As the village recovers from the drama of the main road closures in June BH presses on regardless.
The month of May saw the BH website receive 1995 page views from 246 active users mainly perusing the ever-growing catalogue (massive thanks to Dawn Rogers and Mel Deeks) but also new articles:
The “Growing up in Bishopsteignton” articles (some of us will never grow up) continue to gain attention with recently published addition by Tim Newton gaining comments alongside articles about his Ridgeway and Cornish (the name) ancestors with more to follow.
BH volunteer and researcher Hillary Davies has also written an article on former paupers’ residences “Fulford Cottages” and is following up with an associated article about Captain John Hore and his family.
Other BH volunteers, namely Barbara Sealey, Colin Back and Ken Dawe are currently researching and pulling material to present regarding Bishopsteignton’s connections to Newfoundland, the village butchers through the years and Ashill Farm/Old Walls/farming in Bishopsteignton respectively.
Exeter University student intern Rosie Tone blasted through her 80 hours with us providing material about medieval life in the Parish for our resident guru James Hooper to begin publishing in June to positive feedback.
International Baccalaureate student Joe Donnelly has joined BH for work experience on Saturdays during school term time and other times during the summer holidays. His chosen subject for research is St John’s Church.
Dawn Rogers maintains concentrated progress on various policies and procedures as part of us gaining Arts Council Accredited Museum status.
Mary Ford’s ‘photo of the week’ series continues to promote much comment and discussion on Facebook and Instagram contributing to 23,887 views and 2,407 interactions on social media during May. The photos themselves feature such variables as village scenes, personalities and recently Danny the Donkey
Diverse activity or what?!
Newspaper reports from the archives for the month of July include:
Local historian W.D Cleland, who wrote “Bishopsteignton Village and Lanes. A Short History and Guide” in the early 1930s, replied to the following statement made by “A True Believer in a Creator of the Universe” in the Western Morning News in July 1926 that:
“God is nearer to one in a garden.”
In a somewhat lengthy missive, Mr Cleland, long before the days of Percy Thrower and Alan Titchmarsh argues amongst other things that:
If … ”the natural inference is that gardeners who spend most of their life there and the owners and visitors that frequent them ought to be men and women of great faith and inspiration and of the highest standard. The student of human nature who knows both can testify that some are and some are not….. Bible history teaches us that disobedience to God started in a garden… The brightest and most sanctified of all ages have found rebirth, spiritual exaltation and closeness to God elsewhere. It has been found in the street, slum, mansion, palace, church, mission hall, tent, mountain top, valley and even in prison…”
Good on you Mr Cleland! (He didn’t mention public house!) A subsequent issue of the newspaper carries The True Believer’s reply in its letters to the editor section which we will touch on in next month’s Chronicle.
W D Cleland Short History of Bishopsteignton 1933
In July 1951 The Torbay Express and South Devon reports miss Sheila Skinner anointed as “Personality Queen”, with Hazel Back as runner up. Both young ladies had sold over 7000 tickets to raise £50 to divide between the British Legion and the ‘new’ Village Hall fund.
Sheila Skinner (later Robbins) as Personality Queen 1951, flanked by Jean Bailey (later Knapman) and Barbara Bird
It must be noted that Yvonne Gill, now sadly recently departed, was “Juvenile Queen” and Malcolm Honeywill “Juvenile King”. Having known Malcolm for many years subsequently, he would have made a perfectly Juvenile King and went on to become a Juvenile Motor Mechanic over a lifetime.
And finally also in July of 1951 The Torbay Express and South Devon recorded Mr Percy Maddock of 23 Fore Street, Bishopsteignton, a bus driver for Devon General as being presented with a certificate under the “Order of the Knights of the Road”, having performed “outstanding acts of courtesy in the course of his work” and “no accidents having been reported during May and only one in June”!
– Only one?...What? Knocked down a hospital? As a kid I remember Percy living in a bungalow by West Town Cottages where he kept pigs and fed boiled swill to them whilst he wore his Devon General hat and trench coat.
Devon General 2b Teignmouth to Bishopsteignton Bus Thank you to Devon General Society
The Devon General Company ceased running a bus service through the village in the 1970s due to inconsiderate parking. I wonder if Percy used to think that looking after pigs was easier than driving a bus through Bishopsteignton?...
Dave Robbins
All of the above photos and stories and so much more are available on the website and at the Hub, please drop in for a warm welcome!
Bishopsteignton Heritage Hub is open Fridays 11 – 4, Saturdays 10 – 12 and by appointment. or contact us at [email protected] or visit our ever growing online catalogue and articles at www.bishopsteigntonheritage.co.uk or join in the conversation at www.facebook.com/thebishopsteigntonstory/