The Stoke Gibbet

Driving or walking by Stoke Damerel Church in Paradise Road today, it's hard to imagine the grisly practices that were once not only carried out in the graveyard but also at the nearby 'Deadlake'. The Deadlake was the name given to the upper part of Stonehouse Creek which has long since been reclaimed. If you ever get a cold shiver, especially at night, when passing by this way, then the following tale might be the reason why.

The tale of the Stoke gibbet is a dark and macabre one. It is a true story that tells of the murder of a dockyard clerk on the night of July 21st, 1787. Philip Smith was brutally bludgeoned to death near to Stoke Church. His murderer, a John Richards, together with an accomplice, William Smith, were both soon apprehended. Richards was a dock worker who had earlier been suspected of killing a Fore Street sentinel. At first, there were no clues to who had committed the crime but Richards soon boasted of the crime and was, shortly afterwards, arrested. However, there was little evidence against him and he was soon released. A hat found beside the body was identified as belonging to Richards' accomplice, William Smith. Hearing of this, Smith fled to Dartmouth but was soon caught and admitted to his role in the murder and implicated Richards. Both men were tried for murder at Heavitree. They were found guilty, condemned to death and executed in 1788.

The judge in the case, Judge Buller, declared that their bodies wouldn't by given to surgeons for dissection, which was usually the case, but were to be 'suspended between Heaven and Earth as they were fit for neither.'
The corpses were brought from Exeter to Stoke and displayed near the scene of the crime. This gruesome practice was common at the time.
The bodies were hoisted in wire cages and chains on a gibbet erected on the muddy Deadlake beach just below Stoke Church. Smith's body stayed there for seven years before the gibbet collapsed and Richards' body stayed there slightly longer.
People avoided the spot and it was said to be 'the terror of some and the disgust of many'. Nettleton's 'Stranger's Guide to Plymouth' says that the gibbet stood in place upwards of 38 years near the Mill-bridge until it was blown down in the gale of 1827.
In 1788, a bestseller called, 'The Genuine Account of the Trial of Richards and Smith' sold 25,000 copies. Some were sold around the base of the gibbet.

Long after the gibbet disappeared, people shunned the area after dark which, during the 1830s, left the area quiet enough for grave robbers to carry out their grim practices in the secluded Stoke churchyard.

Today, it's hard to imagine that all this once went on and the area has changed considerably over the years although the church still stands. Walking through the church grounds today, many of the older gravestones have been laid flat and form a pathway. One of the headstones once marked the grave of Cornelius Tripe who was the Mayor of Devonport between 1838-1839.

Thankfully, the days of the gibbet have long since disappeared as have names like 'Cornelius' and Tripe' which seem to belong to a past time when the world seemed a lot more grim!

Eric Webb

When I was writing my first book on Plymouth, for Tempus in 2003, I sent a letter to the Evening Herald asking if anyone had old photos of the city. One of the people who kindly wrote back was Eric Webb. From the moment we first met up, it was obvious that we were going to be very good friends. Eric was very well-spoken and reminded me of someone who had just stepped out of a 1940s Ealing film! He had a great sense of humour and fun of someone 70 years younger! Eric was 88 when I met him and was living in a warden controlled flat at Southway. The warden was lovely and Eric told me that she had once been on tour with Tommy Cooper. Eric had lost his wife, Barbara (Babs), the year previously and he missed her greatly. One of the photos that he lent me showed Babs with her workmates from E Dingle's working on a farm during the war. They had all given up their two week holiday to help the war effort in 1939. She was 18 at the time.

Later, Barbara  joined the WAAF (the Womans' Auxiliary Air Force) and Eric worked for army intelligence in London. They first met on a train but it was another year before they saw each other again and married. Their honeymoon was spent in Richmond, Surrey in a basement with strangers, sheltering from heavy enemy bombing. They were happily married for 58 years.

One story that I remember Eric telling me was of one of his earliest memories from when he was a boy. During the First World War, there were Zeppelin raids over Britain and Eric remembered hiding under the bed with his mother. Eric had a candle so that they could see but the mattress was made of horse hair and slowly started smouldering! They both survived unscathed though!

Eric had lots of wonderful memories which he said that he was putting in his autobiography. He'd bought a computer and had learnt to use it and stored stories, poems and limericks and used it to make his own Christmas cards of which he sent out hundreds every year. He seemed to have kept every friend that he'd ever made and people would phone him up often who he'd known from school or from his army days. I remember he said that his commanding officer had phoned him up on his birthday and said, 'How's Little Eric? (Eric was only about 5 ft 2"). He'd write us long letters, often comical and jovial and phone us regularly to see how we were getting on. We often went out together and the last photo shown here was taken at Cotehele. He said it looked like he was a ferry cruise owner touting for business!

Although Eric was in his 80s when we first met him, strangely, I always saw him as the young man in the first photo shown on this page.

Eric seemed to be liked by everyone he met. We had some great times and he shared some great memories with us. We'd often go around  to his flat and I remember his favourite tv programmes were Emmerdale and Heartbeat. I think that he yearned for England as it was in the 1960s! His favourite film, which he watched time and time again, was Jungle Book.

Eric died in August this year aged 95 and we miss him greatly. He was certainly a wonderful bloke. I never did get to read his autobiography!

