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Looking Back

by | 21st December 2022

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An old black and white group photo of a football team. There are 3 rows, 7 men standing at the back, 5 men seated in the middle and two men sitting cross legged on the floor in the front. Most of the men are wearing shorts and t-shirts with football boots and long socks. One man is wearing a woollen jumper and two are wearing suits. There is a ball between the legs of the man seated in the middle of the group. There is writing on the ball that reads Tiverton AFC 1922 - 23.

Looking Back

The first edition of the Tiverton Gazette in 1923 included several ‘look backs’ at the year just ended.

‘It cannot be said of 1922 that it was a year of prosperity – certainly not in Tiverton. For agriculturalists it was an exceptionally lean year. So also was it for the Lace Factory. No such a prolonged period of slack trade has been known by Messrs. Heathcoat and Co.’s employees for the past forty years. Under these conditions the wonder is that the general trade of the town remained so good.

There were other activities flourishing in Tiverton and the surrounding District in early 1923.

Both senior and junior football were enthusiastically supported. The photos show two teams from the 1922-3 season; Tiverton Amateur Football Club on the left and Heathcoat Boys School Football team on the right.

An old black and white group photo of a football team. There are 3 rows, 7 men standing at the back, 5 men seated in the middle and two men sitting cross legged on the floor in the front. Most of the men are wearing shorts and t-shirts with football boots and long socks. One man is wearing a woollen jumper and two are wearing suits. There is a ball between the legs of the man seated in the middle of the group. There is writing on the ball that reads Tiverton AFC 1922 - 23.An old black and white group photo of a boy's football team. There are 3 rows of boys, 7 boys standing, 5 boys seated in the middle and two sitting cross legged in the front row. The boys are dressed in white shorts and striped football jerseys. One boy at the back of the group is wearing a light coloured jumper and a flat cap. There is a shield shaped trophy on the floor between the two seated boys.

The Gazette reported the various Hunts which met during the season. This photo from our collection shows the riders at the Blackmore Hunt, Oakford before they rode out. Does anyone recognise an ancestor?

An old black and white photo showing a group of men, wearing old fashioned riding breeches and smart jackets. The mean are all wearing hats, some flat caps, some trilbys. Some of the men have smoking pipes in the mouths. They are standing in front of a wall that has ivy climbing up it.

This riding crop made of plaited fibre has an ornate, silver top in the form of a hound’s head. 

A close up of the top of a riding crop, showing it's silver top in the form of a hound's head.

Written by Museum Volunteer, Sue B