The Lighthouse 1895, Teignmouth
The Lighthouse 1895, Teignmouth Ref: 36338
Memories of The Lighthouse 1895, Teignmouth
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Teignmouth & local memories
Read and share memories of Teignmouth and Devon inspired by Frith photos.
Music And Dancing in The Streets of Teignmouth
Teignmouth Folk Festival attracted crowds who filled the sunny promenade and town centre streets to watch the many Morris Teams at this 2009 event.
Musicians and dancers formed a procession at the East Cliff Cafe to parade along the Den and the promenade towards the Triangle where each "side" gave a display for for the Mayor and civic dignitaries. I played my piano accordian with the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers' Band and provided a rousing chorus of the British Grenadiers tune as they performed in front of the Mayor.
Recently Morris Teams have had some mainstream news attention due to suggestions that the tradition is slowly dying out, but this is not the case judging by the large crowds who came to watch and enjoy the different styles of dance and music from teams from many parts of England and Wales. These performances were at venues throughout the town including The Triangle, East Cliff Café, Northumberland Place, Teign Street, the seafront and more. My... Read more
Auditing The Tolls
Plymouthian Edward (Ed) Vosper's second wife, now Mrs Doreen Skidmore was interviewed in March 2009 and recalled that my grandfather (Ed Vosper) used to work for the Bayly Estate in Plymouth. He worked in the Estate Office retiring in August 1934 after 38 years service with the family. Doreen says that Ed would go twice a year to Shaldon Bridge Tollhouse, not to collect the tolls, but on a sort of audit to check that the tolls were correctly charged and to ensure no-one was missed out. Ed Vosper kept a record of all traffic and then compared the numbers with the toll collector's takings at the end of the day.
(Comment: one wonders if in fact he viewed the toll gate from the main road above the tollhouse close to where the photographer was standing in the photo).
This story was confirmed when the daughter of tollhouse keeper Mr Tucker was interviewed in 1981 by reporter Monica Wyatt of the Teignmouth Post & Gazette. That interview revealed... Read more
Music And Clog Morris Dancing on The Promenade at Teignmouth
One summer evening in July I met my music and dancing friends on the promenade at Teignmouth to play my piano accordian for the Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers.
It was a cool but dry evening with few holidaymakers about but as soon as the dancers began their entertainment it took only a few minutes for the promenaders to stop to watch and gradually form a crowd around us. I particularly remember two families from Ireland as their children just loved to dance alongside us and joined the band with some of our spare instruments. Their parents snapped away with cameras to record the kiddies' fun! They had never seen any clog morris dancing before and were amazed.
We began soon after 8 o'clock and as the dusk fell on us and the gathering crowd, the promenade illuminations were switched on. It was a lovely evening which we rounded off with a walk to the end of Teignmouth Pier as it got dark.
Teignmouth Folk Festival 2008
A weekend long folk festival in June attracted crowds of spectators to the street entertainments around Teignmouth and also to the concert performances in the Carlton Theatre.
Many of the entertainers were morris dancers performing at the Teignmouth Triangle. The "morris sides" at the festival included Heather and Gorse Clog Dancers- a Devon based morris dancing group with dances and tunes from the north west of England. They looked very smart with their shiny black clogs stepping out the rhythm of the lively jigs and polkas played by their band.
There were several venues around the town set aside for music and dancing so this special tenth anniversary folk festival was a happy and succesful occasion. The largest of the dance venues was the Teignmouth Triangle - the view above is now rather different as the area has been beautifully landscaped with paving and seating to make a traffic free haven in the centre of the town. There must have been hundreds of spectators watching... Read more
Heather And Gorse Clog Dancers Entertain at Teignmouth Triangle
There is a beautiful wide paved area at Teignmouth Triangle which is a natural focal point to meet people and maybe sit and chat on one of the many benches nearby. This was the venue chosen by the Heather and Gorse dancers to put on a display of clog morris dancing along with their band of accordians and melodeons.
The dancers kit of blue dresses black waistcoats and dancing clogs attracted the attention of passers by and there was soon a gathering of interested spectators. This was my very first opportunity to play my accordian for Heather and Gorse and it was a magical morning as dancers, musicians and spectators all seemed so friendly - even the sun shone warmly on this November day and I was able to play my accordian in just shirt sleeves!
