I continue my memories of the characters of Axminster by considering our roads, lanes and landmarks which have been named after well-renowned personnel in Axminster.

SHAND PARK – named after the Shand family, whose engineering company was based in the Midlands and was founded by James Henry Shand – hence the "JHS" signs depicted in the wrought ironwork, which still remains on the side of the footway leading into town on Anchor Hill.

The company relocated to Axminster during World War II. They employed over 300 engineers and technicians, manufacturing for the steel type industry.

I remember Roy Shand, who developed the original factory, built in two or three phases, where R Moulding & Sons were deployed.

The family firm was also involved in maintaining a bungalow in Colyford, where I believe Roy's mother lived, which created considerable interest when Roger Moore (then "The Saint" and later "James Bond") was interested in purchasing the bungalow as a residence for his mother.

Shands had an extremely positive apprenticeship policy, which enabled significant numbers of local people to train as highly skilled engineers, who were then able to demonstrate their expertise to other companies following the demise of Shands. I remember several former Shands employees acquiring important roles with businesses such as Westlands of Yeovil. I also recall that George Burgis left Shands and formed the Lyme Regis Engineering Company – later to become Villager Stoves and Arada, now based at Weycroft Avenue.

Happy memories at Shands Social Club

Shands also developed a successful social club on the site of the old Plaza Ballroom, behind the Guildhall (now the headquarters of the Axminster Drama Club). My dear friend Bill Carr was the amiable steward of the club, which was available for Axminster people to use, if they affiliated to the club. We had many happy times there as teenagers.

In the 1960s Shands was bought by the Staveley Group. I remember Ken Tasker taking over as managing director from Roy Shand. Prior to having children, my wife Mary worked with Staveleys in the purchasing department.

Things evolved in the type industry and Staveleys had to adapt to changing methods and materials. Plastic injection moulding machinery was installed for the manufacture of plastic daisy wheels which were being introduced.

I was elected to East Devon District Council in 1987 and was immediately confronted with an extremely tricky dilemma. Staveleys were struggling and wanted to relocate to the Axminster Industrial Estate at Weycroft – with a considerable reduction in staff numbers. This would free up the site for sale, enabling the company to survive and realising the vast Shands site to be marketed for housing.

This did not go down well in the townsfolk who saw this whole exercise as "asset stripping" by Staveleys. However, the district council needed to do what it could to save the company and save jobs. Planning permission for housing was given and Staveleys was wound up in 1988. With support from others in the town, Nu-type and Key Tech, the two off-shoots of Staveleys, were established at Weycroft Avenue, saving a limited number of jobs.

Over time, the bulk of the "housing site" was sold to Tesco, whilst the remainder was developed as Shand Park. Therefore the name of Shands lives on, as a memory of a company which created wealth and employment in Axminster from 1940 to the late 1980's.

SWAIN CLOSE – named after Betty Swain, an unsung heroine of Axminster.

Betty was a slight little lady – a spinster who would help with any worthy cause for the benefit of Axminster. She was an archetypal charity collector, but usually worked behind the scenes carrying out the "donkey work".

I remember Betty Swain working in Dawkins. I can't recall the exact nature of her work, but John Jeffery probably described her correctly, as "Emmy Sheppard's sidekick".

She was a keen supporter of the Women's Institute and I believe my wife Mary took over from Betty as secretary. Probably, the most noticeable role she carried out was in conjunction with the supporters of Box House – later to become St Mary's Hospital, where Betty was secretary for many years.

Betty Swain was one of those people, working behind the scenes, helping the Axminster community wherever she possibly could.

NORMAN CLOSE / WELCH CLOSE – both named after Norman Welch MBE – the "Axminster Music Man".

Norman Welch was an Axminster man through and through and for many years was the road sweeper for the town.

However, his claim to fame was as the Axminster Music Man. For some reason, Norman had decided to take up the playing of a small button accordion, in order to entertain the people of Axminster and to raise funds for good causes.

Name that tune - in 100!

The problem was – he couldn't play in tune! About the time that Norman ventured on the streets with his accordion, there was a television programme called "Name that Tune", where a panel would have to guess the tune, after hearing a few notes. The joke with Norman was that his "audience" would be bamboozled by his playing and say "I'll name that tune in fifty, or a hundred"!

Over a number of years, the amount of money Norman collected increased to a significant amount, although it was often claimed that most people paid up so that Norman would move on.

