A school outing in 1947

Teachers will know all the procedures associated with the school outing risk assessment. As we understand it you have to think of every possible thing that could go wrong and have a plan for what you’ll do if it actually happens.

I’m going to guess things weren’t like that when, in 1947, Market Lavington School took a group of youngsters on an outing to Westbury. They certainly wouldn’t have needed a plan for what to do if the coach broke down on the motorway. Well obviously there was no motorway – but there wasn’t a coach either for the mode of transport was bicycle. This might have restricted travellers to those with bicycles but we can be sure there was no fuss about safety helmets, hi-vis clothing, back up transport for the weary or anything like that. Two teachers went and one would like to think that one led the way whilst the other was the sweeper at the back, jollying along those running out of puff and making sure nobody got lost or left behind.  These days the front and back markers would be able to communicate with each other. Back then they’d have needed to keep within shouting distance.

Somebody, so perhaps there was a third unrecorded adult, took photos of the group in Westbury where they arrived at a play park.

Market Lavington School – outing to Westbury in 1947

The youngsters and at least one adult pose here on a slide. The slide of course involves a high climb with the chance to fall onto the ground with no softer matting to protect the youngsters.

For a second photo, our donor, Betty who is one of the girls in the picture, has captions.

A group of children and teachers pose for the camera

And here is Betty’s caption.

E Stowe, the tall man at the back was the headmaster of the school. Apparently his nose was quite a prominent feature and all the youngsters called him ‘Pecker’. Sybil Baker, in the middle of the middle row was also a teacher, perhaps better known as Mrs Perry.

The boys are Howells, Glyn Arnold, Bert Cox, Gordon Baker, Gordon Porter and Brian Smith.

In the middle row we have Mavis Boulton, Joy Ellis, Molly Petts, Sybil Baker, Val Smith, Joan Perry and Betty Gye. Janet Stiles, Joy Razey and Marion Phillips make up the front row.

Now that’s a lovely photo, well captioned and a great reminder of times past when simple trips out obviously created pleasure and memories.

Advertisement

A trip out

 

There has been some lovely weather this May and thoughts turn to trips out. These days we all go off in our private cars, but back in the 20s – 90 years ago – trips were occasional and probably by charabanc. And here we have yet another photo of a charabanc outing.

Charabanc party at Salisbury in the 1920s

 

It always disappoints the bus enthusiasts that the photographer concentrated on the people. But of course, he was in business to sell the images to the people. He was based in Salisbury and took the photos in the morning as the party headed south to the coast. Prints were ready for people to buy when the returning merrymakers stopped off for a break on their way home.

A few names are given on the back of this card.

The information we have

The driver, Percy Notton and the man thought to be Bill Hobbs are easy to identify.

Driver Percy Notton and (believed to be) Bill Hobbs

George Pike must be one of the most photographed of Lavington people so he can be picked out and we think his wife is with him.

Mr and Mrs George Pike

We are not sure which man is Joe Compton.

Let’s just enlarge some other people, in case they can be recognised.

Can you identify any of these people?

Trips out like this were very much high days back then. They were days to linger over and savour for months afterwards

Another charabanc in Salisbury

Today we look at another of the many charabanc photos we have at Market Lavington Museum.

Fred Sayer had a substantial fleet of vehicles, based in Market Lavington and he ran trips to all sorts of tourist destinations during the 1920s. If trips were heading to the seaside they were almost bound to pass through Salisbury where a ‘comfort break’ was made. An enterprising photographer took photos of the party on the outward journey and had prints for sale on the return. So, as per usual, the location is Salisbury but certainly quite a few of the people come from Lavington.

A Charabanc carrying Market Lavington people photographed in Salisbury in about 1922

The driver, in white coat and cap is Percy Notton and amongst those on the vehicle we have Ivy Pomeroy, Jack Plank, W Trotter senior,  Harry Merritt, Mrs Gye and baby Tom Gye and also Mrs Ross and her son.

