On this day in Wembury — 21 December 1989

The Western Evening Herald printed a letter from M. Jenny of Wembury responding to reports about the proposed removal of the 4.5-inch gun turret from HMS Plymouth. She suggested that instead of stripping the frigate, the Dockyard might “have a look at the 4.5s on HMS Cambridge, Wembury, with a view to buying them instead.” The remark reflected long-standing local frustration with the naval gunnery school on Wembury Point, where live-firing practice using the heavy guns created repeated noise disturbance for the village. Jenny’s wry observation that “Wembury residents would be very pleased to lose them” captured the sentiment of many who had endured decades of thunderous firing echoing across the bay.

(Source: Western Evening Herald, 21 December 1989 — letter to the editor.)