As mentioned before in "Moulding's Memories", Frank Rowe would regularly put a few bob into Norman's tin, as long as he played for at least half an hour outside my father's office!

Norman often played his accordion in Lyme Regis, where he raised thousands of pounds for the RNLI. In the eighties, my building firm had a customer who owned a flat on the top floor of a tenement block in Marine Parade, near the Cobb. Following the summer season, my firm would carry out full maintenance and redecorate. One year, I scanned through the visitors' book. One entry read as follows: "We didn't mind being woken up at 5 o'clock in the morning by boating activities in the Cobb harbour; we didn't mind scaling the sixty steps leading up to the top floor flat; but as for that b….. Axminster Music Man!"

However, whatever you could say about his music, Norman's fundraising achievements were stupendous. It was reckoned that Norman raised over £100,000 for charity – and he was rightly awarded an MBE – a proud moment for a former road sweeper!

A memorial – cast in concrete, adjacent to a gas box, was erected in his memory in Lea Combe, near the Phillips Centre. Ironically, it had to be removed to make way for a housing development, opposite the fire station. However, it was appropriate that the roads within the small estate were named Norman Close and Welch Close.

WELLER ROAD – named after Violet Nellie Weller, the guardian of Foxhill Playing Fields.

My family moved to Foxhill in the early 1950s. Nellie and Dick Weller lived almost opposite, backing on to Foxhill Playing Fields. I seem to remember that Dick Weller was the gate keeper at Castle Crossing Gates, where the gate was originally operated by a large metal wheel. Some will recall that Dick Weller's successor was Lionel Reed, who lived in the gate house, adjacent to the crossing and was renowned for his love of shire horses.

I was really pleased to be moving from Axminster town centre to Foxhill, where there were playing fields, a small football pitch, some swings – but not much else. Nellie kept a beady eye on everything that was going on – and misbehaviour was immediately cracked down on, particularly inappropriate activities in the long grass, which formed the remainder of the open space!

However, I was very much aware of fundraising projects being carried out in order to improve the facilities and introduce new play equipment. There were jumble sales whist drives and so on. However, bingo came into vogue and together with Mary Pascoe, Nellie ran bingo sessions for Foxhill Playing Fields for many years.

Gradually, the fundraising bore fruit and more play apparatus for very young children was installed and lo-and-behold - a tennis court was built.

As years went by and I had children of my own, living in Lea Combe, which also backed on to the Foxhill playing fields, the tennis court was a popular feature. However, the key resided at Nellie's house and my boys approached her back door with trepidation, as Nellie collected the money and handed over the key.

Nellie was also on the carnival committee and bingo nights, initially in aid of the Foxhill playing fields, were run to raise funds for Axminster Carnival.

However, Nellie's true love was always Foxhill playing fields and she would have been delighted to witness the recent major revamp of the play park at Foxhill, an appropriate tribute to Nellie Weller and the Foxhill Playing Fields Association.

FRANK ROWE HOUS$E - situated on the site of the former cattle market, formerly owned by Frank Rowe, who did so much for Axminster, ruffled a few feathers on the way, but always with a large grin and a twinkle in his eye.

Frank was one of seven children, born to Felix and Olive Rowe (the sixth child Richard died at 11 months old). There was George – a baker in Seaton; Betty – who became Betty Mear; Felix - who farmed at Uphay Farm; Dan – who farmed at Higher Uphay Farm; Frank – born 1922; and John – garage proprietor of Castle Garage, Axminster. Scott Rowe, solicitor in the town, was a cousin.

Frank went to Lyme Grammar School and then, as a border to Ilminster Grammar School, where he was an excellent student. However, he didn't fancy farming, and Dick Snell was asked if there was a place at R&C Snell for Frank to train as an auctioneer. Frank was articled with the firm and started his training.

However, World War II was now fully engaged and like my own father, Frank volunteered for the RAF. He was posted to South Africa where he learnt to fly aeroplanes and was retained as a Staff Pilot and taught others to fly.

However, before leaving Axminster for the forces, Frank always seemed keen to help the Bright family with hay making and cider producing at Coaxdon Farm – and the attraction wasn't just the cider! Marjorie Bright was the main interest for Frank and they kept in touch whilst Frank was overseas. Frank had received a telegram from Marjorie whilst abroad that his father had died and his brother Dan had been captured by the Japanese and was being held as a prisoner of war. Things were certainly hard during war-time.

