Shoreline winter 16 - Charmouth

“The Pavey Group” what is
that? incomers to the
village might ask. The
Pavey Group is synonymous
with one name - that of
Peter Press, who founded it
on Wednesday 14th July
1999. Since then it has
become a village institution as
the Social History of
Charmouth Research Group,
with over 250 families involved.
Peter Press retired from the
Chairmanship of the Pavey
Group on 29th September
2011 at the AGM when he was
thanked profusely for his
inspiration and dedication to it for over 11 years. So this
account is an acknowledgement of Peter’s career and how
he came set up the Pavey Group. It is a ‘Hail and Farewell’
to someone who has become a noteworthy character during
his several decades in the village and who may or may not
be leaving it in the moderately near future.
Peter’s background is firmly naval. He grew up in Gosport.
His father and several uncles were all Marines. His father
was wounded in Italy in World War II and became a
permanent invalid, nursed by Peter and his mother. As the
only boy, with two not-so-well sisters, Peter became the
‘man of the family’ at an early age, leaving school at 14 to
earn a living for the family. Nevertheless, he attended the
local ‘tech’ with success in both academic classes and rugby
– an early and continuing enthusiasm. Consequently, for
National Service he was drafted into the Royal Engineers,
where he enjoyed rebuilding bridges and roads in post war
Germany. His war record and prowess at rugby won him a
scholarship at Loughborough College where he qualified as
a teacher.
Meanwhile, Maggie, ‘the girl next door’ had also qualified as
a teacher and they decided on a great adventure – to
marry and take up teaching posts in Winnipeg, Canada,
where there was an interesting population mix with
immigrants such as Inuits and after the war, Ukrainians.
Peter loved the life: teaching, playing as much rugby as
possible, and bird watching. He took school groups on wild
expeditions: camping, canoeing and living off the land.
Whilst in Canada he also took a history degree, as well as
becoming president of the local rugby league.
Before leaving England, Peter had promised his mother that
they would return to the U K. This they did on retirement
and settled in Charmouth. Here Peter was first attracted to
the Heritage Centre, where he became Chairman of the
‘Friends’ following Alf Twelftree. Then local history swung in
– as it does with many new residents of Charmouth. He
discovered and read Reginald Pavey’s anecdotal social
history notes on Charmouth, which the latter had gathered
from ‘old boys’ in the village during his childhood and later
holiday visits here. He had written them up, together with
parish records and property deeds.
Peter decided that it was time someone else took up the
pen and continued this village history. At about this time
the Parish Council bought The Elms as an office for the
village. Having stripped The Elms down from its former
function as retirement flats, redecorated and allocated
rooms for various purposes, there remained one room
spare on the first floor which Mallory Hayter, as Chairman
Page 4
Peter M Press and The Pavey Group
of the Parish Council, thought
would do to keep parish
records in. Peter jumped at the
idea – combining the record
room with the writing up of
local memories, making a
social history of the village and
naming it after his predecessor
– and so the Pavey Group was
born.
Peter gathered a few interested
individuals together – both
locals, including myself, and
incomers, and, together with
some of the Parish Council [
notably Michael Hendrick – who
Photo By Malcom Bowditch
was Chairman of the
Foreshore]they formed an embryo committee and decided
to hold an inaugural open meeting.
This meeting was well attended both by local and new
residents and with Peter’s enthusiasm and driving force the
first official committee was formed and the Pavey group
became a reality. Many folk have come and gone – notably
Roy Aldsworth, who wrote of his country childhood in the
journal of the Pavey Group – the Village Echo, which Peter
established. Roy played a great part in building the Pavey
Room, as it became known. Other contributors included
Rita Whatmore – a past treasurer and the team who still
steadfastly produce the Echo under Peter’s editorship.
Peter’s age, recent ill health and pull of family ties, possibly
away from Charmouth, have all contributed to his
retirement, with reluctance(!), from the Pavey Group. He
remains as editor for the next few editions, but is no longer
serving on the committee.
He had a hugely enthusiastic send off at the last AGM with
over 100 people attending at the Village Hall. As a tribute
to the work he has done in collecting and recording the
social history of Charmouth for the many residents, visitors,
and home and overseas interested parties who have
connections with Charmouth, the members contributed
very generously to a bound set of the 36 (to date)editions
of Village Echoes, a substantial gift voucher for John Lewis,
several books, pens and stationery, whiskies, wine and last
but not least a rugby ball signed by the present committee!
What of the future of the Pavey Group and its resources?
Advertisements for a new Chairman have so far been to no
avail. We must thank Mike Whatmore for holding the fort
for the next few months. Let us celebrate the great effort
that Peter has put in, on our behalf, by keeping the Pavey
group alive. Would anyone out there be interested?
Pat Stapleton
Vice Chairman, The Pavey Group.