2025 03Nympton News Autumn final with bleed - Flipbook - Page 10
RECOLLECTING ROLAND
Barbara Patricia Jones (Roland’s sister)
Many years ago Roland dressed up in a smock, straw
hat and a piece of straw in his mouth. He put on a real
Devonshire accent and walked round the village
pretending to be a yokel. He spoke to visitors in the
pub and directed them to where they wanted to go.
Asking them "Do you want the scenic route or the
direct route?" Then adding "I wouldn't have started
from here".
When Nick and Jan Hobart (who lived at Thyme Cottage in the early 70s)
were relocating to America Roland decided to paint a sheet with `Nick
and Jan - Good Luck9. Unfortunately he ran out of spray paint and we
held the sheet aloft with the words Nick and Jan Go.
So many memories of Roland, too many to relate!!!!
John Ayre
I have many anecdotes re Roland but most cannot be
printed!
What I can say is that many people either assumed
that he and I were brothers or called him John, and
me Roland. Roland9s take on this was that I was
pleased but he was not very happy about it.
One story associated with this is that someone approached me and
thanked me for driving them to Chulmleigh from George Nympton
when his car broke down. My reply was "did I"? Yes' he said you and
your wife were both teachers and you live by the school. All of which
was true for both of us. I just said