New circles at Churchtown Farm

This year has revealed more circles in the grass at Churchtown Farm, near Saltash, in the field close to Wearde Road. Many are perfect circles with, what appears to be, openings at the front. It has been suggested that these could form part of a Bronze Age settlement. There have been traces of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements found around Saltash and implements such as skin-scrapers and arrow heads have been found in fields on the outskirts of the town. However, although there definitely seems to be some sort of structure underneath the grass, it could point to something more recent. The most obvious answer would be that maybe old farm buildings or cow sheds once stood there.

There seems to be very few old photos that show Churchtown Farm in the early part of the 20th century. They might also be structures left when the railway and the two viaducts over Forder were originally built (the route of the older viaduct can still be seen and stinging nettles grow where its supports once were). The other explanation is that they could show where wartime buildings once stood. Barrage balloons were flown over Point Field and the circles in that field could show structures left by the army.

I wonder if anyone knows the answer? Perhaps it's all down to visits from aliens!!

New books available this month

I have two new books out this month, both are published by Amberley and both feature the River Tamar. The first is 'River Tamar Through Time' which includes many old and new photos of the river. Within its pages are pictures of Plymouth, Gunnislake, Calstock, Cotehele, Saltash, Devonport etc. Many of the older photos haven't been seen in print before.

The second book features a year on the Tamar.
I'm lucky living right beside the river and I've spent the last year photographing all aspects of it as it changes throughout the seasons. Included are photos of the regattas, the wildlife, the people and the many villages and places beside the river.
The book features full colour throughout.

I hope that both books will prove enjoyable to anyone who loves the River Tamar much as I do. If you live beside the Tamar, you might even spot someone within the pages that you know!

Both books are available at all bookshops throughout the region including Waterstones and WH Smiths and can also be bought online at stores such as Amazon, Foyles, Blackwells etc.
Larger Tesco stores also stock many of my books so pick one up next time you're getting your shopping!

Cornwall Street in 1960

Here's a rare photo showing Cornwall Street in 1960. At first glance, it looks much the same as it does today. Ivor Dewdney's shop can be seen on the right and is still in the same place today and just as popular. Does anyone remember the cat that used to sit in the window? He probably wouldn't be allowed in there today!
It's hard to make out any of the names of the other shops in the photo but most, if not all, will have changed ownership over the years. Of course. Woolworth's further up the street is also now long gone. The memorable shop I remember in Cornwall Street but at the other end, was the Magnet where we'd go for our dinner every Saturday before returning home by 4pm to watch the wrestling on World of Sport.
Surprisingly, even though the road wasn't pedestrianised then, there's very little traffic travelling up and down the road. The parked cars look very old-fashioned, I can recognise a Triumph Herald, compared to today's cars as does the way people dressed at the time.
It's odd to think that this photo was taken 51 years ago. In some ways, nothing seems to have changed but in other ways, everything seems to have changed!

Lopwell Dam

Here's an old photo of Lopwell taken in 1936. It features members of the rowing club of St George's Methodist Church.
The photo is interesting because so much has changed in the background. The house still stands, although slightly altered and, of course, today, Lopwell Dam is positioned where the rowers are on their boat. Until the 1980s, it was possible to walk by the house, watch the salmon in the leap and feed the swans by the riverside. Today, however, the area is fenced off and gated.

The second photo was taken on Good Friday in 1957 and shows a couple of boys from St Budeaux on a trip to Lopwell with their teacher. The view remains much the same today. It's interesting seeing the early colour used in this photo and it looks like it might have been hand-tinted.

The final photo shows the house and the area as it is today. I'm not sure when the walkway across the river was put in although the stones used look very old. Nowadays, the water pumping station, which was used in BBC TV's 'The Vet' several years ago, is now a popular cafe.

Photos from Plymouth's Past

Here are some lovely photos kindly lent to me by Gary Fawbert. The photos were taken by Gary's late grandfather who was a keen photographer and developed most of his own films. All photos seem to have been taken in about 1937.
The first photo shows a rare shot of the Gaumont Theatre in Union Street. The Gaumomt Palace was opened in 1931 and, much later, became the New Odeon. The building, although empty, still stands today. Showing at the Gaumont at the time the photo was taken was 'Melody For Two' and 'Jungle Princess'. There are several pushbikes and a child can be seen passing the cinema pushing a doll's pram. The Union Street arch can be seen in the background together with a strange contraption attached to a motor bike.

The second photo shows the bandstand on Plymouth Hoe. The bandstand was very popular but was dismantled in the Second World War so that its metal could be used to help the war effort. The photo shows many people, some with prams, gathered to watch the next concert. The third photo shows a ship passing by Mount Batten. The RAF station would have still been there at the time and one of its officers would have been TE Shaw (Lawrence of Arabia).

They're a great set of photos and I hope to include more in a future blog.

The Odeon, New George Street

Here's a lovely old postcard showing Plymouth and the newly-built New George Street. On the left is the Odeon which, along with the Western Morning News building, was one of the few buildings to survive the heavy bombing during the Second World War. The Odeon was later demolished and replaced with the Littlewoods building which, in later years, became TJ Hughes and, today, now stands empty.
To the left of the Odeon is Nuttalls which was a well-known shop in Plymouth for many years after.
It all looks very new and clean and although there are many pedestrians, it looks very empty. It's certainly changed over the years!

