Downderry memories
Here are memories of Downderry and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Downderry or a Downderry photo.
Fishing With Billy
Billy was a hero to we boys. In the daytime you could go crabbing with him; at night, out drifting. He drove an old open jeep and at times you would see five, six or even seven boys clinging to parts of this ex-US vehicle as it bounced its way up the slipway, or tore through the Cornish lanes on the way to Looe, where he kept his bigger boat, the "Ella".
A shake, or an alarm clock at 5.00am. Pull on my boots and a thick woollen jumper. It would be pitch dark, nothing stirred in the village. As I made my way the five hundred yards to the centre of the village, my heart would be in my mouth; every shadow a threat, every noise a danger. Then, through the night, the clumping of heavy sea boots: "That you D'Arcy?", the comforting sound of Billy.
As we launched the boat, using his jeep and a clever device that lifted and lowered his open boat into the... Read more
Good Times
I used to live in the little cottage you can see there, It was a very beautiful place.
Downderry Coastguard
I first visited Downderry fifty years ago on my honeymoon. My husband's (Bill Polwin Baxter) father William Henry Polwin had been coastguard there towards the end of the 19th century - my mother-in-law was born at the coastguard house in St Mawes. It was a beautiful day and we swam in the sea at the bottom of the garden. I am a Shetlander used to colder waters and found it very surprising that the sand beneath the water was almost too hot to stand on.
I have two photographs I will look out of the 19th century Polwins at the house. I will look them out for here when I have more time.
Rosemary Baxter
Wide Sea Hotel, Downderry
I last stayed at the Wide Sea Hotel in 1966. Margaret Eliott the owner was to marry my father, Hilton Devitte in 1967. I wondered if the hotel still existed today, and what had happened to Margaret Devitte nee Eliott. We also had wonderful holidays at Whitsand Bay Hotel in the 1950s as a family and I was glad to see that it is still there, and hope to re-visit it one year. I live in Vancouver, Canada now. I hope someone can reply to this letter?
Holiday And Family Tree Research
I stayed at the Wide Sea Hotel in the mid to late 1950s when I was about 8. My grandparents were also staying at the hotel and probably they had stayed several times before. My grandfather came from Cornwall which is probably why he went holidaying there from Chingford in Essex/London.
Threeways
I was born in a house called Threeways in the centre of the village. I think it used to be an Offficer's mess during the war and then became a Country Club long after we moved out. The building no longer exists and has been replaced by a small cul-de-sac (also called Threeways). The local shop was run by the Toms family and the Chemist's by Mr Wenmouth. Butcher Ward had a shop opposite the Working Men's Club (now the village community centre) and next door to him was a Hairdressers called "Lucille". Prowse's ran the Dairy and Charlie Edwards the taxi service. We have visited Downderry over the years and it is nice to see that though there has been some development, a lot of places remain the same.
Holidays in Downderry
Uncle Tim owned the left side of Tremmor Cottage, next to St Nicolas Church, as a holiday home. He would let it out privately to friends and family. Subsequently he changed his holiday venue to the house next door - Firside Cottage. Unfortunately he took up permanent residence there a few years ago.
Thus my last family holiday in Downderry was six years ago. However, some of us did visit Downderry for a day this summer while staying in Dartmouth. It was great to be back after six years.
Downderry will always be a great figure-head of my nostalgic childhood memories as we used to go there for family holidays almost every summer.
HOLIDAY MEMORIES
I have many happy, if rather boozy, memories of Downderry! I first went there in 1983 until my final visit in 1996, where I had 12 fantastic holidays there, most of the time in glorious sunshine. I went with my parents each year (apart from one) and I was amazed by the beauty of the place. That stunning sea view as you take that sharp hairpin bend on the road from Torpoint is just purely magical, and is something I never grew tired of. The most, most stunning view I have ever seen.
