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Pop Goes Wiltshire!

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Sep 1, 2010

Tagged in: Yatesbury airfield , Yatesbury , XTC , Wiltshire , Warminster , Video , Trowbridge , Tidworth , Thin Lizzy , The Timelords , The Teardrop Explodes , Take That , Swindon , Supertramp , Subhumans , Sturmy House , Sting , songwriter , solo artist , singer , Salisbury hospital , Salisbury area , Rowden Hill , rock and pop , Robbie Williams , Rick Davies , recording studio , RealWorld , punk , Pop , police cadet , Police , pioneer , Phil Lynott , Peter Gabriel , Pete Doherty , musicians , Moody Blues , Mick and Tich , memorabilia , Melksham , Marlborough , Madonnam , Libertines , lead singer , Lake House , keyboard player , Justin Hayward , Julian Cope , jazz , Jamie Cullum , James Cook , James Blunt , Influential , in Chippenham , Hullavington , hit single , hit band , Genesis , filmed , famous , famous , Eddie Cochran , Dozy , Doctorin’ the Tardis , display , died , Delphic , David John Harman , Dave Dee , Culture Shock , Compton Bassett House , commemorate , Citizen Fish , Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre , Chippenham Museum , car crash , Calne , Box , blog , Beaky , bassist , bands , Babyshambles , Ashcombe House , Amesbury , 50 years

Inspired by a recent display on Eddie Cochran at Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre this blog entry is all about Wiltshire’s links past and present with the world of rock and pop.

 Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran


To commemorate 50 years since the famous rock and roll pioneer died in a car crash on Rowden Hill in Chippenham, earlier this year Chippenham museum put on a display of Eddie Cochran memorabilia. 'Read more' to find out how many other pop stars have been associated with Wiltshire over the years...








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Why Was Wiltshire First?

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Sep 11, 2009

The answer is in the allotment movement and the work of the Great Somerford Rector, Stephen Demainbray, in providing allotments in 1809 after the local Enclosure Act had removed rights of common from poor villagers. Jeremy will speak on this and the spread of the allotment movement.

The provision of allotments as a way of improving the lot of the poor was to become a driving force in Demainbray’s long life, although the pioneer in the local area was Thomas Estcourt of Shipton Moyne. As a condition of commuting the landowners’ tithes the Rector requested that several acres should be retained for the benefit of the poor. Under the Act the land was to be kept in perpetuity for ‘the poor cottagers, Parishioners of and residing in the parish of Great Somerford, otherwise Broad Somerford’. 

 Detail of the Enclosure Award map for Great Somerford showing the glebe land used for the allotments.
 Detail of the Enclosure Award map for Great Somerford showing the glebe land used for the allotments.
                         
The allotments were to be allocated annually with regard to the number of people in each family and they were to be free of all rents and taxes. This is still the case today and the oldest allotments in the country are allocated to villagers on the Tuesday of Easter week, as they have been for 200 years. Read on to find out more.....




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German Bombing Plans for Chippenham During World War II

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Aug 5, 2009

We have recently acquired an original German reconnaissance aerial photograph from 1941. It focused on the Westinghouse site in Chippenham and detailed their plans to bomb it. Read on to find out more......



German Aerial Photograph of Chippenham, 1941, Showing Westinghouse as the Target

 


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