MAGAZINE #9​
OUR HISTORY
Interesting historical stories and facts from in and around Salisbury.
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A CELEBRATION OF SALISBURY AND IT'S PEOPLE
I have been contacted by Mrs. Bernice Maher who writes:
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“Over fifty years ago I worked at Robert Stokes of Silver Street (now Santander Bank). Stokes was a well known, high class store of its time and it attracted people from far and near – indeed, they would be waiting for the door to open on a Friday & Saturday morning! The butter, cheese, coffee, tea & ham were big sellers.
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The large varieties of Cheese were cut from the block and ham was sliced as required, everything was so fresh.
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I worked there in 1966-67 when Mr Hyde was Manager with Mr Burton as his assistant. Mr Burton was a lovely man took charge of all the deliveries which went out from the store each day to all the surrounding villages.”
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Bernice has fond memories of her work colleges and would be delighted to hear from them.
“There was tall Jean Gower, Janet Famton, Janet Pierce and Valerie Small – Brian and Gerald worked on the bacon counter.”
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In 1776 Francis Stokes founded the business by opening a shop near Poultry Cross, as an Apothecary, selling medicines, Leeches, etc., subsequently introducing Tea and Italian goods such as Macaroni and Olive Oil.
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As the business was handed down from father to sons, Stokes developed their range of goods and amongst many other commodities, tea and coffee were added – this was a very wise decision! As their fame as Tea Merchants grew, they gained the respect of the London Tea Market and became one of the only two Merchants outside London to receive the catalogues of the London Tea Sales, the other being a Merchant in Edinburgh.
Up to 1836 Coffee was roasted using Charcoal, but in that year, with the development
of gas, Stokes commenced by using gas – the success of this innovation was warmly
commended by the local press.
I am sure there are many readers who well remember the wonderful aroma of Stokes
roasted coffee beans to this day!
Have you got a story or old photographs to share with readers?
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Contact Frogg at – frogg.moody31@gmail.com
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A CELEBRATION OF SALISBURY AND IT'S PEOPLE
Looking for a history festival with an intimate and laid back atmosphere?
One where you can connect with the speakers in a way that’s not possible at larger festivals?
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Salisbury History Festival has been going strong since 2017 and we pride ourselves as being ‘The Small is Beautiful’ community spirited festival with a unique and quirky feel! We are a non-profit making festival because we believe that giving back to the community is a very important factor.
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Following on from our sold-out event in June in association with Wiltshire Creative, our official Salisbury History Festival week of events brings you a whole array of goodies.
From the History of The Old George Inn, The Lost Pubs of Salisbury, and The Peaky Blinders Connection with Salisbury, to the William Storer Castle Street Poisoning Case of 1865, The Swing Riots, Fanny Nelson, The English Civil War Conference and the archaeology of Bourne House Gardens.
Regular festival updates will appear on our new website - fishertonhistorysociety.org
and fisherton history society facebook page
Details and more information at -
(E) frogg@timezonepublishing.com
(M) 078 2353 0451
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THE OLD LAMPLIGHTERS OF SALISBURY
by Frogg Moody
We take it for granted how well lit our city is but it wasn’t always thus. My attention has often been drawn to the remains of a post in Devizes Road, a reminder of the old gas lighting of yesteryear. Indeed, local historian Alan Crooks reminded me recently of the stump of another former gas lamp standard
in East Harnham (opposite All Saints Church). Gas lighting was the most popular form of lighting in the late 19th century. A lamp lighter would carry a long pole with a lighted wick and every evening, as it grew dark, he would go on his round to manually light each lamp. At dawn, the lamplighter would revisit each lamp to douse the flame – most lamps had a horizontal bar near the top for the lamplighter to rest his ladder.
There used to be a song which went:-
How do you do, lamplighter
Good morning how are you?
Walking around with your 6ft pole
Putting out the gases well upon my soul
There’s one bright light that burns all night
And goodness how it glows
There’s not the slightest doubt that you put the gases out
But what about my old red nose?
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One of the old Salisbury lamplighters was Mr Alfred Gardner of Greencroft Street who died in the 1970s aged 87 prompting an old friend to write: “He was one of the old street lamp lighters, going out evening and morning with his hook and cane. Crowds of children would follow him saying: “Can I hook on the lamp, Mr Gardner?”
