Greetings from Starcross

Thankyou again Steve Nosworthy for these shots of The Atmospheric Railway Hotel, the front street with the topiaried Yew trees, New Road with a shop opposite the Assembly Rooms?? a shrubbery in front of the hospital?? and a market??
Please can anyone correct or add to these descriptions?

First Meeting of Starcross History. Tuesday 10th March

A big thankyou to the score of people who came to the first meeting of Starcross History on Tuesday, 10th March in the lovely new Starcross pavilion. And another big thankyou to Starcross Parish Council
for allowing us the use of their pavilion for this first meet, FREE OF CHARGE.

 Especial thanks to our speakers: Alison Miles and Peter Hinchliffe. Both speakers gave their time freely. We were unable to offer them anything, even just for their expenses, so this is  a double thankyou to them both.

For those who kindly sent their apologies, and for everyone else who was unable to attend; you missed 2 fantastic speakers who spoke with passion about their subjects:

• Starcross resident Alison Miles recalled the Past and Present Festival in Starcross last May, which was the starting point for this history group.

 

She explained the Starcross wallhanging; which is to be a Celebration of Country Living, and recruited members of Starcross History Club to make more panels. 

Until Alison and the group of volunteers from St Paul's Church, Starcross swung into action, the only evidence of the passing of everything to do with the Royal Western Counties Hospital

 was the small, enclosed field behind the St Paul's Church cemetery, which contains the unmarked graves of  the former residents. Now there is a memorial,

and a bench seat, and the makings of a tranquil garden where anyone may sit when they need to have a peaceful place in which to quietly think and reflect.

• 2015 is the 150th anniversary of William Booth's founding of the Salvation Army,  so our second speaker; Peter Hinchliffe's topic was The early battles: Police v Salvation Army

The logo for The Salvation Army International Congress 2015
Boundless. The Salvation Army International Congress 150th Anniversary 1-5 July, London 

Peter Hinchliffe, himself an ex-copper, astounded us with incredible tales of what is now seen as the nineteenth-century police persecution of the Salvation Army. This happened in Plymouth, Honiton, Crediton, Torquay and further afield. Salvationists were arrested and imprisoned. Salvationalists were killed. An opposing army of thugs; The Skeleton Army had tacit approval to disrupt and attack the salvationists. Amazing; breathtaking; unbelievable, but TRUE stories.

Also thankyou to all those who, as requested,  brought raffle prizes and mugs. And thankyou for buying raffle tickets, and paying £1 for your teas/coffees and biscuits. The raffle was a great success, and we didn't run out of mugs.

The Royal Western Counties Hospital

The Idiot Asylum

• Royal Western Counties Hospital: Opened 1864:  Demolished 1986

Although the Royal Western Counties Hospital was closed in 1986, and demolished, and its tons and tons of dressed limestone were shipped upcountry, a group of enthusiasts were determined that all those who had lived and worked there should never be forgotten. On May 25th, 2014 a memorial service for patients and staff who worked and lived at the Royal Western Counties Hospital from 1862 to 1986 was held in St Paul's Church. The service dedicated a new memorial stone in memory of patients and residents of the former Royal Western Counties Hospital. Prayers were said for those buried in St Paul's churchyard.

This was a part of the Starcross Past & Present celebrations, which took place between   24th and 26th May.

Memorial stone 2014 in memory of patients and residents of the Royal Western Counties Hospital

  The celebrations included many displays about life in Starcross; past, and present. 

Here's the history of the asylum:

• Pastscape "ROYAL WESTERN COUNTIES HOSPITAL ALTERNATIVE NAME: WESTERN COUNTIES IDIOT ASYLUM"

• Archives Hub: Royal Western Counties Institution, Starcross  

• The National Archives: ROYAL WESTERN COUNTIES HOSPITAL STARCROSS