Budleigh Past and Present

Nearly 70 Budleigh Salterton children gained first-hand knowledge of the town’s now vanished rail links when they met two former British Railways employees during a visit to Fairlynch Museum.  Yettington residents Colin Yeats, pictured above, left, and Roy Letten both worked on the Budleigh branch lin e railway until it was closed in 1967.  Both are seen in the photo here with children who were accompanied by their teachers and support staff.  And here are more photos to show you some 'interractive' - hate that word - aspects of the visit.   “We’re really grateful to Colin and Roy for giving up their time,” said Fairlynch volunteer Kate Somerby, who had organised the visit to the museum by Key Stage 1 pupils from the town’s St Peter’s Church of England Primary School.  “It was a very special expe...

St Peter's School Church of England Primary School, on Barn Lane, Budleigh Salterton As an ex-teacher in retirement I’ve tended to keep my distance from the increasingly complex world of education. I was never really bright enough to grapple with all that stuff about targets, key stages and so on. Early on in my teaching career I was told by a much revered schoolmaster that red herrings and ‘frees’ – i.e. free periods – were the two most important things in education. Along with those I’d obviously add that we should be teaching children consideration for others, kindness, common sense, curiosity and open-mindedness and general politeness. Maybe I’m just old fashioned. Happy children from St Peter's School learn about stuff in the Museum  So I was impressed the other day while walking past St Peter’s C of E Primary School to be stopped by some of the children on the other side of the fence. “Could you get our ball back p...