New Collections online
We now how an incredible 3000+ records in the online catalogue!
As a result of a lot of hard work from the Hub Team and our amazing volunteers, you can search through and view a total of 2058 images by visiting our archive search page.
Records catalogued and digitised in 2022 cover some wonderful people, places and events from the village’s past including the 1st Bishopsteignton Scouts group, ‘Beating the Bounds’ (the annual tradition of walking the entire parish boundary), the Vintage Rallies which were held for the benefit of local organisations, the Twinning association’s extensive archive and a huge number of photographs from Colin Back who is also sharing his memoir with us, soon to be published on our website!
Trustees news
Happy New Year from the Trustees
Happy New Year to all our readers! We have been delighted by the community response this year to the research and exhibitions in our refurbished Hub room and thank the Hub team and all the volunteers for their amazing work for BH. We look forward very much to your continued engagement with us, please do come and visit the Hub! If you are part of an organisation in the village and we could help you in any way with your own archive or by putting on a heritage related event please contact us.
– From the Bishopsteignton Heritage Trustees
From the whole team, thank you to Trustees who have volunteered their time over the last 4 years: Surya Patterson, Nigel Wollen and former Treasurer Nigel Edwards. We also extend our welcome to new Trustees John Reynolds and Chris Wikeley, it is great to have you on board!
Volunteers, up-skilling and Hub improvements
Local people recruited in 2022 have been hard at work in the Heritage Hub.
Recruited in 2022, volunteer Natalia (pictured) has already produced a series of posters and begun her second Bishopsteignton women’s history project focussing on the Modern Wives group. Other new volunteers Hilary and Ruth have been assisting Dawn with digitisation and other collections tasks as well as conducting research into the history of the Community Centre.
We also had several training events in 2022 including our very first one open to people from outside of Bishopsteignton Heritage! We hope to host many more training events in 2023 to which we will again invite volunteers and staff from neighbouring museums and heritage organisations.
The Hub has undergone some improvements and is now a better home for the archive we store there. We acquired new archive shelving from RackLine which has given us more space and storage as well as installed a de-humidifier, helping us to control the environment.
We were lucky enough to be joined by a student from the University of Plymouth’s Archival Practice MA course who in their time with us worked on cataloguing material relating to the “Beating the Bounds” as well as newspaper cuttings covering all sorts of village people and events!
Archival Practice
Our University of Plymouth student work experience shares thoughts on their time with us
I volunteered with the Bishopsteignton Heritage team in 2022. I was motivated to take part in archival volunteering during my postgraduate degree in Archival Practice at the University of Plymouth. Recommended by my tutor, I took myself off on a train and bus to the village to gain experience in practical archive skills including cataloguing, record handling, digitisation, public engagement and preservation. I knew the theory of the course and the professional standards, but Imogen and the team taught me the practicalities and challenges of running your own archive.
Each week I handled records and objects that represented the really interesting history of Bishopsteignton. My favourite was the photographs of the ‘Beating the Bounds’ in the 1950s. They are a set of photographs that really represented the village community spirit and I learnt more about village traditions that I would not have encountered otherwise.
“Imogen and the team taught me the practicalities and challenges of running your own archive.”
Although my volunteering period has ended, it gave me valuable insight into the depth of community archives. I am definitely looking forward to paying a visit in the future.
– A. Shortland, University of Plymouth MA Archival Practice student
We were sorry to hear that the MA Archival Practice course is no longer available at the University of Plymouth. You can find out about alternative courses here: Archives and Records Association: A career in recordkeeping
Exhibitions and events
It was lovely to meet everyone who visited us in 2022
Our very first exhibitions were displayed in 2022 and included material relating to the Royal Family for the Jubilee and the First and Second World Wars. Bishopsteignton Primary School displayed their Jubilee projects in the Hub which looked brilliant!
They were displayed alongside memorabilia such as cups as well as lots of photographs from past celebrations around the village. The Remembrance exhibition also featured objects from the former Museum collection such as helmets, trench art and ration books accompanied by portraits of local service men and women, with information about their lives and achievements.
