local history – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Tiverton: WWI Naval Gun [Lime Kiln Road] – Playing in the 1970s Was Very Different! (5.7.2025)

05/07/2025 Adrian (釋大道)

I was born in Oxford – but my parents moved to Tiverton (in East Devon) in 1970. I started school (Wilcombe) in 1972 (when 5-years old) – but changed to a school in Exeter in 1977. However, I have a memory of joining (after school) a group of classmates who “played” on a WWI Naval Gun situated on a public street (situated in Lime Kiln Road)! I have lived in Sutton (South-West Greater London) for over three-decades today – but recently – whilst picking-up my children from school in Cheam, I saw youths dressed in the uniforms of what is today termed the “Combined Cadet Force”, and the thought of myself once playing on a military gun (around 1977) bubbled-up in my mind (although publicly accessible – the gun in question was placed outside the Tiverton Sea Cadets Training Hall). In fact, after having experienced many interest things in my life (including four wonderful years based in Hereford during the 1980s), and having travelled around the world, I surprised myself with this memory and was not even sure it was real!

Sutton: Visiting the Carshalton Water Tower! (24.9.2023)

24/09/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

As immense wealth was generated through the labour of the exploited masses (which involved the development of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade) a privileged middle-class developed – particularly after the English Civil Wars of the 1640s. This development saw the successful transference of the control of the ‘means of production’ (and political power) from the Aristocracy (the upper-class) to the Bourgeoisie (the middle-class) and with it the unleashing of tremendous creative force (a process magnified enormously by the ‘discovery’ of the Americas and the effective stealing of immense tracts of ‘free’ land and other resources)! Of course, the spread of British power and influence throughout other countries of the world – including Africa and Asia – opened all kinds of diverse markets which spread commodities to the four corners of the earth!

Unusual Grave Monuments – St Mary’s Church of the Virgin – Beddington (Carshalton – South London) [15.11.2021]

15/11/2021 Adrian (釋大道)

Beddington Park is also known as ‘Carew Manor’ and once was a very large and opulent self-contained community which saw hundreds of workers employed throughout

Gibson Mausoleum (1777) Sutton

18/10/2018 Adrian (釋大道)

St Nicholas Church – Sutton – London My mother’s maidan name is ‘Gibson’ and her family did live in London until the bombing of the

Brixham Heritage Museum (1.9.2018)

09/09/2018 Adrian (釋大道)

Brixham Heritage Museum The staff and volunteers maintain a very good educational facility in the heart of South Devon, and we were very appreciative of

South Devon: Visiting Torquay Museum! (31.8.2018)

31/08/2018 Adrian (釋大道)

We often see various statues of Darwin in the museums in London, but we also enjoy visiting Down House in Kent – his former home. Considering how much research and data we have access to in London, Torquay Museum contains objects that really impressed us, and which were presented in a highly beneficial (and educational) manner, particularly for the children. The museum now has purpose-built learning and play areas for younger explorers, whilst the adult visitors can learn from the historical narratives tactfully covering exploration, imperialism and looting. It is a tricky business presenting this type of information, but we can state that the staff of Torquay Museum have created a very progressive atmosphere that favours ongoing learning over dogmatic versions of history.