Photo archive

I'm trying to put together an online archive of old photos of Plymouth, many rare and unseen. By putting them on Flickr, they will be easily viewable to everyone. I've made a start at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/derektaitoldphotos and hopefully, over the next few months (or years), the archive will grow to contain many thousands of photos. I hope to include many views and events that haven't been seen before on the net and I hope they will be of great interest to many people.

Merry Christmas!

A merry Christmas to everyone who reads my blog and buys my books (and to everyone else!).
It's been an interesting year; new book contracts, artists, chalk giants (oops) and newspaper columns. I've also been sent lots of interesting photos and stories for which I'm always very grateful.
There's lots in store next year with several books on the First World War and one all about the 1960s.
Thanks to everyone who has written to me over the year. Hope you continue to enjoy my books and blog and I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy 2014!

A Sunderland flying boat in Plymouth Sound

This latest rare photo features a Sunderland flying-boat touching down in Plymouth Sound. It comes from a scrapbook of cuttings which once belonged to the historian Marshall Ware which all seem to date from 1959 to 1960.
The accompanying text says:
'A Sunderland flying-boat touched down in Plymouth Sound today for the first time for over two years.
Belonging to the French Navy, the Sunderland brought two French officers paying an official Plymouth call after taking up NATO appointments last month. They were Capitaine de vaisseaux Kervella, Air Commander at Brest, and the chief of staff there, Capitaine de vaisseaux de Lachadenede.
First they called on the A.O.C. No.19 Group, Costal Command, R.A.F., Air Vice-Marshal G.I.L. Saye, at Mount Batten, and later on the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Command, Admiral Sir Richard Onslow, at Mount Wise.
The Sunderland's visit brought back nostalgic memories for officers at R.A.F. Mount Batten, who had served with these flying-boats during the war. France still uses the Sunderland for reconnaissance, although no flying-boats are at present in service by Britain.'

Artist Charles Newington and Plymouth Hoe

Here's a photo of the artist, Charles Newington, with Plymouth Hoe in the background, on 6th December 2013. But why is he in Plymouth? The clues are there and all will be revealed...eventually!
Meanwhile, here's an interesting read:
http://plymouthlocalhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/gog-and-magog.html

The Great Treasure Hunt of 1904

Paul Slade, a London journalist, contacted me in November 2013 about a nationwide treasure hunt that was held by the Weekly Dispatch back in 1904.
Medallions were buried all over the country and clues were issued in the paper daily. Anyone finding a medallion could claim a cash prize, with the most valuable being worth £50 (a fortune in 1904). Medallions worth thousands of pounds were buried in many towns and cities and the resulting treasure hunt led to chaos. In January 1904, a London barrister, Thomas Wright, came home to find a mob of treasure hunters digging up his garden. When he confronted them, he was attacked and, fearing for his safety, took refuge in a neighbour's house until the police arrived. Gardens were destroyed, public highways were torn up and general mayhem followed whenever the Weekly Dispatch announced their latest location of buried treasure. Men, women and children carrying knives, shovels and sticks dug wherever they pleased leaving a trail of havoc. Many cases ended up in court and the treasure hunt lasted for several weeks. Suddenly, on 14th February 1904, the Weekly Dispatch stopped posting clues and the treasure hunt came to an end. This followed the paper being issued with an injunction from London County Council's parks committee, which was backed by the Attorney General, which requested that the scheme be dropped immediately. Many medallions were never found and four of these were hidden in Plymouth. One of the clues to the location of the Plymouth medallions was issued in the newspaper on 31st January 1904. A reporter from the newspaper had recently travelled to Plymouth to hide the tokens and stated:
'Inky dark it was, and the rain fell in torrents as I turned sharp to my left from Mill Bay Station, under the bridge, and followed the train-line.'I was struck with the exceptional beauty, as disclosed by a street lamp, of the marble pavement along the front of a big building. But I could not thrust a medallion into marble, so I passed one.'Not far from there, but on my right, I perceived the unique sign of an enterprising tradesman – a sign that seemed to be mutely telling me that, but for the magic disc, I should have been listening to the merry frazzle at that very moment of bacon and eggs.'Soon I espied a church, also on my right, and nearby I saw a narrow and quiet street, leading to the left, from the main road.'Here, I thought, was my chance. Exploring the street, I noticed that the road was loosely laid in places. It would be easy to press the treasure under the stones there. I was just stooping to do so when a man, evidently late for work, rushed round the corner, so I pretended to be fastening my shoelace. After that, the street was never quite clear of people, so I decided to leave it for a few minutes, possibly to try again a little later.' Meanwhile I visited another street not far away. Opposite a large establishment which is doubtless deeply interested in the ‘big or little loaf’ question was a low wall. I looked over it.'

