THE guest speaker at last Monday?s meeting of the Rotary Club of Hatherleigh, which took place at the Bridge Inn, was Geoffrey Cleverdon. He told members about his long-standing connection with the town as a third-generation farmer on the land his grandfather bought for £800 in 1911. He described some of the historical highlights of the area and its Roman connections. As secretary of the Hatherleigh Moor management committee for the last 50 years he explained many of the changes in the use and management of the moors down the years. Hatherleigh was renowned for its wool, and at one stage it was one of the five main woollen centres in the country. It supported more than 100 trades and in 1837 boasted nine hostelries as a result of the coaching routes passing through town. Mr Cleverdon and his wife celebrate their golden wedding next year and the Rotary Club offered the couple their congratulations. On Friday, December 3, the club held its Christmas auction at the Bridge Inn to raise funds to take elderly residents in the area to the pantomime, and for other Rotary charities.
