More about the four forums

[Jon Lawrence]

To get the memory bank started we have created four strands: one for memories about places in the town (Buildings and Streets), one for memories about life in the town, one for memories about places and people in the surrounding area, and one relating specifically to the natural world. We hope that people will start their own threads within each of these strands – for instance about the past use of specific buildings, or about attending the old school. We hope that the strands are sufficiently broad that any memory can be posted as a new thread (topic) to one or other strand, but if we are wrong and a new over-arching category is needed please let us know. The easiest way to do this is to post a comment below.

Chagford Places Forum This strand is designed for people to post memories about different places in Chagford town. Any memory that relates to any part of the town is fine – e.g. the allotments, the playground, the swimming pool, the churchyard, the ‘lost’ Meldon golf course, and of course The Square. If your memory is less about the place itself and more about your own personal experience in that place then it may be better to use the ‘Life in Chagford’ strand of the Memory Bank where your memories may prompt others to share their experiences (for instance memories about what the old school classrooms were like would be ideal for this strand, but memories about your schooldays there might be better posted to the ‘Life in Chagford’ strand).

Life in Chagford Forum This strand is designed for people to post memories about life in Chagford in the past – including the recent past (it’s all history). This is the place to share your memories about everyday life in the town in past decades, but we are also interested to hear about special events like coronations, royal jubilees, or VE Day, and recurring events like the Chagford Show or market days. We have called it ‘Life in Chagford’ to emphasise that this is the place to post memories that are about personal experiences rather than about what the town used to look like. There is an almost infinite range of possible topics that might be covered in this forum – memories about school, work, sport, leisure and much besides would all fit in this strand.

Outside the Town Forum This strand of the Memory Bank is designed for people to post memories that relate to ‘Greater Chagford’ – that is to the villages, hamlets and farmsteads that have historically gravitated towards the town of Chagford as the natural hub of their social and economic life. Many of these, such as Easton, Frenchbeer, Drewston or Great Weeke lie within the bounds of Chagford parish, but others such as Gidleigh, Murchington, Wonson or Sandy Park are technically in adjacent parishes. We want to record memories about life and times in these outlying districts as well as in the town itself.

Natural World Forum This strand seeks to bring out the history side of natural history. Nestled on the edge of the Dartmoor plateau and with the River Teign flowing close by, Chagford has long been blessed with an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty. This is why it emerged as a popular tourist attraction in the nineteenth century. But nature is always changing, not least because humans are always finding news ways to try and tame and control it. Even the wildest corners of Dartmoor bear the imprint of centuries of human intervention. We would like to capture memories of the shifting local landscape and wildlife in this part of the Memory Bank. Do you recall lost trees that once dominated their surroundings, animals that are no longer to be seen, or equally do you recall a time when animals we now take for granted were unknown in the area? If so, please share your memories in this strand – they are important records of ecological change.

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