A public weigh-in

Brave or what? Standing outside a pub on a pair of scales to see how much weight you have lost. But that is what Mrs Ann Withers, landlady of the old Volunteer Arms, was doing back in September 1976.

Ann Withers weighs in publicly, to see what weight she has lost – September 1976

The lady on the right of this photo, Mrs Jenny Dolby, was also involved in this slim-in. She was at the Drummer Boy pub

The aim, apart from fitness was to raise money for charity and the two slimmers shed 28 pounds between them to earn £120 some of which went to the Devizes Hospital Broadcasting Service. The balance of money went to a charity for blind people.

There’s a little reminder of another past thing in the background. Peter Francis’s photographic shop is there. That dates from the time before digital photography, the internet and instant messaging. There would surely be little hope for a photographic shop these days.

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People in the Volley

This post shows that the old Volunteer Arms was once a thriving, busy pub. It closed some 30 or so years ago and it is now almost forgotten. Let’s face it, half the population don’t remember it at all as anything but a private house.

Here we have a colour photo of an event at the pub.

A 1970s event at the Volunteer Arms

Centre stage in that photo is Sandra and I withhold her surname as she still lives in the village. Our curator went to ask her more about the photo but she did not remember the event but she was able to name some of the people.

At the extreme left is Billy (again surname withheld) who used to live in the village but now lives in Trowbridge. Next to him is Philip who also still lives in the village. The tall chap – his head next to Philip in the photo is Dave.

It is always interesting to see the fashions of the time. We have men in flared trousers which dates this to early to mid-1970s.

It looks as though the regulars at the Volley had a fine collection of produce but just what was happening to it all, we don’t know.

Jack Merritt – reservist soldier

We have often featured photos of soldiers from elsewhere in the UK who were on training camps at Pond Farm. Today we are looking at a card sent by a Market Lavington man from his summer training camp down in Dorset.

The picture shows some of the camp at West Lulworth.

Wiltshire volunteers at camp at West Lulworth in 1907

We can see the year was 1907 and no doubt our writer, Jack Merritt, was amongst the men shown.

Of course the message and address are interesting to us in this case.

The message side – the card was sent to Mrs J H Merritt of the Cycle Depot in Market Lavington

We can see the card was posted to Mrs J H Merritt of the Cycle Depot in Market Lavington

We imagine Jack was her husband although people have oft referred to him as Johnny.

The message is very much about very ordinary matters.

The message is simple news about life in the camp. We can’t quite make out the salutation – Dear who? Jack’s wife was called Annie so it looks like a pet name.

We like these little personal tales at the museum. We get an insight into a man who had a long life and was best known for being the local prize band leader.