Workers must also "Play" and where better to participate than in Torrington town.
There was a few verses sometimes sung when out on the ale, especially Mayfairs.
I remember it going like this......
"Everywhere I go-oh, people always ask me,"
"Where the Hell are you from?"
"And this is what I tell 'em,"
"I'm from Torrington, luvely, luvely Torrington....!"
and so it goes on.
To engage in singing with a group of locals (I was from Westward Ho!) gave one a huge sense of belonging, in the same way as football and rugby fans and others.
So without further ado, I propose to include just a few photos that I have from the last 50 or so years and in doing so recall some of the local characters, both past and present, I have had the great pleasure to meet and quite often passed the time of day with more usually whilst "taking the med-sin."
Here follows the pics. If it doesn't suit any, let me know and I'll pull 'em down.
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| Ivor, Janet Cook & Rachel Davey The New Inn, 1971 (girls worked for Margaret Bennett, Hairstylists in the town.) |
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| Pete Smithson & "Friend" The New Inn, 1971 Pete, gone but not forgotten. |
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| Terry Gilbert & Alan Brace (Pete Smithson with sideburns) The New Inn, 1971 |
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| Bill Clements takin' 5 up Castle Hill 1971 (Bill worked at the dairy) |
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| Myself, Sid Walter, Alan Prouse Eddie Heath & Paddy Roe 1971 |
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| Friendships + Cooks St. Michaels Church, Great Torrington, October 19th. 1974. L-R: My Father & Mother, Douglas & Winifred, Nick Love,(best man) Myself, Justine Harris, Janet, her parents Vera & Cyril Cook, her sister Elaine, Cyrils' father, William Cook, Veras' father Thomas Harris & Florence Harris. |
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| Previously unseen for 50 years & found in a box. Some of my work friends & others who came to see us married. |
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| I can see Karen Gerry, Margaret Hopkins (nee Jones) Jean Lucas & David Stone standing on the bank |
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| Adrian Bell on drum, Queens Jubilee 1977 |
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| Colin & Jill Ogden, Queens Jubilee 1977 (photo: Bob Friendship collection) |
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| Kath Reed (Stacey) & Janet (my wife) Queens Jubilee 1977 (photo: Bob Friendship collection) |
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| See if you're there. Queens Jubilee 1977 |
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| Mayfair 1977 - Setting up the float. Roger "Tarbuk" Talbot, Sue Mills & Myself (Photo: Fuzzy doesn't remember this one) |
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| 1: On Owen Routleys flatbed again - Mayfair 1977 |
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| 2: Myself - before realising standing on a moving lorry was not the best option. Again - Mayfair 1977 |
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| 3: Myself after much Cy. Mayfair 1977. THIRD PRIZE TOO! (I fell off just after the Hunters!) photo: Fuzzy Martin. (Thank you, Fuzzy!) |
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| 4: again, Mayfair 1977 Sue Mills & Ted "Bollicky" Taylor, after and with much Cy (photo courtesy Fuzzy Martin.) |
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| Mayfair 1978 Ted & Myself as Capt'n Birdseye & Long John Silver. Chris Daniels is doin' the food. (photo courtesy Tony Kesseler, thanks Tone) |
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| Paul "Zooney" Alexander jams with the late (and great) John Morgan Band. Dawn is at left, sorry I didn't get all of you, Dawn! Puffing Billy, 1990 |
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| The Globe 1994 Kenny Hill (with hat) Judd Bond & Laurie Richards reading the Odds Barry (Bangham) is that you far left? |
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| The Globe again Kenny Wheeler, Judd Bond, Bobby Tolley (just visible) Harry Parish & Laurie Richards. |
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| The Globe again Paul "Frankie" Raymont, Stud Avery & "Dumper" Westcott |
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| Laurie Richards & Kenny Wheeler. Judd Bond & Bobby Tolley back, left. |
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| Kenny Wheeler, Stud Avery, Myself & Lar Richards Those were the days! |
The Houses of Parliament bonfire 1990.Spraying the tower, a very small part, I was glad to help.
To see the entire (51 minute) video on YouTube use the link below(opens in a new window)
Remembering just some: - any mistakes, let me know please.
The Houses of Parliament bonfire 1990.
Spraying the tower, a very small part, I was glad to help.
Cyril Cook (my father-in-law)
Ted Taylor (d. 2001)
Kath Davies (Stacey)
Kenny Hill
Judd Bond
"Lardo" Alexander
Johnny Williams (Torridge Inn)
Kenny Wheeler, (Weare Giffard)
Tony Wheeler, (Weare Giffard)
Peter Smithson
Harry Parish
Tommy Parish (Snr.)
Peter Parish
Laurie "Meester" Richards.(d. 1997)
Bobby Tolley
Bob Cudmore
Ken Baker (Glass works)
Roland Kors (Glass works)
Gordon Kesseler (Glass works)
Graham "Butch" Reed
Tommy Blight
Kirby Sanders
Eric Colwill
Jimmy & Brenda Horrell (Hunters Inn)
Peter Plows (Bideford & Alwington)
Policeman Kelly
Bob Hunt (Local constabulary)
A note about Laurie Richards ("Lar")
As a very young man he walked from Birmingham to London, became a Ballroom Dancer and amateur racing cyclist.
During the second world war he was in the Ordnance section and helped clear mines on the D-Day beaches before the invasion.
He opened betting shops in London, owning three. His father, a keen mathematician, had invented the Tote betting system.
After a near-miss from a bullet fired from a gun owned by one of the Cray brothers and with advancing protectionism he sold up and came to Buckland Brewer where he bought the Coach & Horses pub.
He and his wife, Irene, ran "the pub that never shut" from 1968 to 1972 when he sold up and bought Monkleigh House.
After a down-turn in personal circumstances he came to the dairy and joined the Manufacturing Lab as a day worker.
Lar was a great pal. He & I had some "vaguely very memorable" nights out together until his passing in 1997.
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| The Coach & Horse, Buckland Brewer, 1991 Myself & "Meeester Richards" about to go out for a few. (photo kindly taken by local, Kenny May.) |
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