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.

The Museum Party

Yesterday Market Lavington Museum held its annual invitation party. Apart from being a fund raiser, this is a chance for us to say thank you to all our friends and active supporters.

This year the weather was always fine. We had no prevarication about whether we’d be in or out. Our party was what it always should be – a courtyard party, just outside the door of the museum.

The bar is organised at the Market Lavington Museum party

A bar is organised.  Our guests will enjoy a tipple or a longer, cool drink.

Tables of home produced nibbles are brought in by volunteers

The nibbles – more like a feast – are made by our marvellous stewards.

Early arrivals in the courtyard

Peter, our chairman, greets early arrivals. That’s Tom on the left and Pat and Eric on the right.

Market Lavington Museum courtyard party – 25th June 2013

The courtyard gets crowded. There are too many people to mention here, but socialising and happy chatter was the order of the evening.

Chairman Peter gave a short speech – a vote of thanks to all and a mention of some of the new artefacts in the museum. Curator, Rog, spoke briefly about next year being the 100^th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 1 and some plans for that year.

It was one of those events, like the recent concert by choir and band, which make you feel proud to be a part of the community.

Northbrook and Bouverie Drive – Then and Now

Our first photo was taken on the street called Northbrook in the 1970s.

Bouverie Drive from Northbrook, Market Lavington in the 1970s

It was a wet winter’s day and views are more open in winter. We can see Bouverie Drive very clearly in this view which shows Northbrook passing over the bridge across the stream of the same name before going up the hill to the Market Place.

Immediately on the left, the cartwheel on the fence was at a little bungalow called Meadow Side. The much extended home is still there. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the building off shot to the right – the Tudor Cottage where Tommy Burden once lived.

But it is the houses and bungalows of Bouverie Drive which dominate the scene. The houses look very new and, in particular, the gardens indicate very recent building. The only architectural features we see in the gardens are rotary clothes lines.

Now a comparison with a shot taken on a dull but dry day in May 2013.

The same Market Lavington view in 2013

Northbrook is still there, following the same course, over the bridge and up the hill to the Market Place. But it is barely recognisable as the same place.

Bouverie Drive has all but vanished behind greenery. The weeping willow by the stream was a bit of community planting. On the right we have the garage and wall surrounding the replacement building erected after the old cottage was demolished. It has to be said that the new build is much more suited to 21^st century living.

When the new house was built, the footpath across to Parsonage Lane was re-routed. It now hugs the edge of the stream.

On the left a coniferous forest has grown up. Habits change. The 1970s was the era of open plan surroundings for houses. These days many people prefer privacy and some has clearly been provided by those quick growing conifers.

Change happens and it certainly isn’t all for the bad. Most new housing in Market Lavington is pleasing and new housing brings new blood to a place. That can help to foster community spirit – which is something the Lavingtons excel at.

 

Cubs at the Museum

It was very good to welcome the cub pack to the museum on 20^th May 2013. There was a lot of interest from the cubs in many aspects of life in the village past. They wanted to know about their houses and areas. Of course, they wanted to know about The Scout Hall. In particular, they loved items of old cub uniform we have. And here we have a cub of 2013 modelling cap, scarf and woggle of the late 1970s.

A cub of 2013 wears cap and scarf of a 1970s Market Lavington cub

These days the cubs do not wear caps – very much a thing of the past. Thirty five years ago the Market Lavington cubs had a red scarf. Now the cubs are just the Lavington pack and they wear white.

In the cabinet next to the cub we can see items from Ken Mundy’s shoe shop, including the much viewed Phillips Stick-a-sole man. The shelf below has items relating to John Baker and his family who were tin smiths and what we might now call hardware merchants in Market Lavington.

