The October 2020 edition of The Beacon (the village newsletter for Sticklepath and surrounding villages) mentions that 100 years ago Olive Finch, a Sticklepath lass, advertised “Only Millinery” in Okehampton, her shop at 18 St James Street. 

Many thanks to Chris Walpole local historian extraordinaire for the information.  Here she is in 1907 wearing, I feel sure, one of her early hats, when she was a bridesmaid to Emma Rosina Bolt and William Dawe. 

Olive specialised not only in ladies’ headwear, but in re-modelling of hats. Waste not want not!

More of the Dawe family and of Olive and Jessie later.

The Beacon is moving with the times – its 7th online edition – and not only includes regular local history but is definitely history in the making, now on its 465th print edition. https://www.thebeacon.website