Our view of civilian defences during the Second World War tends to come from Dad's Army - old men armed with pitchforks - but the reality was very different. The length of Britain, highly trained, highly secret groups of civilians were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country should a German invasion succeed. This is the story of these remarkable would-be resistance fighters in East Devon.
Andrew Chatterton is a Second World War historian who focuses on the secret layers of civilian defence in Britain. His book: Britain's Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins was published in July and he was a popular speaker at our recent Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.
His talk, and all our Coffee Time Talks, will take place in the Peter Hall, Budleigh Salterton at 11am, with refreshments served from 10.30am. All are welcome. £3 for Friends of Fairlynch and £5 for visitors.
Please note: new regulations mean there is much reduced parking at the church.

Three more fascinating talks have been scheduled for the first Wednesdays in the months before Fairlynch opens for the new season this year. All the talks start at 11am, but why not come early and enjoy a coffee and chat with old friends first? The doors open at 10.30. The venue is as before: the Peter Hall, behind St Peter's Church. Entry costs £5, discounted to £3 for Friends of Fairlynch.

This year the speakers and topics are:
Wednesday 2nd February 2022: Brian Portch - Brunel's Great Western Railway
Wednesday 2nd March 2022: David Strange - The Norman Lockyer Observatory
Wednesday 6th April 2022: Stewart Raine - The Development of the English Seaside Resort

Fairlynch is delighted to announce that our popular Coffee Time Talks begin again on Wednesday 1st September, with a talk by David White on Wildlife Around the River Otter. David is well known locally for his extraordinary photography, capturing a huge range of wildlife, including the beavers seen in images on this website and in the museum. His photograph of local polecats was a BBC Countryfile Calendar winner.

Save the date - Coffee Time Talks take place on the first Wednesday of every month at 10.30 for 11am in the Peter Hall. Entry costs £3 to Friends of Fairlynch and £5 to the general public. Coffee and tea is included.

Future speakers and topics include:
Weds 6th October: Ken McKechnie - West Country Mining: the reality behind the myth
Weds 3rd November: Clare James - Clinton Devon Estates
Weds 1st December: Alan Humphries - Exmouth Docks: the demise of a working port