In the Volunteer Arms

A couple of days ago we looked at the outside of the Volunteer Arms, affectionately known as the Volley. That picture dates from 1967 and for the old amongst us who think that was only yesterday let’s remember that it is all but fifty years ago. And today’s images, showing the inside of the pub, also date from 1967.

Here is the bar.

The bar at the Volunteer Arms in 1967

We seem to be looking at a real bit of past life, albeit with not a person in sight. Our photographer has found a spot where he looks over the bar billiards table. And what a great game that was. It didn’t require a huge area because all the cueing action took place at one end of the table. We also see the dartboard which no pub would have been without at one time.

The bar itself is quite compact but crowded with drinks and mugs.

That looks to be a very elegant shell shaped uplighter at the far end of the bar.

Now let’s look at what might be called the customer area.

The seating area at the old Volley

Once again we see that bar billiards table on the right, a fruit machine beyond it and an almost edge on dart board on the left.

But it is the tables and chairs that take the eye. They are so period and might be quite collectable these days.

These chairs could be collectable these days.

We feel so lucky that these photos have turned up so suddenly, out of the blue. They will bring back memories for many older residents in Market Lavington.

Advertisement

The Volunteer Arms

Yesterday we looked at a view from that former pub, The Volunteer Arms which had once been known as The Angel. Today we see the pub itself.

This photo of the pub is captioned just ‘1967’.

The Volunteer in 1967

The pub is on Church Street but the view beyond is into High Street and even then, all but 50 years ago, there were cars parked outside the Post Office.

Yesterday’s photo was taken from the pub’s porch. Today we see that porch clearly and also, of course, the sign board hanging from its bracket which still exists.

Volunteer Arms sign. The bracket still exists (as at 2016)

We can see the old ‘Volley’ was a Wadworth’s pub.

We’d like to thank former Market Lavington resident, Sue, for donating a goodly collection of Volunteer photos to the museum. This particular pub had been under represented in our collection.

This one makes a then and even longer ago comparison.

The Volunteer – 1911

 

 

All change

No, this is nothing to do with asking all passengers to alight from a bus. It just shows a part of Market Lavington which looks entirely different now, from when the photo was taken. We believe that was in 1967 – some 48 years ago.

The Market Place – 1967

We are looking at a corner of the Market Place. It is the corner closest to the Co-op shop. Back then the village centre phone box was in the Market Place. It got moved to the crossroads and is still there but probably gets very little use now. The end building was in the throes of demolition when the photo was taken. That included the gable end and tall chimney we see. At least the remainder of that building survives as the Co-op, now the only grocery store in Market Lavington and Easterton.

Market Lavington School – 1967

Photos published in newspapers are never of the best quality and certainly were far less sharp in time past. To many of us, 1967 may sound like yesterday, but it was 48 years ago. This photo has just turned up.

Market Lavington school pupils in 1967

Now that’s a fascinating photo for us because the building in the background is our museum. Back in the 1960s Market Lavington was expanding and the old three room school was not able to cope. So the old school master’s cottage was brought into play as extra accommodation. Nancy Cooper, school secretary had her office in the building and rooms were used for craft activities. A TV was installed as well so that classes could watch appropriate schools’ broadcasts.

The outside stairway, no doubt familiar and useful at the time, no longer exists.  It looks a tad open sided for some of those little children. Actually, that lean-to on the left hand end was completely replaced when the building became the museum in 1985 as well.

The photo is captioned and tells us that these were some of the prize winners at Market Lavington School. Some of the proud mums and dads surely bought a print of this photo from the newspaper office. Now that would give us a much better copy if we could beg or borrow such a photo.

Names of pupils would also be appreciated.

Devizes Rural District Council – 1967

Guide to Devizes Rural District in 1967

That’s a lovely front cover with a cornucopia implying wealth and prosperity.

This little booklet has recently been given to the museum. Apart from our own parishes of Market Lavington and Easterton, it covers all of those parishes which surrounded Devizes and were a part of the rural district. Of course, here we concentrate on our two parishes and this is the brief description given of the parishes. Distance and direction from Devizes are given

EASTERTON (7 miles S.) rises towards the Plain and includes extensive downland and woods. The church of St. Barnabas was built in 1866. There is a handsome old manor house at Eastcott, an interesting Manor House in Easterton village and Willoughbys, a historical gem in White Street. A new brick village hall has been erected by voluntary contribution. Local industry includes a jam factory.

In a remote part on the boundary of this parish lies Wroughton’s Folly, the site of a vanished 18th century house belonging to the Wroughton family and called Maggot Castle.

MARKET LAVINGTON (6 miles S.). From medieval times until the mid-nineteenth century a weekly market was held in Market Lavington, chiefly for the sale of sheep and corn. This large village is attractively situated amidst sheltering trees below the Plain. The church, dedicated to St. Mary of The Assumption, is of 14th century dating, with a Perpendicular tower and clerestory to the nave. Fragments of Norman masonry survive from an earlier building. The Chantry chapel founded by Peter de la Mere in 1343 is dedicated to St. Katherine and St. Margaret and has a spiral stairway to the former rood loft.

The Victorian Manor House is now occupied as a dormitory for boys at Dauntsey’s School in the neighbouring Parish at West Lavington.

The legend of the drummer boy, related by R. H. Barham in Ingoldsby Legends, whose accusing ghost appeared to his murderer and caused him to confess, is set on the old road across the Plain from Market Lavington to Salisbury and is marked by the signpost known as The Drummer Boy’s Post.

A photo of Market Lavington is in the book. It shows what was then still quite a new secondary school.

Lavington School features in the booklet

We can see the photo was by Market Lavington’s resident photographer, Peter Francis. In fact he took most of the photos used whatever parish they came from.

Advertisers will have helped defray the cost of the book. Amongst advertisers was Peter Francis.

Other local advertisers were:

Systems and Components had taken over the old brickworks buildings.

This pub, known affectionately as ‘The Volley’ was on the corner of Church Street and Parsonage Lane. The building is now a private house.

The McBeths had the shop in Easterton which was opposite the junction with Kings Road. and the garage which sold Regent petrol was a little further along Easterton High Street towards Market Lavington. It was run by Mr Faulkner.

The book makes a lovely addition to our collection. It offers a snapshot of life in the area almost fifty years ago.