Life at Longsplatt
In the 1950s and 1960s
Kevin Ford, the third generation of a local Box family and still a resident of Ashley, tells the story of his family, friends and teenage escapades in the area.
He paints an affectionate tale of his parents, grandfather and his three brothers, Shaun, Tony and Peter; of celebrating World Cup glory in 1966, the day The Byrds band visited the village; and run-ins with locals, snow storms, and sows and piglets.
Family Photos courtesy Kevin Ford
Left: Kevin seen in former glory, aged 3 months
Life at Longsplatt
I can remember moving up to Longsplatt; I think it was in 1952. I was four. I can remember the day very well. It was a hot day and there was an old metal bath in the garden. It was an iron bath not tin. We all wanted to get in there at 12 o'clock because that was mid-day and Father managed to persuade us that 3 o'clock in the afternoon was the hottest part of the day. I can remember lowering myself into the ice cold bath which is something I certainly couldn't do now.
People and Houses
Our house was called Killiney and it had a balcony on it. Father had built the house in his spare time (God knows how he ever had any spare time). The balcony had an inscription in a stone on the balcony which said Coronation, which I think was 1953, the Queen's Coronation. They eventually took that away because so many people used to do treasure hunts in cars. On a Sunday you'd get lots and lots of cars driving up and down and looking in, because they used it as a clue.
I'll start describing the houses from the golf course side down. The first man I can remember living up there was a man called Percy Abbot. He used to have goats down in the back. The house has all been done up now, the area all modernised. I'm not sure what Percy Abbott did but he was a bit of a dour old chap, big tall chap, grey hair.
The next one down to that was a bungalow and I can remember the bungalow being built very vividly because we used to go over there at night when the builders had gone and play. That was Stephen Bassett, my younger brother Pete, me and maybe the Fletcher boy was with us but I don't think he was.
I can remember moving up to Longsplatt; I think it was in 1952. I was four. I can remember the day very well. It was a hot day and there was an old metal bath in the garden. It was an iron bath not tin. We all wanted to get in there at 12 o'clock because that was mid-day and Father managed to persuade us that 3 o'clock in the afternoon was the hottest part of the day. I can remember lowering myself into the ice cold bath which is something I certainly couldn't do now.
People and Houses
Our house was called Killiney and it had a balcony on it. Father had built the house in his spare time (God knows how he ever had any spare time). The balcony had an inscription in a stone on the balcony which said Coronation, which I think was 1953, the Queen's Coronation. They eventually took that away because so many people used to do treasure hunts in cars. On a Sunday you'd get lots and lots of cars driving up and down and looking in, because they used it as a clue.
I'll start describing the houses from the golf course side down. The first man I can remember living up there was a man called Percy Abbot. He used to have goats down in the back. The house has all been done up now, the area all modernised. I'm not sure what Percy Abbott did but he was a bit of a dour old chap, big tall chap, grey hair.
The next one down to that was a bungalow and I can remember the bungalow being built very vividly because we used to go over there at night when the builders had gone and play. That was Stephen Bassett, my younger brother Pete, me and maybe the Fletcher boy was with us but I don't think he was.
We Hid in the Chamber until the Builder left |
I can vividly remember one day when the builders came back and we'd gone down into a chamber in the garden, so we pulled the top over and we all were stuck in the bottom of there and we could hear them all walking about above us and he actually walked across the top. We heard the clang, clang, clang and we thought he was going to open it up but he didn't, and he went and we got out. |
Then, next to that house the chap who lived in there was a bookmaker and he used to drive a Jaguar which he had new every other year. I can remember my dear old dad always saying Never bet because there's always one winner because he's got the new Jaguar and people who bet, don't, which is quite true.
Next to that was a pair of semi-detached properties which my uncle Fred was given the land for that. I don't think he built the houses himself.
In the one nearest the golf course were the Warners, which is Plum Warner (I think his name was Plum Warner because there was a famous cricketer whose nickname was Plum), and Mrs Warner with their daughter Jane. Jane was perhaps a year older than me, I'm not sure. She married one of the Bath rugby players and emigrated to Canada and I've not seen her since then. I suppose she emigrated when she got married. She was perhaps 20 or something. They lived down there because Jane suffered from asthma. So they moved out of London and down to there.
In the next house were the famous Bassetts. The Bassetts consisted of Mr & Mrs Bassett of course; Sonya was the eldest child (she was a few years older than me). Then there was Stephen (we called him Bertie Bassett), and then there was Linda, who later on in life, for some reason, changed her name from Linda to Suzanne Bassett. I don't really remember much of what happened to them after we left, but we certainly went round and about with them.
Next door to the Bassets was a wooden and asbestos building that just had a footpath to it. There was no car access or anything like that to it. And in there lived, for a while anyway, the Fletchers. Richard Fletcher was quite a strange boy, very quick tempered. I can remember him trying to hit me with a golf club when I was on the floor for some reason. As a child he was very, very quick tempered. I don't know what Mr & Mrs Fletcher did for a living. I believe Mrs Fletcher is still alive.
Next door to that building was a large garden with the house and that was the Pococks. Mr & Mrs Pocock (I think it was Norman Pocock) they had a poultry business called Pocock's Prime Poultry. My recollection of Mrs Pocock was that she was always a rather large lady and in the summer she would always be in a sort of a corset or whatever, done up, no blouse or anything like that.
Next to that was a pair of semi-detached properties which my uncle Fred was given the land for that. I don't think he built the houses himself.
In the one nearest the golf course were the Warners, which is Plum Warner (I think his name was Plum Warner because there was a famous cricketer whose nickname was Plum), and Mrs Warner with their daughter Jane. Jane was perhaps a year older than me, I'm not sure. She married one of the Bath rugby players and emigrated to Canada and I've not seen her since then. I suppose she emigrated when she got married. She was perhaps 20 or something. They lived down there because Jane suffered from asthma. So they moved out of London and down to there.
In the next house were the famous Bassetts. The Bassetts consisted of Mr & Mrs Bassett of course; Sonya was the eldest child (she was a few years older than me). Then there was Stephen (we called him Bertie Bassett), and then there was Linda, who later on in life, for some reason, changed her name from Linda to Suzanne Bassett. I don't really remember much of what happened to them after we left, but we certainly went round and about with them.
Next door to the Bassets was a wooden and asbestos building that just had a footpath to it. There was no car access or anything like that to it. And in there lived, for a while anyway, the Fletchers. Richard Fletcher was quite a strange boy, very quick tempered. I can remember him trying to hit me with a golf club when I was on the floor for some reason. As a child he was very, very quick tempered. I don't know what Mr & Mrs Fletcher did for a living. I believe Mrs Fletcher is still alive.
Next door to that building was a large garden with the house and that was the Pococks. Mr & Mrs Pocock (I think it was Norman Pocock) they had a poultry business called Pocock's Prime Poultry. My recollection of Mrs Pocock was that she was always a rather large lady and in the summer she would always be in a sort of a corset or whatever, done up, no blouse or anything like that.
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They also had a dog they used to keep, I think they were bull terriers. They had a white one which had won something at Crufts, and his name was Bruce and one recollection of Bruce was that he got loose.
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Bruce Seized the Poodle by the Throat |
It was a Sunday because we were going down to Sunday School, we had gone down to the shed to pick up the bikes. Bruce had collared a poodle down by there; he had him by the neck or the throat. We kicked him and the pig farmer must have come down, kicked him, threw water over him. We couldn't get him loose; eventually we did and we sent him packing.
The poodle ran off. We got our bikes, went down the road and then the track there and I can remember seeing the poodle right down the bottom by what we called the Round House where the Morris's lived: Jenny Morris and her mother and father in the Round House. It used to be the old toll house; so the poodle had run off down there which is a fair old way (I would say it was a good half a mile). Bruce the bull Staffordshire he just went home. He was a lovely dog but he obviously didn't like other dogs.
Next to Mrs Pocock, on the corner on the same side of the road as us before you went down left to the track was Mrs Reeve who had a hardware shop in Melksham. They had an evacuee down from London, who was a bit older than Shaun, whose name was Doreen. I cant remember much about her, I must admit.
The poodle ran off. We got our bikes, went down the road and then the track there and I can remember seeing the poodle right down the bottom by what we called the Round House where the Morris's lived: Jenny Morris and her mother and father in the Round House. It used to be the old toll house; so the poodle had run off down there which is a fair old way (I would say it was a good half a mile). Bruce the bull Staffordshire he just went home. He was a lovely dog but he obviously didn't like other dogs.
Next to Mrs Pocock, on the corner on the same side of the road as us before you went down left to the track was Mrs Reeve who had a hardware shop in Melksham. They had an evacuee down from London, who was a bit older than Shaun, whose name was Doreen. I cant remember much about her, I must admit.
Kevin at 18 months
That was by the track, by what we called The Dumps which, unfortunately, some of that has been filled in now. We used to go down there sledging in the winter and there's a couple of places there. There used to be a big, big boulder sticking out (must have been an old quarry or something like that) and there was an X carved into the rock. I can always remember going down there. We always used to try to dig this rock out because we thought there was treasure buried down there for some reason.
Well, we had some great times down The Rocks; there were lots of glow-worms in the summer which you never seem to see now. I must go down there at some stage and see in the summer whether they are still up there because they were quite a sight. That was a lovely, lovely place to play; it was all tufts of grass, and a few trees. It's all planted now and, as I said, one end down by the triangle has been filled in, which is a shame.
So on the corner of that track going back down to the other road was Mrs Pothecary. They used to keep goldfish. The goldfish were very, very tame. And if you put your fingers in, the goldfish would come up and suckle your fingers, which always used to impress me.
