ENGLAND.
HATHERLEIGH MARKET-FIRE AT THE GEORGE HOTEL.
Anyone who has been to Hatherleigh market in mid Devon, has probably been into the George Hotel, as all the farmers and buyers loved the atmosphere of the old coaching house, that was built around 1450.
The hotel caught fire late on Tuesday night and was totally destroyed, by the early hours of Xmas eve along with 600 years of history.
There were 20 fire engines from all over the county, trying to put out the blaze in the historic Devon longhouse, to no avail.
More cattle and sheep were traded over a drink in the George, than in many cattle sales today. Farm auctions were held in the comfort of the George rather than at the farm, as transportation was not as it is today, along with the fact everyone knew everyone else’s farms as well as most of their business.
In the fifties, sixties and seventies, when farmers sold more fat-stock in the markets than direct to the abattoirs, livestock from Hatherleigh went all over the South of England.
There would be 2,000 lambs, 500 fat ewes, 300 pigs and 150 fat cattle and 70 cows on an average week sold on Mondays.
Followed by 200 store cattle, 100 bobby calves , 1500 store sheep and 200 store pigs and a variety of poultry, sold on Tuesdays.
When the market was over, everyone retired to the lovely old thatched George Hotel, with oak beams and cob walls as the pubs were open all day on market day, even in the days of licensing laws.
The late J.Gordon Vick, who was the founder and owner of Hatherleigh market, opening for business after the end of rationing in 1954, purchased the George Hotel in 1967. This was indeed a natural extension of his market, which was by then one of the largest privately owned cattle markets in the country.
Joe Vick also built Hatherleigh abattoir, opening his state of the art plant on 29 November 1967. The market is still run by the Vick family Roger the son and Greg the grandson of the founder Joe Vick who was indeed a legend in his own lifetime and a pioneer of the farming industry..
Hatherleigh without the George, will be like London without Big Ben