And so, almost 110 years passed without the Plymouth medallions ever being discovered. With the Second World War and much rebuilding, it seemed unlikely that they would have survived or ever be found. However, the story takes a strange twist and Paul was recently contacted by Alvaro Casares who had found one of the tokens while using a metal detector in November 2013. It was located just four inches beneath the soil of Plymouth’s Brickfields Recreation Ground. It's amazing that it had remained hidden for all that time and three more, perhaps, are still out there, although they probably have little value nowadays. The whole fascinating story can be read at Paul's website at http://www.planetslade.com/treasure-hunt-riots1.html

Lost photo archives

It seems that many local newspapers such as the Evening Herald and the Western Morning News have limited photo archives. Many events recorded by the newspapers pre-1990 seem to be lost forever. While many photos have been contributed to and scanned by the South West Image Bank on the Barbican, there seems to be a huge hole in the archives and the only answer can be that the photos have either been destroyed or thrown away over the years. Oddly, some of the photos turn up in the US and are sold on ebay.
I've lots of old cuttings and unusual photos from Plymouth's past and wherever possible, I'll try to put them on this blog so that everyone can see them (and I'll also put them on my Flickr pages). Hopefully, even though some pictures aren't of very high quality, they will fill some of the missing gaps.
The few photos shown here come from the Western Morning News of Wednesday 25th July 1923 (please click on the images to view them larger). The caption for the photos read: 'Plymouth toll bridges at Stonehouse (left), the purchase of which is soon to be completed, and at the Embankment roads, which the Special Purposes Committee of Plymouth Town Council recommend shall be abolished at the close of the present year.'
Footnote: It seems that the negatives from photos used in the Western Morning News and Evening Herald over the years have survived after all and they're mentioned in an article from the Evening Herald of 24th December 2013:
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/s-Hoe-lot-snow/story-20360683-detail/story.html

Plymouth in the Great War

With the centenary of the First World War coming up next year, there will be many books published as well as many events to mark the commencement of the Great War in 1914. I've been commissioned by Pen and Sword to write a series of books, one of which will be 'Plymouth in the Great War'.Rising tensions in Europe and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia. This led to the Central Powers, which included Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the Allies, which included the British Empire, the French Republic and the Russian Empire, to declare war on each other which led to the commencement of the First World War on 28 July 1914.
On 4th August 1914, just before midnight, the offices of the Western Morning News in Plymouth posted an announcement in their window that Britain had declared war on Germany. One of the newspapers journalists recorded, 'The news caused a profound sensation, several women swooning, and a long murmur of excitement passed through the crowd.'

Many people were asleep in their beds and knew nothing of the announcement until the following day when official war notices were placed in newspaper publishers’ windows and on placards. Newspapers were soon full of the news.