Tamar Bridge 50th Anniversary Fireworks

Many people would have missed the fireworks on the Tamar Bridge last night when it celebrated its 50th anniversary. More people seem to have known about it on the Saltash side than people in Plymouth. The display started at 8pm with fireworks being fired from a boat on the Tamar before the main fireworks were set off on the bridge. Luckily, I could watch it from my house and it was definately one of the best firework displays I've ever seen.
Looking on YouTube, many people seemed to have filmed it so, if you missed it, here it is again!

This film was uploaded by Tony Hackley and there are many more videos of the fireworks on the site.

Plymouth Monopoly

The new Plymouth Monopoly is launched today and features many historical sites around Plymouth.
I took a lot of the photos that are featured on the lid and board and there's a few shots of where I live, Saltash Passage (it even has it's own square!). There's also photos of Smeaton's Tower, Plymouth Argyle, The Merchant's House, the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, the Barbican, Saltram, the Citadel etc.
It's certainly a very colourful board and I'm sure lots of people will buy it for Christmas. For people with sharp eyes, my little Westie appears on the lid somewhere. See if you can spot her (no, she's not one of the counters!).
Other photos on the lid and board were taken by Ken Taylor and James Wells. Many of Ken's photos are on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/yadrad.

Palace Theatre Programme from 1951

Kevin Glynn recently kindly sent me a very interesting old programme from the Palace Theatre. Kevin runs his own business, 'Glynn Services' which deals with house clearances and waste removals.

The programme dates from September 1951 and the main show that week came from the Combined Amateur Dramatic Societies of Plymouth who performed a production of 'If I Were King'. The programme contains all the signatures of everyone who took part in the production but all are now long forgotten.

The following week's shows are advertised and include 'three world famous musicals' which were 'Chu Chin Chow', 'Lilac Domino' and 'Merrie England'. 

The programme also features many interesting local adverts which included one for the Greyhound Inn at Millbay which was advertised as the 'Little House with the Big Reputation', one for Pamela N. Le Grice (dressmaking at its very best) and one for George's Laundry whose slogan was 'For Good Work'. There's also an advert for a trade that definitely seems a thing of the past, 'The Doll's Hospital'. They specialised in wigs, eyes and restringing and were located at Ebrington Street. Other adverts include a very 1950s style one for Plymouth Breweries. On the back is an advert for the Radio Times in the days when there was only one channel but you could still find something more interesting to watch than you can nowadays!

It's a great little programme and I'm very appreciative to Kevin for sending it to me.

The Saltash Ferry Festival

It's almost 50 years since the ferry between Saltash Passage and Saltash ceased. To celebrate this, ferry trips will run again for one day only on Sunday 23rd October 2011. The landlord of the Ferry House Inn has been preparing the old waiting room on the Saltash Passage side with old photos and memorabilia to celebrate the event. On the Saltash side, members of the Ashtorre Rock Centre have been collecting photos, memorabilia and memories. There will be food stalls and a circus skills workshop on Waterside Green and the ferry will run throughout the day running from the slipway at Saltash following its original route across to Saltash Passage before docking at the pontoon at the Tamar River Sailing Club.

Other events during the day will include a car and bike rally, circus events, musical entertainment a film show and a 'Spectacular Musical Finale'.

At Saltash Passage, there will be music and entertainment, a photographic exhibition and a prize awarded for the best dressed 50's or 60's outfit. Bernie Stewart (Mood Swings) will be playing at 20:30 at the Ferry House Inn.

Sounds like a great day. See it while you can. I'm sure that many of us won't be around for the next celebration in 50 years time!

New books

I have four new history books out this month which I hope you will find interesting. The first is, 'Images of Plymouth : Stonehouse' (Driftwood Coast Publishing) which features a history of Stonehouse together with many old photos from the early 1900s. I've tried to include as much as I can within its pages and some of the things covered include prehistory, the Romans, Stonehouse Bridge, Transport, Union Street, the Palace Theatre, Durnford Street etc. It also features people with a connection to the area like Vice Admiral Hardy, Robert Falcon Scott, Harry Houdini, Charles Darwin and even Benny Hill.

Talking of Harry Houdini, my second book features his appearances around the UK in the early 1900s and is called 'Houdini : the British Tours' (Driftwood Coast Publishing). It features the recorded appearances of Houdini in Britain between 1900 and 1920 and tells of his amazing stunts, his leaps in chains from bridges, his challenges, his imitators and his rivals etc. It features many photos together with newspaper reports of the day which help to bring the stories of Houdini's many tours of Britain alive. Regular readers of this blog will know that Houdini appeared in Plymouth and there's an interesting section about this within the book.

The third book is, 'Plymouth at War Through Time' (Amberley Publishing). You may have read some of my other Through Time books. This one features old photos from the Second World War together with colour photos of the same area today. I love the look of these books and think that the idea works really well.

The fourth book is 'A 1970s Childhood' (History Press) which tells what it was like growing up in the 1970s. It features the fashions, the music, the tv, sweets, the strikes, school and much more.

All books are available from Waterstones, Smiths and all  the normal outlets and also online at Amazon, Tesco, Foyles etc.

I hope that you'll enjoy them very much. There are also more books to come from Amberley but I'll write about them later.

The Tamar Bridge

Like me, the Tamar Bridge is 50 this year. It's also 50 years since the ferry stopped crossing between Saltash Passage in Plymouth to Saltash in Cornwall.