Well, we had some great times down The Rocks; there were lots of glow-worms in the summer which you never seem to see now. I must go down there at some stage and see in the summer whether they are still up there because they were quite a sight. That was a lovely, lovely place to play; it was all tufts of grass, and a few trees. It's all planted now and, as I said, one end down by the triangle has been filled in, which is a shame.
So on the corner of that track going back down to the other road was Mrs Pothecary. They used to keep goldfish. The goldfish were very, very tame. And if you put your fingers in, the goldfish would come up and suckle your fingers, which always used to impress me.
Going on that road there was a gentleman there who, when I worked up the pig farm, and we took some manure down, a trailer load of manure for his garden, he invited me and Jim Bush in. He brewed his own beer so I suppose I must have had some beer or something. And also he grew his own tobacco. I can remember he gave me some tobacco to try; I certainly wasn't old enough to smoke then.
On down and in to the left was my grandfather's house, which was called South View, and there was an orchard they had there full of all different apple trees. He had one type of apple there that was bright red and when you bit into it, it was pink. It was just full of apple trees. And also it is my first recollection of recognising and looking at a flower down there which was a granny bonnet which used to grow wild down there. That was the first flower that I ever recollect.
Granddad's cottage was a very basic cottage. I can only really remember two rooms. (I suppose I must have gone upstairs at some stage). He didn't have a toilet as such; he had a bucket. It was our job to take turns to empty it. I can remember only doing it a couple of times. It wasn't just a bucket, it had a seat and lid on it and then he had a pit and it used to be put down the pit.
Also down there was a stone shed with a corrugated iron roof and at one stage we had a goat which was called Primrose which we used to keep down there on a chain and a tether. I don't know what happened to Primrose. Mother and Father said they gave it away somewhere. I suspect it got put down, or something like that.
Just one recollection I have was when we used to have a bonfire down at Granddad's and the fireworks down there. I can remember old Mrs Pocock sat on her shooting stick and us lighting up jumping jacks behind her and watching her jump at the bangers and run away (not allowed to do that now of course). The old spuds were in the ashes and so forth but I wouldn't say it was a real big, big deal.
On down and in to the left was my grandfather's house, which was called South View, and there was an orchard they had there full of all different apple trees. He had one type of apple there that was bright red and when you bit into it, it was pink. It was just full of apple trees. And also it is my first recollection of recognising and looking at a flower down there which was a granny bonnet which used to grow wild down there. That was the first flower that I ever recollect.
Granddad's cottage was a very basic cottage. I can only really remember two rooms. (I suppose I must have gone upstairs at some stage). He didn't have a toilet as such; he had a bucket. It was our job to take turns to empty it. I can remember only doing it a couple of times. It wasn't just a bucket, it had a seat and lid on it and then he had a pit and it used to be put down the pit.
Also down there was a stone shed with a corrugated iron roof and at one stage we had a goat which was called Primrose which we used to keep down there on a chain and a tether. I don't know what happened to Primrose. Mother and Father said they gave it away somewhere. I suspect it got put down, or something like that.
Just one recollection I have was when we used to have a bonfire down at Granddad's and the fireworks down there. I can remember old Mrs Pocock sat on her shooting stick and us lighting up jumping jacks behind her and watching her jump at the bangers and run away (not allowed to do that now of course). The old spuds were in the ashes and so forth but I wouldn't say it was a real big, big deal.
A Magical Moment Watching |
At Play in the 1950s
Stephen and Linda Bassett used to go off to the woods, and find what we called our secret place there, which was further on through the woods and over a couple of fields and find these ponds over there in the middle of nowhere. We used to go over there and mess about, get frightened in case the farmer was going to come out and chase us off, which he never did. |
That was somewhere where there was once a magical moment with Father when he took us over the woods. I don't know why he took us over because it was through a field but there obviously must have been some reason. I don't know whether Shaun and Tony were with me and Peter.
In the woods there were two or three fields that were totally sort of enclosed by the woods. The only way through was the track and then a five-bar gate. We were just going to get over the five-bar gate when Father put his hand up and there was a fox in the field playing with either two or three cubs. It was one of those magic moments when you just stood there and watched. Then one of us must have made a movement I suppose and the fox went off. That always stays in my mind.
We used to go over there and try and kill pheasants but we never did. We used to make spears and carve initials and patterns on the spears, point them up and go looking for pigeons and pheasants but we never did catch anything.
And I can also remember (I don't know whether it was my fifth or sixth birthday) I wanted to learn to play the guitar and I was given a ukulele, a little wooden ukulele, which I can remember being very disappointed about, that it wasn't a real big guitar; it must have been my cowboy days or something like that.
In the woods there were two or three fields that were totally sort of enclosed by the woods. The only way through was the track and then a five-bar gate. We were just going to get over the five-bar gate when Father put his hand up and there was a fox in the field playing with either two or three cubs. It was one of those magic moments when you just stood there and watched. Then one of us must have made a movement I suppose and the fox went off. That always stays in my mind.
We used to go over there and try and kill pheasants but we never did. We used to make spears and carve initials and patterns on the spears, point them up and go looking for pigeons and pheasants but we never did catch anything.
And I can also remember (I don't know whether it was my fifth or sixth birthday) I wanted to learn to play the guitar and I was given a ukulele, a little wooden ukulele, which I can remember being very disappointed about, that it wasn't a real big guitar; it must have been my cowboy days or something like that.
Early football years
We used to play football over the road, with the old coats down as goalposts, rather rough. Whenever a car came, which wasn't as often as it is these days, it used to be car-stop (that's what we called the game car-stop) because you had to stop playing and wait for the car to go past you and continue on.
We always used to watch the Cup Final with our boots on and whatever else we had, and a football under our arm. As soon as the Cup Final was finished we were off and over playing and if it was a good game, whoever scored, we always used to be that team.
Father cleared an area of land and out of some conduit he made some goal posts and we had a crossbar which was an absolute luxury. I can remember when he had finished it he came down and had a game of football with us.
We always used to watch the Cup Final with our boots on and whatever else we had, and a football under our arm. As soon as the Cup Final was finished we were off and over playing and if it was a good game, whoever scored, we always used to be that team.
Father cleared an area of land and out of some conduit he made some goal posts and we had a crossbar which was an absolute luxury. I can remember when he had finished it he came down and had a game of football with us.
Father was good, I can remember he was very good. I suppose I have always assumed that because he was working so hard that he never got round to playing football properly. I certainly didn't ever hear him mention playing football in his youth.
The other thing we did down there we used to try and catch sparrows or birds. And we'd go down there with a stick and a length of string on the bottom of the stick and then prop up an old tomato box and put a load of bread underneath and run the string along the ground and hide. And then when the birds came to peck at the bread, we used to pull the stick away and let the box drop down on them. I don't know how many times we did that but we never actually caught a bird. I know we spent a long, long time waiting.
And of course from there, there was path went through the orchard into the back of our place which meant that you had to go past the shed (and it wasn't really a shed, it was a stone building). I don't know what the roof was, probably asbestos in those days. That's where we used to keep motor bikes, push bikes and the front part was Father's workshop where he had a huge ham radio.
Occasionally we'd go down there and he was messing with it and he'd pick up places like Hong Kong. He couldn't actually broadcast; all he could do was just listen but it was a huge range about five dialling knobs to tune in finer and finer and finer. It was a huge piece of equipment and that was his workshop. He had a bench and things like that.
And then at some stage we opened up our museum down there. In the museum were bits of clock and things like that we found in the garden. I don't think it was particularly successful and then the shed then got converted into a sort of pig-sty. I can remember the pigs being down there and feeding the pigs. There were only two I believe. And I can also remember one of them trying to jump up on the wall and broke his back and had to be taken away.
Yes, our playgrounds (especially involving Pete, me and Bertie Bassett). At one stage we used to have a den, what we called a den; it was a huge hollow oak tree and it was down what was called the Short Hill by Hatt House at the bottom near to the main Box-Melksham Road. There was a tunnel actually under the road there which was always permanently wet. It was a huge tree and you could certainly get in it and it was hollow right the way up, but it wasn't completely dead because it used to leaf every year. You could climb up the inside and outside and that, we spent quite a bit of time down there and we used to have our own tobacco called wish wine (clematis or Old Man's Beard) which we started smoking; we used to go and hack a bit off; God knows what that did to my lungs.
The other thing we did down there we used to try and catch sparrows or birds. And we'd go down there with a stick and a length of string on the bottom of the stick and then prop up an old tomato box and put a load of bread underneath and run the string along the ground and hide. And then when the birds came to peck at the bread, we used to pull the stick away and let the box drop down on them. I don't know how many times we did that but we never actually caught a bird. I know we spent a long, long time waiting.
And of course from there, there was path went through the orchard into the back of our place which meant that you had to go past the shed (and it wasn't really a shed, it was a stone building). I don't know what the roof was, probably asbestos in those days. That's where we used to keep motor bikes, push bikes and the front part was Father's workshop where he had a huge ham radio.
Occasionally we'd go down there and he was messing with it and he'd pick up places like Hong Kong. He couldn't actually broadcast; all he could do was just listen but it was a huge range about five dialling knobs to tune in finer and finer and finer. It was a huge piece of equipment and that was his workshop. He had a bench and things like that.
And then at some stage we opened up our museum down there. In the museum were bits of clock and things like that we found in the garden. I don't think it was particularly successful and then the shed then got converted into a sort of pig-sty. I can remember the pigs being down there and feeding the pigs. There were only two I believe. And I can also remember one of them trying to jump up on the wall and broke his back and had to be taken away.
Yes, our playgrounds (especially involving Pete, me and Bertie Bassett). At one stage we used to have a den, what we called a den; it was a huge hollow oak tree and it was down what was called the Short Hill by Hatt House at the bottom near to the main Box-Melksham Road. There was a tunnel actually under the road there which was always permanently wet. It was a huge tree and you could certainly get in it and it was hollow right the way up, but it wasn't completely dead because it used to leaf every year. You could climb up the inside and outside and that, we spent quite a bit of time down there and we used to have our own tobacco called wish wine (clematis or Old Man's Beard) which we started smoking; we used to go and hack a bit off; God knows what that did to my lungs.
