The Life of Hilda Harvey of Loddiswell

Synopsis of the talk given to the group on 16th November 2016 by Angela Taylor, following several years of history-taking

Hilda was born in 1921 in Churchstow to Alphaeus and Alberta Ball, both from local families.

While she was still an infant they moved to the smithy on the main road opposite the church, where her father was a blacksmith and her mother ran the Post Office and sweetshop. When she was 3 her sister Daphne was born.

Hilda as a baby

From Churchstow, Hilda walked to school in Kingsbridge, from where she gained a scholarship to Totnes. She was proud to be the only girl in her year to win a scholarship, although there were 6 boys, and she became a weekly boarder.

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She gained her school certificate in several subjects and enjoyed Sports and Domestic Science. Here is a lovely picture of her proud parents attending sports day.

Hilda’s parents at Sports Day, Totnes

When she was 15, in 1936, the family moved to Loddiswell, where Hilda spent most of the rest of her long life. She made several friends there, including the Bowden girls who lived next door. She was full of hilarious tales of their exploits in church, on the beach etc.

After school, Hilda went to Bristol to train as a nanny and made more friends there, as well as gaining lots of experience in looking after children. She returned to Devon and her first job as a nanny, but quickly moved on to her second post in Wrangaton.

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Hilda Harvey at Wrangaton

Her next job was at Moorhaven, nursing, and it was this that led to her meeting her husband Raymond, who was a delivery man for the local butcher, before he joined the Army. After their wedding Ray was posted abroad and first to Africa and then Italy, where he was taken prisoner.

Hilda Harvey’s Wedding

They had married in 1943, and Hilda gave a wonderful account of her wedding. She, her mother and grandmother all took a hand in making the outfits for Hilda and six bridesmaids. She was especially pleased with the oak-apples crocheted by her grandmother for the bridesmaids' head-dresses – because the Wedding was on Oak-apple Day.

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Hilda clearly took after her mother and grandmother in her talent for handicraft. She and her mother made lots of clothes for the 5 children when they came along, and there are scores of pictures depicting them in fancy-dress each year. She even decorated the house for high days and holidays!

Hilda was obviously a good wife and mother and took great pride in her 3 boys and one girl. A 4th boy Beverley sadly died in infancy. She did not work while the children were small, and only started outside work in earnest when Nigel, her youngest, was well established at school. It was then she took the job as cook at Loddiswell School where she served for 19 years, and there are many who will tell you how good she was at her job. Outside work she was a busy member of the village and church community. Her albums record her involvement in village life over many years – school, WI, the Over-60s and the Show Committee, and her success in local gardening competitions. Her displays were hard to beat!

Hilda loved her family dearly and took pride in all their achievements and in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they came along. Her shelves were lined with photos. She was especially proud of the family involvement with the services – her 3 sons served in all 3 services, and her favourite picture shows them each dressed in their uniform. Another favourite is a collage of many members of the family from all generations, dressed in uniform. This took pride of place on her shelf.

Hilda had a wonderful memory and took huge pleasure in remembering her childhood, her friends, her training, the war years, her years as a busy member of the Loddiswell community, and her travels. She delighted in life and loved talking about her experiences. She was interviewed by Reg Samson when she was 80, and her life features in a book about Loddiswell in times past.

She had a fund of stories, starting with one as a tiny child, but one of her most memorable was about winning a Millionaire’s Picnic through the Reveille newspaper. This involved being picked up at home in a limousine and chauffeured to Longleat, where she given a right royal time by the Marquis of Bath, plus some spending money.

Hilda celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends, and had a bumper collection of cards. Then in declining health she moved in 2013 to Ivydene Nursing Home, where she lived to the age of 93.

Hilda's amazing collection of photos and memorabilia tells the story both of her life and of earlier generations of her family, and is now lodged with the museum. It provides a fascinating insight into the life of a much-loved Loddiswell woman.

Angela Taylor

January 2017

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