A different welcome

For many a year, the wall on the left as you enter Market Lavington Museum has featured information about the Grove Farm archaeology. The dig revealed Roman and Saxon settlement in the area – and such a major part of the history of our area is worthy of display. It still is displayed, but the arrival of new items means some things have been moved. The new item that needed space was the old clock which used to grace the Workmans’ Hall. And that means the first ‘Treasures of Market Lavington’ that visitors are likely to see will include a display about the clock and the hall. The hall was built in 1865 and after something of a chequered history it still serves as a community building, housing our library and, of course, it is the Scout Hall. An explanatory history of the hall forms part of the display, which can be seen below. (This photo was taken before the full display was in place.)

We have taken the opportunity to increase the display about the fire brigades that served both Easterton and Market Lavington. The Market Lavington Fire Station desk was on display last year but now we have more information about the fire brigade and firemen who served our villages so well. Open the cupboard door to find the story of the fire engine built by Mr Milson, as told by Marjory, his daughter.

Regular visitors will note that we still have the Honeychurch dolls house on display on the same wall but most other items are new for this year. Do make sure you visit during the year to see all of the changes we have made during the closed season.

Lavington Supply Store to St. Arbucks

The name Market Lavington is a bit of a giveaway. It used to be a market town and, indeed, it is still a minor centre for the local area with more shops and facilities than might be expected in a village. A new one, just started is the Saint Arbucks coffee shop in a building which was once a part of the Lavington Supply Store. Their web site is at www.saintarbucks.info . We already have paper artefacts like the flyer below, in the museum.

St. Arbucks Flyer – one of the newest items stored for posterity at Market Lavington Museum

But we no longer have a department store spread over several buildings in the village centre but we do have reminders. On our stairway, and very hard to photograph we have a sign, similar to the one below but in better condition. This sign, which is in pieces, is in store. From time to time we unwrap the stored items to check for any signs of problems and the opportunity was taken to photograph this one.

A Lavington Supply Store sign dating from about 1900

The name, partly hidden, tells us that the proprietor of this business was A M Walton. Arthur Walton came to Market Lavington prior to 1891 with his wife Emily. We think this sign dates from the early 20^th century. We cannot find a photo which features this sign.

But here is one which says ‘Lavington Supply Store’ on the building which is now St. Arbucks. This photo dates from about 1904.

1904 photo of White Street. The staff of Mr Walton’s Lavington Supply Store stand outside what is now St. Arbucks, Market Lavington

For the record, we believe it is possible that in earlier times this building was an inn – The Lamb. The name Lamb Corner still survives for the crossroads.

Broadwell Snow

There is nothing unusual about snow as winter turns into spring. Even so, we felt a bit cheated by quite a lot of poor weather, including snow during March. But take heart. It wasn’t this bad.

Actually we don’t have a date for this. It may have been in the deep mid-winter.  The year, though, was 1950. Our photographer was standing close by Broadwell. The house behind the youngsters is Beech House and the reason for that name is visible behind the house. There used to be big beech trees in the back garden. We looked at felling in progress before. Click here.

The bad weather of March 2013 won’t go down as memorable. True there was a lot of snow falling (this was on the 17^th March).

Heavy snow in Market Lavington on 17th March 2013

But barely any snow settled – there’s just a little on the church roof and that soon went.

Market Lavington church on 17th March 2013. The snow really didn’t settle.

The Jay

 

This winter a jay has started visiting the garden of our curator and here it is.

A jay visiting a garden in Market Lavington

Jays have not been uncommon in the village for we have plenty of woodland. That was, traditionally, their favoured habitat. They are omnivores and will eat almost anything, but acorns and beech mast are staples in the jay diet.

You can see, in the picture, that jays have a crest on top of the heads which they are able to raise. This has led to them being mistaken for the very uncommon visitor, the hoopoe. For the record, a hoopoe has been known to visit Market Lavington for, many years ago, one flew over the curator’s garden. It handily did an about turn, giving enough time to get a witness out to see it as well – but no camera!

Here we have another photo for our 21^st century wildlife survey. Do let us have a copy if you get a photo of wildlife in Market Lavington or Easterton.