Salcombe Church kindly allowed its building to host the Memories of Woodcot event on Friday 21st November.
Miss Jennings contributed much of her personal wealth to the fabric of the church, as to so much else in the town and so it was serendipitous that the Church was able to help out in Woodcot’s hour of need. Thankyou Seaside Parish…
It was a busy morning for the church; a service of the faithful followed by a gathering of local schoolchildren from Salcombe Church of England Primary School as part of Take Over Day - a nationwide initiative - locally organised by Salcombe Maritime Museum and the school.
Then the Woodcot supporters arrived.
Upstairs in the beautiful glass panelled room where the bell ringers gather, people came to share their memories.
Almost a century of memories were captured… from the evocative photos of Woodcot in the 1920’s and 30’s where dances were held on the lawn and horticultural prizes issued to the living memories of people who knew the family, worked in the house or simply fell in love with it at one of the many open events held there over the decades.
People like Joan, now in her 90’s who started her working life at Woodcot as a 14 year local girl in the 1940’s; or Julien, the grandson of Aaron, Head Gardener to a Woodcot between the wars, proudly showing the silver cup awarded at Woodcot by Andrew McIlwraith Esq.
Memories from the 1960’s came from Ray who converted the property to turn a family home into a charitable residential house after Miss Jennings gifted it- he so enjoyed working there that he said: ” they should have been paying me to work there”.
From the 1970’s, trainee nurse Naomi told how she worked twelve hour days only punctuated with refreshing dip during her lunch break …
A different world back then.
Many of those who came spoke warmly of Miss Jennings generosity and told of how they had hoped to retire there after a life of work in the local community. Age UK shattering their hopes…
One thing is for certain… There is no shortage of potential future residents.
The current Salcombe Mayor told of the town’s concern about the potential loss of Woodcot and the Chair of a local charity expressed his outrage at what Age Uk are planning to do.
Quite. This is a moment…
Nearly, 3,500 signatures now. And still they keep coming. The question is what next?
The footage gathered on Friday will be used to publicise the campaign.
Salcombe is fighting back. Age UK- please, let’s talk.
#TakeOverDay
#SalcombeMaritimeMuseum
#SeasideParish
#AgeUK
#SouthHamsSociety
#SalcombeTownCouncil