The history of POTS.
Its activities and outcomes captured in video and pictures
The Pump House on Main Street was in dire need of repair, and as the Parish Council at the time were unwilling or unable to have it repaired, it was in danger of being demolished which would have been a historical disaster!
The Parish of Thurlestone Society (POTS) was created in 1996 by Thurlestone’s resident artist Len Hubbard. Len and his team managed to raised £3500, which was sufficient funds to have the building restored, and it still enhances the Parish with its presence to this day.
Over the years, the Parish of Thurlestone Society carried out several projects, to preserve and conserve other historic and social amenities in the area. Video recordings made of the re-opening of the pump house and other local events sparked the idea of a village video. From this original concept a major three-year Community Millennium Project gradually evolved aimed at producing a comprehensive video record of the social history of the parish over the last three thousand years. The lives, times, hopes and concerns of the people of Thurlestone, Bantham and West Buckland were recorded as a visual time capsule for future generations in the hope that it will encourage them, in their turn, to continue to cherish, conserve and protect the social, historic, and environmental resources of the parish. So this endeavour cumulated in the creation of a professional film
“Land of the Five Beaches” – (MOVIE) a history of the Parish, which was so good that it won a Royal Television Society award. The quality of the film was undoubtedly due to the fact that POTS called upon the talents of David Smeeton, a resident of Thurlestone who had retired from the BBC after a remarkable 30-year career.
Land of the Five Beaches contains several clips from another fascinating TV film called “Village People” - (MOVIE). The why’s and wherefores as to why this film was created is unknown but is thought to be in the 1950’s – 1960’s and at a time when the quiet back water rural life of Thurlestone Parish was about to change dramatically with extensive new development.
For many years, the Parish was also home to Malcolm LeGrice, the world-famous Video Artist, who freely gave of his talents to POTS, and, amongst many other things, made a photomontage, Building the new Parish Hall 2005-2015. - (MOVIE)
In 2004/5, POTS made use of another resident Keith Millman, to digitise Peter Hurrell’s large collection of historic photos from the late 1800's to around 1940's. A lot of ancient local history is within these images. A notable number are of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebration of 1897. Other valued, historic contributions in still images made available for us are from Janet Fraser, and Joan Elston
We thanks the people above for all these valued historic contributions of our parish and surrounding area.
The Parish website now gives us the ideal opportunity to make all these digitised films and photos, highlighted above, available for all to see. We still have some material to digitise, including some interviews with residents about their memories of the Parish, and hopefully these will be available as well, in the not-too-distant future.
In November 2022 the Parish of Thurlestone Society (POTS) sadly disbanded but its historic and social amenities impact, lives on. Below we are pleased to present the historical digitised films and photos.
The Parish of Thurlestone Society (POTS) was created in 1996 by Thurlestone’s resident artist Len Hubbard. Len and his team managed to raised £3500, which was sufficient funds to have the building restored, and it still enhances the Parish with its presence to this day.
Over the years, the Parish of Thurlestone Society carried out several projects, to preserve and conserve other historic and social amenities in the area. Video recordings made of the re-opening of the pump house and other local events sparked the idea of a village video. From this original concept a major three-year Community Millennium Project gradually evolved aimed at producing a comprehensive video record of the social history of the parish over the last three thousand years. The lives, times, hopes and concerns of the people of Thurlestone, Bantham and West Buckland were recorded as a visual time capsule for future generations in the hope that it will encourage them, in their turn, to continue to cherish, conserve and protect the social, historic, and environmental resources of the parish. So this endeavour cumulated in the creation of a professional film
“Land of the Five Beaches” – (MOVIE) a history of the Parish, which was so good that it won a Royal Television Society award. The quality of the film was undoubtedly due to the fact that POTS called upon the talents of David Smeeton, a resident of Thurlestone who had retired from the BBC after a remarkable 30-year career.
Land of the Five Beaches contains several clips from another fascinating TV film called “Village People” - (MOVIE). The why’s and wherefores as to why this film was created is unknown but is thought to be in the 1950’s – 1960’s and at a time when the quiet back water rural life of Thurlestone Parish was about to change dramatically with extensive new development.
For many years, the Parish was also home to Malcolm LeGrice, the world-famous Video Artist, who freely gave of his talents to POTS, and, amongst many other things, made a photomontage, Building the new Parish Hall 2005-2015. - (MOVIE)
In 2004/5, POTS made use of another resident Keith Millman, to digitise Peter Hurrell’s large collection of historic photos from the late 1800's to around 1940's. A lot of ancient local history is within these images. A notable number are of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebration of 1897. Other valued, historic contributions in still images made available for us are from Janet Fraser, and Joan Elston
We thanks the people above for all these valued historic contributions of our parish and surrounding area.
The Parish website now gives us the ideal opportunity to make all these digitised films and photos, highlighted above, available for all to see. We still have some material to digitise, including some interviews with residents about their memories of the Parish, and hopefully these will be available as well, in the not-too-distant future.
In November 2022 the Parish of Thurlestone Society (POTS) sadly disbanded but its historic and social amenities impact, lives on. Below we are pleased to present the historical digitised films and photos.
Land of the Five Beaches created in the late 1990's |
Village People - Thurlestone Parish
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