Home from war - Frank Rowe, Mr Axminster

At the end of the war, Frank resumed his work at R&C Snell and in 1945, Marjorie and Frank were married in All Saints Church. In due course, Rose and Pam came along, followed after a little while by Jim (a clone of Frank!) In the meantime, Frank had been busy in other ways, completing his training under Artie Gage and then when Mr Gage died suddenly (watching a football match), in 1950, together with Leslie Broad, Frank acquired the business of R & C Snell. Further changes involved Les Broad moving to Chard and R & C Snell creating an office in Bridport.

In 1951, Frank bought the market, which included the market office (now Cinnamons Restaurant) and the saleroom. Frank loved the market and all the fun and games he had with the farmers on Market Day. This led to a range of country activities which Frank supported. He was secretary of the Axe Vale Hunt, chairman and then president of the Axminster Christmas Agricultural Show, president of the Axminster Horticultural Show and vice-president of the Devon County Show.

Market Day was great fun, particularly if summer visitors dared to venture in the vicinity of the selling area. My sister Gillian and family were home on holiday from Australia and visited the market. Gill spotted some people she recognised a distance away and waved up to them. With a broad grin, Frank took that as a bid, banged down the gavel and Gill had bought a cow and calf!

Lords of the Manor

The market rights were sold in 1910 to local auctioneers Messrs B & J Gage and R & C Snell, while the separate 'manorial rights' reached Charles Snell in 1916. When he died in 1965, the ceremonial title of Lord of the Manor passed to Frank Rowe (and thence to his son Jim in 1994).

The title enables the Lord of the Manor to govern the weekly street market in Trinity Square and to also run a summer fayre, when the Raising of the Glove ceremony starts the fayre. "The glove is up, the fayre's begun – let no man be arrested, (or hung!) until the glove is down". Frank always maintained that the Lord of the Manor title enabled him to sleep with any Axminster bride on the eve of her wedding – a tradition often alluded to by his son Jim.

Frank was a generous man, both in a pecuniary sense and with his time. He had been Parochial Church Council Secretary and a Church Warden; founder member of Abbeyfield, Axminster; founder member of Axminster Guildhall; and president of Axminster Conservative Association and the Conservative Club. He was secretary of the St Mary's Hospital League of Friends; branch president of Cancer Research; chairman of Axminster Museum; president of both the drama club and the operatic society; president of the Rotary Club; chairman of Axminster Town Cricket Club and secretary of Lodge Virtue & Honor Freemasons.

Frank loved his cricket. He was not the best of players, but as captain for several years, he was tactically sound. Whilst batting, if the occasion was right, he would need to wear braces to keep up his trousers. His expanding girth would inevitably snap his braces and there he would be, running between the wickets, with his trousers down around his ankles!

Those of us who knew Frank loved him dearly. He was a great friend - frightening at times, but with a heart of gold. He loved his family – Marjorie, who outlived him by many years – and his children Rose, Pam and Jim, of whom he was immensely proud, Rose and Pam with their fantastic work with the Operatic Society and Jim – following in his father's footsteps.

My abiding memory of Frank is with his walking stick, brandished it in the air with one hand, whilst the other hand was waving that red handkerchief with white spots!

HUNTLEY CLOSE- Percy Huntley, together with his brother Courtenay, scaled the wall of the American Hospital in Chard Road and took over one of the wards, which they made their home.

Percy and Courtenay Huntley also had three other brothers, Gordon, Fred and Bill, together with a sister Ada. A further daughter died aged 11.

Ian Huntley recalls that Percy had 4 children – Mary, Sheila, Bill and Dawn. I certainly remember Sheila and Dawn.

Courtenay's son was my good friend Ian Huntley, who was in the same class at school with my sister.

Gordon (or Gordie) had a son Rex and a daughter Ann.

Fred was the father of Barry Huntley and grandfather of Mark and Darren (who both played football in Axminster - probably for Axminster Town AND Millwey Rise).

Bill joined the navy and now lives in Portsmouth.

Ada was the mother of Gill Spong, married to Phil Spong, both long-standing friends and cricket club colleagues.

There are a number of members of the Huntley family still living in and around Axminster. Of the original family - Percy, Courtenay, Gordie and Bill enjoyed many happy years living on Millwey Rise, affectionately known as "The Camp".

FURTHER CHARACTERS OF AXMINSTER IN THE NEXT EDITION OF "Moulding's Memories"