Budleigh Past and Present

Continued from 1 November 1943  Another Dalditch Camp Tragedy: Marine Arthur John Wilson (1925-43)       https://budleighpastandpresent.blogspot.com/2021/01/ww2-75-1-november-1943-another-dalditch.html   Budleigh Salterton War Memorial at the junction of Coastguard Road and Salting Hill For many years Budleigh Salterton was famous as the favourite retirement place of Indian Army officers; the writer and former Budleigh resident R.F. Delderfield referred to it as The Curry. Robert Watson’s family background was very typical of this aspect of our town.   He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Arthur Davis Watson, OBE, Royal Engineers, and Ethel Douglas Watson. His mother, born in Bengal in 1896 had grown up in India, where her father, John Henry Lace FRS, CIE, FLS (1857-1918) gained a distinguished reputation as a botanist.   From 1881, Lace worked extensively in the Forest Service of India and became its inspector-general of forests...

Carrying on from Cheers, Sir Walter! (Part 1) So, across the Irish Sea we go, to land at Youghal, a seaside resort at the mouth of the River Blackwater in Ireland’s County Cork.  It’s where Raleigh made his home for short periods during the 17 years in which he held land in Ireland.  The habour in modern day Youghal Image credit: Will McGoldrick - McGoldrick Art & Photography He was elected Mayor of Youghal in 1588 and 15 89 and features prominently on the town’s website http://youghal.ie   Indeed they go so far as to say that his name is synonymous with Youghal, and they actually have what they call a Raleigh Quarter.  This year’s Youghal Festival, from 19-20 August, has a medieval theme. And next year, to mark the 400 th anniversary of Raleigh’s death? Naturally I’ve written to enquire.  A smoking Sir Walter and that bucket of water could well feature, since it seems that the story told at The V...