Plymouth played a huge part in the First World War with thousands of troops passing through the port on their way to France.The Journal of Commerce of 18th August 1914 reported:
'The principal base of military operations is Plymouth, one of the most important of the southern shipping ports. There, the already perfected organisation of the regular infantry and artillery branches of the service has been concentrating since the morning of August 5th.
During the day and night, more than 10,000 troops of these arms were assembled. The mobilization of these soldiers moved smoothly and within twenty-four hours, they were ready with full equipment for service.
The busy English seaport was transformed into an armed camp overnight. The railways there were virtually in possession of the Government that morning. Until August 9th, when our correspondent of the World left for New York, the regular schedules of train service between London and Plymouth were suspended, the Government assuming complete control.
The movement of troops and paraphernalia of war continued day and night without interruption from the morning of the fifth. In the four days from August 5th to August 9th, 120,000 British fighting men had been assembled at Plymouth, according to officers of the service to whom had been instructed the mobilisation preliminary to the execution of plans for their transportation to Continental points.'
Regiments included Pals Battalions one of which was the Footballers' Battalion (the 17th Service Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment). Several players from Plymouth Argyle enlisted in the regiment.
The war was a long and bloody one. Plymouth played a major part in the struggle supplying ships, weapons and troops. Men from all around the world passed through the port on their way to the conflict. Once the war was over, there wasn't a family in Plymouth who hadn't lost a son, father, nephew, uncle or brother. There were tremendous celebrations in the streets as the end of the war was announced but the effects of the war lasted for years to come.

The Evening Herald of 11th November 1918 carried joyous news:
'News of the signing of the armistice reached us this morning before 9 o'clock through the courtesy of the Admiralty Headquarters at Mount Wise. A veritable pandemonium arose in the Dockyard and district: scores of sirens rent the air with their shrill blasts and big steamer horns boomed out their deep-throated message. At last the world war had come to an end. School children demonstrated to their hearts' content, marching along the principal streets, singing and cheering and exchanging greetings on all sides. One procession had as leader the ubiquitous Charlie Chaplin replete with moustache, cane and preposterous boots.'
The story of Plymouth's part in the First World War is too involved to be condensed into this short article but I hope that many people will enjoy reading the book when it's published next year.

More Georgia Boys

Jane Thomas kindly wrote to me after reading my blog article about the Georgia Boys. If you haven't read the article, it tells of my time as a boy in the early 1970s taking guitar lessons from Pete Martin who was one of a local duo, the Georgia Boys. Jane sent me a photo of the couple back in the 1970s. This is a photo that Pete also gave me at the time but it has long since been lost so it's great to see it again. The Georgia Boys were regulars on Westward Television, Plymouth Sound and at venues all around the region at the time. Jane reminded me that the other member of the duo was Dave Bassett who also played with a folk band called 'Beggars, Tramps and Thieves'. Like myself, Jane also took guitar lessons with Pete but was more successful than me and became a guitar teacher herself years later (I still can't play!).
Pete's biog reads: 'Pete Martin was born in Alberta, Canada and, as a boy, moved to Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. which he now calls home. He made his name as a vocalist and a flat-pick guitarist and has worked with such greats as Ramblin Jack Elliott, Derroll Adams, Slim Whitman and has a long friendship with Murray Kash. On the Columbia label, Pete recorded 'No-one will ever know' which sold well. This was followed by both appearances on BBC and ITV.'
I don't know what happened to either Pete or Dave after the 1970s and local appearances seemed to dwindle. I've searched on the internet but have found nothing.
My original article can be read here:
http://plymouthlocalhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/georgia-boys.html

Gogmagog and this month's Shopper article

Regular readers will know that I write a a column for the free Plymouth paper, 'The Shopper' each month. This month's article is about Gogmagog and the chalk giants that once stood on the Hoe.
For anyone who doesn't get the paper, here's the article for you to read.

(Please click on picture to enlarge).

Houdini in Plymouth 1909

No photo has ever been discovered of Harry Houdini's jump from Ha'penny Bridge, Stonehouse on 17th August 1909. The reason is probably quite simple. All local newspapers at the time carried just news and no photos. Searching the archives, I found this photo taken just two months before Houdini's Plymouth jump. It comes from the Dundee Courier from Monday 21st June. Some newspapers from around the country challenged their readers to take the best 'snapshot' of Houdini that they could and cash prizes were offered. However, at the time, most people wouldn't have had cameras! As far as I know, this photo has never appeared anywhere since 21st June 1909 so here's an exclusive!

