I had the following e-mail from an ex resident:

"My name is Pat Drumgoon. My husband is Philip. We were married in Okehampton, on the 15th of February 1969. My in laws  lived at 16 Hillfield, South Zeal, previously of Whiddon Down post office. My husband was in the Royal Navy and I was from Adelaide, in South Australia where we met and where we now live.  After our marriage, we lived in Kent and Devon, before my hubby transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. Our eldest son was born at Okehampton, he is 36 in January.  We had a holiday in England 12 years ago and we stayed with friends at Whiddon Down for 2 weeks. Pat and Philip Drumgoon "

On my way to my weekend pub lunch at the Taw River, I took a photo of their old house and sent it to them that afternoon. this is their reply:

" Thanks for the photo of our old house, it was great to receive it.  Just a bit of background of our family: Dad (Sydney Drumgoon) was born in Glasgow, hence the surname. Mum (Ruby) was born at Dartmouth. My  parents had the Whiddon Down general store & post office, on the corner, opposite the  pub, of which some of the building has been removed, when the road was changed .The post office  part was removed, we discovered, when we came back on holiday, twelve years ago .

Enclosed photo of me outside the shop by news paper stand . I went to Chagford  Secondary School,  which is now a primary school . When I left school, I worked for Jan Scott at Fairhaven Farm, Whiddon Down, then for Beach Bros. of Exeter, until I joined the Royal Navy on 6th of January 1966.  My best mate was Roy Gillard, of Thornbury Farm, Whiddon Down, where we stayed for a couple of weeks, whilst on holiday.

Dad, who was fairly sick, moved from Whiddon Down to South Zeal and used to go and help to restore the museum (Finch's blacksmith ) at Sticklepath. Both my parents are buried at the cemetery in Okehampton. Pat & I were married in the snow at Okehampton, St Boniface's  Catholic  Church & our reception was held at our house, 16 Hillfield, South Zeal. I met Pat whilst on H.M.S. Troubridge, visiting South Australia in 1968 & we were married a year to the day we met .

We now live in a village (population 620 and the rainfall 430 millimetres per year), about seventy kilometres from Adelaide  .We have a four bedroom house, on one acre. The houses here are mainly bungalows, although in the city & larger towns there are two story and duplex houses .

There are two rivers, one each side of the village, which join together down stream of the village .There are photos of the entry sign to our village and a couple of our house.

Once again, thank you for the photo of our old house. It has not changed at all in over 36 years.

All the best for Xmas and the New Year,

Pat ,Philip & family"

If anyone remembers them and would like to get in touch, the address is:

devcot@bigpond.com

ps A good neighbour and friend at Hillfield was called Dora Falland. If anyone knows of her, maybe they could get in touch