HALE AT NINETY-ONE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5380, 28 January 1929, Page 4

HALE AT NINETY-ONE.

OLD JOHN POVEY’S BIRTHDAY.

WONDERFUL WEST COUNTRY MAN.

When the voice announced achoss the ether recently from Birjningham to Bishopstone, Wiltshire, that “John Povey is 91. and he will find birthday presents in the Breeches Bible, in the tinder bp(x, and the big. loving cup,” all Wiltshire felt thrilled. Old John Povey. tall, broad, and upright, is certainly one of the most wonderful men in the West Country. He brews his own beer, cures his own bacdn, prints his own almanack, rode, until recently, ‘his own velocipede, and has taken his old fire engine—which bears the date of 1682—t0 about 50 fires.

At one time “Old John’” was parish constable, beadle, and churchwarden. A correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, who wafe introduced to Mr Povey, said:—

“I found him preparing for the birthday party. He was admiring his Ibtving cups—2oo of them —which hang from the ancient ceiling rafters. They have been given him on many previous birthdays by people in all parts of the worjd. It is only a cottage, but people in many parts of the world know it not merely because he is Britain’s oldest breeches maker, having sent specimens of that garment all over the world, but hundreds of pilgrims in search of character and good cheer have called there to see this grand old man of. Wiltshire. They have sent him loving cups from the size of. a thimble to the capacity of a, double pipkin. “Time is the fastest spinner, the closest weaver, and the .surest cutter out,” said John in his las calendar, “but John Povey stands unbeaten as a tailor.”

Always On the side of. his tailor’s “goose” stands old John’s Breeches Bible, from which he often quotes the extract, “And they sewed flgge leaves together and made themselves breeches.” But, as be pointed out, since the first pairs were made many improvements have taken place.

John povey is surely the last of the old village constables. Mor.e than 70 years ago he used) to take malefactors up in the village. He snapped his handcuffs on the interviewer aS quickly as he used! to do. He took his truncheon frdm its corner—not the one of his grandfather’s, which he also possesses, but the official beadle’s truncheon he and his father used—and showed 1 how .he could deal with a troublesome person. Mr Povey loves old things. Often he uses the flint and tinder that he ■used to light the fires with nearly a century ago. The sword and staff which grandfather Povey used in the Charist riots is hung in the parlour. For there lias been a Povey in thecottage for nearly 200 years. More loving cups have been presented to old John as birthday gifts from his friendfe.