JUNE 2020

Another month, another Parish Magazine, and another monthly website report from your Local History Group Chairman. Unlike much else which used to make up our daily lives, our Magazine Editor has chosen, with help, to carry on as before i.e. producing the Parish Magazine (officially the Marldon Magazine), despite the various restrictions and “advice” imposed upon us (for our own good, of course).
As our Members and others will know, the closing of the Village Hall for all functions has resulted in our Quarterly Open Meetings for March and June (where we have a Guest Speaker and an attendance of 30 – 50 Members and non-members) being cancelled. Dates for our future Open Meetings will be re-arranged as soon as we are able. In the meantime, we can only keep our fingers crossed for our September Meeting, which is also our AGM!
Both the Group and the Village generally were unable to mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day as they might have wished, although I did see a few flags and bunting displayed here and there!

I used this as an excuse to look out the memorabilia which the Group has of the 50th Anniversary of VE day, when the Village put on a whole day of events, starting with a Parade from the School to the Church, headed by the Exeter Pipe Band, Veterans, Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Guides and Brownies, for a Church Service at 11.00 a.m. There was a two-day exhibition of wartime memorabilia in the Village Hall, a party for the children at the School with each child presented with a souvenir commemorative mug, a fun dog show, Cricket match, a bonfire and firework display on the Meadow, and finally a dance, quizzes and appropriate 1940’s music in the Village Hall!! I wonder if we could have put on such a day now ?

Thanks to one of our volunteers (who didn’t even live in the Village but was a friend of John, when he was in charge of the Post Office), we also have a VHS recording of the day, which I must now get transferred to CD to see if it is worth watching again!
It only remains for me to remind you, if you need reminding, to follow the rules and guidelines and stay at home as much as possible.
Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Tony Chidlow .. Chairman

12th June –  “Belgian Refugees in Devon during WWI” – illustrated talk by Ciaran Stoker
CANCELLED — due to COVID-19 and closure of Village Hall due to lockdown