Pictures

A small amount of old china - about 20 white teaplates - was rescued from disposal when the multiple-patterned Pilton Church Hall china was replaced in 2012. The plates are printed with the 'Pilton Parish Rooms' motif shown here. It is not known from when they date, but the Hall seems to have been referred to as the Church Room from its opening in early 1906. The use of the expression Parish Rooms persisted into the modern era. The Trustees of Pilton Parish Hall is still the name on the bank account although the constitution now refers to the Management Trustees of Pilton Church Hall.

The new plain white china - 100 dinner plates, 100 teaplates, 100 bowls and 100 mugs - was bought out of the £570 proceeds of the 2012 Big Pilton Quiz together with 100 knives, forks and spoons.

Interestingly, although the Church Room was able to be used for a Church Tea in 1907 attended by 100 people, a Church Bazaar over two days in October 1907 was held in the Albert Hall in Barnstaple and included musical and theatrical entertainment and an art exhibition as well as 9 stalls. The Albert Hall, in what was previously the Music Hall and has now become the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple, was redesigned in 1897 with a stage and organ taken from Broadgate House, Pilton. The Bazaar raised £311, which might be considered equivalent to about £25,000 today.

If anyone has any idea of when the Pilton Parish Rooms china was used and where it came from we would love to hear from you.