The
evening started off with today’s history!! The local election for Devon County
Council. Hugh asked us about the history of wards in East Devon. This link
helps a little:
The
latest change is the reorganisation of East Devon, Feniton is now with Honiton,
after being part of Ottery Rural for many years, the changes being brought
about by evening out the number of electorate in each ward. We found it very
strange that Whimple is now matched with Blackdown.
Geoff
has been a polling office and told us about the legal responsibilities he had,
including the power of arrest!
Field
names were mentioned and how the names evolve over time, we have a couple of
fields, Harvey’s and Peek’s, which are named after the family who lived in the
adjacent house. Our neighbours have one named “Hundred Acres”, needless to say
it is very small!
Next
topic was horses, how the police use them to handle crowds at football matches,
in the South West the horses are stabled with the Avon and Somerset
Constabulary.
Many
of us can remember horses doing the milk and bread deliveries, also the rag and
bone man who used them into the 1970s.
Colin’s father was still using a horse in the late 1940s.
Bob
went to see a Civil war enactment and was very interested by the whole event
depicting the English Civil War.
Skirmishes
are not classed as important, we nattered about Jenny’s battle research of
Fenny Bridges in 1549. Our newer members
have not seen the PowerPoint of Jenny’s research, so it was suggested we ask
Jenny if we can show it one evening in the Nog.
We
noted that some famous Battles were designated to the wrong fields, Bosworth
and Hastings to mention a couple. Canons were loaded with all sorts of full of
shot to wipe out the opposition.
Many
battle sites seemed to be devoid of finds in later years, the followers would
have cleared the fields of anything of value, even the dead had their teeth
removed.
Bill
has been reading Graeme Smith’s book, which he can recommend, The Awakening of
Abraham Brown. Bill also is interested in finding out more about magnet fishing
in canals and rivers. his would bring up anything metal thrown away, old bikes
and shopping trollies come to mind!
We
nattered about the Thames Mud Larks and their finds on the tide line.
Alan
has a flint and would love to find out if it is a worked tool or just split by
mature.
Geoff
visited Sidbury Manor gardens, a big house with tired walls. It is the family
home of the Caves. Open to the public each April for the National Garden’s
Scheme.
Bob
told us about his recent purchases. We mentioned the collection of medals on
the BBC Antiques Roadshow. These covers the service of a man who served in the
Boer War, WW1 and WW2. Some soldiers were denied medals, the Duke of Wellington
did not approve them.
Next
meeting on Thursday 1st June in the Nog Inn at 8 pm.
Don’t
forget the Rogation Walk on Sunday 21st May, 2:30 pm at Beechwood
Farm, Green Lane.
