The Last Supper

Tuesday evening saw us in Plymouth, so I had another attempt to track down the Yarmouth Stores, where the husband of one of my Great, Great Aunts was the manager, over a hundred years ago!














I have several old postcards sent to this address from a time before the First World War.

We have visited an Italian Restaurant opposite this shop on many occasions, as the KHT is partial to a Lasagne, but I had never really noticed that the building I wanted to trace was just across the road.







Sadly a notice on the shop announces its closure in 2017.
I found this recording on youtube of an interview with the last manager at the Plymouth branch immediately prior to it shutting down. One of the previous managers he refers to would have been my Great Great Uncle, who was probably the first manager of this branch of the company.

The Yarmouth Stores is woven into the story of my Father's family, as in addition to the store in Plymouth, another Great Great Aunt was married to the Manager of the branch in Milford Haven. Later my Grandad took over as the Manager of the Milford store, and the family moved to live in the generous accommodation over the shop.

The two Great Great Aunts both retired to Torquay, and as my Gran was their only relative she inherited their property and also ended up living in Torquay in her retirement.

Throughout my childhood my parents would bring us all down for a holiday in Torquay, to see our Devon relatives and enjoy all the town had to offer. When the weather was good we went to the beach. On dull or wet days one place we would visit was Torre Abbey Museum on Torquay seafront.

After months of good intentions, I finally took DH & the KHT on their first visit to Torre Abbey I remember wandering through rooms where oil paintings were hung upon the walls. The entrance was into a museum and I recall a large range in the first room. Recently the building had major renovation work. The room with the range is now the cafe and the entrance has been moved around the corner.

Included in our ticket price was an immersive piece of art The Last Supper by Giles Walker A group of robotic figures are set around a table, pondering on the meaning of life and then switching to detailing the last meals ordered by prisoners on Death Row, who were eating their own 'Last Supper'.
I imagined that we would sit at a distance from the puppets. Instead, we are ushered into a darkened room, and were able to stand at the shoulders of the puppets, listening to snatches of conversation, interspersed with sounds of a creaking ship and angelic singing.




The piece is short, lasting around 13 minutes, and you spend the whole time trying to make sense of it - aware that there are probably deeper subtle undertones that you have missed.
It is fascinating, unsettling and excellently executed.
Small bird-headed figures with human bodies adorn the table, partaking in strangely posed and possibly deviant activities - prompting questions such as "Have the vultures themselves been picked clean?" and "What on earth are they doing?". 
If art's brief is to be provocative, it succeeded -  but not in a way that offended sensibilities.


The top floor of the gallery is very interactive, with many sound files to listen to, a trifle disconcerting when you are listening to more than one commentary at the same time!
The KHT dressed up as a monk.















The dining table with talking place settings is a trifle disconcerting, especially as you see the eyes flick one way then the other, according to which character around the table is talking at this re-enactment of a dinner party.




Admittedly we did have lunch in the cafe, but we did have to rush the last bit as the car park charge goes up significantly after five hours. We could easily have lingered longer.


For me revisiting Torre Abbey was a very enjoyable trip down memory lane, whereas for DH and the KHT it was a new place to discover. No doubt we will return!

It is sad when stores close, particularly when they have been in situ as long as the Yarmouth Stores - a casualty of the convenience of internet shopping.

Things change.
Nothing stays the same.
Memories remain.
Stories, however,  are passed down from one generation to the next - like verbal postcards.