Three new books from Amberley Publishing

I've got three new books coming out from Amberley Publishing in the next few months. The first, 'Cornwall Through Time' will be published at the end of this month (February) and features old and new photos of Cornwall and includes photos of Saltash, Looe, Polperro, Antony, Hayle, St Germans, Sennen, Land's End etc.

The second book is 'Devon Through Time' which again features rare old and new photos from around the region.

The third book is 'Devonport Through Time' which shows the changes to the area over the last 100 years or so. It also shows the recent rejuvenation work and features Fore Street, Devonport Park, the Dockyard, Mount Wise, Mutton Cove and much more. All books will be available in bookshops such as Waterstones and WH Smiths as well at local Tescos and online.

Emmeline Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst is well-known as being the leader of the British suffragette movement but her connection and arrest in Plymouth is perhaps less well-known.
Pankhurst was born in 1858. Her later political actions caused her to be arrested on many occasions. She founded the Women's Social and Political Union in 1898 and the group became infamous for smashing windows and assaulting policemen in their fight against political parties of the time. Pankhurst, her daughters, and other WSPU activists were sentenced to repeated prison sentences. Her arrest in Plymouth was carried in the Morning Post and read:

'THE MORNING POST DECEMBER 5 1913

MRS PANKHURST IN PRISON

DRIVE FROM PLYMOUTH TO EXETER

Mrs. Pankhurst was arrested on board the White Star steamship Majestic on arrival at Plymouth yesterday about noon from New York, and was subsequently taken to Exeter Gaol by motor car in charge of police officer and of detectives who had come from London. While at dinner on Wednesday evening she was informed of the action that the Government had decided to take, and when the Chief Constable of Plymouth, two officers from Scotland Yard and others instructed for the arrest went on board the Majestic Mrs. Pankhurst was asked to come to the Purser's office to see them. She refused to do so, and the police, going to the promenade deck, made the arrest in the presence of many of the passengers. There was no scene or demonstration. When the Chief Constable of Plymouth asked Mrs. Pankhurst to consider herself under arrest she demanded his authority, and was answered that a warrant, in the circumstances was unnecessary. Mrs. Pankhurst at first declined to move, but, after a short conversation with the police officers, went on board a special tender that they had chartered to take her ashore. At her urgent request she was accompanied by Mrs. Rheta Child-Dorr, an American journalist and personal friend.
The tender on which the police had embarked unnoticed, at a Devonport quay, proceeded on leaving the Majestic, not to the Great Western Docks, Plymouth, the usual place for ocean passengers to land, but steamed up the Hamoaze about three miles to Bull Point, the Government explosives depot for Plymouth Naval Station. There were in waiting two motor-cars. One was entered by Mrs. Pankhurst and her friend, the Chief Constable, and a Scotland Yard officer, and in the other travelled the Plymouth police matron and four police-constables. Mrs. Pankhurst had not been allowed to bring away with her any of her baggage.
On leaving Bull Point, from which the public are at all times rigidly excluded, the cars proceeded across country by way of Tamerton Folliot until the main road from Plymouth to London was reached. Then the route taken was through Yelverton and across Dartmoor, passing Princetown and Moreton Hampstead, and the cars arrived at Exeter at a quarter past three, Mrs. Pankhurst being lodged in the county gaol.
Anticipating that Mrs. Pankhurst would be landed at the Great Western Docks, a large crowd had assembled there. A Suffragist bank played, and Mrs. Flora Drummond and a bodyguard of about twenty Suffragists, with motor-cars waiting, were at the Ocean Quay, Devonport, to receive Mrs. Pankhurst in case she should be landed there. At both places considerable irritation was shown when it was realised that the enthusiasts had been outwitted by the police, but there was no hostile demonstration. Miss Grew, addressing the crowd at the Great Western Docks, said the plan which had been adopted was proof that a miserably weak Government dared not face the Plymouth public and arrest Mrs. Pankhurst ashore.'

Emmeline Pankurst's fight led to the Representation of the People Act in 1918 and, for the first time, women were allowed to vote.

Pankhurst died in 1928 and was commemorated two years later when a statue was unveiled in London's Victoria Tower Gardens.

The Georgia Boys

I wonder how many people remember the Georgia Boys who used to tour the pubs and clubs of Plymouth in the 1970s?

A friend has just started learning the guitar and it reminded me of when I was a boy and I took guitar lessons with Pete Martin who was one half of the Georgia Boys. The duo were regularly on Westward Television and Pete, being Canadian, did all the voice-overs on local tv adverts and also on Plymouth Sound when they required an American- sounding accent. Pete looked totally the part as a country singer, from his country and western shirts, his slicked backed black hair and his Canadian drawl. Outside his house in Peverell, he had a huge Cadillac which was covered with adverts for the Georgia Boy's many gigs. Pete taught me all the basic chords for the guitar and would sing country tunes for me. I was amazed when I managed to change from an 'A' to an 'E' chord but, even then, it seemed like I would never get the hang of it!