We aim to continue this pattern by exhibiting much more of the archive and object collections, as well as material newly loaned by Bishopsteigntonians while also updating out display equipment and methods!
Primary School 50th Anniversary
Bishopsteignton Festival returns again this year!
With another amazing village festival coming to the village green this summer, we are preparing to conduct research and collaborate with the Primary School like never before with a project looking at the history of school in Bishopsteignton. The new primary school on Cockhaven Close opening in 1973! The former school on Shute Hill had been the education centre for the village for 200 years and underwent great change after closing.
We will be offering history-focussed workshops and activities to the school children for the festival and hope they enjoy learning about the differences between their school now and the victorian school in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Born and Raised in Bishopsteignton
The start of an exciting project to publish the reminiscences of long-time village residents.
Colin William Back was born in Bishopsteignton in 1944 and recalls his childhood and the people, places and events of the village in great detail. He and Sheila Robbins watched so much change occur in Bishopsteignton in the mid-20th century that they promised each other to ensure the people of the village never forget those years.
Alongside his memoire, Colin has shared with us over 100 items from his personal archive which records his family and life in Bishopsteignton stretching back to the early 20th century. We are very excited to be publishing Colin’s memoire on our website in 7 parts over the next few months and others born and raised in Bishopsteignton will be invited to send in their memories, or sit with us to record an ‘oral history’, very soon.
Exhibitions and events
We hope to see you all at the Hub again this year
Our 2022 exhibitions proved popoular among locals and we aim to welcome more visitors from near and far to exhibitions over the coming year. Featuring amazing objects, archive material and digital items from the collection, exhibitions in 2023 will be rich with local stories, people and research.
We are aso excited to be planning a Summer exhibition focusing on the Coronation.
We are planning a Spring exhibition featuring beautiful original architectural plans and some things you might not know about First World War veteran Philip Coombe.
We are recruiting
We have a range of opportunities for volunteering
If you are interested in contributing to any of the planned projects announced in this newsletter, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Additionally, we would also love to hear from anyone who is inerested in carryong out research into any aspect of Bishopsteignton’s past people, places, events or environment!
New Collections online
We now how an incredible 3000+ records in the online catalogue!
As a result of a lot of hard work from the Hub Team and our amazing volunteers, you can search through and view a total of 2058 images by visiting our archive search page.
Records catalogued and digitised in 2022 cover some wonderful people, places and events from the village’s past including the 1st Bishopsteignton Scouts group, ‘Beating the Bounds’ (the annual tradition of walking the entire parish boundary), the Vintage Rallies which were held for the benefit of local organisations, the Twinning association’s extensive archive and a huge number of photographs from Colin Back who is also sharing his memoir with us, soon to be published on our website!
Trustees news
Happy New Year from the Trustees
Happy New Year to all our readers! We have been delighted by the community response this year to the research and exhibitions in our refurbished Hub room and thank the Hub team and all the volunteers for their amazing work for BH. We look forward very much to your continued engagement with us, please do come and visit the Hub! If you are part of an organisation in the village and we could help you in any way with your own archive or by putting on a heritage related event please contact us.
– From the Bishopsteignton Heritage Trustees
From the whole team, thank you to Trustees who have volunteered their time over the last 4 years: Surya Patterson, Nigel Wollen and former Treasurer Nigel Edwards. We also extend our welcome to new Trustees John Reynolds and Chris Wikeley, it is great to have you on board!
Volunteers, up-skilling and Hub improvements
Local people recruited in 2022 have been hard at work in the Heritage Hub.
Recruited in 2022, volunteer Natalia (pictured) has already produced a series of posters and begun her second Bishopsteignton women’s history project focussing on the Modern Wives group. Other new volunteers Hilary and Ruth have been assisting Dawn with digitisation and other collections tasks as well as conducting research into the history of the Community Centre.
We also had several training events in 2022 including our very first one open to people from outside of Bishopsteignton Heritage! We hope to host many more training events in 2023 to which we will again invite volunteers and staff from neighbouring museums and heritage organisations.
The Hub has undergone some improvements and is now a better home for the archive we store there. We acquired new archive shelving from RackLine which has given us more space and storage as well as installed a de-humidifier, helping us to control the environment.
