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CENTENARY PROJECTS REACH COMPLETION

Members of The Old Dartmothians' Association have been busy completing some of our projects for the town during this, our centenary year.
August sees the erection of ornate railings surrounding the old iconic 1897 fountain, in the Royal Avenue Gardens, that was erected by Sir Henry Seale to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. The former fountain, a cherished landmark, has received a much-needed facelift thanks to the efforts of the association members. The intricate ironwork that is now in place, not only underscores the association's commitment to preserving Dartmouth's historical charm, but also showcases our dedication to maintaining a sense of continuity between the past and the present.
Another noteworthy accomplishment, is the completion of the wire frame galleon at the entrance to the health centre. The galleon, formerly located in the Royal Avenue Gardens, and a symbol of Dartmouth's maritime heritage, had earlier this year undergone a comprehensive restoration by members of the association, and now has been completed by the addition of its sails.
As the centenary celebrations continue, the Old Dartmothians' Association shows no signs of slowing down. Plans are already in motion for future projects that promise to further enhance Dartmouth's cultural landscape and provide lasting benefits to its residents. As we reflect on our hundred-year journey, the association stands as a testament to the power of collective community action, and the impact it can have for generations to come.

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Fountain Restoration - Progress

Work has commenced on the reconstruction of the fountain in the Royal Avenue Gardens, ODA members have freely given their time and money on this project, and the Association would like to extend their profound thanks to all the people who have sent in contributions to enable this project to be completed. We look forward to the day when this structure is once again gracing the gardens.

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Photos courtesy of Barry Morris.

THE REFURBISHMENT OF THE ROYAL AVENUE GARDENS FISH POND

 The weather was kind to the members of the Old Dartmothians Association as they completed their latest community project for Dartmouth, the long overdue refurbishment of the railings that protect the Gold Fish Pond in the Royal Avenue Gardens. The railings had been removed several weeks ago and sent to the K. Blasting works in Galmpton for stripping down, galvanising and preparatory painting work to be done. The members then did the re-installation and final finish, utilising the same colour scheme that the association used for the Middleton Arch over the entrance to the gardens, a previous project that was completed in 2019. The association would like to give special thanks to members Paul and Tony Hodge for seeing the installation through to completion along with members Lew Langworthy, Barrie French, Ernie Chase, Robert Waycott and association president Gordon Pepperell seen here on the final day.

 Gold Fish Pond Railings Martin Thomas 2 SMALL

 Photo submitted by Martin Thomas of dartmouthphotographs.com

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Photo submitted by Robert Waycott

  Gold Fish Pond Railings Martin Thomas 3 SMALL

Photo submitted by Martin Thomas of dartmouthphotographs.com

The Old Dartmothians tidy up the St Clements church perimeter walls.

A working party of Old Dartmothian members set about tidyng up the perimeter walls of the St Clements church, Townstal, the fine weather enabled the members to set about one of their regular tidy up sessions for 2021. Big thanks to all the members who gave up their time.
Photos by Jane Knight - thank you Jane.
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THE GALLEON PROJECT

This year marks the 400 year anniversary of the Mayflower sailing to America, and Dartmouth, being one of the focal points of the pilgrim fathers journey, intends to play a part in the celebrations towards the end of this year. Circumstances have conspired to seriously affect planned events in the region and future ones are still to be decided upon.

The Old Dartmothians Association members were very keen to make a contribution to the local celebrations, by totally refurbishing and re-planting the wonderful galleon floral container, formally housed in the Royal Avenue Gardens. This wonderful piece of floral art was last seen in the gardens around about five years ago. It was originally commissioned in 2013 by the South Hams Council at a cost of £7,000, to form part of the floral commemorations, in the Royal Avenue Gardens, of the Royal Navy having a presence in the town for 150 years. Then in 2014 the galleon was a part of the entries that were awarded a record number of trophies in the Britain In Bloom contest, which in turn lead to an invitation for the town to enter the prestigeous Tatton Park 2015 Royal Horticultural Show, where it was influential in advertising our town to the wider world.

The GalleonPhoto courtesy of By The Dart

It is unclear when the galleon was removed from the gardens, but it has been kept in storage, awaiting a return in 2020 for the Mayflower 400, regrettably due to the covid-19 pandemic the association members are unable to restore the galleon due to social distancing and isolation. I'm sure that it will remain on the project to do list for the association at some future date, let's hope that this is not too far away.

MIDDLETON ARCH HANDOVER DAY - 1st NOVEMBER 2019


In adverse weather, the association performed a handing back ceremony for the Middleton Arch at the entrance to the Royal Avenue Gardens.
Some intial photos supplied by Barry Morris and Martin Thomas of DARTMOUTH PHOTOS.  

Video link to the event from Martin Thomas, apologies for the sound quality due to traffic. VIDEO LINK

Some information for you all on this major project undertaken by The Old Dartmothians’ Association for the refurbishment of the Middleton Arch, at the entrance to the Royal Avenue Gardens.

This has without doubt been a major project undertaken by our association from start to finish. Of course with a huge project like this we have required outside help with certain aspects of the work required.

The Old Dartmothians are extremely proud of the fantastic results we have achieved, and as you can see “The Middleton Arch” is back to its former glory just as it was in 1992, when Alan Middleton designed and built this marvellous structure, which is very much a focal point for the town of Dartmouth. Alan has helped considerably with advice throughout the project, and has been on hand constantly to supervise. What better than the creator, designer, and builder to be at our side, so a big thank you to Alan, we are extremely grateful.

   
   

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL ARCH

Images of the original design have been scanned in from Alan Middleton's scrapbook.
With the return of the refurbished arch due back into Dartmouth on Thursday the 24th October, we thought you may like to see some of the original images, including some from Alan Middleton's scrapbook design records, they were scanned, and sent in by Barry Morris.
Photographs 'A' and 'B' have been donated by Martin Thomas of Dartmouth Photos

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1911		 original Arch
'A'		 AvenueGardensArch1911 
'B'
 ORIGINALARCH1

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  1. MIDDLETON ARCH REFURBISHMENT - UPDATE 23-9-2019
  2. MIDDLETON ARCH REFURBISHMENT - PHASE ONE
  3. Launching of the Whalers August 2019
  4. Regatta Whalers Refurb

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