Westward Television's female presenters

 After my article about Westward Television appeared in the Shopper newspaper a few months ago, many people wrote to me to say how much they had enjoyed it and how it had brought back many happy memories for them. Graham Danton, who hosted the popular shows 'Date with Danton', 'Late with Danton' and 'Holiday Times' and was Westward's well-loved weatherman for many years, kindly wrote and suggested that I did a follow-up article featuring the female presenters at Westward. The first article had been male oriented so this seemed like a good idea. Graham's wife, Ann Taylor, presented Dancing Club, Zoo Time and Blue Peter for the BBC before becoming a Westward Diary reporter.

Many famous household names started their careers at Westward.

During 1969, Angela Rippon joined Westward after leaving BBC South West. She produced children's and women's programmes for the station including 'The Show Without a Title' during the summer of 1972 and in 1973, a show called 'Young Eyes' which was aimed at young people.

Jan Leeming was an announcer on Westward in 1965 before leaving to join Granada and HTV West. During the 1970s, she regularly presented 'Pebble Mill at One' and became one of the BBC's main newsreaders in the 1980s.
Judi Spiers joined Westward as an announcer in 1976 and became very popular with the viewers and fans of Gus Honeybun. Before appearing on tv, she had worked for the Coventry Theatre writing, producing and directing drama for schools in the city. She now has her own very popular show on Radio Devon.

Fern Britton joined Westward in 1979 and when the company lost its franchise, she joined BBC Southwest and later became a household name with appearances on Breakfast Time, GMTV, Ready, Steady, Cook and, later, This Morning.
Moyra Babington was the station's cookery expert and joined in 1962, fronting many cookery programmes as well as contributing to Westward Diary. Off-screen, she taught elocution at the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth.
Alison Holloway started her career at Westward, aged 17, as a continuity announcer and newsreader before leaving to join HTV West in Bristol.

Other female presenters on Westward included Jennifer Clulow who had formerly worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and had appeared in the West End, top tv shows and plays, Helen McDermott who joined Westward in the 1970s but left in 1979 to join Anglia Television and Penny Bowles who was a continuity announcer and programme presenter in the 1960s and early 1970s.
On Sunday mornings, there was a religious spot called 'Look and See' for the under-8's which was hosted by Norah Thomas, Jill Mapson, Pat Webber and Ann Davey.
There were many more well-loved female presenters on Westward Television and this article covers just a few of them. How many can you remember?

The St Budeaux Fox Hunt 1923

Probably, like me, fox hunting disgusts you. However, here's an interesting cutting from 1932 which shows members of the St Budeaux fox hunting club. The caption reads: 'The opening meet of St Budeaux foxhounds was held on Saturday at Shiplake, Buckland Monachorum, the residence of the new Master.'

Memorial Service, Plymouth Hoe 1932

This latest old newspaper cutting also comes from the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette of Monday November 7th, 1932. It shows a remembrance service on Plymouth Hoe. The caption reads: 'Huge crowds gathered at the Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe yesterday for the annual service. Navy, Army, Marine, Air Force and Territorial forces, with representatives of the British Legion,  St John Ambulance, Red Cross Society and other organisations were present.'

Aero Club 1932

Here's an interesting old newspaper cutting from the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette of Monday, November 7th, 1932. The caption reads: 'Plymouth Aero Club held their first instructional flight at Roborough yesterday. Our picture shows Mr Parkhouse, of the Teignmouth Aerodrome, explaining the working of the engine.'