Great Excitement when Girls visited |
And I can remember the girls from junior school came there either in the summer holiday or Easter holiday or it might even have been at a weekend. There was great excitement because we were going to get some girls down there.
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There was Geraldine Gardener (who I still see now). Other than her I cannot remember who else went down there from Corsham girls or boys. We used to have fires down there and things that kids do.
We used to catch the bus back from Corsham up to Fiveways, where the AA box was. It must have been the last day that Tony was going to see a girl called Carol Ploughman, the day that they left junior school and went to senior school. As we got on the bus I remember she pulled her top out and showed Tony her cleavage which led to great excitement. That was Carol Ploughman. She lived in Box, I believe they had a shop down there, a grocers or vegetable shop or something of that nature.
We used to catch the bus back from Corsham up to Fiveways, where the AA box was. It must have been the last day that Tony was going to see a girl called Carol Ploughman, the day that they left junior school and went to senior school. As we got on the bus I remember she pulled her top out and showed Tony her cleavage which led to great excitement. That was Carol Ploughman. She lived in Box, I believe they had a shop down there, a grocers or vegetable shop or something of that nature.
At Home
I know in the house in Killiney we also had a couple of runts (the little pig that was one too many or one stunted in growth). We kept them indoors and fed them (not that they were running all over the place). They were just in the warm till they got healthy enough to go outside. We are only talking about a couple of weeks old, even less than that I should think, it wasn't like a farm in there or anything like that.
Other recollections of the house. All the rooms except upstairs (because it was a dormer bungalow), all the rooms had fireplaces in them except for the lounge (the living room) and what we call the posh room, which we only used to go in at Christmas and that was divided off by a folding door but that was always closed
Our bedroom (Peter and I used to share a bedroom) to stop the draught, there was a board in front of the fireplace and that's where I used to keep my fishing equipment when I started fishing when I was 12, something like that. And I had a wooden box with a strap on it. And one time a peculiar smell started coming from the bedroom and the bedroom was turned upside down and the smell just got worse and worse. Nobody could figure it out until I went fishing again, and got the box out and found a tobacco tin full of liquefied worms and the smell went after I got rid of those.
I must have got a fishing rod for my birthday and Shaun was the first person who took me fishing and we went down just past Shockerwick going to Bath on the left; we went down to the By Brook (I always call it the Box Brook) and we went down there with worms and my fishing equipment. Unfortunately we didn't have any hooks. I can remember Shaun then tying the worm on to the line. We were hoping the fish was going to swallow the worm and then we could pull them out.We weren't very successful, in fact I know we didn't catch anything but what we did do was get caught by a bailiff who came down and Shaun somehow managed to talk his way out of it. (I suppose the beginning of his confidence to become a policeman.)
I know in the house in Killiney we also had a couple of runts (the little pig that was one too many or one stunted in growth). We kept them indoors and fed them (not that they were running all over the place). They were just in the warm till they got healthy enough to go outside. We are only talking about a couple of weeks old, even less than that I should think, it wasn't like a farm in there or anything like that.
Other recollections of the house. All the rooms except upstairs (because it was a dormer bungalow), all the rooms had fireplaces in them except for the lounge (the living room) and what we call the posh room, which we only used to go in at Christmas and that was divided off by a folding door but that was always closed
Our bedroom (Peter and I used to share a bedroom) to stop the draught, there was a board in front of the fireplace and that's where I used to keep my fishing equipment when I started fishing when I was 12, something like that. And I had a wooden box with a strap on it. And one time a peculiar smell started coming from the bedroom and the bedroom was turned upside down and the smell just got worse and worse. Nobody could figure it out until I went fishing again, and got the box out and found a tobacco tin full of liquefied worms and the smell went after I got rid of those.
I must have got a fishing rod for my birthday and Shaun was the first person who took me fishing and we went down just past Shockerwick going to Bath on the left; we went down to the By Brook (I always call it the Box Brook) and we went down there with worms and my fishing equipment. Unfortunately we didn't have any hooks. I can remember Shaun then tying the worm on to the line. We were hoping the fish was going to swallow the worm and then we could pull them out.We weren't very successful, in fact I know we didn't catch anything but what we did do was get caught by a bailiff who came down and Shaun somehow managed to talk his way out of it. (I suppose the beginning of his confidence to become a policeman.)
Scammel army lorry
In those days there was a lot of movement of ammunition from Monkton Farleigh back to Corsham. They used to go past, fleets of lorries, three-wheeled articulated lorries (I think they were Scammell).
These drivers weren't meant to pick anybody up but, seeing as we all went to school, still at Corsham Regis, at Junior School, they used to pick us up. They used to know the Inspectors' cars and every now and again they used to shout Get Down! and you'd have to dip down below the dashboard. And there was a huge sort of cowling in the cab which must have been the engine below and that was always lovely and warm. We knew most of these lorry drivers well enough and all the lorries were exactly the same, painted the same colour, I believe they were red and cream with an open back.
These drivers weren't meant to pick anybody up but, seeing as we all went to school, still at Corsham Regis, at Junior School, they used to pick us up. They used to know the Inspectors' cars and every now and again they used to shout Get Down! and you'd have to dip down below the dashboard. And there was a huge sort of cowling in the cab which must have been the engine below and that was always lovely and warm. We knew most of these lorry drivers well enough and all the lorries were exactly the same, painted the same colour, I believe they were red and cream with an open back.
But one day we were out the front, playing on the lawn, and a lorry went past and threw out a load of sweets and we just ran and grabbed them. It wasn't one of the usual lorries; we went and grabbed the sweets and the three of us (there was Tony and Shaun was there as well) we all ate a sweet each or two sweets each, however many came out, but Shaun wouldn't have one until he was sure they were all right and not poisoned or anything like that. He waited for a reaction from them.
Childhood Happenings
Another thing that happened there was that we used to cycle down to Fiveways, put our bikes over on the farm and on the way down, in the last field on the left just before the road joins the Bath/ Box to Melksham road, there was a whole row of beech trees. There isn't now, most of them have gone. There was also a circle in the middle of beech.
Even though I wasn't there I can recollect that Jane Warner was walking (I think she went to a different school to us. She used to get home earlier and catch a different bus) and she was walking up there and looked down. And in those days there was a necklace out that was popper beads, plastic popper beads, that you used to push into one another and you could make different necklaces.
She was walking home and passed these beech trees and there was one in the verge and as she bent down to put the necklace all together, a chap came out. I don't think he actually assaulted her but luckily Shaun was also a minute behind her and he chased him off or the chap was frightened off.
Tony was the one who had a Lambretta scooter with the back light falling off. Father used to go spare at him because he never bothered with putting it on properly. He was the first one that had a car at home because Shaun left when he was 17 to become a police cadet. So the first car I knew was Tony's. It was an old black thing with hardly any clutch on it and leather seats. He was going on holiday with Carla and Father offered to lend him his car which was a Ford 105-E Anglia, yellow and white with a white roof, LFB 626.
Another thing that happened there was that we used to cycle down to Fiveways, put our bikes over on the farm and on the way down, in the last field on the left just before the road joins the Bath/ Box to Melksham road, there was a whole row of beech trees. There isn't now, most of them have gone. There was also a circle in the middle of beech.
Even though I wasn't there I can recollect that Jane Warner was walking (I think she went to a different school to us. She used to get home earlier and catch a different bus) and she was walking up there and looked down. And in those days there was a necklace out that was popper beads, plastic popper beads, that you used to push into one another and you could make different necklaces.
She was walking home and passed these beech trees and there was one in the verge and as she bent down to put the necklace all together, a chap came out. I don't think he actually assaulted her but luckily Shaun was also a minute behind her and he chased him off or the chap was frightened off.
Tony was the one who had a Lambretta scooter with the back light falling off. Father used to go spare at him because he never bothered with putting it on properly. He was the first one that had a car at home because Shaun left when he was 17 to become a police cadet. So the first car I knew was Tony's. It was an old black thing with hardly any clutch on it and leather seats. He was going on holiday with Carla and Father offered to lend him his car which was a Ford 105-E Anglia, yellow and white with a white roof, LFB 626.
Kevin in Corsham cricket team
The night before when Father said you can load up my car but you'll have to clean your car out first, Tony refused to clean his car out because it was all full of absolute rubbish I suspect. In the end it all blew up and Father withdrew his offer and Tony wouldn't back down and Tony went off in his old black car. As far as I know he made it and came back.
Peter, his first car was an old Ford Prefect, the one where the faster it went in the rain, the slower the windscreen wipers got. It was something to do with air pressure but he bought that one off of Percy Abbott, the man that lived in the house nearest to the golf course.
Peter, his first car was an old Ford Prefect, the one where the faster it went in the rain, the slower the windscreen wipers got. It was something to do with air pressure but he bought that one off of Percy Abbott, the man that lived in the house nearest to the golf course.
Now, once a year they used to have a point-to-point meeting at Monkton Farleigh and that was always a great occasion for us with so much traffic going up and with horse boxes from mid morning going up there. there'd be cars going up, cars after cars after cars; horseboxes ...
There was always a chap on a Saturday (he must have played golf). He always used to let his dog out of the car right down by the AA box (there used to be an AA box at Fiveways) and then drive up to the golf course. This dog always used to fly past on a Saturday going like hell. He just used to meet up with him every week. He wouldn't do it now in case he got run over but in those days there wasn't so much traffic.
I can remember going to the point-to-point only once. Whether we didn't have any money or it didn't interest us, I don't know but we used to cycle up there.
