Pictorial look at Yeovil from yesteryear

PEOPLE can take a wander down memory lane with a second calendar having been produced of old photographs taken in Yeovil during the 1950s and 1960s.

South Somerset District Council’s Community Heritage Access Centre has produced a second “Yeovil in Living Memory” calendar with the help of the active volunteers at CHAC.

Volunteers have drawn on the considerable collection of photos held at the centre and put together a set of fascinating photos showing Yeovil as it was in the Fifties and Sixties.

PHOTO - TOP: The much-loved, The George, pub taken in the 1950s and sadly later demolished.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Bide's Gardens before being divided by the dual carriageway with Vincent's car showrooms and Odeon Cinema at the foot of Court Ash.

As the pages turn each month the pictures will surely bring back many great memories for the older townspeople, and provide a topic of conversation throughout the year. If the scene is quite unfamiliar to you, the calendar will give you an opportunity to see how much the town has changed in the past 40 years or so.

Heritage information assistant, Joseph Lewis, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response to the 2013 Calendar, as this was the first time we had produced a project like this.

"We sold 350 copies in total with interest from Gloucester to Bournemouth, but the demand was there for many more.

“For 2014, the ‘living memory’ theme continues which struck such a chord and we have sought to feature direct requests for images.

"These include considerable interest in the George Inn and a possible school visit to the former swimming pool in Huish. The most difficult part was to choose images that would hopefully build on last year’s success. If anyone would like to see other photographs in our collection, please contact us to arrange an appointment.”

Cllr Sylvia Seal added: "The calendar is a fantastic opportunity for residents to take a good look at the history of Yeovil through 2014. Each month’s picture is very interesting and will get you thinking about just how much the town has changed over the years.”

The calendars are available at £5 each. Please add £1.50 for postage and packaging.  All proceeds will go towards the care of the collections at CHAC.

To order one, contact Clare Robinson at clare.robinson@southsomerset.gov.uk or send a cheque made payable to SSDC to: CHAC, SSDC Lufton Depot, 7 Artillery Road, Lufton, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8RP. You can also order by telephone on 01935-462855.

They will also be available from Three Bags Full at No 2 Glovers Walk, Yeovil, from 10am to 3pm Monday to Saturday - or call 01935-434376.

PHOTO - ABOVE: The junction of King George Street with South Street in the early 1950s, well before the law covering compulsory use of motorcycle helmets. This photo was taken on a Friday as the market to the left of the Austin Seven is open. The buildings in the distance were a doctor’s surgery (later Yeovil Art Centre) with the back of Chudleighs Seed Merchants beyond.

Tags:
News.