Corporation Cafe on Plymouth Hoe

This latest rare photo comes from the Western Morning News of 15th July 1947 and shows the new corporation cafe on Plymouth Hoe.
The caption reads: 'Plymouth Corporation's new floral cafe, housed in a blister hangar by the bowling green on the Hoe, is to be opened tomorrow by the Lord Mayor. Accommodating about 200, it will run along cafeteria lines.'
I'm sure there are many Plymothians, like me, who have very fond memories of a day on the Hoe with their family and a cup of tea in this unusual cafe.

Saltash Passage in 1878

Here's a rare photo of Saltash Passage taken in 1878 showing the river and the few houses that were built in the area at the time. The land shown is now all built on and forms Little Ash Gardens and the area to the right including parts of Wolseley Road and Little Ash Road. It's certainly a scarce photo and won't have been seen on the internet before.

Venus at the Mount Edgcumbe Estate

I love visiting the Mount Edgcumbe Estate so was sorry to hear that the statue of Venus, near to the Orangery had been smashed up and destroyed. I hope it can be repaired.
The cutting, shown here, dates from the Western Morning News of 28th July 1921 and, perhaps, shows one of the first times that the Orangery and the Italian Gardens were open to the public.

It reads:
'MOUNT EDGCUMBE GARDENS.
The willingness of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe to assist philanthropic effort was again illustrated yesterday, when he opened the beautiful orangery and Italian gardens at Mount Edgcumbe on payment of a small fee, to be devoted to the maintenance of the children's ward at the Royal Albert Hospital. Many persons took advantage of this concession, and, besides spending happy hours amid charming surroundings, had the satisfaction of knowing they were assisting a worthy object.'

Greyhound Racing

Following on from Chris Robinson's article in the Herald last week about greyhound racing in Plymouth, here's another rare photo from the newspaper archives. This one is from the Western Morning News of 15th February 1937 and the caption reads:
'Green Grass (left), the winner, with Peter's Pony and Ricketty Rosery, which finished second and third respectively in the second race at the meeting on Saturday at Plymouth Stadium.'

Plymouth Hoe foreshore improvements 1937

Here's another rare old photo from the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette of Friday 19th February, 1937. The caption reads:

'Foreshore Improvements.

Work in now proceeding on the improvement work at Tinside, Plymouth, and additional sun-bathing terraces and cubicles are in course of construction.'
The picture appears to show the area known as the (men only) 'Lion's Den'.
Today, it's back to its original condition!

TS Mount Edgcumbe's last berth

Many people will have read my article on the Training Ship Mount Edgcumbe which has been featured in the Herald, The Shopper and on this blog.
Searching through the archives, I have come across this very rare photo of the TS Mount Edgcumbe in a sad state, waiting to be broken up. The photo comes from The Western Morning News of Monday 25th July 1921.
The caption reads : 'One of the last wooden walls, the Mount Edgcumbe, training-ship, has been towed from her old berth, near Saltash Bridge, and is now at the dock of Queen Anne Battery, Plymouth, where she is to be broken up.'


New Flickr pages for old photos

I've just set up new Flickr pages at http://www.flickr.com/photos/99259874@N03/
where I will be posting many old photos which have never been seen before. If you get a chance, please check them out.
This photo shows the police trawling a river in the 1930s. Unfortunately, it came with no details. I am constantly buying and collecting together old photos and rather than keep them under wraps, I thought that it would be a good idea to share them. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do.

David Rodgers and Sylvester Stallone

Many people will remember David Rodgers from his time with TSW and as host of Treasure Hunt (appearing alongside Cornish comedian, Jethro).
For about 25 years, I've had this 7x5 colour photo of David with Sylvester Stallone. I haven't a clue where it came from or where it was taken or what the occassion was. I've recently been sorting through many old photos and had forgotten all about this one.
If David reads my blog (and I doubt he does!), I'll happily post it onto him if he wants it.

Rare photo : St Budeaux's oldest cottage

The rare photo section of this blog will probably get updated quite regularly as I have many photos that won't have been seen anywhere else. The latest one comes from the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette of Friday 30th April 1937 and it shows St Budeaux's, then, oldest cottage.

