The Racquets Court

Barn, Barn House and Old House

Yesterday we looked at a view from the Racquets Court. Today we’ll look at that building and also the surrounding area. This photo is fifteen years newer than yesterday’s and dates from 1987.

The Racquets Court and area in 1987

We are looking here, from the edge of Bouverie Drive, past houses at the end of Market Place, then at the Racquets Court, After that we see the barn and Barn House with The Old House and its cedar tree peeping from behind. Further to the right, the roof of our museum building – it was then in its third year – is just visible.

We are looking across fields where Roman Way and Saxon Close now stand.

But let’s zoom in on the Racquets Court.

The Racquets Court – 1987

That’s it on the right of this view. Further alterations have since taken place and one that really pleases the eye is the replacement of that window, high up in the gable, with an elegant round window. Our curator can see a different angle on this end elevation from his house and took this photo to show the new window and also others in the former, severely plain end wall.

The Racquets Court – 2015

But let’s return to the older picture.

 

Here we see barn and Old House, both partially hidden by the much newer Barn House of Scandinavian kit construction. The cedar tree (we think) appears on our 1837 sketch of the Old House and looked big then so it must be more than 200 years old – perhaps one of the oldest living things in Lavington.

But of course, our own village museum keeps memories, old and new alive under its solid slate roof.

 

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At the Day Centre

The Day Centre in Market Lavington has been running for a very long time – 33 years in fact. This picture dates from the 5^th birthday party for the Day Centre which was on 28^th April 1987.

Norman Miller painting of The Day Centre – 1987

We’ll see that this is not a photograph. It is a painting by Reverend Norman Miller who lived in Easterton. Norman presented it to Bunny Odbert to celebrate that 5^th birthday.

We see a group of people sitting round a table in the Old School. St Mary’s church is visible through the window,

These are real people. Mrs Oram, then aged 96 but living long enough to reach the three figures faces us. Next to her is the comparatively youthful Mr Froud – a mere 79 years old. Then we have Mrs Shore, aged 80 who was born and raised in our museum building. We also have 81 year old Mrs Oliver and, we think, Mrs Druce.

One of the themes for this year’s Museum Miscellany, on October 3rd in the Community Hall, will be ‘Paint and Pencil’ and will feature Market Lavington and Easterton through the eyes and work of the painters and sketchers. This will include items which have never been on display to the public and will provide a fascinating look at Market Lavington before the days of photography. That’s certainly one to look forward to.

Before the Grove Farm Estate

Many people realised that the building of the Grove Farm estate was a big change for the village of Market Lavington. This was a big development of new housing. Quite a few folks were out with cameras to record the scene.

We have recently been given some photos by a member of the Francis family. This family were the last to actually farm at Grove Farm and, indeed, one of the new roads was called Francis Road in honour of that family.

Here is one of the photos.

The start of work on the Grove Farm Estate in 1987

Work has just started in this view in which we look west over the fields. Lavington School is on the right hand edge of this photo.

Lavington School

Looking further round we can see the Park Road houses. We believe the house with windows in the roof line once belonged to Sybil Perry.

Park Road

Further round we see houses on The Spring

The Spring

Present day residents on Grove Farm quite often ask, ‘What used to be where my house is now?’ This photo really gives the answer – it was pasture land.

This photo and half a dozen others date from 1987. It may seem like only yesterday to many of us, but it is more than a quarter of a century ago. You’d need to be over thirty to have any real memories of the fields that were Grove Farm.

 

The day before they felled the limes

Our dateline today is 1987. Grove farm estate is under construction and a new road, Grove Road, needs driving through it. A line of lime trees is more or less on its route and they have to go. A quick thinking person had discovered that the trees were to be felled and snapped a photo, just in time.

The Spring, Market Lavington in 1987 – the day before they felled the limes.

It is a grand photo, capturing that snapshot in time – and not only with regard to those wintry lime trees.

On the extreme right we have some corrugated buildings which had been a part of the farm. That, of course, has all gone and the wonderful Community Hall occupies the spot. Overhead there is a wonderful myriad of cables and the lime trees are just beyond the wires which cross the road. There’s a period ERF lorry, probably delivering materials for the building work. Pearce, the lorry owner was a builder’s merchant. Lavington School can just be made out above the cab of the lorry.

The garage has gone too. The housing known as Shires Close stands there now. But we are reminded that back in 1987 we could buy petrol branded as Elf in the village and that it cost somewhere either side of £1.50 – and that would be for a gallon which works out at about 33p for a litre.

Something was on offer for free at the garage. This probably meant you had to buy a can of oil and then you got a little bonus.

Amongst ‘free’ offers the garage made there was a little sports bag which is still used by our curator.

‘Free’ gift from Shires Filling Station

A Market Lavington winner in the Summer of Sport

2012 and 13 both seem to have been regarded as great summers of sport here in the UK. But we are looking back to 1987. It possibly wasn’t a great year for British sport. No UK team won the rugby world cup. None won the cricket world cup although England did win an Ashes series in Australia.

But in Market Lavington a sports themed craft exhibit made by Market Lavington Darby and Joan Club was a winner in an Age Concern craft competition.

The competition piece was a cube with each of the six  23 centimetre square sides representing sports which might, back, then, have been seen on the Grandstand program.

1987 made sports themed cube, produced by members of the Darby and Joan Club in Market Lavington

The cube is at Market Lavington Museum

The six sides featured bowls, cricket, darts, football, snooker and swimming and the cube perched on a wooden stand.

 

The cube on its stand

The makers of this entry were:

Snooker – Lily Fielding

Lettering and construction – Mary Greening

Darts and football – Norah Hitchings

Swimming and cricket – Betty Martin

Wooden stand – John Martin

Bowls – Audrey Wilks

Perhaps this item will get a turn on display within the next 12 months. Like most of our 7000 plus items it is in store at the moment, but we do have a policy of different temporary displays each year. Its turn will come.

In the Museum – in 1987

In 1987 our museum was young. No doubt, at the time, it seemed as vibrant and lively as we think it is today. But a look at a photo taken at that time makes it look quite an empty environment. Mind you, there are advantages to that. Less items on display means the things can be seen better. However, this photo also shows something of a cyclical nature. One item that was on display in 1987 has been stored away since then, but, as we saw on yesterday’s blog, it has re-emerged for 2013. It was clearly time for an airing.

In Market Lavington Museum in 1987

Yes, back in 1987 the 1906 wedding dress and veil were on display. The mannequin it was on is the same one shown in yesterday’s blog – the one from Mrs McKinstry’s shop in Market Lavington. We see that the fan held by the bride is displayed behind her.

In the middle of the room is the school desk. This early 20^th century desk was used at Market Lavington School and would have had drawers then. Back in 1987 it was displaying items used at the school.

A Market Lavington School desk of the early twentieth century. It can still be seen at the museum.

Of course, we still have the desk but these days its use has become rather more functional. It houses all sorts of written and photographic items – folders about different aspects of Market Lavington and Easterton.

The display case we see in the background is now in the trades room. None of the shelving or cabinets we now have in the museum can be seen in this photo.

These days we have items on display on this side of the stairway, and the wall behind the stairway is covered in exhibits.

When we look at a photo like this one it is clear that the museum has developed hugely over the intervening period.

But that bride is back again to represent marriage in 1906.