Budleigh Past and Present

  Friend of Fairlynch Iris Ansell, who helps in the Museum’s Costume Department, recalls some memorable moments from her time as proprietor of Southlands Hotel in Budleigh Salterton Staff were a big problem. In our early days, and before having good staff who returned year after year, we relied upon the Job Centre. They sent us two girls who with four other friends took a holiday flat, intending to earn enough to sunbathe all day and nightclub all night. They arrived the first day on time, second day one hour late, third day didn’t arrive at all.  I went to find them and were told “We get more money on the dole, than you pay us, so we won’t be back.” After that we put an advert in the local paper shop and found lovely local, mainly young housewives, who were perfect. We did have some characters though. One, a slightly older lady, whom I felt had fallen on hard times, having looked after elderly parents, and was...