Frome On Track

On Thursday 23rd August 2018, we hosted 40 members of the Frome Society for Local Study, helped by our volunteer team.

One of our Frome connections was highlighted in one of our earliest photographs, with the following information on the back.

L & S.W Railway Locomotive ‘Frome’ c1860

“One of the first passenger engines employed at the Yeovil Town Station. Original photograph taken c1860-1.

On the foot plate are the driver, John Knight, who later became the licensee of the Half Moon Hotel.

Matthew Woods (centre figure) the loco foreman and William Greenaway, Fireman. William Dyer (not in the Picture) was the cleaner. He eventually became a driver and died in Yeovil in 1922.

This photograph is a rarity as the Driver had used the company’s coal, oil and engine on a Sunday in order for the photograph to be taken. When found out, he was taken up to Nine Elm’s Shed and severely reprimanded. He was then told to hand over all photographs and copies to be destroyed. This one, however, escaped, as did the original negative!”

Light at the end of the tunnel

Following our posting of our mystery photograph – we received requests to post the other two and these are below. From our Photo Afternoon, these were strongly stated to be the culvert near the present police station, at the other end of Horsey Lane – although now covered over. Thoughts gratefully appreciated.

 

Mystery to Me

 

Thank you to Yeovil Library for hosting us for our first ‘Mystery Photo Morning’ on Thursday 24th July 2018. With the help of our volunteer team, we showed a variety of images, the majority being of Yeovil in the 1960s.

Three in particular, remain something of a mystery, although one suggested location is Dodham Brook. Any help will be gratefully received and in turn the mystery to us – will not be a mystery to someone else! We also aim to check the link with the photographer.

We also discovered some memories of Pandora’s Discotheque, in Court Ash, Yeovil!