We stayed at Eddystone Cottage, the home of Jim and Elsie Mercer where they ran a wonderfully friendly guest house. The views from the patio and from the sun lounge of the sea were awe inspiringly beautiful. At night, the flickering light of Eddystone Lighthouse could be seen. On a clear day the lighthouse was visible even though it was some 8 miles off shore. Our last visit in 1996 brought us bad news - Jim... Read more
Hessenford
I have just read the memory of the fishing trips and the use of the jeep to tow the fishing boat down the beach to launch it into the sea at Downderry. I also remember that jeep as if it were yesterday. My Grandmother, Marjorie Buckley, was the Headmistress of Hessenford School in the 40's and 50's (maybe into the 60's before she finally retired) and I spent alot of my youth living with her and on family holidays in Hessenford. I spent 9 months with my Grandparents towards the end of the war, as my home town, Redditch, had been badly bombed by the Germans. My Grandather died, I think in 1947, and is buried in the graveyard at the Hessenford Parish Church, St. Annes. in 1953 most of the summer term and summer holidays were spent there, taking part in the festivities organised for the Coronation and celebration of the conquest of Everest. (Sir Edmund Hillary's death, ironically, was announced only 2 or 3 days ago). The Coronation... Read more
Memories of Cornwall
Living in Seaton 1950s/1960s
My parents owned Mount Brioni in the late 1950s to early 1960s, I was just a baby, I had 5 sisters and 3 brothers who all lived there.
I remember the Doneys who owned the cafe on the beach and spent many happy days on our beach.
My Life in Seaton
1943! The year I was born, where I lived and was brought up at my grandparents' shop, 'S W Pearce & Son'. I went to school in Downderry and Antony, then later Liskeard Grammer. On leaving school, I worked in the family business, followed by 30 years in Plymouth. My parents retired in the mid 1980s, and moved to the Barbican, Looe, after selling the business. My father, Donald, died in 1990, my mother, Vera (91), and my brother, Mark (65) are still alive. I have been married for 45 years, to Kitty, and have two grown up daughters, Nicola and Joanne, and two grandaughters, Emily and Jessica. Seaton Beach Cafe' is still up and running, but not with the Doney family. Our local pub, 'The Smugglers Inn', was originally the farmhouse back in 1919, where my father was born. The Widesea Hotel was made into a Nursing Home, until 1991, then was demolished and made into luxury appartments. Billy Hocking is still fishing and crabbing, now well into his... Read more
My Life in Seaton in The 1960s
With my family I moved to Cornwall in 1954, lived first in Hessenford then Seaton with my 2 brothers and 2 sisters, David, Tony, Lesley & Jane. My mother worked on the holiday camp. I went to Torpoint High School. I had a lot of friends in both villages such as Peter Eveleigh, Malcolm Stares, Alan Barrett, John Collins, Roger Roseavear, Nick Carthew, Andrew and Keith Waite, Ian Hendry, the Doneys, Marion Bird, Linda Wood, Teresa Stewart and many others. My mother died in 1967 so I moved to south Wales, Merthyr Tydfill, then to Cardiff. I have two sons by my late wife who passed away in 2003. My time in Cornwall was not always happy but I did love the place.
Hessenford, The Village
I have just read the memory of the fishing trips and the use of the jeep to tow the fishing boat down the beach to launch it into the sea at Downderry. I also remember that jeep as if it were yesterday. My Grandmother, Marjorie Buckley, was the Headmistress of Hessenford School in the 40's and 50's (maybe into the 60's before she finally retired) and I spent alot of my youth living with her and on family holidays in Hessenford. I spent 9 months with my Grandparents towards the end of the war, as my home town, Redditch, had been badly bombed by the Germans. My Grandather died, I think in 1947, and is buried in the graveyard at the Hessenford Parish Church, St. Annes. in 1953 most of the summer term and summer holidays were spent there, taking part in the festivities organised for the Coronation and celebration of the conquest of Everest. (Sir Edmund Hillary's death, ironically, was announced only 2 or 3 days ago). The... Read more
Hessenford
I was so pleased to come across a site talking about 'my' family village of Hessenford. I was also evacauated to Hessenford with my mum and spent my 1st birthday there. This was the first of many August holidays with my Great Aunt Dorah and Great Uncle Dick (known as Farmer & Mrs Nicholls but who's surname was actually Nicholas) who were the tenant farmers of Hessenford Farm. The white porch of the farmhouse is shown on the 1st Hessenford postcard and Uncle Dick is the small figure leaning on a wall, talking I think to Mr or Mrs Pierce. Our visits to Hessenford were made in a friends car, my Dad in those days only had a van as he was a painter & decorator, and we were always greeted by Albert Morrish, sythe in hand as he cleared the hedgerow just outside the village.- he always knew when we would be arriving and was on look-out. As the school holidays didn't quite line up... Read more
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