The caption reads: 'Three hundred years old, Commons Cottage, in Vicarage Road, St Budeaux, Plymouth, is threatened with demolition for road widening. It ha been occupied by the Westlake family for 200 years and the present occupier, Mr John Westlake, aged 74, has lived there since his birth.'

More rare photos soon.

Rare Photo : Plymouth Hoe

Every week, I plan to post a rare photo on this site which you won't have seen anywhere else. Most come from old editions of newspapers that I've collected together. It seems a shame that many of these photos will never see the light of day again unless someone posts them on the net, so here goes!
This week's photo shows the ornate gate, now long gone, at the top of Lockyer Street where it joins Plymouth Hoe.

This picture comes from the Western Morning News and Daily Gazette of Friday 2nd October 1936.

The caption reads: 'The present entrance to Plymouth Hoe at the top of Lockyer Street, where Mr J J Beckerlegge, President of Plymouth Institution, last night suggested a wrought-iron gateway should be erected bearing the inscription 'Plymouth Sound, Gateway to the World.'

Plymouth's First Talkies

It's hard to imagine a time when people went to the cinema to watch a film that had no soundtrack, included subtitles and was, often, accompanied by music from a pianist.
Asked which was the first talking film to be shown in Plymouth and many people would probably say that it had to be The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson in 1927, which included the classic line 'You ain't heard nothing yet!'
However, the first talkie that was shown in Plymouth was called 'The Singing Fool' and it played during August 1929 .
The Western Morning News of the 8th of July 1929 carried the story:

'TALKIES FOR PLYMOUTH

Kinema enthusiasts in Plymouth will shortly have an opportunity of seeing and hearing the talkies.

The Western Morning News in officially informed that the Savoy Picture House is being wired for the new films and that during August, the first talkie film to be shown in Plymouth will be presented.'

The talkies didn't please all and the first film to be shown in Plymouth was soon reviewed in the Western Morning News of 15th August 1929:

'THE TALKIE COMES WEST

One cannot doubt after hearing the 'talkies' that they have come to stay. Despite a certain harshness and, of course, the slow drawl of the American voice, they have a dramatic force unattainable in the silent film.
This is simply illustrated in 'The Singing Fool' showing at the Savoy, Plymouth this week. Sonny Boy, the child on who the story hinges, lies seriously ill in hospital. His mother, by the bedside, suddenly observes a doctor and a nurse draw a sheet over his face. Piercing the quietude of the kinema comes the agonized scream of the distraught mother. This is a melodramatic illustration but it explains the wide difference between the silent and the talking film. The 'talkie' is a new and totally different form of entertainment, demanding the concentration of other senses. No longer can we affect a languid interest in the screen, for music and speech will soon dispel any drowsiness. Critics must remember that the 'talkie' is in its infancy and naturally will improve every year. It is to be hoped, at the same time, that our friends in America will eliminate their pronounced drawl from the films sent over here and that British enterprise will rapidly afford us opportunities of hearing our own artistes and music.'

The Singing Fool, like The Jazz Singer, also starred Al Jolson. It featured the song 'Sonny Boy' which was the first recording to sell a million copies.
The Savoy announced another talkie on its theatre posters which was due to show the next week following The Singing Fool. Entitled 'The Doctor's Secret', Vide Press called it 'the best talkie yet'. A long-forgotten film, it is thought that no copies still exist.
Many people were enthralled by the new medium. However, not everybody was pleased about the new talkies. Hatty Baker, a resident of Pomphlett, wrote a letter to the Western Morning News which was published on 30th August 1929. It read:

