As he lay gravely injured in a flooded shell hole

Hawkins thought he saw a servant girl

Sweeping a small room

She was damping down the dust with Holy Water

He knew then that his soul was being cleansed

And that he would survive the war

 

Many years later Hawkins although an invalid

Started production of the Torquay plates

In the pottery that he owned

When asked why he noted that it was the town of his birth

And that he wanted his fellow men

To share in his luck and prosperity

 

The design of the plates was quite simple

With the illustrations depicting sailing ships in the harbour

And warehouses and other houses nearby

Near the centre of the view was a pale house

That stood out from the rest

When questioned about it Hawkins always replied

That this was the house of the servant girl

And it had been his gift to her

For saving his life