The Scouts of 78 again

Last year we looked at this photo.

Lavington Sea Scouts in 1978

We asked if any names could be identified and, at the time we got just one.

However, a sketch of the photo with some names has now been sent to us, with a hope that we might find more of the names. Here is the sketch.

The names we have there are the four leaders – Mark Ewart, Brian Ewart, Richard Dalton and Roy Chapman.

The named scouts are John Smith, Sean Moger, Bill Cole, Simon Smith, Mark Thomas, Derek Beg, Matthew Knight, Philip Onslow and Paul King.

Do get in touch if you can name the other dozen sea scouts from the Market Lavington and Easterton area.

The Spring – 1978

We have another view of the road known as The Spring today. This one is some 17 years newer than the one we saw yesterday. It was taken in 1978 and shows a view across the field once known as the Warrington Field. By 1978 part of this had become the front field at Lavington School and part of it belonged to Dauntsey’s School. Here’s the image.

A Spring view in 1978

The most prominent feature in this photo is the tree which stands in the grounds of Lavington School. This is a Wellingtonia Fir and was planted in 1887 to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

To the left of the tree we can see a reminder of an earlier use of this field.

Former cricket pavilion

This building had been originally erected as the cricket pavilion in about 1910. Charles Awdry, who owned the Manor at that time, was keen on cricket and laid out a very classy ground with a superb pavilion. After Charles’ death in 1912 and then the outbreak of World War One, the cricket pavilion found other uses. At the time of this photo it was probably the home of the Lavington School caretaker. It has now been demolished and a small estate of houses, ‘Pavilion Gardens’ stands on the site.

The photo shows the house once known as The Alban Estate, lining The Spring beyond the pavilion.

There is another house to the right of the tree.

Gardener’s Cottage, Clyffe Hall

This was the gardener’s cottage for Clyffe Hall and would once have been lived in by James Lye. He was known far and wide, particularly for his skill in raising fuchsias. He developed many cultivars and many are still available. Gardeners could grow these Lavington developed plants for there is a James Lye Fuchsia collection, dedicated to preserving the known James Lye varieties and, just maybe, finding some of the lost ones again. You can see their site at http://www.jameslyefuchsias.co.uk/

That’s quite a bit of history in a small area.

The Scouts of 1978

It always seemed rather odd that Market Lavington, in the middle of landlocked Wiltshire, decided to convert its scouts into sea scouts. Or maybe it was just a good idea to give the lads who joined up a bit more aquatic experience.

Outwardly, the standard scout uniform was exchanged for something looking a bit more naval as seen in this 1978 photo.

This is, of course, taken in what often gets called The Scout Hall but was built as the Workman’s Hall.

It is a grand photo, showing a very neat and proper collection of leaders and lads – but you may have guessed it – we have no names.

However, we are confident that somebody out there will be able to name all of these lads some of whom will now be around 50 years old.

Do get in touch if you can help and remember you can see a larger copy of the picture by clicking on it.

Update – Brian Ewart fourth from left, front row

 

The front garden

Today we look at a view across a Northbrook garden.

This first picture dates from about 1978 and was obviously taken because the jackdaw was tame. Indeed, apparently it used to settle on your shoulder if you went out and called it. But apart from that it reminds us how things can change over 25 years.

A Northbrook, Market Lavington garden in about 1978

Back then, from this vantage point you could see neighbouring houses and the downs beyond.

By 2013 it had pretty well all been hidden by shrubs and trees.

The same view in 2013

A careful look can reveal just a bit of the next door bungalow.

You can see a little of the roof of the bungalow next door.

That bungalow has grown during the last 25 years.

The next house is growing as this is published. The scaffolding is up to enlarge the house.

But most of all, we see a victory for the plants.

High Street – 1978

1978 is now thirty five years ago. On the basis of a life span of three score years and ten, that makes it half a lifetime ago. Roughly half the people alive now won’t remember 1978. It is ancient history to these people.

But at least the folks of Market Lavington can see what their village was like back then because people allow us, at the museum, to have copies of photos. So here we have The High Street in 1978.

Market Lavington High Street in 1978

This photo was taken on a very wet day with a church parade in progress. We have what looks to be a Boys’ Brigade band marching. In some ways they are not the most interesting feature in the photo (with apologies to anybody in that band). They wore a uniform and there is little about it that tells us this was 1978.

At first glance, the street looks similar, but there are differences. Take The Green Dragon for example.

The Green Dragon porch went right across the pavement

The porch outside ‘The Dragon’ goes right across the pavement. It would stay like that for the next twenty years and then a lorry brought it down. Probably a sensible decision was made – to rebuild a smaller porch that didn’t come under threat from 21^st century traffic.

Across the road there are changes.

The people on the left would be outside the chemist’s shop now

The rather shaded people on the left, were they to take up the same position in 2013, would be standing outside the chemist’s shop. . Incidentally, had they been there in more like 1913, they’d have stood by Briant’s Restaurant. Things go full circle sometimes. The old shop and other buildings were pulled down in the name of progress in the 1960s. Then, in the 1990s, shops and other buildings were put back again. In 1978, that building-free gap was a car park. But beyond it there is an interesting sight.

Back in 1978, Market Lavington had banks

Yes, it’s a bank – The Midland Bank. Market Lavington still had its own bank branches back then – Midland and Lloyds had premises in the village. The Midland was able to make use of what had once been Harry Hobbs’s shop. Of course, the branch has now long gone. So too has the name Midland Bank. Perhaps it didn’t sound grand enough for the 21^st century. In 1999 it was taken over by HSBC – The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

Yes, Market Lavington changes, along with the rest of Wiltshire, the country and the world.