Standing by the bus we have Joe Gye and Charles Ross.

The charabanc is a Commer Car and has a registration, partly hidden by the starting handle of A? 9868.

The photo can be dated by the age of Tom Gye, the baby, to about 1922 or 23.

As ever, any tales about these people, or identities of others in the photo would be very welcome.

Church Life

‘Church and Chapel Life’ is the title of one part of the Museum Miscellany which takes place in Lavington Community Hall at 7.30 pm on Saturday 14^th September. (Tickets at a fiver are available at Market Lavington Post Office).

This will be about people and what they did, possibly well away from the buildings or, indeed, the village. Here’s a photo to illustrate the point.

Members of Lavington Church choir at the seaside

Here we see ladies of the church choir (that’s St Mary’s Church) enjoying themselves on a 1960 trip to the seaside. The ladies in the picture are, from left to right, Mrs May Cox, Mrs Perry, Irene Bailey (who was May Cox’s sister – both having been Miss Potter before marriage), Mrs Osmond, Carol Davis, Mrs Baker, Mrs Davis (who was Carol’s mother) and on the right is Sybil Perry. Mrs Baker was her mother and the Mrs Perry in the photo was her mother in law.

What a grand photo of the ladies relaxing.

Outings were very much a part of church and other village life in times past. Even in 1960, many families did not have a car and a coach trip to the seaside with friends was a big occasion.

On the Buses – again

Trips out by coach were clearly major events in the 1920s. These were those occasions to be commemorated in photographs. Once again we have a trip out from Market Lavington and probably heading for the coast. A photograph of the passengers was taken on the outward journey, usually in Salisbury and prints were ready for purchase on the return.

This journey seems to have had a poor day for weather but at least an enclosed vehicle was provided.

It may be that a reader will be able to identify the type of chassis and the coachwork on it. We guess the bus belonged to the Lavington and Devizes Motor Services. The photo is only dated as ‘1920s’.

Coach trip from Market Lavington in the 1920s

We do know quite a lot of the people shown here.

Visible on the bus we have Les Baker, Alan Baker, Rosie Ingram, Mrs Notton and Stan Ingram. Sadly names are not attached to faces We hope one of you can help us.

Standing in front of the bus the people are:

Bert Cooper, Billy Coles (driver), not known, Vi Cooper, Percy Notton, Harry Cooper, Jim Gye and John Shergold.

Next comes

Les Draper, Winnie Haines, Tom Haines, Mrs Haines, Mrs Matthews, Mrs Tom Gye.

And then there are three more ladies so once again we can’t be certain who any of the last half dozen ladies are.

However, we have a lovely photo that captures the doughty spirit of people determined to have a good day out, even on a none-too-good day.

In a Monastery Garden (2)

In a Monastery Garden (1) can be seen by clicking here.

Yesterday we looked at Mrs Hobbs memories as written in 1992. Today we’ll look more closely at one of her memories – the Sunday School Outing.

Back in 1912, Mrs Hobbs was known as Betty Pike although her real name never was Betty. It was a nickname conferred on her as a little baby and it stayed with her right through life. But her surname was Pike – daughter of George and his wife Mary Ann.

Sunday School outings were huge events back in those years before the First World War. The mass forms of entertainment we have today were unknown and a lovely day out was something people looked forward to and savoured long after the day had come and gone.

The chosen destinations for the Congregational Church were often Marsh’s Tea Gardens at Bratton or the Monastery Gardens at Edington. In 1912 the outing went to Edington.

It is hard for us to imagine the logistics these days. Huge numbers – maybe a couple of hundred people made the trip. Transport was by farm cart or wagon, equipped with temporary seats. These would have trundled along at walking pace, making the journey take a goodly part of the morning. Once there it was time to enjoy yourself.

George Pike rows members of Market Lavington Congregational Church on Edington Lake in 1912

Here we see Mrs Hobbs’s father, George Pike taking people out in a rowing boat on the lake at Edington.

