The Starcross Gallopers

The plan to follow up on our first prize

for Kattanga the War Horse 

with some carousel horses needed some more research to verify that carousel gallopers featured on the carousel which used to visit Starcross.

There was a fair in Starcross on Whit Wednesday, at least from the nineteenth century; according to Vision of Britain.
Whit Wednesday would be the Wednesday after Whitsuntide, which is the 7th Sunday after Easter (Wiki)

Perhaps its location was where the Starcross Cattle Market took place? Here's a Bernard Chapman postcard of the Starcross Cattle Market.

Many thanks Janet Bowdler for publishing an appeal for information in The Starcross Newsletter  and to Marlene Parr for this response. (more details to follow)
The visiting fair was opposite the school. It was run by Alfred Whitelegg. Alfred's brother Tommy ran the Dawlish Fair, which visited every August Bank holiday. This fair continues, run by the Rowlands. http://www.rowlandsfunfair.co.uk/

Tommy Whitelegg's daughter ran amusements in Dawlish, in the old cinema building, which is now Dawlish Library.

Marlene clearly remembers the carousel which came to Starcross. It featured gallopers, which were horses with both sets of legs extended - like the olde paintings of horse-racing. Here' one from wiki.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg/1280px-Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg

Dimensions for carousel horses are online, by a firm who still make them
 https://fairgroundcarouselhorses.com/

Dingles  Fairground Heritage Centre near Launceston have a carousel gallopers ride. Its history is on this link:
 Edwards' Golden Gallopers

https://fairground-heritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gallopers13.jpg

Starcross Cattle Market

Here's the Starcross Cattle Market on a Bernard Chapman postcard

This was in the days of the Starcross abattoir, which was next to the Spar Shop. The buildings were used for many years as the village youth club - "The Peacock Cookson Centre" , sponsored by the Peacock Cookson family. The buildings were sold, and the monies used towards the youth facilities in the new Starcross Pavilion.

The Peacock Cookson Centre has recently been converted into a bungalow.

Safeguarding the Bernard Chapman Collection

Dawlish Museum and the Dawlish Local History Group are the custodians of the Chapman family's archive of over 4,000 photographs and glass negatives. Mike Ralls, the retiring chair of the Dawlish Local History Group, has digitized the images.

John Southall has also digitized the collection, and 72 important photos from the collection are already online, on the website http://www.time-capsules.co.uk

Does digitizing the images guarantee their preservation? Vint Cerf, vice-president of Google, warns of the forgotten century

 Here's the link to the online Bernard Chapman Collection 
and the  introduction from John Southall:

Bernard Chapman Collection

Bernard Chapman, now in his 87th year, is the 4th generation of Chapman photographers. The company started in 1863 although there is a note in Bernard's Great Grandfather's diary that in 1859 he received 7shillings and six pence for 'photography'. 7/6 is the equivalent of 37.5 of today's pennies! The collection consists of about 1,400 photographs and were put into albums by Bernard in 1963 although it took him 3 ½ years to complete. It is a history of Dawlish from 1863 up to 1963 and covers all aspects of life in the town. Some of the photos are of great importance and not just to Dawlish. I got to know Bernard as a result of my suggesting to the local paper, the Dawlish Gazette, that a weekly 'Then and Now' article might go down well. My investigations led me to Bernard and may I say that he is a great character and a thoroughly nice guy. Bernard has given me carte blanche to use the photos as I like which I consider a very great privilege. It has been suggested to Bernard that the collection is of such importance that it ought to be in a museum although it is now safely on both of my computers and also dvds. John.



At yesterday's meet of the Dawlish Local History Group, Mike Wedlake allowed members a glimpse into this remarkable archive. Here's one of the wonderful images (the one here, and the description, is from the online archive) which Mike projected onto a large screen. He started off with a history of the Chapman family, and pictures of the Victorian photograph printing works.

Description

The photos I am using are a part of the Bernard Chapman Collection. Bernard has granted me full use of the collection with the aim of showing it to as many people as possible.

This photo, dating from c1900, shows the family works, known as The Photo Printing Works, round the back of Dawlish, Devon.
Several members of the family are shown at work even the younger members. The photos are being printed by exposure to the sun outside the works.