MARY Thomas née Power left Teignmouth in 1953 but remains enchanted by this place and returns every once in a while. As a child, she longed to dance like Jill Furler who lived next door. Mary’s mum could not afford the leotard and shoes so instead they attended all the shows at The Den Pavilion staged by Barbara Spencer Edwards School of Dance.

Young Mary then reproduced the routines in the hall at home. She was given a tutu made of crêpe paper since there was no real tulle around in the post-war years. It flipped up and down and rustled electrifyingly as Mary bobbed repeatedly through the song ‘Lovely day on top of a load of hay’, her navy blue issue showing beneath the tutu!

The picture above depicts happy and intrigued children from local Sunday schools watching a Punch and Judy show in the grounds of Cliffden around 1950.

Mary said: ‘The funfair, regatta and carnival were hugely exciting after the dreary years of war. We used to get so excited about these events. Children were encouraged to enter the tennis week and flower show.’

READ THE FULL STORY IN FRIDAY’S PAPER.