A Girl Guide Badge

Betty Gye was a Girl Guide soon after World War II and was earning her badges then. We have seen one of her badges before (click here). Today we’ll look at another.

First of all, here is Betty’s hostess badge.

Girl Guide hostess badge earned in 1948

This was worn on the Guide uniform but a small certificate was also issued and which Betty kept.

Betty Gye was also given the certificate complete with examiner comments

It seems that Betty’s two examiners thought she was a good hostess on October 19^th 1948.

Betty is still with us although she now lives in Devizes. Visitors to the museum this year will be able to see her lovely hand written memories of growing up in the 30s and during World War II. Betty has recently put this together and we have a copy in the museum.

The Brickworks in 1948

This photo is said to have been taken soon after the brickworks closed in 1948. There is some dispute about when production actually stopped. There is evidence that it was closed by government decree near the start of World War Two but perhaps the winding up of the company took place after the war ended. People in their 80s remember it in operation. One such lady recalls being allowed to operate the wire cutters that produced brick shapes from the clay.

This photo is definitely a reminder of times long gone for our older residents.

Market Lavington brickworks in 1948

This must have been taken from somewhere slightly to the west of the old brickworks and it shows the brickmaster’s house, roughly in the centre.

 

The brickmaster’s house still stands and is occupied

Further to the left there is a chimney which reminds us that the brick company occupied both sides of the road at Broadway.

 

There’s no sign of any brickworks across the road now but in 1948 a chimney was there.

All remnants of the old brickyard are now on the southern side of the road.

One of those ‘remnants’ is the main brickworks building which still exists as a part of the ATAC analyser business.

The main brickworks building is now occupied by the ATAC company

Brick making may have gone but it is good to report that industry still flourishes in the Broadway area of the parish.

David Saunders – The Pious Shepherd of Salisbury Plain

Today we look at an oft-told story, that of the life of David Saunders who became known as the Pious Shepherd of Salisbury Plain. We are looking at the story in the words of Betty Gye as written for that 1949 edition of the school magazine, Lavington Forum.

Betty now lives in Devizes but remains a good friend of the museum. She has shared many photos with us and this one shows Betty in 1948, not long before her article was published.

MarketLavington School hockey team in 1948. The photo was given to the museum by Betty Gye

We see the entire the Market Lavington School hockey team and the girls are:

Back Row (L to R) – Barbara (Trixie) Jones, Margaret Reid, Betty Gye, Joy Razey, Marion Phillips, Shirley Porter. Front Row Peggy Perry, Janet Stiles, Joan Perry, Georgina Gibbs, Mavis Bolton

Betty told us that the picture was taken before her birthday in December that year for she had her hair permed on that occasion.

And now to the article about David Saunders.

 

Well done Betty. Great stuff.