There was always a chap on a Saturday (he must have played golf). He always used to let his dog out of the car right down by the AA box (there used to be an AA box at Fiveways) and then drive up to the golf course. This dog always used to fly past on a Saturday going like hell. He just used to meet up with him every week. He wouldn't do it now in case he got run over but in those days there wasn't so much traffic.
I can remember going to the point-to-point only once. Whether we didn't have any money or it didn't interest us, I don't know but we used to cycle up there.
And I can remember a tipster called Prince Monolulu.[1] I have since seen a photograph of this chap he was dressed up like a Zulu Prince, giving out tips for money and so forth. his famous saying was I Gotta Horse!.
Somebody told me or I read it that in fact he was a chap from Birmingham and he wasn't a Zulu prince at all. He obviously did a roaring trade.
Why the point-to-point finished at Monkton Farleigh I have absolutely no idea but I have got quite vivid recollections of it being in a sloping field and being able to see all the horses go round.
As for stalls and that, there must have been some there.
Somebody told me or I read it that in fact he was a chap from Birmingham and he wasn't a Zulu prince at all. He obviously did a roaring trade.
Why the point-to-point finished at Monkton Farleigh I have absolutely no idea but I have got quite vivid recollections of it being in a sloping field and being able to see all the horses go round.
As for stalls and that, there must have been some there.
Another place we always used to go to in the evenings just when it was getting dark was just by the golf course. Some of the greens up there were in dips and we used to go up and cycle down and round, and then fill the holes up with soil. I suppose that's like grandfather who is famous for sitting on the golf course holding up play to establish his claim for common land. [2]
Also up there once, we were watching people tee off (this was the tee that is by the South Wraxall road) and one chap sliced his shot and it went straight into the spokes of one of our bikes and locked in the spokes when the wheel kept going round. Another vivid memory.
One other thing that comes to mind now is on the long fairway from Totney Corner back along towards the club house that overlooks Bath (where you could sit and overlook Bath) there's some stones there and a ridge. I have had this argument before but my grandfather and my father told me those stones that are protruding there and the ditches they were dug and put there in the war to stop the threat of German gliders landing there. And I have had this argument many times and I have had this verified, so that in fact is why the stones are there, the reason for it.
Over on the other side of the road at the golf course there's a track that goes down from the top and then there's a left angled right-angle which goes down and meets Lower Kingsdown Road. It was just the other side of what was the Chapel round there and then it goes on down Lower Kingsdown Road and in the winter of 1962-63, it was a very bad winter when it never went above freezing, I believe, from the time it snowed Boxing Day until March and that was our best sledging place. In fact I've got it in my diary, my oldest diary that I kept.
I made a sledge called Big George which was just three bits all nailed together and the first time I went down there and went to go left on this right-angle, it all snapped in half and I went straight on and I cut my lip and everything. That was our best run because that was a long, long run all the way down and then you met the road and went straight on down. And that was a long trudge back up.
And Totney (what people now call for some reason Windy Corner; it isn't Windy Corner, it's Totney) that did comprise at one stage of a complete circle of trees. They must have been beech because a lot of them have blown down. There's two or three up there now but not as many as there used to be.
That year was quite remarkable for the amount of snow. I recollect walking down just past the Swan there's a bend and the drifts were that big that the baker down there, Threshers were throwing their bread over the snow drifts because they couldn't get through. I don't know how many weeks it was before they did get through but it was very harsh.
The other place that year that we went sledging although we did only it twice was down Doctors Hill, that's the steepest hill around here, down to the bottom but we only did it twice. It was a sheet of ice and we went very, very fast you had a job to stop at the bottom or get round the corner at the bottom of course once you got down there you had to walk back up. We only did it twice.
Also up there once, we were watching people tee off (this was the tee that is by the South Wraxall road) and one chap sliced his shot and it went straight into the spokes of one of our bikes and locked in the spokes when the wheel kept going round. Another vivid memory.
One other thing that comes to mind now is on the long fairway from Totney Corner back along towards the club house that overlooks Bath (where you could sit and overlook Bath) there's some stones there and a ridge. I have had this argument before but my grandfather and my father told me those stones that are protruding there and the ditches they were dug and put there in the war to stop the threat of German gliders landing there. And I have had this argument many times and I have had this verified, so that in fact is why the stones are there, the reason for it.
Over on the other side of the road at the golf course there's a track that goes down from the top and then there's a left angled right-angle which goes down and meets Lower Kingsdown Road. It was just the other side of what was the Chapel round there and then it goes on down Lower Kingsdown Road and in the winter of 1962-63, it was a very bad winter when it never went above freezing, I believe, from the time it snowed Boxing Day until March and that was our best sledging place. In fact I've got it in my diary, my oldest diary that I kept.
I made a sledge called Big George which was just three bits all nailed together and the first time I went down there and went to go left on this right-angle, it all snapped in half and I went straight on and I cut my lip and everything. That was our best run because that was a long, long run all the way down and then you met the road and went straight on down. And that was a long trudge back up.
And Totney (what people now call for some reason Windy Corner; it isn't Windy Corner, it's Totney) that did comprise at one stage of a complete circle of trees. They must have been beech because a lot of them have blown down. There's two or three up there now but not as many as there used to be.
That year was quite remarkable for the amount of snow. I recollect walking down just past the Swan there's a bend and the drifts were that big that the baker down there, Threshers were throwing their bread over the snow drifts because they couldn't get through. I don't know how many weeks it was before they did get through but it was very harsh.
The other place that year that we went sledging although we did only it twice was down Doctors Hill, that's the steepest hill around here, down to the bottom but we only did it twice. It was a sheet of ice and we went very, very fast you had a job to stop at the bottom or get round the corner at the bottom of course once you got down there you had to walk back up. We only did it twice.
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Other people of my youth up at Longsplatt, the Baldwins, the first house from where we lived going down as you start to go down Henley Lane. In the first house on the right there was Christopher, Elizabeth and another brother and sister. Christopher married Pattie Fudge. Her father owned the Post Office and the caravan site in Box. They live up Clydesdale Road now.
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Pattie Fudge's father owned |
Just over the road on the farm which is called I believe Green Lane Farm was the Sheppards. Chris Sheppard is still running the farm now. He took over when his father died, and he had a sister who was my age who died very, very, very young I believe from cancer. I think it was Pat Sheppard.
Going on down from that farm on down to Henley on the right there is Henley Cottages, just a row of houses and that used to be apparently the school, Box School. Now when I did some work in the cottage that was adjacent to them, for an American woman called Madeleine Maddison, who was a bit of an entrepreneur, I had to plant three apple trees and she was going to sell the fruit to Marks & Spencer, off of three apple trees! In digging the pits I came across ash in one pit and half of the other. I mentioned this to Father later on and he told me that is where the boiler used to be emptied when they were clearing out. That's where the ash pile was and then that was tipped over.
Another chap who I didn't used to knock around with too much because he's just a little bit older than me is Barry Sims who lived at Witchcroft. I didn't realise until later on in life that Barry was quite a genius with engineering. One bike he had before they became popular was a Gilera and he also had a Moto Guzzi. He used to race them and at one stage I believe he was British Champion for one category or another. I don't think he had any brothers or sisters. He is now on the parish council.
And there were two girls called Perry that lived just as you go up from Longsplatt and hit the golf course on the left there was the farm where they lived. One of them was involved in a nasty accident where she got hit down walking up towards her house by a car.
Going on down from that farm on down to Henley on the right there is Henley Cottages, just a row of houses and that used to be apparently the school, Box School. Now when I did some work in the cottage that was adjacent to them, for an American woman called Madeleine Maddison, who was a bit of an entrepreneur, I had to plant three apple trees and she was going to sell the fruit to Marks & Spencer, off of three apple trees! In digging the pits I came across ash in one pit and half of the other. I mentioned this to Father later on and he told me that is where the boiler used to be emptied when they were clearing out. That's where the ash pile was and then that was tipped over.
Another chap who I didn't used to knock around with too much because he's just a little bit older than me is Barry Sims who lived at Witchcroft. I didn't realise until later on in life that Barry was quite a genius with engineering. One bike he had before they became popular was a Gilera and he also had a Moto Guzzi. He used to race them and at one stage I believe he was British Champion for one category or another. I don't think he had any brothers or sisters. He is now on the parish council.
And there were two girls called Perry that lived just as you go up from Longsplatt and hit the golf course on the left there was the farm where they lived. One of them was involved in a nasty accident where she got hit down walking up towards her house by a car.
At the Pig Farm
I was working at the pig farm with Jim Bush which was our side of the golf course and I know Jim Bush who lived at the Ridge he couldn't make it and, of course, there was no telephones and he had 500 pigs up there and every thing was frozen. I went up and I was feeding the pigs I think it was for about two or three days: breaking the ice, taking water, lighting old pig meal bags to unfreeze the troughs. It couldn't have been any more than two or three days because I don't think I could have kept it going. But that was a really harsh winter although I can't remember being cold at all. I suspect I was because I certainly feel it now. It was a harsh, harsh old winter.
And also at the pig farm all Jim's pigs which were Saddlebacks (he changed them over to Long Whites later on) the boar's name was always Roger. (I didn't know why. I suppose I do now but I didn't realise the inference then). The sows were kept in a field in harnesses in half-moon houses, metal housing with a wooden floor. Then he also used to have some bigger square ones.
When he used to take the pig food down, it being in bags obviously, then all the bags would go into one of these houses and every time that he moved those they were on sort of runners and he used to hitch them up to a chain with a hook and pull them around with a tractor up there.
It must have been during the 1962-63 winter he pulled a house away and I was ready with the iron bar because I don't know how many mice we had found in there. There weren't hundreds but there was quite a few mice in there that we'd had a go at and then when he pulled it away there was a rat trying to run over the frozen snow. And I gave it a wallop with a bar of some sort and caught it on the spine and back of the head and I can remember it rolling over looking up at me like a sea otter with all the blood coming, dead, another vivid recollection of something and nothing.