While researching material for the Blue Sound project, I came across some very interesting newspaper cuttings from 1959 and 1960 which showed the bridge as it was being built. I've never seen any of these photos anywhere else so I thought that I would post them on here. The first shows a drilling platform being rigged on the St Budeaux side in readiness for trial borings.

The second photo is dated 30th November,1959 and shows one of the main pillars being constructed. The Royal Albert Bridge can be seen in the background. This photo has been taken on the Plymouth side. The next photo is from February 1960 and shows the main towers being erected, again on the Plymouth side.

The next photo shows more construction work which is followed by a picture of workers with a sign apologising for the inconvenience caused by the works. The houses of Saltash Passage can be seen in the background.

The final photo comes from 11th October 1960 and shows the bridge well under way. Two men can be seen walking the temporary, precarious bridge between the two main pillars.

(Please click on the photos to see them larger).

More Houdini

I've written about Houdini's appearance at the Palace Theatre in Union Street several times before but, as I've been compiling my book about Houdini's tours of Britain, I've discovered other pictures and newspaper articles about his appearance in Plymouth. I think the following article, taken from a newspaper of the day, captures what it was like to be at his show:

HOUDINI AT PLYMOUTH.

AN INEXPLICABLE TRICK.

Harry Houdini, expert prison breaker and handcuff manipulator, who has been mystifying the Plymouth public at the Palace Theatre of Varieties this week, gave a marvellous exhibition of his wonderful powers last evening. The test arose from a challenge issued by five mechanics and joiners of the Devonport Dockyard that they could make a box from which Houdini could not escape. The 'handcuff king' accepted the challenge, which was decided at the second house at the Palace yesterday. The challenge excited great interest and every seat was booked and the building packed to overflowing. Many hundreds were unable to gain admission. The mechanics filed onto the stage with the box, which was of inch thick wood, and fastened together with 2½ inch wire nails. As it has been exhibited at the Palace for some days, the challengers, to preclude any suggestion of it having been tampered with, went around every edge and inserted handfuls of fresh nails. Houdini, who was received with tremendous applause, soon stepped into the box, and was, after it was seen by the audience that he was really inside, securely nailed in. Previously, ventilation holes were drilled in two of the sides. A strong rope was then passed around the box with half hitches, and was itself then nailed to the wood. The performer was then heard to ask if everything was all right, and, on being assured that that was the case, the curtain was placed around the box. The latter had also been thoroughly examined by the Dockyardmen and a committee of the audience, who were on the stage. Houdini was also searched, but no tools were found on him.
During the interval of waiting, the orchestra played several well known songs, which the audience sang to pass away the time. After twelve minutes, the band suddenly stopped and the 'house' was in uproar. Houdini had appeared, perspiring profusely, while during his confinement he had also discarded his dress coat. Cheer upon cheer greeted the performer and everyone, the challengers, committee and audience, admitted themselves to be thoroughly at a loss how to explain the trick. The box was in exactly the same condition as when Houdini was nailed in. There was no sign of an opening anywhere. The nails, rope and cover were also as securely fastened as they were previously. The box, during the test, was at the request of the challengers, placed on a carpet and not on the stage flooring. The Dockyardmen accepted their defeat and each heartily congratulated Houdini on his success. The box was subsequently inspected by the audience.
At the first house, a gentleman offered Houdini £10 if he could escape from the strait jacket after being fastened in it by a number of sailors. The challenge was accepted but Houdini got free in a little over seven minutes. The ten pounds will today br handed over to the Mayor with the suggestion that £5 shall be sent to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund and £5 to a local charity.

THE DIVE FROM STONEHOUSE BRIDGE.

Rain did not deter an immense crowd from assembling at Stonehouse Bridge last evening to witness Houdini, 'the handcuff king', doubly manacled, dive from that structure. Punctually at six o'clock, the intrepid American appeared on the bridge, nude accept for a pair of white knickers. He seemed anxious to make the plunge but for a few seconds, he was prevented by the presence of boats below. Mr. Field, the manager of the Palace and Houdini's men, who were also in boats, shouted to the occupants of the obstructing craft and they tardily cleared the course.
Houdini was speedily shackled by his chief assistant. An arm-iron was placed around the upper part of his arms and fastened at his back, after which his hands were secured with handcuffs. Without betraying the slightest sign of trepidation, fettered and hampered as he was by 18lbs. weight of iron and his hands bound behind his back, he stood for a few seconds in an upright posture, drew several deep inhalations until his lungs were visibly distended and then hurled his body forward into space. In falling, he gave a backward kick in order to balance his body. His head cleaved the placid waters and Houdini disappeared from view.
Then followed a period of suspense and to alter slightly Macaulay's 'Horatius' :-
'The spectators in dumb surprise,
With parting lips and straining eyes.
Stood gazing where he sank.'
Houdini's head reappeared above the surface in the space of forty-five seconds amid the plaudits of the multitude. He had succeeded in releasing himself from his fetters and at once swam ashore, jumped into the cab in which he had driven out and assumed his clothes on the way back to the New Palace Theatre.