The last time I saw the Georgia Boys was in 1975 when Westward Television had an open day and they were making a guest appearance, that evening, on Westward Diary.

Unfortunately, I have no photos of Pete or the Georgia Boys but here's one of me from the time, complete with my £12 guitar from Woolworth's!

I love our crazy wallpaper! The photo must have been taken in about 1974.

Oh, and by the way, I never did get the hang of playing it!

Speedway programmes from the past

Kevin Glynn recently kindly sent me three Speedway programmes from the 1930s. They make fascinating reading.
The first programme is from the 'Central Park Road Races' which took place on the Bank Holiday (August 1st) of 1938.
The adverts make interesting reading and include long-forgotten businesses such as Oswald Neilson's grocery shop in Ebrington Street, Pike's Motor Cycles of Union Street and the Three Towns Dairy who sent cream by post and had cafes at Union Street, Westwell Street, Tavistock Road and Mutley Plain. There are also adverts for recognisable businesses such as Ford which were sold by Reeds Ltd in Cobourg Street. A new Ford Eight was £120, a Ford Ten was £145 and a Ford V-8 was £280. Vospers is mentioned in the programme but, back then, the name wasn't associated with car dealerships. They were, at the time, radio dealers and had premises in Russell Street. It's strange to think how much would change in the forthcoming years with the outbreak of war and many of these premises were probably obliterated in the blitz of 1941.
The second programme dates from Sunday May 13th, 1953 and features the 'Dartmoor Scramble' and the prize was the 200 Guinea 'Patchquick' Trophy. The race took place between Hayford and Buckfastleigh. There's an advert for Pike's on the back of the programme so they must have made it through the war although their premises are now at Alphington Street. They're billed as, 'the Leading Motor Cycle Dealers in the West of England.'
The third programme comes from September 1956 and features the 'Clearbrook Scramble'. An advert appears for Pike's again, this time at Millbay Road. They now have much competition and there are also adverts for many other motor cycle dealers.
It's amazing that these programmes are over 50 years old (one is 74 years old) and cover the year before the war until a time when Plymouth was still being rebuilt. They're certainly an incredible record of a hugely popular sport.

Jousting on the Hoe

I was interested to see Roy Westlake's photo of jousting on the Hoe in this week's 'Looking Back' column in the Herald.
The article requested that anybody with information about the event and date to get in touch.

I was there on the day and took many photos and borrowed my dad's cine camera (I was 16 at the time) and made a short film which is on YouTube and is shown below.


 

The year was 1978 and, as you can see, the lighthouse was still painted white. I think that the show lasted all day and was either in May or June. It started off with the jousting event and then there was a break before the characters from Planet of the Apes did a show, much to the delight of the kids. I filmed that too and the movie is here:

 

There were lots of other events going on during the day and there were celebrities there as well. The only one that I can remember though is Carolyn Jones, who played Sharon Metcalfe in Crossroads from December 1977.
Both the jousters and the apes used the old Hoe Theatre as their dressing room. They all posed for many photos but unfortunately, I've lost them over the years (I certainly wished I'd kept them!).

Shown here are a couple of screen captures of the Apes' performance.

I've been contacted by Planet of the Apes enthusiasts in the past and apparently this is the only surviving film of the many live shows that took place all over the world in the 1970s.

It's interesting to watch the movies almost 34 years later, not just for the events but also for the fashions of the day!

Tamerton Foliot in the 1960s

This photo of Tamerton Foliot, probably taken in the early 1960s, really reminds me of my childhood. When I was a kid, we'd wander everywhere and one of the places we'd end up would be the small village of Tamerton Foliot. A friend in my street seemed to know the whole area although we'd both just moved in at the same time in 1968. We'd take the road past Ernesettle Woods and up through Milford Lane in Whitleigh heading towards the village. In those days, there was no housing estates such as Badgers Wood or Holly Park and much of the area was farmland. It wasn't unusual to wake up in the morning to discover a cow asleep in your garden. It's hard to imagine now!
Following the narrow lane down towards the village, there appeared to be only one house, 'Casa Silva' which had a big 'Private' sign on its driveway. We never dared to venture up there. On the left were just open fields where Holly Park stands today and the farmer's milk churns, full of milk, would be placed beside the roadway, waiting to be picked up. Today, the road is quite busy but back then, I never remember a car passing us.
Once in the village, we would always head to the corner shop (now gone) where we'd buy sweets and bubble gum cards with our pocket money which was made up of large pre-decimal pennies and threepenny bits. We'd always get a gobstopper and suck it on the way back, taking it out every so often to see if it had changed colour!
It's probably not the sort of thing kids get up to nowadays but back then it seemed like a big adventure. Once we were back home, we were soon out again, climbing trees, building dens or shooing cows out of our gardens.
Things have certainly changed over the years!

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.