WHEN someone said people had come up trumps at Morchard Bishop to create the day of village history, they were totally right. It was a fascinating display in the Memorial Hall, worth spending the whole day just absorbing.

Not only had just about every organisation in the village managed to put together an exhibition of its achievements, some of those no longer operating were there as well.

Showing all through the day was the most interesting film, The Making of Morchard, made by Tim Lyddon, a former deputy head teacher at the school. Tim had called in that afternoon. There were cream teas as well in the afternoon.

It was Ruth Taylor’s idea. She is a member of Morchard Bishop Memorial Hall Committee and had put this forward at a meeting of the Hall committee. It was to have been staged last year.

That went by the board and it was re-scheduled for May this year. That, too, had to be changed and it was held on August 21.

The idea had been picked up by Sue Shelley, Memorial Hall Committee vice chairman who had worked hard to pull it all together. She also created the Village Trail with its clues and map of places of note in the village.

The hall is usually a busy place through the year with different organisations holding a coffee morning there most weeks and the Farmers’ Market every second Saturday in the month.

There are usually Pilates classes, it is hoped to begin yoga, the very popular HITT sessions (High-intensity interval training), the Toddlers Group, Brownies, Mid Devon Tractor Engine and Machinery Group, and more.

One unusual item on show was the meteorite that did so much damage to a corner of the church tower in January, 1952, causing £4,000 worth of damage.

The meteorite was in its glass case. It is about the size of a tennis ball and until fairly recent times, was on show in the church.

There was the album that had been put together at the time telling the story of the meteorite, the book of names of those who contributed towards repair of the church as well as information such as it took 10 days to put up the 8,000 ft of scaffolding needed.

The work was done by Berry and Vincent of Crediton with the church being opened again later that year.

There was a history of the Forge at Morchard, of the Webber family and a lovely photograph of the family and their staff in 1900.

Sports clubs, the school, the twinning group, WI, the World War Two aeroplane that crashed near Morchard and so much more.

The old maps and census with their roll of people’s names, ages, where they lived and their occupations showed jobs such as launderess, gardener, harness maker and his apprentice, parlour maid, domestic servant, farm bailiff, postman, milliner among them.

Several visitors found out a bit more of their family history and it was lovely to see the excitement of people when they made discoveries.

This year is the 90th anniversary of the Hall and a part of the exhibition was photographs of the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone and the lunch that followed. During the last War it was taken over for four years by the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Altogether a fascinating exhibition and huge congratulations to those who put it together. A shame it was for one day only.