During Ottery St Mary Town Council's 40th anniversary celebrations, a treasure trove of documents and photos emerged from the depths of chest drawers and stock cupboards.

These historical artefacts not only enriched our understanding of the past but also prompted us to ponder the continuity of issues such as overdevelopment, school provision, transport, regeneration and shop closures.

I am deeply indebted to the late George Hansford Sr, whose meticulous memories, written around 1990 and reminiscing of the previous 70 years, have made this editorial possible.

His insights from the past continue to echo in our present, connecting us to the enduring concerns and controversies of our town.

One thing that immediately caught my attention was his mention of one of the most contentious subjects in the minds of all residents in Ottery, due to the lack of provision and infrastructure to support further developments and conservation of green areas: "To get an impression of old Ottery, we have to imagine the town without any development at Spring Gardens, Long Dogs Lane, Slade Lane area, Winters Lane, Mossops Close, Leaman, Butts Road and Yonder Close.

"In that much smaller town with its close-knit community, everyone knew each other."

The media frequently discusses the development of school provision, not only in Ottery but also in the parish, created by the current situation of Tipton St John's school.

In 1912, there were three schools: a Boys' School, a Girls' School, and an Infants' School.

Additionally, there was a private girls' school on North Street.

The relatively new King's School was built, proving that relocation was already a concern.

Transport closely followed the subject above, highlighting the importance of the railway, axed in 1966.

"Ottery had a bustling station where every morning and evening several hundred children attending King's School from many miles around would arrive and leave by train."

Mr Hansford provided interesting data about the bus service, noting that: "Over the years, the service greatly increased, and at its peak reached 14 buses each way per day."

No forgetting to mention a return fare of two shillings.

It didn't surprise me that Mr Hansford dedicated an essential part of his memories to our famous pubs:

"There were ten public houses, all of which seemed to be producing a reasonable living as it was not often that landlords changed."

Comments referring to a similar situation in present times indicated that many of the pubs ended their days as private dwellings, such as the Railway Inn, The Half Moon, and Shepard's, which became Cole's carpet shop.

When discussing our shops, he wrote, "All the shops in the town remained open every night until 7 pm, and on Saturdays until 9.00 pm, including the barbers, who could often work even later depending on the number of customers waiting.

"In Mill Street, there were five butcher's shops, and seven altogether in town plus nice bakers."

Undoubtedly, the closure of shops, once the heart of our town's economy and social life, has significantly altered the town's landscape and community dynamics.

One thing that has really improved is the way we get our news.

In the 1920s, the only way to find out what was happening in the world was through the daily paper, and this would only be possible if you lived near a newsagent.

Wireless technology was heard of but remained unavailable to most households due to the prohibitive cost.

This ease of access to information has connected us to a global audience and empowered us with the knowledge of what's happening in our town and beyond, enhancing our sense of community and awareness.

Seventy years from now, I won't be here and will probably be replaced by AI, but I'm still wondering whether a town's concerns truly change over time and if a town's layout and infrastructure, once established, can shape its future indefinitely unless drastic measures are taken to rebuild it from the ground up.