Capturing a moment in time

Market Lavington, like most other communities, has changed and developed over the years. We might remember how things were (maybe consulting the huge collection of photographs in the museum) and be able to compare then with now. So, for instance, we know that the school used to be on Church Street but that now we have a primary school on Drove Lane and a secondary school on The Spring. We are aware that the Community Hall now stands where Grove Farm was.

However, between the past and the present, there was usually a period of deliberation, decision taking and planning. At Market Lavington Museum, we are very grateful to those who put together scrapbooks of local newspaper cuttings, which sometimes record those in between times.

A case in point is this newscutting from February 2000 about what the closed Shires Garage site might be used for. For many years, the village had been served by a garage on The Spring, selling petrol and cars as well as servicing and repairing vehicles. (Further back, this garage itself was new of course, taking over from one on Church Street.)

But, the old Haines Garage had become Shires and that had now shut down and this newscutting from February 2000 reports on discussions about what the closed Shires Garage site might be used for.

Should it provide more work opportunities, perhaps by building offices? In fact, it became Shires Close, a small housing development.

Interestingly, and possibly forgotten by many residents, this article reminds us of the thought that it could have been used for a supermarket with 30 parking spaces. This is topical now, in 2022, as there is once again talk in the village of maybe building a supermarket a little further along The Spring, with some folk in favour and others wondering what would become of the small Co-op and the village centre if food shopping were taken away from the High Street.