This story and many more are featured in my book, 'Houdini : The British Tours' which will be available from 30th September 2011. It's on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Houdini-British-Tours-Derek-Tait/dp/0956078176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314910812&sr=8-1

Victoria Road, St Budeaux

Here's a very rare and interesting photo showing Victoria Road in St Budeaux (please click on the photo to see a larger version).
At first glance, it might not seem obvious where this photo was taken. However, it becomes clear when you realise that the patch of ground on the left would later become the location of the State Cinema.
The Masonic Hall, on the corner of Kathleaven Street, is situated half way up, on the right.
At the top of the photo is Normandy Way (then named Vicarage Road) which led eventually down to Saltash Passage.
Much has changed over the years. The road appears much narrower and is devoid of any traffic. It looks a very different scene today with constant roadworks and a steady stream of cars, buses and lorries.

John F Kennedy at Millbay Docks?

On the Plymouth council website, it says that John F Kennedy once disembarked at Millbay Docks in Plymouth. I've never seen this mentioned anywhere else and I'm sure that if a historical figure as important as John F Kennedy had visited Plymouth, it would be mentioned elsewhere. Also, I have never seen any photos of JFK at Plymouth. The site doesn't say when the incident was meant to have happened and I wonder if it's an error? Does anyone know of any information regarding his visit to Plymouth?
Kennedy made his first trip to England in September 1935 when he travelled with his parents and his sister, Kathleen. He also sailed to France in July 1937 and in June 1938, he travelled to London with his father and his brother, Joe. His father was Roosevelt's U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, at the American embassy in London. In August of the same year, the family stayed in a villa near Cannes. Later, in 1939, Kennedy toured Europe, the Soviet Union, the Balkans, and the Middle East before travelling to Czechoslovakia and Germany before returning to London on the 1st September , 1939 which was the day Germany invaded Poland. On 3rd September of the same year, the family attended speeches at the House of Commons which endorsed the United Kingdom's declaration of war on Germany. Kennedy was sent as his father's representative to help with arrangements for American survivors of the SS Athenia, before flying back to the U.S. from Foynes, Ireland to Port Washington, New York on his first transatlantic flight.
I intend to investigate his trip to Plymouth further so check for later blog posts to see what I discover. Perhaps, while on one of the trips mentioned, he landed at Millbay. The council's web page can be found here:
http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/millbay_docks_25-32.pdf
Other celebrities mentioned on the site that diembarked at Milbay include General Allenby, Charlie Chaplin, Maurice Chevalier, Winston Churchill,
Clemenceau, Bebe Daniels, Marlene Dietrich,Walt Disney, Douglas Fairbanks, Helen Keller, Pierre Laval,Vivian Leigh, Lloyd George, Ben Lyon, Anna Pavlova, General Pershing, Mary Pickford, Cecil Rhodes, Bernard Shaw, General Smuts and  HG Wells.
I hope to write about some of these visitors in later posts.

Patsy Scantlebury

Recently, the film 'The Way We Live' was shown outside at the Lido in Plymouth. It tells the tale of Alice Copperwheat and her family whose house is destroyed in the Blitz and who are then billeted to Horrabridge before becoming the owners of a brand new pre-fab. There are various scenes of the city as it was in 1945. The film also tells of the plans to rebuild Plymouth. 

Patsy Scantlebury, who lived in St Budeaux, was chosen for the role after being seen on Plymouth Hoe jitterbugging with an American sailor. At the time, she was just 17. She had previously worked in a post office. The cuttings on this page come from various newspapers and magazines of the day. Patsy went on to sign a seven year contract with the J Arthur Rank Organization and appeared as an air hostess in the film 'Blind Goddess' as Patsy Drake (her stage name). The cuttings show various publicity shots and also cover the wedding of Patsy's sister, Sheila. 

 

Coincidentally, on the same day that the film was shown at the Lido, Patsy's cousin wrote to me. She told me that Patsy's parents had both lived at Normandy Way in St Budeaux and Patsy herself now lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Glenn Miller

On 28th August, 1944, Major Glenn Miller and his American Band of Allied Expeditionary Force appeared at tthe Odeon Cinema in Frankfort Street, Plymouth. It was reported that Bing Crosby would also be appearing and large queues started forming at 9 pm in readiness for the concert at 10.15 pm. Crosby was unable to attend because of other commitments but Glenn Miller appeared and played to a packed house of military and naval personnel (civilians weren't permitted). The police and military police controlled the crowds outside. Miller and his 52 piece orchestra played all the music that he had become famous for. Sergeant Johnny Desmond was the lead vocalist and the Crew Chiefs also appeared on stage. Previous to his appearance, Miller had been given a tour of the city.

The top photo shows Miller meeting Sam Donohue. This photo wasn't taken in Plymouth although these two did meet up in the city. Sam led the Artie Shaw Naval Band based at the Vicarage Road USN Camp. Sam and several of the band members were in films and backed Frank Sinatra post war. The dance hall was next door to the Cornwall's Gate Inn.
Miller had arrived earlier by plane at Harrowbeer. He gave two other concerts, one at Shapter's Field in Cattedown (where there was a US base) and the other at the US Navy Field Hospital at Manadon.

On December 15, 1944, while flying to Paris from England to give a concert, Glenn Miller's plane, a single-engined UC-64 Norseman, disappeared over the English Channel. No trace of the plane, the crew or Glenn Miller were ever found. 