It’s a long shot that the other occupants of this boat will be recognised, but do let us know if you can.

In a Monastery Garden

Anyone expecting something about Albert Ketelbey’s very well known music will be disappointed. Mr ketelbey wrote his light classical piece in 1915 after a visit to a monastery garden in Bridlington, Yorkshire. There are other stories about the origin of the music.

Had Albert, the composer, visited the monastery garden at Edington on July 29^th, 1912, he might have written a more raucous piece of music, for he’d have found the garden thick with folk from Market Lavington. These gardens were the chosen venue for the Congregational Church outing on that day. More than 100 church members made the journey to Edington and, at some point, they all lined up for Mr Burgess, the Market Lavington photographer to record the happy throng.

Market Lavington Congregational Church members at Edington Monastery Garden in 1912

These days, we’d hardly think of Edington as a destination for a day out, although we might still enjoy the peace of the village and its grand church for a shorter visit. We might even enjoy a concert in the church.

Edington is but 6 miles from Market Lavington. It would, normally, be no more than a quarter of an hour away in a car. But 100 plus people, back in 1912, would have occupied many a cart or carriage and still most would have walked. So even a short journey was a whole day out – and a very special day to enjoy.

Close up of some of the church members, including George Pike, butcher of Market Lavington

From this enlargement we can see that the party was mixed in age and gender. We can name one of the people in this enlargement. The man half way up on the left was George Pike – a village butcher and a lifelong stalwart of the Congregational movement. We’d love to hear from you if you can identify any others.

The Monastery Gardens advertised themselves with their own postcard

Edington Monastery Gardens advertising post card can be found at Market Lavington Museum

The Bradford on Avon Fire Brigade

Our friends at the Bradford on Avon Museum have recently given us a copy of this image, having realised that the picture was taken in Market Lavington.

Bradford on Avon Fire Brigade on a 1914 visit to Market Lavington. The image can be seen in both of these Wiltshire Museums

We, at Market Lavington, instantly recognise the location for the very familiar shape of The Green Dragon can be seen behind the coach and four.

The people are not familiar to us, being members of the Bradford on Avon (near Bath) Fire Brigade. Below is their caption for the photo.

Here the volunteer firemen are seen on an outing on a four-horse charabanc, outside The Green Dragon public house in Market Lavington, about as far as such a vehicle could go and get back, leaving time for a beer or two and lunch. The occasion was in summer of 1914, not long before the Great War broke out.

We can add that the photo was taken by Alf Burgess who had premises on High Street, near the Co-op. He’d have had an eye to the main chance – with so many visitors, he was bound to make sales.

How good that, almost 100 years ago, Market Lavington was a destination for outings. The Green Dragon, of course, is still there and still makes a fine venue for outings, meals or just a quiet pint or a mug of coffee.

We do hope Bradford on Avon was not left without fire cover whilst these men were enjoying the hospitality of Market Lavington.

An Easterton Church Outing in 1936

Let’s start with another reminder that, once upon a time, there was no parish of Easterton. Easterton was a part of Market Lavington. We include Easterton at Market Lavington Museum. But we have to admit that our knowledge of Easterton people is not as good as it might be. However, we are sure there are folks out there who can help us.

Our picture today is of people waiting to go on an Easterton Church outing in about 1936. We have no names for the people.

People on an Easterton Church outing in about 1936 - a photo at Market Lavington Museum

We’ll guess this trip was to the seaside. The young child at centre front appears to have an inflatable fish and another is equipped with a bucket and spade.

By present day standards the dress code is quite formal. All but a couple of people have hats. Most of the men have dispensed with the tie, but some look to be dressed in their best three piece suits.  All the men and the boys are wearing jackets of some kind. Shoes look to be what we’d call sensible. There are no open sandals although one or two people seem to be sporting white footwear – possibly what we used to call daps in this part of the world.

Do, please get in touch if you can name people on this trip. Or maybe you went on it and can remember where you went.