Your memories ... of golden days (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Your memories ... of golden days

9:08am Thursday 7th July 2011 in Nostalgia

This lovely picture of the golden wedding celebration of pub landlords William and Susan Jones was taken in April 1910.

Mr and Mrs Jones, who ran The Crown in Park Street, Devizes, are in the centre of the front full row.

The younger members of the family who, like their elders, are magnificently dressed, are pictured sitting at the front.

The photograph came from the Jones’s great granddaughter, Diana Crabbe, who was born at Ivy House in Southbroom.

Mrs Crabbe is the daughter of Ena and Ronald Bawn, who ran the pharmacy in The Brittox.

The couple used to live in a flat over the shop – a practice which used to be very common but is nowadays becoming increasingly rare.

The family later moved out to The Fairway which is where Mrs Crabbe was brought up.

The family had many local connections.

Mrs Crabbe’s grandfather, William Romain, was a sign writer, painter and decorator who used to work for Wadworth.

The brewery is one of the few still to employ a sign writing team, which hand paints the signs for the company’s 260 pubs.

Mrs Crabbe’s grandmother, Florence Louise, is pictured behind and to the right of her father, William Jones.

At the time of the photograph, Florence was pregnant with Mrs Crabbe’s mother, Ena Bawn.

If you have any memories or pictures that you would like to share, contact Diana Deal at ddeal@gazetteandherald.co.uk or at 14 Market Place, Devizes SN10 1HT.