Memories

Wadstray.

I remember a story my mother telling me of one time she and my Father were going to spend a holiday (it could have "been their honeymoon) at Wadstray. they were met at Dartmouth railway station by my Uncle Douglas in the pony and trap. The pony was called Mousie; Apparently she had rather a hard mouth and suddenly on the way "back thin-king of her new foal left "behind in the stable took the bit between her teeth and bolted all the way home.

After a rather hair-raising and breathless journey they were greeted "by Grandfather who mildly remarked, "You made that journey in good time."Grandfather seemed a bit of a terror. I suppose with four boys and two girls to bring up, and odd periods without mother she married 3 times? he had to be strict. But it seemed going a bit too far when he used to come in to the sitting room when as adults they were playing cards after 10.o/clock demanded they stop and all go to bed.

W S.Dimes.

From Devonshire, Historical, Descriptional and Biographic :-

—————William Stephen.Oldstone and Wadstray, Blackawton, Totnes.

Son of the late W.Piercy Dimes.Born at Oldstonel848, educated privately In the course of his professional career as an engineer, Mr Dimes lived in Paris and Vienna, also at various places in Italy, where he was engaged in the construction of machinery for treating flax. Upon the death of his father, came back to look after his Estates Oldstone and Wadstray which had become rather dilapidated .He has been a churchwarden for a number of years and Manager of Blackawton school, also a member of The Kingsbridge Rural District Council, Favourite recreating are cycling and farming. Married first Lucy Mary, daughter of the late Charles Narracott of Lower Wadstray in l873. She died in 1890 leaving 7 children; secondly he married Emily Kate Narracott (I child) and thirdly Katherine Sims, widow of the late James Sims of Redruth, who had 3 children of her own.

The marriage lasted I0 yrs. He then employed a Mrs. Palfrey as housekeeper and chauffeuse. He was one of the first in Devon to own a Model T Ford which he kept in a 'motor house¹ at Greenslade and later at Wadstray,

Wadstray.

I can remember Wadstray in some detail in the days when Uncle Douglas and Aunty Ethel lived there. I recall the tennis court at the front of the house and mulberry tree alongside. And the walled garden at the bottom of the slope where I used to go and play and feast myself on ripe gooseberries and lovely ripe figs! Uncle Douglas had a bulldog I remember which I was a bit afraid of. I can recall playing some kind of tennis there (although I was very small and I think Auntie Dorothy was there most of the time. I used to run over to the farm to look at the ferrets and go up into the loft where I was allowed to turn the handle of the chaffcutter. Also I was lifted on to the backs now and then of the enormous carthorses. Then there was a pony which used to run round and round a pole which in turn worked the cider press I was allowed to sit on the pony! Uncle Douglas in those days had a motorbike (a Rudge) Multi I remember with a belt drive) and he used to take me for rides on the carrier (no pillions in those days) and ride with his cap on the back of his head. It is remarkable what little unimportant things one remembers after 70 or 75 years.¹¹

Hubert was the son of Cyril Dimes who was badly wounded and died soon after the war.W.3.Dimes built the bungalow called The Ranch nest to Wadstray when his parents married, and Hubert was born there. He is now in his eighties.