The Odeon was also used by Field-Marshall Montgomery who briefed officers prior to the D-Day landings.
The cinema survived the war and remained in the newly built New George Street until it was demolished in 1963 so that the Littlewoods store could be built. Today, Littlewoods has been replaced by TJ Hughes. It's interesting when walking by the building to think that the likes of Glenn Miller and Field Marshall Montgomery once passed this way.

Jack Cohen's Joke Shop

The town of today is a totally different one to the one in which I grew up in, in the 1970s. It's amazing that shops like Woolworth's, Littlewoods and the Co-op at the bottom of town are gone forever.
It seems sad seeing Jack Cohen's Joke Shop lying empty at the bottom of Frankfort Gate. On Saturday's, we would catch the bus into town, taking with us our old records to exchange for new ones in the market, our old books and comics to exchange in Bonus Books and, after we'd been to the cinema to see the latest blockbuster, we'd always pop into Jack Cohen's before returning home. Jack was a lovely bloke and always very friendly to kids. The popular jokes of the day included inky soap, itching powder, whoopee cushions and stink bombs. My friend, Nicky Rich, would buy them all and then try them out on the teachers at school when we went back on Monday. Teachers were a different breed back then and it never went down very well so he often got the cane or detention!
My mum once took me in the shop because they had Action Men in the window. They turned out not to be Action Men but cheap Chinese copies. I had one anyway and Jack said to me, 'Don't forget to feed him!'
The funny thing is, that real Action Men were kept but the cheap copies were thrown away and now they're very collectable.
The last time I saw Jack was in the late 1980s, still running the shop. It seemed to have lost some of its appeal. I suppose times had moved on. Even so, the shop was taken over by a new owner and traded for many years after.
It seems a shame seeing it today, empty, knowing that it will probably just be knocked down and be gone forever.
The photo shows the shop in the 1960s with King Street Arch in the foreground.

Entertainment in Plymouth in 1909

I have been writing a book about Houdini's tours of Britain in the early 1900s and Lorna Basham from the Plymouth Library kindly sent me some cuttings from 1909 which include reports of Houdini's visit to Plymouth.
The illustration shows a drawing made by a member of the audience during Houdini's appearance on stage at the Palace Theatre in Union Street.
An advert for the show was featured in the Western Morning News and read:

PALACE, PLYMOUTH

TWICE NIGHTLY 7 and 9

MONDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 1909, AND DURING THE WEEK

Performances commence 10 minutes earlier on Saturday only.

HOUDINI

The Original Handcuff King and Jail Breaker.

BILLY YOUNG.   JACKLEY TRIO.

MAY MAIDMENT.  STUART AND MORGAN.

TWO MOR BOYS.                               THE PALISCOPE.

BILLY WILLIAMS

The Man in the Velvet Suit.

Houdini is remembered for jumping in chains from Stonehouse Bridge and his escape from a wooden box constructed by workers from the nearby dockyard. All is revealed in my upcoming book together with many other stories of his shows, challenges and escapes around the country.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in nearby Devonport, 'Sexton Blake' was been performed at the Theatre Metropole in Devonport. The Theatre Royal in Plymouth was performing 'the musical success', Sergeant Brue.

Elsewhere, The Hippodrome in Devonport announced:

TONIGHT

 First appearance in Devonport of the celebrated MISS WHITTAKER (a personality) supported by MR F. WILBUR HILL, presenting a singing and instrumental novelty. Also featured OHINKO, the wonderful young juggler.
Names, unlike Houdini, now all long forgotten.

At the Pier Pavilion for Regatta Week were 'Leslie's Popular Comedy Cadets'.

Meanwhile, Leonard Teel's Pom-Poms appeared at the bandstand on the Hoe.

Also appearing in the town were, 'Bostock and Wombwell's Travelling Zoo' whose advert read:

VALUE

ONE WORD TO THE WISE IS SUFFICIENT

THE MOST COMPLETE ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION

Apart from music hall entertainment, there were also many local auctions.Two names live on today in the auction world; Shobrook's and Rendell's. Their lots for auction consisted mainly of old furniture and bric-a-brac.

The town was alive with both indoor and outdoor entertainment. Imagine seeing Houdini jump off Stonehouse Bridge and then taking a stroll along the Pier before seeing 'Bostock and Wombwell's Travelling Zoo' and all for less than one shilling!

