboard pedals, plus more stops than I could ever get used to. An uncle also sang in the... [more]

Birthplace

My grandmother, Mary Honor Parsley, was born here in 'Ticket Wood in 1900, my mother Jacqueline Oldman too in 1925. Honor's mother was born Elizabeth Ford, sister to Philip the house owner I believe.
The big house is now gone and replaced with something much more contemporary!
Tackett Wood was/is the local Deb'n vernacular for the area.

holiday home

We had the use of a 3 bed detached home down here for 10 years, it was right at the top of the hill and we could see for miles in all directions. We would come down with suitcases and chill, our youngest was 1 and eldest 13, we had family members stay with us, met lovely christians on mudbury beach,... [more]

Shopping in Fore Street, Kingsbridge

My memories relate to the 1950's when I spent school summer holidays with my grandmother, Lily Creber, and great aunt, Gladys Hill, at Windsor Road. There was an agricultural machinery repairer just around the corner, next to Church Street Post Office. Old machinery was stored in a yard at the bottom of Windsor Road, and being a pre-teen lad... [more]

Kingsbridge Grammar School

I attended KGS from 1952 - 1959.
The Old Grammar School seen in this picture had long been replaced by a much larger building in Westville, Kingsbridge.
For the first couple of terms, I remember walking in file from Westville, past the railway station, to this building where we sat on long benches and ate our school dinners.
It is a... [more]

Salcombe Parish Church

The church was built on land donated by the 10th Earl of Devon and the foundation stone laid in 1841 The architect was J H Ball who designed several other churches in Devon. The magnificent east window shows scenes from the life of Christ and commemorates benefactors of the church, especially the 11th Earl of Devon who died in 1888. Henry... [more]

summer holidays

Browsing through the Book "I Remember when..." published by The Francis Frith Collection, I was so delighted to see a picture of The Quayside in 1896 at Salcombe, Devon. There standing proud above the quay was 'Harbour Lights', the home and guest-house of my brother-in-law Syd Waldron and my sister Betty. What a feast of memories the picture evoked. Sadly Syd... [more]

Early teenage fun at The Salcombe Hotel

The Salcombe Hotel was at one time owned by the formidable Mrs. Ryder. She could be seen in her latter years being escorted to and from The Ferry Inn by Mike Philpotts, a long-term hotel employee. Mrs Ryder had a bulldog, wore a silver bulldog brooch and it is remarkable how some people are said to resemble their pets.......
The Hotel... [more]