I was working at the pig farm with Jim Bush which was our side of the golf course and I know Jim Bush who lived at the Ridge he couldn't make it and, of course, there was no telephones and he had 500 pigs up there and every thing was frozen. I went up and I was feeding the pigs I think it was for about two or three days: breaking the ice, taking water, lighting old pig meal bags to unfreeze the troughs. It couldn't have been any more than two or three days because I don't think I could have kept it going. But that was a really harsh winter although I can't remember being cold at all. I suspect I was because I certainly feel it now. It was a harsh, harsh old winter.
And also at the pig farm all Jim's pigs which were Saddlebacks (he changed them over to Long Whites later on) the boar's name was always Roger. (I didn't know why. I suppose I do now but I didn't realise the inference then). The sows were kept in a field in harnesses in half-moon houses, metal housing with a wooden floor. Then he also used to have some bigger square ones.
When he used to take the pig food down, it being in bags obviously, then all the bags would go into one of these houses and every time that he moved those they were on sort of runners and he used to hitch them up to a chain with a hook and pull them around with a tractor up there.
It must have been during the 1962-63 winter he pulled a house away and I was ready with the iron bar because I don't know how many mice we had found in there. There weren't hundreds but there was quite a few mice in there that we'd had a go at and then when he pulled it away there was a rat trying to run over the frozen snow. And I gave it a wallop with a bar of some sort and caught it on the spine and back of the head and I can remember it rolling over looking up at me like a sea otter with all the blood coming, dead, another vivid recollection of something and nothing.
Above: Saddleback; Right: Large White
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But Jim Bush I always enjoyed, and I've always got a great affinity now to pigs. I love them. He used to have some beautiful little Saddleback piglets. Some legislation came in where you got more money for less fat and that's when he changed it over and they all became Long Whites. I think he did interbreed them; he had a lot of pigs up there. That was where I used to work on a Saturday morning and in the school holidays.
It was hard work because he had a lot in sties up the top being fattened. You had to go in, bend down and clear out the sties every day. The first time I nearly got caught having a fag by Father. I actually stubbed it out upon the palm of my hand which I regretted for many weeks after. It's also when I learned the tip that if you have got cold hands (so there you are I must have got cold up there at some stage) the best thing you can do is to dip them into cold water, leave them there as long as you can, and then take them back out, and within two or three minutes your hands are warm and it's true. Not that I'd do it now.
It was also the first time that I had heard father swear although I wouldn't call it swearing. Where we were tamping down some concrete to make a run for the slurry that came out and I started tamping before father said go and unfortunately his hand was between the piece of wood and the wall and I managed to scrape his hand all down the wall which he wasn't pleased about. Father very, very, very rarely swore.
Other recollections of up Jim Bush's. The SEB (Southern Electricity Board) men came into the field once where they used to let Roger run with the sows in one field. And there was a telegraph pole or electricity pole in there and one chap got up the ladder and the other chap stayed at the bottom. Jim Bush said they will have some fun in a minute and sure enough Roger and the sows spotted them and the boar was a big, big animal and he had tusks, and the chap at the bottom of the ladder didn't like the look of him.
He ran off back across the field and left his mate up the ladder.
It was hard work because he had a lot in sties up the top being fattened. You had to go in, bend down and clear out the sties every day. The first time I nearly got caught having a fag by Father. I actually stubbed it out upon the palm of my hand which I regretted for many weeks after. It's also when I learned the tip that if you have got cold hands (so there you are I must have got cold up there at some stage) the best thing you can do is to dip them into cold water, leave them there as long as you can, and then take them back out, and within two or three minutes your hands are warm and it's true. Not that I'd do it now.
It was also the first time that I had heard father swear although I wouldn't call it swearing. Where we were tamping down some concrete to make a run for the slurry that came out and I started tamping before father said go and unfortunately his hand was between the piece of wood and the wall and I managed to scrape his hand all down the wall which he wasn't pleased about. Father very, very, very rarely swore.
Other recollections of up Jim Bush's. The SEB (Southern Electricity Board) men came into the field once where they used to let Roger run with the sows in one field. And there was a telegraph pole or electricity pole in there and one chap got up the ladder and the other chap stayed at the bottom. Jim Bush said they will have some fun in a minute and sure enough Roger and the sows spotted them and the boar was a big, big animal and he had tusks, and the chap at the bottom of the ladder didn't like the look of him.
He ran off back across the field and left his mate up the ladder.
Roger the Boar attacked the |
Well he got half way down and Roger started rubbing up against the ladder. Then of course the ladder came off and the bloke fell about ten foot and got up and ran like hell back over to the van. And then Jim Bush went down with a bag of pig nuts and got him out of the way and the chaps came back and got their ladder.
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He did have a couple of dogs up there, they were little Jack Russells. I remember one getting his leg caught in the electric fence and he was doing a bit of a dance until he could switch the heads off.
He had small tractors up there which ran on TVO (Tractor Vaporising Oil) with a metal seat. I once was sowing some seed in the field but I obviously wasn't doing it right because I was missing bits and pieces with the tracks which Jim could see. He went berserk. I think Jim Bush was good; he always paid me. I think I used to get 17s.6d which is 87p now, something like that, for Saturday morning. But then 20 fags were only about a shilling so I could smoke to my hearts content, which I suspect I will regret very soon.
He had small tractors up there which ran on TVO (Tractor Vaporising Oil) with a metal seat. I once was sowing some seed in the field but I obviously wasn't doing it right because I was missing bits and pieces with the tracks which Jim could see. He went berserk. I think Jim Bush was good; he always paid me. I think I used to get 17s.6d which is 87p now, something like that, for Saturday morning. But then 20 fags were only about a shilling so I could smoke to my hearts content, which I suspect I will regret very soon.
Other recollections up there: whiskey and hot water and sugar. He had a little place where he could go because he didn't stay up there.
He had an old Austin Cambridge pick up with a column gear change. There are a few about now but they are very rare. I used to drive that round the fields as well, just doing errands.
The worst job up there was sometimes he would let a field go and it'd be making straw.
He had an old Austin Cambridge pick up with a column gear change. There are a few about now but they are very rare. I used to drive that round the fields as well, just doing errands.
The worst job up there was sometimes he would let a field go and it'd be making straw.
At the back of the baler is the sledge which comes along when the bale's gone. Somebody rides in the sledge, picks the bales up and stacks them and then pulls the lever and they go off stacked. That was not a nice job, nor was it if you didn't use the sledge just stacking them. The baler twine you picked them up with, that always used to rip the insides of your wrist to bits, scratches and so forth and when you've done a few hundred of them then you were pretty sore.
Also up there in the half-moon houses sometimes the sows gave birth to deformed or small piglets. Jim used to have to go in to the half-moon house, shut the door, which just left a little gap, give these sows some pig nuts, and grab the little pig which always squealed. The sow would come and then he would hand the piglet out through the gap and give it to me.
The first time he did that I had to grab the little pig by the back legs, get out of the way of the sow who was trying to get at me, and walk round the back of the half-moon house and swing the pig by his back legs and dispatch it. Unfortunately I wasn't really up to the task and took about five wallops to kill the little piglet and when Jim Bush came out of half-moon house he obviously knew how many wallops because he could hear them.
He went berserk at me and he taught me a lesson then that if you had to kill something then you killed it as quickly as you can, as painlessly as you can. And it's something that went through me right to this very day which is why I despise anybody also who is cruel to any animal. That's one of my good lessons in life that Jim Bush taught me.
That's all I really remember now about Jim Bush but I suspect I will be able to remember more because I have happy memories and I've always got an affinity to pigs; they are a lovely, lovely animal.
Also up there in the half-moon houses sometimes the sows gave birth to deformed or small piglets. Jim used to have to go in to the half-moon house, shut the door, which just left a little gap, give these sows some pig nuts, and grab the little pig which always squealed. The sow would come and then he would hand the piglet out through the gap and give it to me.
The first time he did that I had to grab the little pig by the back legs, get out of the way of the sow who was trying to get at me, and walk round the back of the half-moon house and swing the pig by his back legs and dispatch it. Unfortunately I wasn't really up to the task and took about five wallops to kill the little piglet and when Jim Bush came out of half-moon house he obviously knew how many wallops because he could hear them.
He went berserk at me and he taught me a lesson then that if you had to kill something then you killed it as quickly as you can, as painlessly as you can. And it's something that went through me right to this very day which is why I despise anybody also who is cruel to any animal. That's one of my good lessons in life that Jim Bush taught me.
That's all I really remember now about Jim Bush but I suspect I will be able to remember more because I have happy memories and I've always got an affinity to pigs; they are a lovely, lovely animal.
Mother and Father
Mother aged 18 with baby Phil White
On the way back from between Totney and Prospect is the famous Kingsdown House which used to be what was called in those days a lunatic asylum which is where Mother worked. She was born Moya McGrane. She didn't work there first of all when she came over from Bray, Ireland. She came over when she was 16 on a ticket in about 1936 or 1937. It was paid for by Ralph Allen, Prior Park and so she came over and, I take it, went into service there.
However they couldn't save up enough money and then pay off their debt to Prior Park for perhaps two years or something like that so that they were duty bound to stay there for a certain length of time. But once that was paid off, she then went to work in Kingsdown House and I believe that's where Father first met her.
They married when they were quite young; Shaun was born in 1942, Tony in 1944, me in 1948 and Pete in 1950. And Shaun is the only one to be actually born in Ireland. Tony was born when Father was away during the war.
However they couldn't save up enough money and then pay off their debt to Prior Park for perhaps two years or something like that so that they were duty bound to stay there for a certain length of time. But once that was paid off, she then went to work in Kingsdown House and I believe that's where Father first met her.
