Around the city in the 1920s

High Street
A very busy High Street looking east in the late 1920s. Note the private car and cyclist, with a tram in the background. The tram lines were removed in 1932. Photo - authors collection

Ice Cream salesman
Angelo Forte in his pony drawn icecream cart during 1926. The Forte family owned an icecream factory in Preston Street and several businesses in South Street. Photo Ed Forte

Fore Street
Looking east from a point opposite Mint Lane. St Olaves' Church is on the left while the Franklin Palace Cinema was almost opposite the church. There are a couple of cars, but there is still room for a horse and cart. It's a decade when women wear hats. Photo - authors collection

Exeter Canal
This view of the canal shows how quickly Exonians could enjoy more rural surroundings and pursuits in the 1920s. Authors collection
Photo taken in 2004. The hedge remains. St Mary Major to the left of the Cathedral has gone.
See Historic Quayside and Canal Photo David Cornforth

Exeter War Memorial
The Exeter War Memorial in Northernhay Park was unveiled on 24th July 1923, by the Right Honourable Admiral David Beatty. Beatty fought at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. He remarked after the battle "there appears to be something wrong with our bloody ships today."

Bampfylde House
This photograph of Bampfylde House was in the City Council guidebook c 1925. The house was situated just off the High Street, in Bampfylde Street, in what is now Princesshay. It was still privately owned, but was recognised as a potential historic building and tourist attraction. The City Council purchased it in 1934, for it to be destroyed in 1942.

The University College of the South West of England was established in 1922. This was the precursor of Exeter University.

The population of Exeter in the late 1920s was approximately 61,000.

The comedian Tommy Cooper moved to Exeter with his parents at the age of 3, in 1925. He lived in Ford Road, St Thomas.

The University College of the South West of England charged students an annual tuition fee of £20 to £30. There were three female and three male halls of residence which charged £55 for females and £60 for males.

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Southernhay had 200 beds in the 1920s. In 1925 they treated 2,692 in-patients and 7,476 out-patients.

The Devon War Memorial in Cathedral Yard was unveiled by the Prince of Wales on 16th May 1920.

Motoring and Transport in the 1920s

Sidwell Street tram
A tram stopped outside the headquarters of the AA, in Sidwell Street, in 1927 or 1929. There appears to be roadworks on the right. The trams were phased out in 1931. See History of transport in Exeter for more on the trams. Photo Paul Freebairn

Charabanc outing
A behatted, charabanc trip waiting outside the Tudor Street Mission. The women would pay weekly into a fund, for a trip - probably in this case, Exmouth - c 1925. Photo Sylvia Hart

In June 1927, Queens Street station dating from the 1860s was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1933 as the Central Station.

Maudes Motors of Paris Street offered a selection of Clyno cars for between £162 10s and £245 in 1920.

Shire Horses
We tend to think of horses as part of our leisure life - during the 1920s they were an important part of the transport system for hauling goods short distances.

Here council shire horses parade at the Council Yard, Exe Island, before pulling carnival floats through the city. Each handler would 'trace the horse up' for best horse rosette. The left hand horse is 'Prince' with his handler, Arthur Burrows - c 1925. Photo Sylvia Hart

Colson's vans
Dating from about 1928, these Colsons vans are taking part in a parade heading towards Queens Street. The previous photograph shows horses towards the end of the horse drawn age, while the Colson's vans represent the future. Other vehicles taking part in the parade that day included fire engines and Devon General buses.

Leisure in the 1920s

Exeter Golf Club
Probably the earliest aerial photograph of the Golf and Country Club in existence. The club moved from the top of Pennsylvania to the Wear House estate at Countess Wear during May 1929.

The Olde Chevalier Inn
An advert for the Olde Chevalier Inn in 1929/30 - this historic inn was situated at the top of Fore Street, approximately opposite the present British Home Stores. It was destroyed in the raid of May 1942 and was one of the many historic buildings lost that night.

Wireless Set advert
This is the earliest advert I have found so far for a wireless in an Exeter shop. The two models shown were crystal sets and had a range and price of 25 miles and £5-10-0, and 30 miles and £9-15-0 respectively. Circa 1924.

The Bullers Arms
Hubert Wellaway was the publican of the Bullers Arms in Alphington Street between 1914 and 1927. The Bullers Arms became Exeter's first public house to put up a sign welcoming motorists in 1905, although it had always been noted for having good stabling. There was a boxing ring at the rear of the premises. See Boy Wellaway the boxer. Hubert Wellaway went on to run a fruiterers in Cowick Street during the 1930s. Photo courtesy of Simon Wellaway.

There was an exhibition boxing match at the County Ground between the current British heavyweight champion and Jack Cox, the west country champion in 1923.

The tram was an important way of getting around. In the 1920s, Worth's published a guide for visitors that included three tram rides. They gave instructions on which tram to catch, and what to see.

NEW The first Exeter Speedway meeting took place on Saturday 9th March 1929 at the County Rugby Ground in St Thomas. It started at 7.45 in the evening and featured, Freddie More and from Australia, Bert Spencer. Seats were priced at 1/-, 1/6, 2/- and 3/- (5p to 15p). The photo shows an early start in 1929. Photo left Tony Lethbridge and program right courtesy Speedway Swap Shop

Ladysmith School won the Football Express Elementary Schools Challenge Cup in 1925. In the side was Cliff Bastin who went on to play for Exeter, Arsenal and England. He was transferred from Exeter City to Herbert Chapman's Arsenal for £2,000 on 27 April 1929.

Shops in the 1920s

J & G Ross advert This very well known men's clothing shop was next to the Express & Echo office. The rather elaborate advert from about 1925, plays on the Lord Carnarthon and Howard Carter excavation of the Tutankhamun tomb in Egypt in 1922. Mr C Ross, had a private landing stage close to Exe Bridge, where his guests, suitably attired for a trip in boaters and blazers, would embark for an excursion to the Double Locks in his launch "Otranto".

Cathedral Dairy advert This was the well known Cathedral Dairy at Eastgate, opposite the London Inn Square. They were one of the first dairies to sell clotted cream for tourists, which they would send by post to their friends as a holiday gift. c 1925

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