Members will have learned with regret of the death of Mr T.J.F.Cave on 26 July last, at the age of 85. ‘Tom’, who was a founder-member of this Society, was subsequently elected an honorary life member in recognition of his services to the society; he was a regular attender at winter meetings, and he particularly enjoyed the summer excursions to places of historical and architectural interest.

A qualified surveyor, he had on leaving school been articled to J.Nicholson Johnson, the Yeovil architect, and was also keanly interested in photography thoughout his long life. An avid collector of scenes of bygone Yeovil and of old cameras and photographic equipment, he entertained both members of this society and those of Yeovil Camera Club with illustrated talks on several occasions.

A selection from his photographic record of the town, made about 1965, formed the basis of the Society’s latest publication, ‘Yeovil: The Changing Scene’, which has created such a wide interest among Yeovilians. As life-President of Yeovil Camera Club, he donated the ‘Cave Cup’ – annually awarded for the best photograph of the year. He had also assisted with the planning and layout of Yeovil Agricultural Show ground at Barwick Park, and had supervised several of the works of restoration of Mudford Church where he had been a sidesman. Only a year or two before his death he undertook the exacting task of tracing a large-scale map of Yeovil of the 1860s. The sympathy of members is extended to his two daughters who sometimes accompanied him on Society excursions.

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