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May’s visit to Ashburton

The first of our two visits this year is to historic Ashburton on Thursday 22 May. This will involve a visit to Ashburton History Museum and a guided walk around the town. 

 We have also arranged to have lunch at the Grange Cafe at Buckfast Abbey afterwards. 

 The visit will start promptly at Ashburton History Museum at 10.30. The visit will probably be split into 2 groups with one group starting with the Museum and the second with the walk, then vice versa. Both legs of the visit will take about an hour each so the visit will be through by about 12.30. The restaurant is about 10 minutes drive from the centre of Ashburton. 

There is a small charge of £3 per head to cover the cost of the visit; lunch costs need to be covered individually on the day. 

Ashburton History Museum is located at 1 West Street, Ashburton TQ13 7DT (opposite where West Street joins North Street).   There is no parking on site but the town has two main car parks adjacent to each other behind the Town Hall accessed via North Street or Kingsbridge Lane.  The one directly behind the Town Hall is the short term car park maximum 3 hours and the other off Kingsbridge Lane is a long term car park but the two car parks are joined at the top.  Parking is available at the restaurant. 

It would assist the organisation of the morning to know numbers in advance and to be able to let the restaurant know likely numbers for lunch. So could you let us know by email to kingstonlhs@gmail.com

Share your wartime family memories

Family Memories of World War II  – a project.

During 2025 various events nationally will be marking the end of WWII – 80 years ago. As our own contribution the Archive Group of KHLS is launching the Family Memories of World War II Project, which aims to create a record of personal wartime stories, stories that might otherwise be lost.

We hope to make a collection of experiences as remembered by members of our families during the war.  Some stories might be light-hearted, but others may be much less so. These experiences don’t have to have any direct connection with Kingston; they might relate to people anywhere in the world who perhaps never knew of our village. But what will link the stories is that are known to people living in our community now, stories that have perhaps been passed down from generation to generation.

Our plan is to record these stories and to include them in display in the village in a few weeks time.   We would like to have a display ready for the History Society meeting on April 24th .

Please share your stories with us. For inclusion in our April display we’d need your stories by April 14th – though sooner would be appreciated!  We do feel that it is important that these stories and recollections are recorded and passed on.

Thankyou !
Email addresses for entries and enquiries: carol@scobbiscombe.co.uk : 

Kingston’s own Land Army!

Last night’s fascinating and entertaining talk on the Women’s Land Army in Devon by Becks Pearson (right) was topped off by a competition to find Kingston’s most authentically dressed land army person.  The standard of those who took part was uniformly(!) excellent. But the winner of the prize bottle of Champagne, as judged by Becks, was Chris McEvoy

Women’s Land Army

Our first speaker meeting of 2025 is at 7.30 in the Reading Room on Thursday 23January when Becks Pearson will give a talk about The Womens Land Army in Devon. It promises to be a fascinating talk, presented in Land Army costume by Becks.

To complement our speakers costume theme, we are inviting members themselves to dress in their own take on land army attire with a bottle of champagne going to the most authentically dressed land army person, as judged by Becks herself – entirely optional of course.

We look forward to seeing everyone then

KLHS Christmas Party

Yesterday evening saw the final KLHS event of the year, our annual Christmas party. It has been a very successful year with fascinating and well attended talks and visits. The party was an opportunity for us to get together informally and socially and seemed to be enjoyed by everyone. Thanks to everyone who came and brought such an amazing array of lovely food.

On behalf of the Committee may I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and every good wish for 2025.

We look forward to seeing you all at our next speaker meeting on 23 January when the talk will be on the subject of the women’s land army in Devon