Stoke Fleming, the Village c1965
Stoke Fleming, the Village c1965 Ref: s200035
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Memories of Stoke Fleming, the Village
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Dartmouth, Warfleet Road 1934
Ref: 86228
I first came to Dartmouth in 1966 as a member of the Vancouver Boys Band. We were a 39 piece military style marching/concert band. All of us in the band fell in love with Dartmouth. We were hired to play for the Carnival in June and the Regatta in August. I returned with the band in 1968 and 1970. On one of the trips, a Mr Dwyer gave Arthur Delamont, the conductor of the band, a history book on Dartmouth and he passed it on to me. It sat on my bookshelf for years, years that saw me become a band conductor and later a writer. At some point I picked the book up again and couldn't put it down, absorbing all the names and the lore from John Hawley to Francis Drake to Thomas Newcombe. I knew all the roads and high streets and low streets from my adventures in the band and made the trip up the Dart often, past Agatha Christie's house, all the way up to Totnes. I became so absorbed with the history of Dartmouth that I decided to write a trilogy based on the history. The first book I call 'The Merchant Adventurer's Story', based on the exploits of John Hawley. The second is the 'Gentleman Explorer' based on the exploits of Humphrey Gilbert and the third is called 'The Solicitor Commander' based on a Falmouth Solicitor who during the war, attacked U-Boats off the coast of France by night. I have only just about finished the first book, but whenever my mind returns to the days of my youth, running in the hills above Dartmouth, I think about my trilogy and the joy I am going to have finishing the other two stories and revisiting the places of my youth in my memory. I have written some 16 other books, some on adventure tourism, others on the history of the band that first brought me to the shores of England and to the hills of Dartmouth. My company is called Warfleet Press and can be found at www.warfleetpress.com I was looking for some photos of Dartmouth when I came upon this site and the name Warfleet Road. All the memories came flooding back to me. The book I have just finished is called 'Ambassadors of Empire' and it will be available in September 2009. I hope to come back to Dartmouth and the rest of England, maybe on a book tour soon. In any case the name of Warfleet will always be etched in my mind and remind me of all things wonderful, both past and present!
Christopher Best
Shared on 05 August 2009
My mother Mary Dart was brought up in Kingswear, where she lived with her mum, dad, and brother Edward until she married my dad Les Witty who was in the Army at the time. She had to move away as Dad was posted to Germany in 1953. I was born in 1955 and came to Kingswear when I was about 18 months old to stay with my grandad and uncle. Many years passed and I came to live in Kingswear at the age of 12 years old. We had a flat on top of shops overlooking the River Dart, there were quite a few shops. People were always friendly. As years went by my dad became the caretaker of Kingswear cemetery and we moved into the lodge, by this time I had left school and had got a job in Dartmouth Potteries then later moved on to hotal work. I left Kingswear when I was 17. I went back 11 years ago to scatter my mum's ashes, it was a shock to see how the cemetery had become overgrown and the lovely lodge was being left to rot. We went to the village, although it has not changed it did not have the same feel about it, all the cheery faces have gone.
Shared on 13 July 2009
My Gt grandfather, William James Hawken was a certified schoolmaster at Galmpton between 1875-1880. His youngest child, Frances Marian, was born there on 10th October 1875. She went on to marry William Henry Birch, who was a son of the iconic Betsy Birch who founded the London omnibus transport system, after the early demise of her husband William in 1846.
Shared on 30 June 2007
Stokenham, the Church c1960
Ref: S197046
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 choir, and he and my aunty ran the Church House Inn.
Uncle often used to sing 'Bless This House' in the pub and I used to play the piano for him.
I came home and got married in the church in January 1963, with full choir and bells. It was SO COLD, that was a really bad winter. The reception was at The Torcross Hotel and there was even ice at the edge of the sea.
Shared on 03 March 2009
Stoke Gabriel, the Church House Inn c1955
Ref: S366002
Dartington Morris with Heather & Gorse Clog Morris at The Church House Inn
This view is EXACTLY the spot where the dancers and musicians of Dartington Morris and their guests Heather and Gorse Clog Morris performed in August 2008.
It was a lovely warm August evening and a crowd of villagers and holidaymakers gathered for the dance performance at 8pm. I recall there is now a plaque on the front wall of the Inn inviting people to try the village stocks but that doesn't appear in this photo.
I brought my piano accordian along and played in the band for Heather and Gorse and also enjoyed a pint of lovely Flowers Best Bitter! There were probably a hundred folks gathered around the front of the Inn and also standing in the road enjoying the show!
Shared on 09 August 2008
