Highampton Local History Group

March

Welcome to this first edition of our Newsletter

Highampton Local History Group held an open meeting on Wednesday, 24th March.  Only a few members were able to attend but several ideas were raised. The attendees wished the group to continue but agreed a further open meeting be held to enable more members to contribute to the discussion.

Ideas raised:-

• Meetings to be held bi-monthly or quarterly.

• Members alternate finding speakers - informing members by e-mail.

• Archive to be continued and catalogued.

• Until a final decision is made HLHG members may be able to attend Hatherleigh History Society meetings.

Further to the final point, Bob Luckhurst kindly made contact with Hatherleigh History Society. Their secretary, Monica Jones, e-mailed Mo with a list of future speakers and said that all HLHG members are welcome to attend. There is a fee of £3 per visitor which includes tea and biscuits! Meetings are normally held in the Old School Room, Hatherleigh Square at 7.30pm.

The list is as follows:-

24th April - Isabella Whitworth - The Ups and Downs of Wool and Bells

 - a chance to visit the ground floor of the bell tower and be shown the plans for the renovation work. 3.00 pm at Old Schools.

9th May - Phillip Collins - Barometers

13th June - Alan Endacott - Plagues and Epidemics

August - NO MEETING.

12th September - tbc

10th October - AGM

14th Nov - Liz Shakespeare - `The Song of the Skylark`

- farming and chapel communities of 19th century Devon.

Our (HLHG) NEXT MEETING will be on Wednesday, 25th May, 7.30 pm at the

Highampton Village Hall

Do try and come so that we can continue looking at the way forward.

2022

January

There was no HLHG meeting in January.  Instead the Group came together to enjoy a belated New Year Celebration lunch at The Half Moon Inn, Sheepwash, on Wednesday, 26th January.

February

There was no HLHG meeting in February out of respect for our Chairman, Charles Dumpleton, who sadly passed away on the 7th February.

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June

Some notes from our meeting held on Wednesday, 22nd June.

Bob reminded members that Hatherleigh History Group are happy for any of our members to attend their meetings for a small charge of £3.  A list of forthcoming speakers at Hatherleigh is as follows:-

11th July - Dr Janet Few - talk on Plagues and Epidemics

August - No meeting

September - Speaker tbc

10th October - AGM

14th November - Liz Shakespear - `The song of the skylark`, farming and Chapel communities of 19th century Devon

A few things of interest within the village:

 Chidesters in Church Road is now on the market.

 Nick and Kate Bowden held a successful Open Farm event with approx 190 people attending.

 A successful Platinum Jubilee event was held in the village hall.  Members of the community enjoyed cream teas, children's games, bar, hot food, live music and a disco.

 Sadly, two residents from Burden Grange died in an accident on Roadford Lake.

Highampton Local History Group's next meeting will be on Wednesday, 28th September 2022.

September

Some notes from our meeting held on 28th September.

A new secretary for the group is to be sought as Mo is to step down as soon as a suitable person is found.

There will be no HLHG meeting in November or December but members are invited to attend Hatherleigh history group meeting on 14th November when Liz Shakespeare will be giving a talk on `Skylark.`

January: Mo to arrange a meal at the Halfmoon, Sheepwash. Menu and possible dates will be circulated nearer the time.

A few things of interest within the village:

The field behind Jan Urrand's old house has a planning application to build 19 houses submitted to West Devon Borough Council.

Building work has commenced on land adjacent to Gerald's old bungalow in Burdon Lane.

Building work is drawing to a close on the main road next to Sunnyside.

Talk:

Bob introduced Jane Curtoys-Francis who gave a fascinating and very personal talk based on the letters written by her Grandfather, Tom, to his father between 1916 – 1918. Starting with his journey from Australia to England to fight in the First World War in France, the letters gave the group the feel and atmosphere of those war years, Tom's various illnesses and eventual meeting with his future wife, Jane's granny.