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Stan Scarth: Unsung Stalwart
Rod Scarth Photographs courtesy Rod Scarth September 2019 There are people who do much for the village community and whose story is rarely commemorated. Stan Scarth was one of these. He led Box out of the Second World War doldrums by doing all he could to improve life in Box, whilst working and playing sports here. This is Stan’s story from his son, Rod. Working and Living in Box My dad’s first marriage was to Barbara J Alford in 1947 when he was 23 years old. I was one of three sons, born in St Martins hospital in Bath in 1962 then raised in Box. My dad ran a plumbing & heating business and later extended into a building firm starting out as an apprentice after the war right up to his death in 1994. I worked for him from the age of fourteen, so I have many memories of that time. On many occasions we worked in the Isles of Scilly for the owner of Spafax, Mill Lane, including building him a swimming pool. Dad made a point of employing local people, which included his sporting buddies, Cyril Greenland and Johnny Welch. |
Stan presenting Lions Club cheque to new, young doctor Kevin Gruffydd-Jones, 1986
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The picture below is my immediate family, from left to right, me, brother Graham, Stan, brother Bill.
We used to do all the maintenance for Box Mill owned by Spafax (now by Peter Gabriel). We rebuilt the site of the Box Weir in about 1977 using rafts and a bit of ingenuity. At Cheney Court (also owned by Spafax) we did all the maintenance and laid the cobbled car park there which received a National Trust award. Later on, we built a TV studio in the barn which is now Linguarama. We also did the maintenance for Ian Pollard at Hazelbury Manor (The Naked Gardener) and his wife Dinny.
Cheney Court Barn showing cobbles, just before we converted it to studio about 1979
HyanWylde, Beech Road, Box Hill
For much of my childhood, we lived at HyanWylde on the corner of Beech Road and Hedgesparrow Lane, Box Hill. The photos below show it in the course of construction.
For much of my childhood, we lived at HyanWylde on the corner of Beech Road and Hedgesparrow Lane, Box Hill. The photos below show it in the course of construction.
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We lived next door to Mavis and Jim Carpenter, who ran Carpenter’s Stoneyard at top of Barnett’s Hill where he was one of the last remaining stone masons on Box Hill.
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Above left: The stone yard on Box Hill in 1948; and Right: Rod with Mavis and Jim Carpenter about 1967
Opposite dad’s house is now a huge Bath stone garage. I remember this was originally a ramshackle old corrugated shed which, I was told, housed vehicles for moving the stone from Clift Quarry, down the old tramway which ran alongside Beech Road. It was rumoured that an old steam engine used to be stored there too. Everywhere was still full of the remnants of the quarry industry. There was a huge, old quarry at the top by White Ennox Lane where, as kids, we used to play with an old crane kept there. This was filled in as landfill in the early 1990s.
The old stoneyard on Box Hill before it was overgrown
Box Rovers
Stan was well-known in Box, not just because of his building company. For many years he had been one of the stalwarts of Box Rovers with many references in the local newspapers. As a player he distinguished himself as a speedy outside left with a powerful shot. [1]
The first reference I have found of his playing days was in 1954 when he scored in Rovers 7-0 defeat of West Lavington.[2] He played for a great number of years and his contribution as a speedy game changer for Box Rovers is hinted at in the club’s exciting victory over Calne Town Reserves in the Wilts Junior Cup of October 1965: Scarth went close for Box with a good drive which scraped the crossbar.[3]
Stan was well-known in Box, not just because of his building company. For many years he had been one of the stalwarts of Box Rovers with many references in the local newspapers. As a player he distinguished himself as a speedy outside left with a powerful shot. [1]
The first reference I have found of his playing days was in 1954 when he scored in Rovers 7-0 defeat of West Lavington.[2] He played for a great number of years and his contribution as a speedy game changer for Box Rovers is hinted at in the club’s exciting victory over Calne Town Reserves in the Wilts Junior Cup of October 1965: Scarth went close for Box with a good drive which scraped the crossbar.[3]
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Box Rovers in the mid-1960s: Left: My dad front row 4th in, Right: back row 5th in
Aged in his mid-forties, Stan was appointed chairman of the club in the early 1970s. He was always having to balance work with his sporting interests and in 1972 he was so committed with building work that he missed the AGM at The Bear when Gordon Hall took his place.[4] Stan served as chairman until 1975 when he became president of the club.[5] One of his first jobs in this role was a tragic one. He led the club in a minute’s silence for Robin Sawyer who had collapsed and died playing for the Reserve team.[6] £150 was raised for Robin’s memorial and in April Rovers played Box Youth in aid of the fund. Robin’s father Gilbert Sawyer attended and presented the Sawyer Memorial Cup to Kevin Ford, Youth team captain.[7]
Lions Club Fetes
Not content with these initiatives, Stan organised the Corsham Lions Club to hold a fete on the first May holiday weekend in Box in the early 1980s. It comprised a collection of the usual fairground stalls, hoopla, mechanical fairground horse rides, coconut shy, hotdog stall and similar. It often rained and was windy on the Rec but the Lions raised a considerable amount of money, as the presentation in the headline picture shows. The donation was a contribution to the fund for rebuilding the old wooden doctors’ surgery. The new premises were opened in 1990.
