Northbrook view – 1910

We love this picture. It just oozes past times when elderly gents had time to stand and stare. As the poet William Henry Davis says:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

And here we have an unknown man standing and staring and, hopefully, feeling content.

Northbrook view in 1910

We are looking along the Northbrook stream towards the roundabout where Grove Road, Canada Rise and Parsonage Lane all meet. Stream Cottage is visible on the right side of the stream.

Our information for this Walton series card comments that it was taken in 1910 and shows how it was possible for the stream bed to be used as a ‘road’ in the days of the horse and cart. In fact on Market days in the early 19^th century the stream was part of a one way system because there was so much congestion on High Street.

There’s nothing new about congestion, but the 19^th century solution of using the stream was ideal in its day for cart wheels needed moisture to swell them up and make sure spokes and tyres didn’t get loose. It would not be at all suitable for present day motor traffic.

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A Davis bill

A few days ago we featured a Davis and co coal wagon in model form. Today we look at a bill issued by John Davis, the coal merchant, for coal supplied to the West Lavington estate of the Holloways. Although based in West Lavington, the estate included properties in Market Lavington including the brick works.

The Holloways were, no doubt, very good customers and this bill, issued in May 1910 covers a period of nearly 6 months. Good customers would have been trusted with this much credit.

As we can see, the bill has become a receipt, paid in full in 1910.

Of course the prices in 1910 seem laughable to us, in the 21^st century. The Holloway estate seems to have used coke – a fuel which vanished into obscurity from the 1960s. A ton of this fuel cost just 17 shillings (85p). These days this hard to find fuel might cost about £350 for a tonne. The metric tonne is not significantly different from the good old British ton. And guess what? In terms of average income it is still cheaper today.

But coke is pretty well pure carbon so very high in CO₂ emissions. It may be as well that it no longer finds much use.

 

Soldiers at the station

Just a couple of days ago we looked at a card of Pond Farm Camp and commented that the summer camps up on Salisbury Plain probably helped the prosperity of the area. We even mentioned the railway as a local beneficiary.

We have just been given a postcard of soldiers at Lavington Station and here it is.

Soldiers at Lavington Station in 1910

It isn’t the sharpest postcard we ever saw and the cutter seems to have got a bit off the next image, but nonetheless, we rather like this. The caption is not at all easy to read.

But with a bit of added contrast we can see it says 6^th Lancashire Fusiliers Salisbury Plain 1910.

It is the card writer who informs us this is Lavington Station.

Card message

The message reads:

Hope you arrived safely and had a good view. I am not sure if you are going back to Malvern on Sat or not. This is a photo of our buglers taken at Lavington Station. With love Roddie.

Posted from West Down Camp South

The card, we can see, was posted from West Down South Camp on 19^th May 1910.

The Elisha Family by their shop

These days people know the name Elisha because a playing field up Drove Lane is named, ‘The Elisha Field’. This honours Bill Elisha who had been a stalwart of the local football team as player and general organiser. He had also been a chairman of the Parish Council and had many other interests and hobbies.

His wife was May Elisha – the teacher who taught in the 1920s and was still doing occasional supply teaching into the early 1980s. She had been born Helena May Potter.

The first Elisha in the village, though, was Bill’s father – William George Elisha who opened his tailoring business on High Street in Market Lavington in 1910/11.

This photo probably dates from that time – 1910 or 11.

The Elisha family outside their shop in about 1911

This is quickly recognisable as the building next to Chapel Lane. The current fish and chip take-away was once a Baptist chapel – hence that name.

William George Elisha stands on the steps. His second wife, Sarah stands in front of him. She was step mother to Bill who is holding the dog. One of the girls may be Bill’s older sister, Emily Gladys.

The Elishas were tailors

The shop name is clearly displayed and sewing machines could be purchased to order.

We can also see a bracket for a gas lamp underneath the larger Singer advert.

A gas lamp bracket on the corner of Chapel Lane

 

Stobbarts Row – Then and even longer ago

Stobbarts Row! Or should that be Stobberts Row? Or even Stobbards Row? Different spellings seem to have been used at different times and there probably is not a right answer for all time. We are using the spelling on the front of our older photo which is a postcard.

Stobbarts Row in about 1910

Here’s an idyllic rural scene with house just ceasing as the downland of Salisbury Plain begins.

Each householder has a person standing outside the door.

We don’t tend to see people gathering for photos these days and we certainly didn’t for our second photo which dates from 1985.

Stobbarts Row – 1985

What looked like a hedge and maybe a footpath in the older photo has become Stobbarts Road and agricultural buildings have appeared at the end of it. Once the houses were behind a hedge. Now they front straight on to the road. Stobbarts Road is not busy since it only serves these houses – even the farm buildings are out of use at the time of writing.

The people outside the doors have been replaced by the rather swish sports car. It seems a shame that the spacious porches on the second terrace have gone. We assume there wasn’t room for them and a road.

Once again we see change of a gentle kind which may have made life easier for the residents of Stobbarts Row.

The General Election

It’s a bit sad that so many people are utterly disillusioned with party politics. Interestingly, it wasn’t always so. Back in 1910 the election appears to have been fought on the streets – certainly in Market Lavington.

Election parade in support of the Conservative candidate – Market Lavington in 1910

This is Church Street and this view is obviously the same occasion as one shown by us back in 2010. Click here to see it.

