Digital magazine for April 2020

Remembering Bob Knight from Whitchurch Canonicorum
Robert Gifford Knight was born on 31 March 1927 and was the only child of
Charles and Florence who lived at Morcombelake. It is assumed that the
Knights are the oldest established family in this area of West Dorset as they
can trace their ancestry back to 1603.
Bob was a general engineer and started his apprenticeship at Buglers in
Beaminster aged 16 during the Second World War and was then called up to
the armed forces and joined the 16/5 Queens Royal Lancers and did his
national service in Egypt. He then spent eight years in the aircraft industry.
Two of these were with Vickers Armstrong, and then six years with Westland
in Yeovil.
On his mother's death in 1966 he returned to Whitchurch Canonicorum and did
general engineering in West Dorset. He converted the church clock to
electrical winding and worked for Pitfield Brothers building company for a time. Bob could put his hand
to most things and spent quite a lot of his time gardening for people in the district. Bob was a great
naturalist being born and brought up in what was then a thriving rural countryside. He spoke fondly of a
local economy that had a blacksmith, tinker, tailor, baker and a large number of local tradespeople. He
knew many of the local birds just by their calls and was an avid naturalist. He loved his garden having
bees and producing a wide range of fruit and vegetables.
He was also fond of his daily cider right up to his nineties and talked fondly of cider making together
with other local folk, especially Alan Pitfield down at Prime Coppice. Alan was in charge of the apple
mill (scratter) which chopped up the apples to make the pomace to fill the cider cheese in the press.
Cider would be drunk and passed around the circle - all drinking from the same two handled cup.
Bob and Alan Pitfield had a strong friendship working in and around the woods together, and they also
hunted deer for the pot. Bob was able to deploy his considerable mechanical skills fixing Alan's old
crawler tractor and machinery.
In 1964 Bob married Diana Seale-Crisp at Whitchurch Canonicorum and they first lived with his parents
at Goodens Hill. A little later on they purchased land at Morcombelake and built a cedar wood bungalow
on the plot and named it Cedarcote.
During the Second World War Diana was in the RAF as a CO Driver. Later she worked in the
Meteorological Office for six years. Diana passed away in 2009. Bob remained at Cedarcote until his
death in January this year.
Bob was a kindly man with a good heart and a great friend to many people in the village.
He will be sorely missed as one of the last true remaining Dorset country gentleman.
Kit Vaughan, Sylvia Creed-Castle and Jim Coe
Volunteers helping their neighbours
Char Valley Parish Council, which covers Morcombelake, Stanton St. Gabriel, Ryall, Wootton
Fitzpaine, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Fishpond and Monkton Wyld has set up a team to help everyone
living in the area who may need help during the current health emergency.
The Council said: “We are here to help you through these uncertain and worrying times. Helping
neighbours is something we are naturally very good at doing in this area and many of you will already
be making personal arrangements with friends, family and neighbours.
“We know many vulnerable residents are self-isolating already and the situation is moving hourly.
Government provisions may kick in at some time but, meanwhile, volunteers are ready to co-ordinate
offers and needs for shopping, medicine collection and practical help if required.
If you can offer help or need it, please contact them, preferably by email with your contact details.”
The volunteers are:
Morcombelake: Clare Mahaddie clare.mahaddie@icloud.com 01297-489813
Ryall: Rachel Coney/Eddie Hall rachelconey0@gmail.com and eddiehallhome@gmail.com
telephone 01297-489825 and 07971-225873.
Stanton St Gabriel: Andrew Carey andrew@westhay.com 01297-560057
Whitchurch Canonicorum: Carolyn Peck carolyn56peck@gmail.com 01297-489185
Wootton Fitzpaine: Debby Snook debsnook@aol.com 01297-561395