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Lamplighters were a respected part of the community. Their actions made people feel safer on the streets at night which in turn helped with reducing crime. The lighting of the streets commenced at the end of September and continued until the middle of April.
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FISHERTON HISTORY SOCIETY
The Fisherton History Society hold regular meetings with interim meetings in
The Duke of York, please check online or at the bar for next meeting here.
MACKLIN ROAD 1920 – SALISBURY’S FIRST COUNCIL ESTATE
By Frogg Moody
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When I was a Salisbury City Councillor in 2020, I managed to persuade our local council to erect a blue plaque in Macklin Road to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Salisbury’s first council estate. In actual fact, it might be considered somewhat fortunate that the estate was ever built at all!
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On the 11th November 1918, Prime Minister Lloyd George promised a system of treasury grants to cover housing costs which would allow local authorities the capital to build decent “working-class” properties. The proposed plan was to build 500,000 new houses in three years under the new ‘Housing Act of 1919’ – commonly known as the ‘Addison Act’.
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However, out of the promised 500,000 houses only 176,000 were built due to lack of funds and the shortage of skilled manpower. By 1921, the programme was halted - only the houses that had already been started or for which contracts had been approved and exchanged were built. Macklin Road had already been started on April 13th 1920 but a letter sent to the Town Council from the Housing Commissioner caused consternation. It suggested that the proposed cost of the new estate was exceptionally high and cutbacks were needed.
However, the Town Council responded by pointing out that the estate had already been approved by the Housing Commissioner, and they would have nothing else than the houses which had been approved! Feelings were running high and Clr. Wort stated that if things took a certain course, “They might ask for authority to go to the Housing Commissioner and tell him straight that they were tired of the policy of dilly and dally and wait and see.”
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Salisbury Town Council stood its ground against the Housing Commissioner and the building went ahead as originally planned. Clr. Lady Hulse, moved the recommendation that the new site should be named “Macklin Road” after the great service conducted by their War Mayor, James Macklin.
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* Only two of the houses in Macklin Road remain under council ownership.
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CHARLIE PLUMB
By Frogg Moody
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Local hero Charlie Plumb - the man in the shorts!
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Our photograph this week is from 1964 and the location is Wilton Road, Salisbury. It shows a road race to Wilton featuring a real Salisbury character called Charlie Plumb. Many people in Salisbury and surrounding villages still remember Charlie who was an all-round sportsman and a very keen boxer – indeed; his exploits in the boxing booth at Salisbury fair in the market square are legendary!
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Charlie had quite an association with the Wilton Road area in Salisbury and before the building of St. Paul’s roundabout in the late 1960’s, he ran and organised a very popular boys club on the junction of St. Paul’s Road and Wilton Road. It was in an old wooden hut, with plaster-board walls and wire-netted windows, that Charlie would work, train and burn up much surplus energy of boys ages from 10 to 15 and young men in their late teens.
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In an old newspaper article from 1965, the reporter refers to Charlie as ‘the oldest youngster of them all, a 43 year old lively, wiry happy Stanley Matthews type character of the local scene.’ The article continues ‘ Charlie has done it all. He’s played football, cricket, table tennis.... He’s boxed and wrestled and been an athlete – cross-country and track.’
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But the pioneering work with the young men of Salisbury is probably what Charlie will always be remembered for. The club during the 1960’s had over 150 members on its books and the average attendance was 50 a night – all watched over by a dedicated team overseen by Charlie Plumb. But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Over the years the club wandered from temporary home to home – indeed, it suffered enough setbacks to have ruined anyone’s interest! But Charlie shrugged off many difficult situations, dug in his stubborn heels, and the club survived.
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One man who recognised the debt owed by the city and its youth in the mid 1960’s was Mr. Rowland Ling who was chairman of the boy’s club committee. He said ‘It’s worth remembering that much of the equipment at the club belongs to Charlie Plumb – things he used over the years in his own training.’
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I would be interested to know if any ‘Bygone Salisbury’ readers know what became of Charlie Plumb.
Photo by The Salisbury Journal.