Firstly, although I realise that many people will not read this article until after the meeting, I must still mention our first Social gathering of the year and hope that some read it before the date and come along to support us, when we have an illustrated talk by NICK PANNELL on FRIDAY 04 March at 7:30pm, the topic being “SHIPWRECKS IN TORBAY”
This talk is free to all members and just £2 to non-members, but for just £5 you can join our Group and attend all meetings plus enjoy a cuppa afterwards.
It was pleasing to see a good number of our History Group members attending Tony Chidlow’s funeral at the end of January. He gave so much time to moulding the Group into what it is today.
Things relating to the History Group are always quiet at this time of the year so there is not very much for me to report, so below this news I have copied out a transcript we have in our Archives relating to the Village War memorials, I hope you will take time to read about them as many people are not aware of their history or that we even have two!
I hope most of you are aware of the Marldon Mosaic Group and the incredible mosaic they are creating to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. If by chance you are not, then they meet every Friday afternoon in the downstairs Community Room of the Village Hall between 2:00 – 4:00pm and you are more than welcome to pop in and perhaps help them create a piece of history that will be mounted on the outside wall of our Village Hall for all to see and enjoy, by adding a piece of tile or two to their design. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, in years to come, you were able to say to your children and grand-children that you helped create that piece of artwork – a proud moment indeed.
Stay safe everyone and I hope to have more news for you all next month.
Derek .. MLHG Chair
MARLDON and COMPTON WAR MEMORIAL
It has often been mentioned that our Parish has no War Memorial anywhere, so I am copying out a transcript (word for word) from our History Group archives, which sadly has no date attached to it, but we know the Vicar C.E.Green was in position between 1946-1951 : ………..
It was decided at the Annual Parochial Meeting that a memorial should be erected to the memory of those who died in the service to their country in the war of 1939-45. The matter was discussed and it was agreed that the most appropriate memorial would be to light the Church Clock (which is the parish memorial for those who fell in the 1914-18 war) and to put a tablet in the Church (a drawing of which is at present in the Parish Hall) giving the names of the fallen and recording that the light is in their memory. This would cost approximately £75, towards which we hope every household in the parish will contribute according to their means.
We, the survivors, owe so much to the sacrifice made by these men that we feel this sum could well be raised by straight forward giving, and therefore we are appealing to you asll to give what you can to show your gratitude to them, and your appreciation of your freedom from tyranny and oppression.
Donations will be accepted by any of the following before Aug 1st:-
Mr. W.E. Hiley (Chairman of the Parish Council), Green Westerland.
The Vicar C.E. Green, The Vicarage.
Mrs. Bridgman, The Shop.
Mrs. Cundy, Castle Barton, Compton.
It is with confidence in your support of a cause which must be dear to your heart that we send this appeal from the Parish War Memorial Committee.
Yours sincerely,
E.E. HILEY, Chairman of the Parish Council
C.E.G. GREEN, Vicar
FOOTNOTE.
For those interested, it is estimated that the actual clock in the Church tower today was installed somewhere around 1919-20 after the end of the First World War and is mainly the original.
It was made and installed by J.B. Joyce of Whitchurch in Shropshire, who claimed to be the oldest clock manufacturers (1690-2012) in the world and it is of the Flatbed Pin-Wheel Strike design.
Although positioned within the Church tower in its own room and accessed via a vertical ladder from the Bell Ringers chamber, the clock is the property of the Parish as a whole and is still being manually wound twice a week (retaining its full value), keeping very accurate time and just requiring an annual service, a task paid for by the Parish Council.
Marldon Local History Group 