They married when they were quite young; Shaun was born in 1942, Tony in 1944, me in 1948 and Pete in 1950. And Shaun is the only one to be actually born in Ireland. Tony was born when Father was away during the war.
I'm going to say what I found out about my father, Ted, since he died; so I just might get a little bit emotional. It wasn't until Father died that we realised how much he went through in the war, especially perhaps on D-Day. I've got some pebbles here that he collected from each of the beaches that were used on D-Day when he went over and revisited at some stage. I've got them with all names painted on that dear old dad let me have and they are up in the garage. He joined the Medical Corps because he didn't want to wear a gun or have to shoot anybody. I believe what he saw on D-Day on the beaches certainly more than made up for the absence of actual combat.
Mother and Father at home they never used to go out a lot. Eventually when we left they'd go to the Longs Arms and sit round the fire, my father was never a great drinker, But other than that mother was always there when we came home from school, always there!
They only had a motor bike and I know that once they went to Rugby to see Father's step-brother Uncle Jack and Maggie and I can remember them coming back because it was lashing down with rain. I can remember hearing the rain on the window and hearing the bike turn up and the outside light went on. I looked out and there was Father, he had a greatcoat on (there was no such thing as leathers or things like that then; no gloves on, no helmet and he was red as a beetroot, I suppose from the rain beating his face, and soaking wet. I'd think twice now about going to Rugby on a motor bike with all the proper kit let alone like that but they did.
Mother and Father at home they never used to go out a lot. Eventually when we left they'd go to the Longs Arms and sit round the fire, my father was never a great drinker, But other than that mother was always there when we came home from school, always there!
They only had a motor bike and I know that once they went to Rugby to see Father's step-brother Uncle Jack and Maggie and I can remember them coming back because it was lashing down with rain. I can remember hearing the rain on the window and hearing the bike turn up and the outside light went on. I looked out and there was Father, he had a greatcoat on (there was no such thing as leathers or things like that then; no gloves on, no helmet and he was red as a beetroot, I suppose from the rain beating his face, and soaking wet. I'd think twice now about going to Rugby on a motor bike with all the proper kit let alone like that but they did.
Mother, Father and grandchildren
On one occasion when they went out we had just had a new carpet put in the living room. We obviously didn't hear them come back because we had some boxing gloves, we used to go three rounds with each other.
We'd been warned about no scuffing the carpet and there we were boxing on it. That was one of the few times I can remember Dad hitting us, he stood on the door with a slipper and we all had to walk out and get a wallop. Apart from that I can never remember anything.
I don't know how he did it because he must have worked really hard in those days (he built the house himself and that in his spare time). He must have been tired constantly.
We'd been warned about no scuffing the carpet and there we were boxing on it. That was one of the few times I can remember Dad hitting us, he stood on the door with a slipper and we all had to walk out and get a wallop. Apart from that I can never remember anything.
I don't know how he did it because he must have worked really hard in those days (he built the house himself and that in his spare time). He must have been tired constantly.
Shops in Box
Talking of shops in Box on the corner opposite the Queens in Bulls Lane that is now the sheltered housing or low cost housing, there was a shop on the corner there. As you went down to the Market Place there was a wool shop down there, not sure whether it was Mrs Haines.
Talking of shops in Box on the corner opposite the Queens in Bulls Lane that is now the sheltered housing or low cost housing, there was a shop on the corner there. As you went down to the Market Place there was a wool shop down there, not sure whether it was Mrs Haines.
Then there was the barbers; that of course was run by a chap called Les Bawtree. To my knowledge I only ever went down there once, because Father used to cut our hair down in the shed; short back and sides with the manual clippers, and thinning out scissors.
As I said, I only went down to Bawtrees once and I felt so proud when I knew which way to put my head without even being asked and for some reason, I thought that was a great thing.
Further on down from that was a store called Bences. I think he sold electrical stuff and then sweets as well and they used to live two doors from us up at Longsplatt. There was Carol Bence and Nigel Bence who died last year; he was a big cricket man.
Then down at the bottom was the Chequers. Of course RJ Hill Butchers which is still there and then there was the Chequers and I'm going to come back to pubs in Box.
As I said, I only went down to Bawtrees once and I felt so proud when I knew which way to put my head without even being asked and for some reason, I thought that was a great thing.
Further on down from that was a store called Bences. I think he sold electrical stuff and then sweets as well and they used to live two doors from us up at Longsplatt. There was Carol Bence and Nigel Bence who died last year; he was a big cricket man.
Then down at the bottom was the Chequers. Of course RJ Hill Butchers which is still there and then there was the Chequers and I'm going to come back to pubs in Box.
Further on up just down from the Queens was Miller's Coaches, which shut down I suppose three years ago. And next to that used to be the doctors' surgery and they moved to where it is now opposite Bargates.
Of course in those days the station at Box was open and there was also a station at Mill Lane, just before you go under the tunnel to Peter Gabriel's studio down Mill Lane. Up on the left there were steps going right up to the top.
There were regular trains, small trains from Bath, like on a Saturday night that was (it was before my time, I didn't ever do it) the last train home was 11 o'clock. Shaun got into a bit of trouble a couple of times on the train and of course being a police cadet or hoping to go in as a police cadet, he could have come a cropper. I know John Bosley, the village copper, came up once and he smoothed it over for him because he was going to be in danger of not becoming a cadet or being thrown out.
Of course in those days the station at Box was open and there was also a station at Mill Lane, just before you go under the tunnel to Peter Gabriel's studio down Mill Lane. Up on the left there were steps going right up to the top.
There were regular trains, small trains from Bath, like on a Saturday night that was (it was before my time, I didn't ever do it) the last train home was 11 o'clock. Shaun got into a bit of trouble a couple of times on the train and of course being a police cadet or hoping to go in as a police cadet, he could have come a cropper. I know John Bosley, the village copper, came up once and he smoothed it over for him because he was going to be in danger of not becoming a cadet or being thrown out.
Village Pubs
Now I will talk about the pubs in Box. In my day I didn't go as far as the Quarryman's (although that is still classified as in Box). There were four pubs in the centre of Box, which were the Chequers, the Lamb, the Bear and the Queens. There was also one up at Box Hill where the bus stop is now called the Rising Sun and that blew up in about 1955, a gas explosion killing the landlord and landlady. I have always said that I can remember hearing the explosion but I know damn well I didn't but for some reason I used to say that. And there was a club, the Comrades Club.
Now I will talk about the pubs in Box. In my day I didn't go as far as the Quarryman's (although that is still classified as in Box). There were four pubs in the centre of Box, which were the Chequers, the Lamb, the Bear and the Queens. There was also one up at Box Hill where the bus stop is now called the Rising Sun and that blew up in about 1955, a gas explosion killing the landlord and landlady. I have always said that I can remember hearing the explosion but I know damn well I didn't but for some reason I used to say that. And there was a club, the Comrades Club.
A reference to the pop group the Four Specs
Now about the pubs, we used to go in them all. The first recollection is messing about on the Rec and I don't know how old we would have been when we used to go in the Queens. There was a hatch at the back when Len Walker used to keep it.
He always used to wear slippers night. He was afraid of fire and always went to bed during the day and then stay up all through the night. His wife's name was Joan.
We used to go to the hatch there. We always used to have half a pint of bitter which I believe was 8½ old pence which equates in today's money into just under 4 new pence. I recollect not particularly liking it but then I don't think anybody liked beer to start with when they were younger.
He always used to wear slippers night. He was afraid of fire and always went to bed during the day and then stay up all through the night. His wife's name was Joan.
We used to go to the hatch there. We always used to have half a pint of bitter which I believe was 8½ old pence which equates in today's money into just under 4 new pence. I recollect not particularly liking it but then I don't think anybody liked beer to start with when they were younger.
At that time that was the premier pub in Box with a lounge and a bar and there was always extra money if you went in the lounge, it always cost you a penny or something extra if you had a pint because of the plush surroundings.
The one that I started to go to regularly was one that I now use once again (I must have spent a fortune in there) which was the Bear. Briefly a few years ago it became known as Baileys and now it's reverted back to the Bear. The first landlord that I recollect in there was Frank Preece, a big rotund fellow with his wife Helen and the many happy times we had in there. I spent my 18th birthday party in there out the back. I'd been drinking there for I don't know how long. The barrels were just on a shelf out the back and of course the layout of the Bear was completely different then.
You went in the front door (which is still where it was) and there was a hatch in front of you and a door to the left which went into the little bar and a door to the right which went into what was the lounge. It was a lot smaller then, it's been extended now, one of the biggest interior walls has been knocked down and is a seating area. Some great regulars down there: there was one in particular who was old Bill Fowle who used to come in every night (not that I was in there every night) and he used to come in and sit on the stool.
The one that I started to go to regularly was one that I now use once again (I must have spent a fortune in there) which was the Bear. Briefly a few years ago it became known as Baileys and now it's reverted back to the Bear. The first landlord that I recollect in there was Frank Preece, a big rotund fellow with his wife Helen and the many happy times we had in there. I spent my 18th birthday party in there out the back. I'd been drinking there for I don't know how long. The barrels were just on a shelf out the back and of course the layout of the Bear was completely different then.
You went in the front door (which is still where it was) and there was a hatch in front of you and a door to the left which went into the little bar and a door to the right which went into what was the lounge. It was a lot smaller then, it's been extended now, one of the biggest interior walls has been knocked down and is a seating area. Some great regulars down there: there was one in particular who was old Bill Fowle who used to come in every night (not that I was in there every night) and he used to come in and sit on the stool.
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The best tale I can tell about Bill Fowle was that he had a calliper with a spring on his leg which he got from the war when he was in Benghazi. He was a bit like Uncle Albert from Dad's Army saying When I was in the war.