'Much has been written, more spoken, about the nerve-racking noise of the present day. Now, noise has invaded the silent film. The talkies are all very well in their way - a very noisy, somewhat chaotic and metallic way - but to women like myself who went at times to a kinema for rest and quiet, they are disappointing in the extreme.
When the talkie started and the noise banged out from a kind of box contraption (I do not know what it is called), the contrast after the human performers was painful in the extreme. The twang of the speech might, perhaps, be endured, though one hardly goes to an entertainment for that, in spite of one woman's remark : 'I enjoyed it so much; I cried all the time!', some people having curious ideas on enjoyment, but the metallic bang, bang of the box-band was hideous.
I returned with a headache, saying never again to the talkies.
Am I alone in such critisism? Are there not others who would like to see at least one good silent film with accompaniment?
All things pass and when this age of noise and turmoli passes, the talkie will surely (we hope and trust) will pass also.'

Hatty, like many, couldn't have predicted the future. Silent films were on their way out and in a very short time, every film would be accompanied by a soundtrack. The age of the silent film seems to come from a different world from nowadays where we are bombarded with sound from televisions, ipods, computers, radios and of course, incredible stereo sound systems in every cinema.

The Toll Gate, Halfpenny Bridge, Stonehouse

A while ago, I was kindly given a series of books called 'Days in Devonport' written by Gerald W. Barker in 1984. Inside one of them is a story told by Marjorie Claxton of an experience crossing Halfpenny Bridge many years ago in 1913. It's a lovely story and I thought that I would reproduce it here so more people can read it:

I remember Devonport, Stonehouse and Plymouth when they were three separate boroughs each thriving independently in their own particular way.
It was a pleasant walk from Devonport to Plymouth via Stonehouse. Transport was mainly by trams, which ran from the terminus in Fore Street, Devonport, down Chapel Street, stopping at Cumberland Gardens to pick up passengers, then on along past the Raglan Barracks on the left and Mt Wise on the right then down over the hill past the Brickfields, crossing Kings Road and on over the Stonehouse Bridge, through the toll gate commonly known as the Halfpenny Gate. Here, one was in Stonehouse where the trams stopped in Edgcumbe Street to pick up folk. The route continued through Union Street passing several theatres and cinemas such as the Grand, the Palace, the Savoy and the Gaiety and on to Derry's Clock, the Plymouth terminus. I remember the fascination of watching the conductor changing the trolley arm over onto the other overhead wire for the return journey. If the conductor happened to be short, this task would be tricky, as the arm was heavy and would swing and spark until it eventually clicked on the wire.