The picture is taken outside what was Mr Godfrey’s butchers shop. Soon after this passed to Mr Pike who had it for many years. The little strip of building on the left became Potter’s Stores and to the right of Mr Godfrey’s shop was the Merritt’s cycle shop which later became Mr Reid’s garage.

Banners are interesting. The clear ones just say Vote for Peto and Mr Peto was, indeed, elected. One of the banners seems to be featuring ‘German Bread’.

The threat of German black bread if you vote the wrong way!

The cheaper loaf shown is called Berlin Black Bread. It seems that one side threatened the populace that if they voted the wrong way they’d have to eat German black bread along with horse and dog meat sausages. It also seems that the campaign backfired when it was revealed that the king preferred black bread with its rye content and that many people felt it was healthier than the English white loaf.

Basil Peto won the seat for the Conservative Party. However, the wall of the Merritt’s shop clearly displays a liberal poster.

A Vote liberal poster was visible behind the rally. The liberal party formed the government after this election

How much interest will the 2015 election generate in our area? Probably very little but we can expect that the local electorate will vote in force.

There’s little doubt that elections mattered back then, albeit only the men over 21 could vote.

The Co-op in times past

Today we have a postcard which shows a part of the High Street in times past. The card was posted in 1910.

Market Lavington High Street on a card posted in 1910

If we start on the left we can see what was then and still is the butcher’s shop. The building just beyond that, with the arched underpass has been demolished and stood at the entrance to what we now call Woodland Yard. Further down the street we can see the dark looking sign for the Kings Arms pub – now converted into housing and beyond it, with the windows in the roof there is Red House. From then on we look into Church Street leading down to the building with the gable end facing the road which was another butcher’s shop back then.

The curvature of the road hides much of the right side of the street. We can see the light coloured building which is the present Co-op and beyond that was Alf Burgess’s shop which had his little photographic studio behind it.

Let’s look at some detail.

The weighbridge – just outside what is now Woodland Yard

This is the weighbridge which stood outside that arch near the butcher’s shop. It appears to have writing cast into the weighing platform but I’m afraid we can’t make that out. Maybe a weighbridge expert can tell us more.

Below we show a part of what is now the Co-op. It appears to say, above the window, something like A R Hole and Sons. We have no record of this name or anything we can read it as. Once again, we seek enlightenment.

For completeness, let’s look at the other side of the card which as the message written upside down just to make it a bit more awkward for the postman to read.

We can see that Fred sent a brief message to his Ma – Mrs Claridge – on August 17^th 1910. The card was posted in Market Lavington.

Parsonage Lane?

Some years ago a simple pencil sketch was bought on Ebay and given to the museum. The sketch is very clearly labelled.

Sketch suggesting Parsonage Lane in Market Lavington

There at the bottom right it clearly says, Parsonage Lane, Market Lavington.

Very clear label!

We think this may have been a sketch drawn to be copied into a painting. A close look reveals other words written on that may have been intended to remind the artist of colours.

Could this be a signature?

H Ivy? No, it’s more likely a reminder that there was ivy in the picture. We do not know who the artist was.

We don’t recognise the scene, either. This is not the Parsonage Lane we recognise. Looking up hill, as this picture does, we’d expect to see the Racquets Court on the left.

Is it the continuation of Parsonage Lane That leads up to Spin Hill? That looks more possible, but we don’t recognise the house.

We wonder if anyone out in Blogland can help us identify just where this is. We think it might date from about 1910.

Mary wears contrary clothing

Mary is dressed for the occasion at Market Lavington Museum

This doll – we call her Mary – is one of two youngsters making use of our venerable pram/pushchair. This is a venerable vehicle, but today we concentrate on Mary and what she is wearing. She is part of our mixed display this year called ‘dressed for the occasion’. We have varied clothes from different historic periods that might have been worn on some of those special occasions. Mary has assorted ‘Sunday Best’ clothes on.

We can’t see much of her dress but we believe it is a best dress, made of white lawn and dating from the 1880s or 90s.

The coat that Mary is wearing covers most of the dress. The coat is in flannel with lace at the cuffs and round the square neckline. But the most notable feature is the lovely blue embroidery. Surely any little girl would have been proud to wear this coat. It dates from about 1890.

It is the white bonnet that has a different date. It is in very pale blue, so is a good colour match for the coat, but it is twenty years newer – dating from about 1910.

You can come and meet Mary and the rest of our dressed people by visiting the upstairs room at the museum.

Church Street – 1910

In Market Lavington, Church Street and High Street run into one another. Church Street is really a western extension of the High Street. In past times, when Market Lavington was more a town than a village, there were plenty of shops and businesses lining Church Street. This picture dates from around 1910.

Market Lavington’s Church Street in about 1910

If we start on the right, the sign that is partly in the photo was for Hopkins Ironmongery store which is now The Old Coach House. The next building we see was Merritt’s cycle shop at which they offer accommodation for cyclists.

The Merritts offered accommodation for cyclists

Continuing towards the crossroads there were a range of shops – a butcher, a grocery store and parts of Mr Walton’s extensive retail outlet.

Walton’s on the right and more Hopkins on the left

 Mr Walton was declaring something was ‘up to date’ on his main White Street shop. At the left side of the above extract from the whole picture there was another part of the Hopkins business. They called it ‘The Lighthouse’ and it was where they made acetylene gas.

Ladies displaying ankles!

These two ladies are standing outside what is now the Rectory. They look elegant and just a bit daring. They are displaying their ankles!