Banbury memories
Here are memories of Banbury and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Banbury or a Banbury photo.
Family Tree Links...
In the process of making my family tree (7 generations, from 1776 to 2010 with the latest addition so far...) I found that this is where my Great Grandfather (Arthur Adams) was married to Mary Ann Kilby (from West St, Banbury) by the Rev Wesley Butters on August 21st 1878.
And the church is still active!
Didn't the streets look better uncluttered with cars, road-signs etc?
Thanks,
Malcolm A.
I Was Confirmed Here in 1948
My Confirmation was in 1948 with 12 boys and 12 girls. Many years have passed since then.
My Time at This Church
I was christened at this church. I was also a choir boy there. I was a choir boy there from 1965 to 1967.
1963 Till 1971
I used to go to this lovely swimming pool. I learnt to swim and dive here, and used to dive off the spring board.
St Mary's Church
I was confirmed at St Mary's in 1970 and I was also married in this church in 1979.
Fishing on The Canal
I used to fish here quite a bit in the late 1960s. It was not far from the bus station.
St Johns Priory (Private Girls School)
I was a pupil at St Johns Priory, and whilst I did not appreciate it at the time, it was an amazing start in life. The Nuns were incredibly strict so we all studied hard. Our classes were really small, by the time I left at the age of 11 I think we only had about 10 people in the year/class.
The two Sisters that I remember have since died (I did get in contact with them only to find one had passed away and the other was quite poorly and later died). I have visited their grave, they are buried together, at the Convent in Birmingham.
St Johns Priory has an amazing history and I have purhcased a book which details how the school was founded etc.
Admiral Holland Singers!
I am looking for anyone who has any memories of this group of singers and or photographs, they performed locally and were very popular, familiar names were David Gibbs, Ted Whale, Eric Hilton, George Mason, Dennis Jones. They sang in local pubs and I believe appeared once on television - ATV News! Any help with this would be very much appreciated for an 80th birthday surprise. They used to wear maroon blazers - does this ring any bells with anyone? A good harmony!
The Flying Horse
I worked at the pub on Parson Street. Banbury is a great town, to remember crazy memories, like when you did not have any money then there would be no electric or TV. I remember St Mary's church bell practice was on Wednesday evening. When the Birds factory came to town the air smelled of coffee and people were complaining their sheets were getting stained on the washing line. I started off at Grimsbury School and then they said we had to go to Broughton Hall to finish off our last two years. I remember while at Grimsbury our French teacher was called Mrs Beer. Anyway, we dug a hole and wrote down a story about our day and put it in a can and buried it in the hole. The Salvation Army used to have church service at the Cross every Sunday evening and then march down High Street to their hall. I remember eating bubble and squeak every Sunday evening. The excitement of the year was Banbury Fair... Read more
'ello 'ello 'ello
We moved into the Police House at Tyne Hill in January 1955. It was bitterly cold and we had no coal. My husband was still at Eynsham Hall and I was there with three children, 3years, 2years and one month old. I managed as best I could, sorting wood from the hedgerow until the coal man called. The local village, Sibford Gower, was a fair walk away, but walk we did, with the baby in the pram, the 2-year-old sitting on the pram and the poor three-year-old having to walk. But it was, for all that, a lovely place to be. Mrs Sabin in the village was lovely and helped me a lot. Mr Thornton at the Co-op was a godsend. Mr Canning the milkman used to cut the boys hair as well as deliver the milk. Happy Days.
Memories of Oxfordshire
Bodicote 1967 to 1970
We were stationed at Upper Heyford, England, my wife and I and our children. We lived in Bodicote, on Chapel Lane. Our children went to Bishop Loveday School. We liked it there. I hope someone reads this and sends us a memory note.
Thanks
Rodger and Joann Duvall
School
We lived in Bodicote for a few years and loved it very much. Our youngest daughter also went to school with Duval Children. The people that you came in contact with on a daily basis were always so friendly and always willing to accept you into their lives.
Your Children And Mine
Glad I found you on this wonderful site. We have remembered the old tree with the conkers, and the sticky burrs.
The Thirties
My grandmother, widowed, lived during the 20s and 30s at 1, High Street (next to The Dolphin), and was glad of family visits to assist in her invalid-style of life. That usually meant our family, and my mother took a number of 'Busman's Holidays' each year to help her mother, my Gran. We children became familiar over the years with the village, especially the Upper Middleton part. My grandfather had been schoolmaster at the Primary School; he was called William George.
Gran's cottage had, like many, a rather decrepit pump in the garden as its water supply (see Nancy Long's History). A large apple-tree stood in the garden and - of course - a vegetable patch beyond. Over the low garden wall, in Cotswold stone, lay the Jerrams' farmyard; it was usually quiet, but one day I was to observe the killing of a pig (my parents might have been horrified had they known of my secret observation.)
I lived in S.Wales, where coal was cheaper, and delivered... Read more
BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE
We lived for a year in Middleton Cheney. My great grandfather was from England, but we never looked up relatives. I was only seven, but I remember so much of the town. We would go to market uptown everyday, our milk and bread was delivered, we had coal burning fireplace, we would go to get the paper everyday. We had good neighbors and were made very welcome to the neighborhood. My father was stationed at Upper Heyford for 3 years. We would take the double decker bus to Banbury. The countryside was beautiful. We lived in a neighborhood that was at the edge of town. It was in the process of growing.
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