All posts by Mary

SVA History Group

We had a very interesting meeting last evening.

Amongst the items raised for discussion were the Exeter Book; Peak House as a hospital in WWI; and trending topics like Sidmouth Town Coat of Arms; and the Ham Playing Field, Charity No. 300967.

We looked at a copy of the Conveyance of ‘The Ham’ from John George Galloway Radford to Sidmouth Urban District Council in 1896 and the map which went with it. The transcribed version was a lot easier to read 🙂

Monday thoughts

It is 12.15 pm and already today my thoughts have been challenged.

One person has said, about the Port Royal proposals, ‘It gives people something to talk about, but there are always some proposals or other; they’ll be talking about it for years’. Another said ‘Why do they say it could be 3 storeys or 5 storeys?’

Apathy and confusion. We have to confront both.

The confusion is welcome, it makes us challenge what we know but haven’t had explicitly explained. The apathy plays right into the hands of ‘the powers that be’.

So to take the question.
Alison Hayward, Senior Manager, Regeneration & Economic Development EDDC ( the lady in control of the Exmouth redevelopment); was clear to everyone that it was neccessary to have three floors of apartments to fund the redevelopment.

So how can we end up with a 3 storey block? One easy answer would be to site the Lifeboat and Sailing elsewhere. It has already been suggested that the Lifeboat goes ‘somewhere’ in Western Town. See the report of the most recent Reference Group on the Futures Forum Blog.

Sidmouth Drill Hall Rescue loves Folk Week

Well of course I do, that is how I was introduced to the Drill Hall. How many others remember the sweaty summers of ’75 and ’76 in there? Dancing, Fancy Dress evenings, Los Jairas, ah yes, I remember it well. And I regret that we can no longer use it.

But it is worse than that isn’t it? Because now the actual plans have been produced which show how they propose to replace it with a soul-less block, and destroy Sidmouth Trawlers as well. Oh and the seating and toilets in the block at the turning circle too; so the wind and rain will funnel through down the Ham putting more strain on the marquee and making the displays at the Hub miserable for performers and audience alike!

Of course the shadow cast will not be that great in the first week in August, and they will have moved the boat park to avoid people and boats being damaged and litigation occurring … but even so …..

If you want to see what they are proposing their drawings are here and my exploration of the effects are here and here

Sidmouth loves and needs Folk Week, if Folk Week loves and needs Sidmouth then tell our Councillors we don’t want this!  (and follow me)