AFTER two of Princetown?s 20th Century buildings were approved for demolition to make way for an arts and crafts centre last week, Margery Ousley shares her ?very special? memories of Bolt?s Store and Stoneycliff House (renamed Morwenna) with Times readers. As I ponder over the demolition of Bolt?s Store known as The Mart and the adjoining house named ?Stoneycliff? I am shocked and deeply saddened that this could have been allowed to happen. Being one of the four remaining grandchildren of Albert and Mary Bolt it was very special to me. The house and adjoining shop were built in 1905. I can well imagine the hustle and bustle of daily life with a large family to look after, a business to run and a family at nearby Prince Hall ? never a dull moment. There were eight children, three boys named Wesley, Dingley and Ewart and five girls named Alberta, Louisa, Mabel, Flossie and Greta (my mother). My grandfather died in his late forties after being nursed at home by my grandmother through a long illness. The oldest son Wesley was then 14 and took over the running of the business. In 1918 after Flossie was married and had given birth to a baby girl tragedy struck and Flossie died within days of giving birth. Her husband Joseph Gilbart was in Salonica serving in the forces. The little girl nicknamed ?Girlie? therefore spent her childhood with my grandmother and the rest of the family at Stoneycliff. My mother told me that on one occasion when there was a royal visit to Princetown ? Edward (Prince of Wales) and Mrs Simpson ? Edward came into the shop picked up this little fair-haired girl (Girlie) and kissed her. The girls all married with the exception of Louisa who had a passion for travelling the world in those days. Alberta married Jim Gilbart who was head teacher at Gulworthy School, Flossie married Jim?s brother Joseph who became a shirt manufacturer in London, Mabel married John Gray, a Methodist minister, Greta, the baby of the family, married Arthur Dillon, a coin manufacturer from Plympton. Wesley married Emma, a school mistress, Dingley married Dorothy, another school mistress and Ewart married Lena. Deliveries of goods of all types were made to all the outlying areas and as well as this people used to come in on the train from places such as Foggintor to do their shopping. I am told that these folk were always given refreshments at Stoneycliff before returning home. Likewise on Princetown Fair Day it seemed that the world and his wife would drop into Stoneycliff for a cup of tea and a bite to eat ? it was like an open house. Again my mother told me that during the time of the mutiny at the prison, Princetown was buzzing with reporters who all used Stoneycliff as their base and were all given refreshments. Luckily there was the most remarkable lady called Mrs Turner who came in everyday from Rundlestone who cooked the most wonderful meals and was also in charge of the cleaning. After my grandmother died in 1939 Louisa was forced to curtail her globetrotting and she remained at Stoneycliff ? all the rest of the family were married and had moved elsewhere. The house nevertheless remained a mecca for us and we all spent a great deal of time there especially at Christmas when it would all be beautifully decorated. All the various members of the family would congregate for a real old fashioned family celebration with Christmas morning service at the Methodist Chapel, the King?s speech on the radio at 3pm and charades and games continuing well into the night. At the rear of Stoneycliff there was a paddock where the Bolt grandchildren played cricket - they had their own team with Girlie being known as the demon opening bowler! They were usually victorious. The Bolt family were staunch Methodists with Louisa (Miss Louie) a local preacher and Sunday school teacher, Dingley a local preacher and Wesley a superintendent of the Sunday school. When everyone was up at the prison during the mutiny watching the events unravel, my mother recalls Grandmother coming resolutely out of the front door and steadfastly walking towards chapel as was her custom on Sunday morning. Wesley?s wife Emma was there to play the organ, one supposes there was a preacher but whether there was a congregation present I do not remember. Quite possibly it was just the three of them. My grandmother?s maiden name was Duke and her brother was Sir Henry Duke who was a barrister and then became a judge. When he was made a Lord he took the title of Lord Merrivale because of my family?s involvement with the quarry at Merrivale. My grandmother?s grave is next to the church door in Princetown Churchyard and reads ?Loved By All? and so she was. Her two youngest children Greta and Ewart went to school in Tavistock on the train from Princetown, the former to the Young Ladies Collegiate. My mother told me that Ewart was always late in getting to the station but the train would wait for him ? can you imagine that! They had a dog called Sport ? a spaniel who would always be at the window eagerly awaiting their arrival - he always appeared to know what time they would be home. So many memories ? these are just a few ? and almost most all of them centred on Stoneycliff and The Mart at Princetown. It may be derelict now but it was once full of fun and laughter ? with a sprinkling of tears ? because that is the way life is. Stoneycliff was not just bricks and mortar; it was a home and just like my grandmother it was loved by all.
