This year’s exhibition is part of the Festival of Devon in the 1920s. The archive team have researched aspects of life in Buckfastleigh in the 20s and put together stories of the people who lived here during the decade.

If you visited our exhibition ‘from Plague to pandemic’ you may remember two remarkable women who contributed to the health of the town in the 20s. Dr Eva Ironside, one of the first women GPs, came to Buckfastleigh in 1916 to cover a local doctor who went to war. Soon she was also working as an anaesthetist at the hospital in Ashburton and also carrying out minor surgery. After the war she became the partner of  Dr Williams’, the local medical officer of health, living and setting up her practice at Redmount. She was the public vaccinator for Buckfastleigh.

Eliza Cook was one of the first district nurses, working in Buckfastleigh for 30 years. She was often called to emergencies, there is an account of her trying to save the life of a badly burned child and giving evidence at post-mortems. She was also a trained midwife and no woman died in childbirth here during the 20s. She retired in 1927. A retirement reception was held for her, she was given a cheque for 100 guineas, raised by grateful townspeople.

On display are some school exercise books. These belonged to Eric Hayman, who was enrolled in Buckfastleigh Infants School in 1921. His older sister, Sylvia, went to the girl’s school. His mother was a servant at Cleavehurst in Duckspond Road. His father, Frank, was a chauffeur, and the family lived near the Valiant Soldier.

In 1923, the Infants, Boys and Girls schools combined under headmaster Mr Jeffery. Eric enrolled there in 1924 and attended until age 14. Pupils like Eric who didn’t go on the grammar schools had a curriculum which included practical subjects. Buckfastleigh School was praised for integrating these subjects with formal ones with science being taught through the practical subjects. Eric studied English, literature, maths, history, geography, gardening, and poultry keeping.