To some extent, the fete was reminiscent of the old fairs and fetes held on Fete Field, Box, now under the Bargates building site, in that it was organised for the benefit of the village but not by village clubs and organisations. The enthusiasm of local people to promote themselves at Box Revels in the Spring holiday later in May became the established event with better weather. For Stan, it was probably a great relief as, almost single-handedly, he had been trying to keep the Lions Fair going. It still amazes and warms my heart to this day when people ask if I am related to Stan Scarth, he certainly was a well-known and loved person in and around Box.
Not content with these initiatives, Stan organised the Corsham Lions Club to hold a fete on the first May holiday weekend in Box in the early 1980s. It comprised a collection of the usual fairground stalls, hoopla, mechanical fairground horse rides, coconut shy, hotdog stall and similar. It often rained and was windy on the Rec but the Lions raised a considerable amount of money, as the presentation in the headline picture shows. The donation was a contribution to the fund for rebuilding the old wooden doctors’ surgery. The new premises were opened in 1990.
To some extent, the fete was reminiscent of the old fairs and fetes held on Fete Field, Box, now under the Bargates building site, in that it was organised for the benefit of the village but not by village clubs and organisations. The enthusiasm of local people to promote themselves at Box Revels in the Spring holiday later in May became the established event with better weather. For Stan, it was probably a great relief as, almost single-handedly, he had been trying to keep the Lions Fair going. It still amazes and warms my heart to this day when people ask if I am related to Stan Scarth, he certainly was a well-known and loved person in and around Box.
Stan played a considerable part in building the community spirit that prevails in modern Box. The Lions fetes stopped in 1986. They had been largely due to his individual effort and he was becoming increasingly unwell. The Revels took over the responsibility for continuing the village tradition. Stan died in 1994. Rod sent us photos of Box Revels Day 2003, which we attach for nostalgic reasons. If, like us, you feel they are rather good, it isn’t surprising because Rod is a professional photographer and you can see more of his work at: https://rodscarth.weebly.com/
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Family Tree
Stanley Benjamin Scarth (16 July 1924 - 1994) married Barbara JR Alford in 1947 at Wantage. Children:
William J Scarth (29 December 1948 - 2006);
Graham S Scarth (b 1953);
Rodney J Scarth (b 1962) married in 1983 to Anthea Leonard.
Stanley Scarth (16 July 1924 - 1994) married a second time to Edith M Welch (nee Cooper) in 1976, former wife of Johnny Welch who she married in 1959.
Stanley Benjamin Scarth (16 July 1924 - 1994) married Barbara JR Alford in 1947 at Wantage. Children:
William J Scarth (29 December 1948 - 2006);
Graham S Scarth (b 1953);
Rodney J Scarth (b 1962) married in 1983 to Anthea Leonard.
Stanley Scarth (16 July 1924 - 1994) married a second time to Edith M Welch (nee Cooper) in 1976, former wife of Johnny Welch who she married in 1959.
References
[1] Chippenham News, April 1975
[2] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 4 September 1954
[3] Chippenham News, 8 October 1965
[4] Chippenham News, 9 June 1972
[5] Chippenham News, April 1975
[6] Chippenham News, 20 June 1975
[7] Chippenham News, 4 April 1975
[1] Chippenham News, April 1975
[2] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 4 September 1954
[3] Chippenham News, 8 October 1965
[4] Chippenham News, 9 June 1972
[5] Chippenham News, April 1975
[6] Chippenham News, 20 June 1975
[7] Chippenham News, 4 April 1975