Memories of Lawrence of Arabia

Ray Attwood kindly contacted me about papers that he'd found which had belonged to his father, Frederick Henry Attwood, who died in 1992.
His father had recorded his meetings with TE Lawrence. The story makes very interesting reading and I thought that I would share it here. I believe that it has never been published before.
The notes read:
'This I leave to the readers to judge for themselves, all I can do is to state the facts as I saw them at the time and which after 60 years plus is still clear in my mind.
The weather was fine, sunshine, wind south west force 5, the event was the Turnchapel Sailing Club weekly meeting of the 14 Dinghy.
The course was down the Cattewater past Mount Batten Pier out into Plymouth Sound. Around a mark buoy off the pier, then back up the Cattewater to the finishing line, which was a line ashore from the foredeck of the cable-ship C.S. Mackay Bennet (a vessel of world interest, having picked up 275 bodies from the S.S. Titanic) and on which I was raised.
Having been given permission by my father to sail his 14 footer, only under guidance of a very experienced yachtsman, Harry Higgins. I was laying along side West Lakes Quay, Turnchapel when Ted Sallows, a nephew of Harry's, came to tell me that Harry, who was a shipwright, would not be available that evening, having to work overtime. Somewhat disappointed at receiving such information and in complete contradiction to my father's orders, that I was under no circumstances to sail her without the second-hand being an experienced yachtsman. I looked up on the quay where a few locals etc were gathered and enquired if anyone would care to take a chance and sail with me.
It must be remembered that the dinghy was a Morgan Giles 14'  international and was a flighty hand-full for even a experienced helmsman.
Life-jackets were not used in the early 30's and in fact if one had been available I would have considered it to be unmanly to have used one.
My enquiry for a second-hand to take the fore-sheet, was answered by an airman who having caught my glance raised his arm slightly and said "I will", as he walked down the steps I pulled alongside, he stepped in saying "Good evening" took the fore-sheet and away we went to the starting line.
Between the time of his coming aboard and the start, I had time to look at him and although only a teenager, I had, having been raised on the C.S Mackay Bennett, come through a childhood where part of my education in the ways the world had been influenced by tough seaman from Novia Scotia - Newfoundland, l and a fair number of Outer Hybridises Scotsman, who had found their way to Halifax, Novia Scotia many years before and while not big headed, I have a fair idea of how to assess a fellow human being.
He appeared to be about 40-45 years of age, 5ft 3" - 5ft 5" tall, slight build and the little I could see of it, sandy coloured hair, yet there was an air of confidence about him, I was somewhat awed by him, for which having been with him only some 10 minutes or so I was somewhat at loss to understand.
None of my Blue-nose friends would have said that I was easily overawed, and certainly not my school head master Mr Rogers (father of Paul Rogers the Shackespearn actor), who, when I visited him at Newton Abbot while on leave from the army in 1940, told my fiancee that in all his years of teaching he had never come across anyone whose ideas were so fixed and could not be influenced and expressed the wish
that she had more luck in doing so, than he had had.
The one thing about my newly acquired shipmate was his eyes, at times they appeared to be startlingly blue and at others gray, steady, clear and confident. Having got off to a good start, by first of all sailing in toward Mount Batten Air Force station on a starboard tack, we came about on to a port tack, beat up toward Sutton Harbour entrance, hoping that by coming about on a starboard tack and with tide ebbing we could make Mount Batten Pier, we were however to fail to maintain way, because, while level on the Cattewater side of the Plymouth Citadel the wind dropped completely and we could only drift out into the Sound and toward our furtherest mark-buoy.
No words had been exchanged between us until I said that I did not like taking advantage of a tow back by the motor boat who was collecting all the other entrants and were being towed back to the committee boat (C.C Mackay Bennett).
My shipmate simply stated that I was skipper, so accordingly I told the steward in the motor-boat to inform the timekeepers that I intended to continue the race and being now the only competitor, would claim maximum points and first place on completion.
The race which started at 6.65 pm and normally took 2.5 - 3 hours, to complete the course twice, on this occasion, with the aid of a late light breeze, finished at 11.50pm.
A finish which was not at all popular with the time-keepers.
No beer at the Borindon Arms that night and I had to face my father's anger having disobeyed his order by sailing without an experienced instructor.
During this time my shipmate had been stowing away the sails
etc, and knowing that Harry Higgins, would for the rest of the
sailing season be working overtime, I asked the airman whether he would like to continue every Wednesday evening throughout the summer. As he stepped out of the boat he replied "Delighted, 6pm next Wednesday, good morning".
His good morning reply made me appreciate his grand sense of humour.
Apart from the first greeting and his acceptance to continue the race and his departing words, he had been silent for a whole 5.5 hours and yet I had no feeling that either he or I were the slightest bit bothered and we did not even know each others names.
The following Wednesday at 6pm he again stepped into the boat said "Good-evening", took over the fore-sheet and with a spanking south west force 4 wind we were away again to the starting line.
Coming out into the Sound, the wind had increased to force 5
and I was somewhat apprehensive, as no matter how close I brought her head up into the wind we were shipping water, should I come up head to wind and take in a reef?
At this stage I said to my shipmate "have you done any sailing"?
"A little, with this type", thinking his little was more than my little experience, it was with great relief that I brought up head to wind and we changed places, I to the fore-sheet, he to the tiller and mainsheet.
Having been raised at sea, I had seen some very good Skippers on both small and medium sized vessels, my shipmate was First-Class. By the time we crossed the finishing line I knew that I had been given a first class lesson on how to sail a small craft.
At the conclusion of the race I realised with a degree of guilt that we did not have a name for each other and having made known my name he replied "Shaw, aircraftsman, see you next Wednesday 6pm, good night".
Thus one can see our conversation on our second meeting was indeed limited, but at no time did I feel anything but confident and at ease in his presence.