We were lucky enough to be joined by a student from the University of Plymouth’s Archival Practice MA course who in their time with us worked on cataloguing material relating to the “Beating the Bounds” as well as newspaper cuttings covering all sorts of village people and events!
Archival Practice
Our University of Plymouth student work experience shares thoughts on their time with us
I volunteered with the Bishopsteignton Heritage team in 2022. I was motivated to take part in archival volunteering during my postgraduate degree in Archival Practice at the University of Plymouth. Recommended by my tutor, I took myself off on a train and bus to the village to gain experience in practical archive skills including cataloguing, record handling, digitisation, public engagement and preservation. I knew the theory of the course and the professional standards, but Imogen and the team taught me the practicalities and challenges of running your own archive.
Each week I handled records and objects that represented the really interesting history of Bishopsteignton. My favourite was the photographs of the ‘Beating the Bounds’ in the 1950s. They are a set of photographs that really represented the village community spirit and I learnt more about village traditions that I would not have encountered otherwise.
“Imogen and the team taught me the practicalities and challenges of running your own archive.”
Although my volunteering period has ended, it gave me valuable insight into the depth of community archives. I am definitely looking forward to paying a visit in the future.
– A. Shortland, University of Plymouth MA Archival Practice student
We were sorry to hear that the MA Archival Practice course is no longer available at the University of Plymouth. You can find out about alternative courses here: Archives and Records Association: A career in recordkeeping
Exhibitions and events
It was lovely to meet everyone who visited us in 2022
Our very first exhibitions were displayed in 2022 and included material relating to the Royal Family for the Jubilee and the First and Second World Wars. Bishopsteignton Primary School displayed their Jubilee projects in the Hub which looked brilliant!
They were displayed alongside memorabilia such as cups as well as lots of photographs from past celebrations around the village. The Remembrance exhibition also featured objects from the former Museum collection such as helmets, trench art and ration books accompanied by portraits of local service men and women, with information about their lives and achievements.
We aim to continue this pattern by exhibiting much more of the archive and object collections, as well as material newly loaned by Bishopsteigntonians while also updating out display equipment and methods!
Primary School 50th Anniversary
Bishopsteignton Festival returns again this year!
With another amazing village festival coming to the village green this summer, we are preparing to conduct research and collaborate with the Primary School like never before with a project looking at the history of school in Bishopsteignton. The new primary school on Cockhaven Close opening in 1973! The former school on Shute Hill had been the education centre for the village for 200 years and underwent great change after closing.
We will be offering history-focussed workshops and activities to the school children for the festival and hope they enjoy learning about the differences between their school now and the victorian school in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Born and Raised in Bishopsteignton
The start of an exciting project to publish the reminiscences of long-time village residents.
Colin William Back was born in Bishopsteignton in 1944 and recalls his childhood and the people, places and events of the village in great detail. He and Sheila Robbins watched so much change occur in Bishopsteignton in the mid-20th century that they promised each other to ensure the people of the village never forget those years.
Alongside his memoire, Colin has shared with us over 100 items from his personal archive which records his family and life in Bishopsteignton stretching back to the early 20th century. We are very excited to be publishing Colin’s memoire on our website in 7 parts over the next few months and others born and raised in Bishopsteignton will be invited to send in their memories, or sit with us to record an ‘oral history’, very soon.
Exhibitions and events
We hope to see you all at the Hub again this year
Our 2022 exhibitions proved popoular among locals and we aim to welcome more visitors from near and far to exhibitions over the coming year. Featuring amazing objects, archive material and digital items from the collection, exhibitions in 2023 will be rich with local stories, people and research.
We are planning a Spring exhibition featuring beautiful original architectural plans and some things you might not know about First World War veteran Philip Coombe.
We are aso excited to be planning a Summer exhibition focusing on the Coronation.
We are recruiting
We have a range of opportunities for volunteering
If you are interested in contributing to any of the planned projects announced in this newsletter, please get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Additionally, we would also love to hear from anyone who is inerested in carryong out research into any aspect of Bishopsteignton’s past people, places, events or environment!