Underneath the Halfpenny Gate bridge was Stonehouse Creek, and at high tide, the stream reached as far as the Military Hospital. Boys from High Street had fine fun challenging one another to ride the logs. These huge logs, chained together, belonged to Fox Elliot the timber merchants and were towed up the creek by boat and left there to season. On the other side of the bridge, underneath it, were several boathouses approached from the Richmond Walk side of Kings Road. My uncle and aunt had a motor boat and used to take me with them on trips to Barn Pool, Cawsand and sometimes to picnic on the Breakwater. I learned to row a boat on Stonehouse Creek, mainly because my boy cousins used to tease me and I wanted to do as well as they.
I remember vividly the day I went to visit my aunt and uncle in Stonehouse. Being a lovely summer day, I felt quite important at being allowed to go alone at eight years of age. My home was at the Mt Wise end of George Street, Devonport, so I walked up through the beautiful Mt Wise Avenue, stopping for a few minutes to watch the naval officers playing cricket, then turned right past the ramparts and the New Cut leading to Richmond Walk, then down over the hill across Kings Road and to the toll gate. On production of a halfpenny, I was allowed through the turnstiles having been issued with a return ticket.
It so happened that my folks were going to visit friends so after about an hour, having had some lemonade and biscuits, I made my way back up over the bridge to the toll gate. Putting my hand in my pocket for my ticket, I was horrified to find that I'd lost it, and as the lady in charge was not the same one that I saw before, she would not let me go through. Strangely enough, the only other people around seemed to pass by in the tram or on bikes or horses and carts, so I was forced to turn back. However, I had an idea and went back, down by the brewery to the slip, hoping that I might see someone in the boathouses, or even find a boat there in which case I could row across, but alas, no people about and no boat. Then I knew the only way I could get home was a long way around, so I went along High Street, along by the Naval Hospital wall, which seemed endless, and turned up into Eldad Hill, to make my own way to Millbridge. Then the bottom simply dropped out of my world, for there at the bottom of the hill facing me was another toll gate. This was just too much. I was panic stricken whereon the floodgates burst and I remember saying, 'Whatever shall I do?' between my sobs. Then a kindly voice said, 'What's the matter? Why are you crying like this?'. Looking up, I had a blurred vision of a young soldier, who dried my tears as I had lost my handkerchief. He had a lovely face, so I blurted out my tale of woe, then he caught hold of my hand, escorted me through the gate and after asking where I lived and if I knew my way home, he gave me a penny and went on his way. I thanked him and ran through Fellows Place, up over Stoke Church Hill and past the Military Hospital. Then I came to a narrow road running between the Albion football ground and the Devonport South Western Station yard and the railway. There had recently been talk of a murder there, so being not only tired, but terrified, I took to my heels as if the very devil himself was after me. Out through the Rectory across Kings Road, on up over the Brickfields, down through Mt Wise Avenue and eventually home.
More tears were shed then from sheer exhaustion and relief being safely back with my mother. I remember the look of sheer amazement on her face, as she held me close while I poured out my story. Softly, she told me that she hoped that I had learned to be more careful as I had lost my handkerchief as well as my ticket. When I gave her the penny, she handed it back to me telling me to keep it as it was dated 1905, the year I was born.
Several years later, I went to join a friendly society, and remember the surprise I had when the gentleman who opened the door, took my name and address, then said, 'Aren't you the young lady who lost her toll gate ticket?'.
Then I remembered his face and after the meeting, he escorted me home, met my mother, and became a close friend of the family. His young friend later became my dear husband for thirty years, during which time my children always knew my soldier friend as uncle. Both soldier and husband have passed on but I remember a lifetime of happiness and friendship brought about by the loss of a halfpenny toll gate ticket. By the way, I still have that 1905 penny!

Tommy the Elephant

In May 1871, Plymouth was visited by the then Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred Ernest Albert. He had been on a world cruise and arrived in Plymouth Sound on the 19th May of that year. With him he brought a baby elephant which he named Tommy.
The crew of the ship marched down Fore Street in Devonport with Tommy at their head and this is probably the only photo of him that still remains. No-one knows what became of Tommy but perhaps he ended up in one of England's many zoos.
The Prince went on to become Vice-Admiral, Channel Squadron, Commander-in-Chief, Devonport in 1890 and later became Admiral of the Fleet.

Bronze Age finds at Warleigh

I regularly take my dog for a walk at Warleigh Woods, near to Tamerton Foliot village, and for several months, there have been lorries travelling back and forth as a solar farm is created nearby.
Apparently the work has now stopped because finds from the Bronze Age have been discovered during all the digging work.
Tamerton Foliot and the Warleigh Estate are steeped in history and also have connections with the Romans.
Many years ago, local historian, Marshall Ware, told me that his interest in history began when he was given a greenstone neolithic axe in 1910 by Mr H Montagu-Evans. Similar axes were found in the 1960s near to the Brown and Sharpe factory site. Marshall's axe was excavated in 1898 by a team of soldiers, headed by a Captain Mullens, by Ernesettle Woods, which pointed to it being one of the earliest settlements in the area.
It will be interesting to discover exactly what has been found at Warleigh and there must be many more relics and much more history that lays yet undiscovered.

Dartmoor Through the Year

Amberley have just released my latest book, 'Dartmoor Through the Year' which features full-colour photos of Dartmoor throughout the seasons.
It's available from all good book shops and also from Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dartmoor-Through-Year-Derek-Tait/dp/1848683553/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361307139&sr=1-1