Later that night when sitting down to supper, my father who had obtained his ticket in sail, inquired as to why I had disobeyed his instructions once again by sailing in a Force 4/5, accepted the part when I was not skipper and required to know who the Airman was and where he had obtained such expertise as a sailing master and expressed a wish to be introduced to him the following Wednesday.
At this stage my mother suggested that if on the following Wednesday, should it be convenient to Mr Shaw, to invite him to supper.
When we next, I passed on the supper invitation, but he stated that for an unknown period of time his duties would be such that he would be involved in late night operations, but that should it interfere with our arrangements at any time, he would let me know in time for me to obtain another crew member.
On the following Friday morning post, my mother received a letter from Mr Shaw thanking her for a supper invitation and that he would be pleased to accept as soon as duties permitted.
The sailing dates continued for a further 6 weeks, when an invitation to Sunday lunch was accepted, mother duly provided the roast beef etc, as usual with anyone who sat down at our table. He ended up uncomfortably full.
Following the meal, and when showing him my two recently purchased second-hand motor cycles, i.e 1924 belt driven horizontal twin Douglas, and Rudge Malti 600 cc single cylinder belt driven, Mr Shaw stated that he had a Solo motor cycle and invited me to a trip as a pillion passenger. This duly took place, but what a surprise, the Solo was a Brough Suprior, the journey was to Staddon Heights over the fairways of the United Services Golf Club out to the large wall that overlooks Plymouth Sound and Breakwater, into Saddiscombe, Brixton, Plymstock, Hove and back to Turnchapel.
The following Wednesdays included Mother's coffee and sandwiches as though we were going sailing for a week instead of 3-4 hours. She had expressed the view that Mr Shaw did not look as though he was well fed at Mount Batten Station.
Our conversation at all times was very limited, both feeling that the need for conversation was second to the job of dinghy sailing and winning.
At no time did my family think that Mr Shaw was other than an Aircraftman stationed at Mount Batten. Doubt was raised however when having spent a Sunday afternoon on Plymouth Hoe band-stand with my mother, listening to a Scottish Pipe Bank. As we were returning to the car, we looked up to the balcony of Lady Astor's house and there was Mr Shaw among the guests.
I made no mention of having seen him there when we met for the next race meeting, at the completion he stated that he would be unable to carry out any further sailing as he was leaving Mount Batten and he would like to say goodbye to my parents so the remainder of the evening was passed, my mother again doing the honours with the food and completing the ironing of some shirts she had washed and repaired , the property of Mr Shaw.
For a week following his farewell nothing unusual occurred, but one morning mother, who felt that she had to help any one in distress was approached by a very distraught wife of Sgt Carpenter who stated that her husband had been placed under close arrest and could mother obtain information from the Station C.O.
This was followed by national and local press reports of how R.A.F personnel were confined to barracks and some were under arrest for misappropriation of monies and the theft of petrol.
At this time it was made known that our Mr Shaw was in fact Lawrence of Arbia and had supposedly been investigating the alleged deficiencies at Mount Batten.
The reported death of Lawrence in the national press came as a surprise and to our family it was felt that for a man who was so quiet, gentle and unassuming it was indeed a tragedy.
The report stated while travelling at 70 mph he had hit a boy riding a butchers bicycle, the boy had been unhurt, but that Lawrence had been killed.
Following this report, for some obscure reason, a emergency meeting of the sailing club was called. Chaired by Mr Dort Pascho General Manager, Norrington Chemical Works Cattedown, it was decided that as Lawrence had sailed with the club, it would be a mark of respect to send a floral token.
Accordingly Mr Pascho did so, and attended the funeral in Dorset. It was thought by other members of the club, that to make a personal appearance seeing that apart from members of my family and Mr Pascho no other members had spoken to our Mr Shaw, it was somewhat surprising.
The visit was duly carried out, but on his return, Mr Pascho, when seen by my father, seemed perturbed and said that he could not reconcile himself with the press reports regard the circumstances of the death of Lawrence.
He stated that after the funeral he had actually taken photographs of the brough Suprior and that in his opinion a motor cycle traveling at the reported speed of 70 mph or even that of stationary motor cycle falling over, the damage would be greater than that shown on the photographs. Damage would surely have been, either handle-bars, wing, footrest etc. He had taken photographs from both front and rear offside centre view of tank engine etc. It was seen that apart from a slight dent on the top of the rear wing, no damage had occurred. Also that the whole service, which was attended by very notable personalities, seemed to be lacking in sincerity, some mourners wearing cloths not normally worn at funerals, ie, sports trousers and jacket and almost unkown, women mourners entering the church and not wearing hats or even a scarf.
My father having seen the photographs discussed some with Mr Pascho, suggested that in view of what such photographs conveyed, and the conflict they could cause it would be prudent to keep a low profile.
This proved to be sound advice, as Mr Pascho was to discover within a short period of time, while in his office he was visited by two men in civilian cloths, who identified themselves as Wing Commander Lloyd and the other, whose name he could not remember, but who stated he was from the Foreign office and that he had information to the effect that Mr Pascho had in his possession photographs taken of a motor cycle owned by Mr Shaw and the photographs, the negatives plus anything relating to this matter be handed over to him immediately and that he was to discuss this meeting with no one in future.
Furthermore. they wanted the names of any other persons who had seen the photographs and with whom he had discussed it. The result of which my father was visited by the same two men, he was also told that as a matter of national security he was not to discuss this matter with anyone.
My father recorded details of the interview immediately afterwards. This report together with the letter received from Lawrence to my parents, was given to me on the death of my father, both the report and letter was destroyed by fire at my home in Sussex on the 1st June 1950.
The reader is now left to decide whether Lawrence of Arabia was killed in a motor cycle accident, if so, why was it found necessary to send Wing Commander Lloyd and Foreign office official to visit Mr Pascho and my father or did he continue to carry out the outstanding work for which his country has so disgracefully ignored him.'