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He had a Skin Graft from a Greyhound |
He was sat there one night when we had some American tourists in. Bill used to sit upon the stool (he was only a short chap), cross his leg over and of course the spring would show. The Americans asked him what it was and he related the tale of how he was shot by shrapnel during the war and he had to have a skin graft but they used the skin of a greyhound because it took better. The spring was on his leg so as to stop him, every time he walked past a telegraph pole or a lighting pole, to stop him cocking his leg and having a wee. I don't think they quite got that joke.
Another time there was some German tourists in there and I don't think they did bed and breakfast then but they might have been staying there. We had a chat to them and said where have you been and what had you been up to and they had been to Swansea but they didn't think a lot of Swansea. Everybody was saying why the hell did you go to Swansea. And they said we looked in a dictionary and saw swans (nice bird) and sea and so we assumed it was a nice place.
The other pub up on the Devizes Road which is no longer a pub was the Lamb Inn. I spent the 1966 World Cup night (when we won the World Cup) in there and I recollect a skittle alley. The only thing that sticks in my mind is sat outside of the Lamb on what must have been a summer's evening and a big American limousine went past with all blacked-out windows. One of the windows went down and a chap waved out from there and it was the American group, The Byrds, who had a hit with Turn, Turn, Turn. But I didn't spend a lot of time in the Lamb.
The Chequers was a lovely little pub really, really nice little snug and little corners; it had a nice lounge and there was always a good atmosphere in the Chequers. Of course then they messed about with it and changed it and now it's closed whether it will ever reopen remains to be seen. They want to convert it into a house and it went up for auction but it didn't fetch the price.
One pub I don't think I mentioned was the Northey Arms which was further on along. I didn't really go along there until we had a bit of transport. I had a bubble car at some stage and we used to go along there and there was a chap called Jones who was the landlord who was a bit of an alcoholic. He didn't know what he was doing half the time.
We used to go along and drink pints of Guinness. Generally it was John Howell, Andy Hayter, Spud, more than probably Kenny Packer, and me. And the landlord would pour two pints and bring them along and put them on the bar. Then he would go back get another two and we would start sipping. He always used to come along, pick up the first two, take them back, fill them up and then he'd come back and they'd done the same with the first two pints and he used to fill them up. I think we used to get a pint and a half for the price of a pint.
There used to be dances down there, not that I can recollect them very much, but they did used to have them and I am sure I must have gone to them down in the bottom area which is now a restaurant. The Northey Arms is more of a wine bar and restaurant more than a pub.
Another time there was some German tourists in there and I don't think they did bed and breakfast then but they might have been staying there. We had a chat to them and said where have you been and what had you been up to and they had been to Swansea but they didn't think a lot of Swansea. Everybody was saying why the hell did you go to Swansea. And they said we looked in a dictionary and saw swans (nice bird) and sea and so we assumed it was a nice place.
The other pub up on the Devizes Road which is no longer a pub was the Lamb Inn. I spent the 1966 World Cup night (when we won the World Cup) in there and I recollect a skittle alley. The only thing that sticks in my mind is sat outside of the Lamb on what must have been a summer's evening and a big American limousine went past with all blacked-out windows. One of the windows went down and a chap waved out from there and it was the American group, The Byrds, who had a hit with Turn, Turn, Turn. But I didn't spend a lot of time in the Lamb.
The Chequers was a lovely little pub really, really nice little snug and little corners; it had a nice lounge and there was always a good atmosphere in the Chequers. Of course then they messed about with it and changed it and now it's closed whether it will ever reopen remains to be seen. They want to convert it into a house and it went up for auction but it didn't fetch the price.
One pub I don't think I mentioned was the Northey Arms which was further on along. I didn't really go along there until we had a bit of transport. I had a bubble car at some stage and we used to go along there and there was a chap called Jones who was the landlord who was a bit of an alcoholic. He didn't know what he was doing half the time.
We used to go along and drink pints of Guinness. Generally it was John Howell, Andy Hayter, Spud, more than probably Kenny Packer, and me. And the landlord would pour two pints and bring them along and put them on the bar. Then he would go back get another two and we would start sipping. He always used to come along, pick up the first two, take them back, fill them up and then he'd come back and they'd done the same with the first two pints and he used to fill them up. I think we used to get a pint and a half for the price of a pint.
There used to be dances down there, not that I can recollect them very much, but they did used to have them and I am sure I must have gone to them down in the bottom area which is now a restaurant. The Northey Arms is more of a wine bar and restaurant more than a pub.
William Harbutt invented the manufacturing process
Next to the Northey there used to be a dump (illegal I believe) but when Harbutts, the Plasticine manufacturer in Bathampton, burnt down in 1963 Father took us down to the dump and we went down picking up Plasticine, crayons and so forth and we had sort of two half sackfuls and we were the only ones down there.
And going on down where the Nissan Garage is now that used to be the Drop Anchor Cafe and we used to go along there on our motorbikes and have a cup of coffee and play the fruit machines, it was also a petrol station as well. We used to go along there on our Honda 50s and NSU Quickly and think we were the bees-knees.
And going on down where the Nissan Garage is now that used to be the Drop Anchor Cafe and we used to go along there on our motorbikes and have a cup of coffee and play the fruit machines, it was also a petrol station as well. We used to go along there on our Honda 50s and NSU Quickly and think we were the bees-knees.
Characters in the 1960s
Some of the characters that were down in Box that I used to go around with: we will start perhaps with some of my best friends: Andy Hayter, a big tall, strapping chap (I am still in contact with him now). He always used to have some good motor bikes, I always used to borrow his. He had a Bonneville and I can remember going down the fish and chip shop in Batheaston and trying to hit 100 miles an hour which I didn't but I certainly got into the 90s. I remember it was a summer's evening, I had a shirt on, no helmet, no gloves; it only needed a touch on me and it was goodnight. I didn't even think about it in those days.
John Howell, a very, very good footballer, went on to play for Chippenham and Melksham. I still see him occasionally. His mother still lives in Box along Bargates. I have forgotten who was getting married (it might have been John) but I can remember going into Bath with Spud, John, might have been Ian Hardwick as well, and staying outside the Round House along near Westcott Street, at the pub on the corner and an ex-landlord of the Bear, Fred Westgate, had that.
When all the pubs were closed (and they used to close at half past ten in those days; 11 o'clock at weekends) we started picking out the canes from the flower displays in the tubs in front of the pub all the way down to the Abbey and pretending to play violins and serenading Fred Hopper. The coppers came along, we threw the canes down, and ran like bloody hell. Why we ever did that I don't know; thought it was clever at the time. I wouldn't think it was now if somebody did that to me but still.
Who else? Ian Hardwick was a good little footballer, used to play right back, hard as bloody nails, stopped playing football, started working for the council but he didn't get on with the council and he branched out on his own and he became a very successful ground worker, smashing bloke (I still see him).
Bruce Coles was the best footballer I think I ever played with; great winger, great chap. John McAlister, another good footballer, went eventually to live near Frome. When John was a boy and we used to knock around, he had a calliper on his leg. I never got round to asking him what it was for. I haven't seen him a few years; he became a very good squash player and I played him at squash down at Frome.
Who else did we have? Well we had a very good season 1968-69 (it might have been the year before) when we started the Sunday team. The reason I got involved with the Sunday team was because, working at the Chronicle which I started in 1965, we worked every Saturday. We had one Saturday in six off, so obviously I couldn't play any more for Box Rovers or anybody else. Sunday football was just taking off with the Chippenham Sunday League, so we formed a team to play in that.
Some of the characters that were down in Box that I used to go around with: we will start perhaps with some of my best friends: Andy Hayter, a big tall, strapping chap (I am still in contact with him now). He always used to have some good motor bikes, I always used to borrow his. He had a Bonneville and I can remember going down the fish and chip shop in Batheaston and trying to hit 100 miles an hour which I didn't but I certainly got into the 90s. I remember it was a summer's evening, I had a shirt on, no helmet, no gloves; it only needed a touch on me and it was goodnight. I didn't even think about it in those days.
John Howell, a very, very good footballer, went on to play for Chippenham and Melksham. I still see him occasionally. His mother still lives in Box along Bargates. I have forgotten who was getting married (it might have been John) but I can remember going into Bath with Spud, John, might have been Ian Hardwick as well, and staying outside the Round House along near Westcott Street, at the pub on the corner and an ex-landlord of the Bear, Fred Westgate, had that.
When all the pubs were closed (and they used to close at half past ten in those days; 11 o'clock at weekends) we started picking out the canes from the flower displays in the tubs in front of the pub all the way down to the Abbey and pretending to play violins and serenading Fred Hopper. The coppers came along, we threw the canes down, and ran like bloody hell. Why we ever did that I don't know; thought it was clever at the time. I wouldn't think it was now if somebody did that to me but still.
Who else? Ian Hardwick was a good little footballer, used to play right back, hard as bloody nails, stopped playing football, started working for the council but he didn't get on with the council and he branched out on his own and he became a very successful ground worker, smashing bloke (I still see him).
Bruce Coles was the best footballer I think I ever played with; great winger, great chap. John McAlister, another good footballer, went eventually to live near Frome. When John was a boy and we used to knock around, he had a calliper on his leg. I never got round to asking him what it was for. I haven't seen him a few years; he became a very good squash player and I played him at squash down at Frome.
Who else did we have? Well we had a very good season 1968-69 (it might have been the year before) when we started the Sunday team. The reason I got involved with the Sunday team was because, working at the Chronicle which I started in 1965, we worked every Saturday. We had one Saturday in six off, so obviously I couldn't play any more for Box Rovers or anybody else. Sunday football was just taking off with the Chippenham Sunday League, so we formed a team to play in that.
