Sampford Peverell, from Underdown c1960

Rock

Underdown was a magical place, a narrow island of rock left by quarrying at some time in the past. This photo is taken from the western end. At the eastern end there was a copse and the top of the island merged back into the side of a hill. The south side was a vertical cliff with trees growing along the top edge and out of the face. The trees started a little to the left of the photographer in this picture. The end in the photograph could be scrambled down or slid down through a natural helter skelter formation in the rock. The north side (to the right) was steep but with a path running diagonally down the face, and largely climable by us children. A lot of my childhood was spent here, climbing, making dens, etc.  We called it "Rock".
The first time I went there, with my dad and before Myxomatosis, I can remember looking up across the field and seeing a line of rabbits looking back from the photographer's vantage point.
Sadly it's gone now. The North Devon link road passes through the field in the foreground of the photograph and Rock was removed as part of the earthworks for the road. I am looking for a photo taken in the opposite direction for the village history society, because most of the current villagers have no idea of the past existence of this wonderful place.

When I was a boy

My name is Peter Labdon and I lived with my father Wilf, my mother Ruby and my brother David in Halberton from 1933 to 1943, between the ages of two and twelve. We lived first in Norway House, at the top of the road to Lower Town, and then around the corner in Rockville, fronting the High Street in the centre of the village. I went to the village school in Mr. Hesketh's time and my friends were George Chidgey, David Diggle and Fred Osmond . I am writing such memories as I have at greater length than is possible here, so if anyone of my generation is around and able to contact me I'd be grateful. Phone is 01502 712366 and e-mail peterlabdon@supanet.com I'll add some more later. Thanks for the memories.

War time in Holcombe Rogus

Hi everyone. I lived in Holcombe Rogus during the war years. My Father Leeming Greaves and Kathleen Korner had leased the Prince Of Wales Hotel. My brother Joseph and I attended the local School, I was 9 years old at that time. My Teachers name was Mrs Berry. Mrs Berry had a son Roger who spent a lot of time with my brother. It was a very busy time in Holcombe Rogus as the American servicemen had arrived, and were stationed there, I think there were about 200 at the time. The Americans were very good to us as children, and were always giving the children their chocalate supplies. The Prince of Wales Hotel was very busy, with Jeeps turning up day and night. Now living in Australia, I returned to Holcombe Rogus in 1990 and found the Hotel was still trading, even the Bowling alley at the back of the hotel was still operating, with the same old Bowling balls that we used to play with. My Mother Louise Greaves was a Violinist and had several students in the area. She also had a lot of friends, sorry I cannot remember names, but would remember if they were mentioned to me. I did not find that Holcombe Rogus had changed much in all the years, as with a lot of the English villages, anyone returning there would be happy that it still looked the same. Regards Jessie Sichter (Nee Greaves)