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Beckington
Beckington maps
Historic maps of Beckington and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Beckington maps
Beckington area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about Beckington and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Beckington
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memories of Beckington.
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Strange But True
Our first home was a ground floor bedsit at 40 Castle Corner opposite the castle. The old part of the road formed a hammer head and had three parking bays. One dark rainy winters night my husband parked outside and ran in to get his wallet. When he got back outside the car was gone. He ran out into the road and saw that it was in fact parked between two cars in the hammer head. He must have left it with the handbrake off and the camber of the road must have determined the line at which it travelled. Whether the two parked cars were already there or not we shall never know. He couldn't have parked it better if he had been behind the wheel.
Somerset memories
I Miss Them Still...............
Marcel & Anne Dutru bought a house in Rode in about 1969. The entire family thought that they were quite mad moving from the centre of London to a wee village that no-one had ever heard of. They lived so happily at 23 High Street for a good many years. My dad loved his wife, his new home and his life there. He was never happier than when family members came to stay and he could show them around the area. He was quite an historian and knew more about the area than most locals ...The entire family loved to visit because they were always made so welcome. Anne was such a good cook and her spreads were famous. All the grandchildren were spoiled rotten when they went there, so naturally kept going back for more. Marcel and Anne are both buried in the village chuchyard there. [At least that's where their ashes are] The day after my dad's ashes were scattered [December '91] Clive, who was Anne's nephew and... Read more
Early 80's
During the early '80's when i was working as a cameraman for the US TV network ABC I used to come and visit my father (Marcel Dutru and his wife Anne) who had retired in Rode after a long career in the catering trade. I had many happy memories of the place and of course the pubs. The X Keys especially where we used to go upstairs and play bowls. We met some delightful people one of which I still email and chat with. Bill Lapham. Browsing the internet and seeing this site brought back the past and when my father was alive. Bob Dutru- Niagara Falls, Canada
A Lost Childhood
My beloved late mum grew up and lived in the stunning village of Rode, way back in the late thirties I think. Sadly she's gone now, and I wish I had written down more of her memories of Rode. Her family name was Humphries, and she told me of how her late father worked as a gardener in a big manor house there, and on a farm. She had memories of only being tall enough to actually walk upright UNDER the belly of a carthorse on the farm! She recalled how kind the people who owned the big house were to my mum and her dad. She told me how her father worked with a sythe to cut down the grass, and the poor squeeling frogs hidden unfortunatly IN the grass at the time, a sound that stayed with her a lifetime, founding her hatred of all things froggie. Sadly her little sister is buried in the parish church, in an unmarked grave, after being knocked down and killed, aged around... Read more
The Oldest House
Frome's 'Oldest House' or 'Pepperpot' has a chequered past even in recent times. I moved to Frome in 1992 when it was being used as a Travel Agents and looked fairly run down. It then remained closed for a number of years except at christmas time when it was used as a charity card shop. The upper floors of the building have faux tudor styling, the ground floor is laid out to plate glass. It fell into disrepair and suffered from Frome's Saturday night broken window epidemic on several occasions - which now seems to have thankfully passed. However, it has recently been restored and redeemed itself since re-opening as 'Le Strada', the best coffee house in town (in my opinion), which also hosts a small gallery.
My Best Memories
I was born in Frome and I left when i was 11 years old,I moved with my dad to Bristol. But I have to be honest, since I have left Frome about ten years ago I miss my life I had there. Even though I have been living in Bristol for the past ten years, it's never felt like home. When I go to visit friends in Frome I get butterflies in my tummy and it feels like I'm going home. I miss going on bike rides to Longleat and geting in for free through the back entrance. I always felt safe in Frome because everyone knows everyone, even if not by name just by face. Me and my sister and brother used to go fishing with friends just off the bridge in town by the library. I also miss playing in the adventure playground, playing on the big red spider climbing frame and the old train. I remember the old fruit market, I think that was on a Wednesday,... Read more
My Last Year in Frome
I was born and raised in Frome, West End and then we moved to Green Lane. We emigrated to Canada, I did not want to leave Frome at all. I still miss home!. The pretty streets and the steep hills. I can remember swimming in the river, and fishing in it. Every Wednesday going to the market after school to pet the animals. Mum used to buy us fish for dinner every Friday night at a fish shop on Cheap Street. Still to this day I swear it was the tastiest fish I have ever had. The long walk to school (Selwood Secondary) I would not go to Oakfield School (a stone's throw away from Green Lane), I really still do not know why I was so against that school. Boy, the walk was a long way up and down hills, down Bath Street, down Weymouth Hill and all the way up them again after school! The market place, I worked at Boot's the chemist after school and on weekends.... Read more
