Bang Them Up.

Somewhere in the archives I have a tape recorded by my grandmother not long before her death in 1980. She was answering questions from pupils at Silverton Primary schoool about growing up in the late 19th-early 20th century. One incident she recalled was the fire that destroyed Cottons Row in the high Street (1904, I think), one of the buildings destroyed in the blaze \was the old village lock up where the constables stashed the village drunks at the weekend before they were shipped of by poney and trap to appear before the magistrates in Cullompton.

Perhaps after the events of last weekend the concept of a village lock up for late night distirbers of the peace should be revived. Although the community Hall has something of the look of a high security unit, perhaps something more purpose built could replace the scrapyard that is the old hall site. Perhaps, rather then shipping the miscreants off to Cullompton for punishment we could have some peoples justice on a sunday morning with them being placed in some stocks so that those who have had their sleep disturbed could bombard them with all sorts of unpleasent items from over ripe tomotoes to old Gary Glitter albums.

that wil learn them.