On This Day in Wembury — 19 December 1988
A Wembury couple were left badly shaken after burglars raided their home in Church Road, stealing more than £5000 worth of jewellery and household goods. Among the items taken were a Panasonic video recorder, handmade jewellery, a pair of 22ct gold quarter-inch earrings, an 18ct gold hunter bracelet valued at £1500, and a heavy 18ct gold sovereign chain. Police officer Helen Trethowan of Plympton CID appealed for witnesses, especially anyone who had seen a yellow saloon car in the area on Saturday afternoon. She also asked jewellers and members of the public to be alert for the distinctive items appearing for sale.
Source: Evening Herald, 19 December 1988
Incidents like this highlight how even quiet rural parishes were not immune to crime by the late 1980s. The list of stolen items — from the latest technology to traditional gold pieces — gives a snapshot of middle-class village life at the time, as well as the vulnerability people felt when such symbols of security and stability were suddenly taken.