Box Sawyer Cup Teams (left Sunday team, right Saturday team): L to R
Back: A. Gay, A. Kerr, Jones, Williams, G. Guy, Andrews, Perrett, Portnall, Cogswell, Perrett, Robson, McCarron, McComb,
Trevor, Gingell, Paddy, Cole, Dome
Front Row: ?, Jacobs, Phillips, Ford, Hayter, Hall, Rebbeck, Bone, Cogswell
We were reasonably successful, we never actually won anything but there were some very, very good teams in the league at that time because they allowed in what they called Western League footballers (which was Devizes Town, Melksham Town and Chippenham Town). I don't think they let them play any more because some of them are paid now but of course in those days they weren't.
We did have one chap played for us who won a winners medal at the Amateur Cup Final at Wembley but he was stationed locally in the RAF. He only played I think for two seasons but we did have a very, very good team. John Howell, his father was manager and in those days we even had a coach to away matches, which is quite unbelievable in these days for a Sunday league team.
Well the place that we all used to hang out to begin with was the old Bingham Hall. It's not there any more, Bingham House is there and they demolished the Hall. It was a black building (I think it was corrugated iron). It was basically just a hall; it had a kitchen, a stage and an area behind the stage but was basically just a big floor. Just outside but semi attached to it was the library in Box.
We did have one chap played for us who won a winners medal at the Amateur Cup Final at Wembley but he was stationed locally in the RAF. He only played I think for two seasons but we did have a very, very good team. John Howell, his father was manager and in those days we even had a coach to away matches, which is quite unbelievable in these days for a Sunday league team.
Well the place that we all used to hang out to begin with was the old Bingham Hall. It's not there any more, Bingham House is there and they demolished the Hall. It was a black building (I think it was corrugated iron). It was basically just a hall; it had a kitchen, a stage and an area behind the stage but was basically just a big floor. Just outside but semi attached to it was the library in Box.
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Geoff Bray, Paul Bird, drummer, Gover
The Youth Club always met there and there was always a dance in the Bingham Hall on Boxing Day. We had a local pop group The Four Specs who became quite famous playing skiffle and rock-and-roll, like Buddy Holly.
Geoff Bray was the leader (he still lives at Box Hill and the group was managed by Mel Bush (another local resident), who I believe later promoted or managed David Essex, Queen and Vanessa Mae.
They used to travel around in a big van with sofas in the back which slid around when you went round corners.
Geoff Bray was the leader (he still lives at Box Hill and the group was managed by Mel Bush (another local resident), who I believe later promoted or managed David Essex, Queen and Vanessa Mae.
They used to travel around in a big van with sofas in the back which slid around when you went round corners.
Later they changed their name to The Gonks and they backed the singer Twinkle on a tour and appeared on the television programme Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
A new youth club was built in Dyers Yard in the Market Place in 1964 and the singer Frankie Vaughan came to open it. We always used to have a collection for Frankie Vaughan's charity, The Boys Clubs.
A new youth club was built in Dyers Yard in the Market Place in 1964 and the singer Frankie Vaughan came to open it. We always used to have a collection for Frankie Vaughan's charity, The Boys Clubs.
Saturday mornings there was always one of us used to have to cycle round to Graham Bull's which was the shop round by the Post Office on the Lower Kingsdown Road (obviously now closed) to pick up items that Graham Bull couldn't deliver on the Friday.
Ashley Post Office
The reward for that was four packets of PG Tips (it was loose tea in those days).
The one that went round on the bike to collect could open the side up to bring out the card and the cards were Wonders of the World, Wildlife of the World, Birds of Britain and so forth and in fact I've still got some of them now upstairs in the attic.
That was the reward, you were allowed to be the first one to the card to see if he had got new cards.
The one that went round on the bike to collect could open the side up to bring out the card and the cards were Wonders of the World, Wildlife of the World, Birds of Britain and so forth and in fact I've still got some of them now upstairs in the attic.
That was the reward, you were allowed to be the first one to the card to see if he had got new cards.
Graham Bull eventually sold but I don't think anyone else ever had the shop; I think when he finished he sold it as a house but at Christmas what he used to do, he would fatten up and kill turkeys round up behind. I never actually went in there but I know Peter used to go up at Christmas and pluck turkeys to get some Christmas money.
The old copper of Box was John Bosley (you actually had your own village copper in those days) and he lived just the house next door to the Post Office, that was the police house. He was there for years. I had a few run-ins with him. I can remember I must have given him some lip and him having me by the shirt front with one hand up against the wall by the rubber factory threatening me.
The old copper of Box was John Bosley (you actually had your own village copper in those days) and he lived just the house next door to the Post Office, that was the police house. He was there for years. I had a few run-ins with him. I can remember I must have given him some lip and him having me by the shirt front with one hand up against the wall by the rubber factory threatening me.
The NSU Quickly only had a 50cc engine
The other thing was when I came down Quarry Hill and I had the NSU Quickly which was a sort of pedal assisted 50 cc motorbike, three gears, I had somebody on the back and there wasn't really a back. It was like a paper rack sort of thing that you could put bags on and we went past there.
PC Bosley was at the end of Bargates and we went flying past no helmets in those days or anything, down round the corner at the bottom of Quarry Hill into Bulls Lane. I can remember just touching the wall, just got round there and we got down to the bottom by the Post Office.
PC Bosley was at the end of Bargates and we went flying past no helmets in those days or anything, down round the corner at the bottom of Quarry Hill into Bulls Lane. I can remember just touching the wall, just got round there and we got down to the bottom by the Post Office.
The passenger jumped off, I then went home all the way up Henley Lane. I can remember taking the bike down to the shed and throwing a bucket of cold water over the engine in case PC Bosley came up and said, It was you, your bike engine is hot. I thought if I threw cold water over the engine he can't say it was me because the engine would be cold. How I didn't damage the engine I will never know but I didn't so that's a plus mark for the NSU Quickly.
Ted Jenks lived along Brunel Way when Knock out Ginger was the rage. Ted Jenks laid in wait for us once when we kept just knocking on his door and running away. Of course we didn't have the gumption to realise he was going to get savvy to it. He was waiting just round the corner of the house with a bloody great dap in his hand. I can remember him chasing us all the way down Brunel Way, down the path into Bargates, down there we must have gone down Windy Banks or FSL Bells.
We ran across the railway line and a lad from Batheaston called Trevor McMahon had Cuban heeled boots on. Unfortunately he left one of his heels in the railway track; anyway we ran over the railway track and up through the Rec, up the little path into the Queens car park. Lo and behold! who was there, Bosley the copper, just waiting for us. He had us all in the corner and gave us a good lecture but we never did get a wallop from the dap from Ted Jenks.
I still see him now and his son and have a drink with his son. And Ted's still going strong (I don't know how old he is) but Ted was an ex-boxer. He boxed for the navy I believe in the war. So you can imagine he wasn't a very gentle soul but a smashing bloke just the same.
Ted Jenks lived along Brunel Way when Knock out Ginger was the rage. Ted Jenks laid in wait for us once when we kept just knocking on his door and running away. Of course we didn't have the gumption to realise he was going to get savvy to it. He was waiting just round the corner of the house with a bloody great dap in his hand. I can remember him chasing us all the way down Brunel Way, down the path into Bargates, down there we must have gone down Windy Banks or FSL Bells.
We ran across the railway line and a lad from Batheaston called Trevor McMahon had Cuban heeled boots on. Unfortunately he left one of his heels in the railway track; anyway we ran over the railway track and up through the Rec, up the little path into the Queens car park. Lo and behold! who was there, Bosley the copper, just waiting for us. He had us all in the corner and gave us a good lecture but we never did get a wallop from the dap from Ted Jenks.
I still see him now and his son and have a drink with his son. And Ted's still going strong (I don't know how old he is) but Ted was an ex-boxer. He boxed for the navy I believe in the war. So you can imagine he wasn't a very gentle soul but a smashing bloke just the same.
Another one was John McAlister's dad; they lived next door. He was a small very swarthy man, Next door again was Bert Gingell who I still see, still lives in Corsham locally.
I must have been 15 or 16 and stayed all summer working up at Jim Bush's saving all the money. I went into Bath buying a pair of shoes. They weren't winkle pickers they were square; they were quite flash shoes; perhaps they were winkle pickers.
Mother took one look at them and told me take them back and I can remember saying No I worked all summer that's what I want and if I can't have them then you take them back and she relented.
Another time with the old flashy Italian shoes which I bought in Bath (they were like moccasins) they lasted about 3 weeks and the heels were made of cardboard and as soon as they got wet they disintegrated. Another great buy!l
Left: Kevin sporting the latest fashion
I must have been 15 or 16 and stayed all summer working up at Jim Bush's saving all the money. I went into Bath buying a pair of shoes. They weren't winkle pickers they were square; they were quite flash shoes; perhaps they were winkle pickers.
Mother took one look at them and told me take them back and I can remember saying No I worked all summer that's what I want and if I can't have them then you take them back and she relented.
Another time with the old flashy Italian shoes which I bought in Bath (they were like moccasins) they lasted about 3 weeks and the heels were made of cardboard and as soon as they got wet they disintegrated. Another great buy!l
Left: Kevin sporting the latest fashion
Footnotes
[1] The so-called Wiki Ras Prince Monolulu (26 October 1881 - 14 February 1965) was Peter Carl Mackay. He appeared at most British racing tracks from the 1920s on. He later wrote his memoirs called I gotta horse!
[2] You can read the full article from The Bath and Wilts Chronicle and Herald on July 24th 1948 at the tab Kingsdown Common Land.
[1] The so-called Wiki Ras Prince Monolulu (26 October 1881 - 14 February 1965) was Peter Carl Mackay. He appeared at most British racing tracks from the 1920s on. He later wrote his memoirs called I gotta horse!
[2] You can read the full article from The Bath and Wilts Chronicle and Herald on July 24th 1948 at the tab Kingsdown Common Land.