Blackboys memories
Here are memories of Blackboys and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Blackboys or a Blackboys photo.
St. Phillips Convent
I believe that before the convent was called St. Michaels it was St. Phillips located on Church Street opposite Fullers Bakery. The lady would come over on our break and sell sticky buns out of a square basket for a penny a bun. I went to the convent at the age of 31/2 at in 1937. I well remember the day war broke out, we were fitted with gas masks in the playground. When the bombing got bad we were brought home to Surbiton, Surrey. I also remember Sister Camillis and Sister Imelda and sister Anastasia and a french teacher called Mrs Collins. Does anyone remember Freda Parkinson. Her name sticks out in my memory. Ann Blaker. My other sisters went there too; Betty, Violet and Kathleen.
I Was There.
John your memories of Blackboys Post Office bring back cherished memories of my own. I was fortunate to have lived in Brownings Cottages opposite the PO and at the age of ten I helped ?? to remove the counters and walls one Saturday afternoon, with yourself, your father and Mr Berry, who referred to me as FOREMAN.
Blackboys Post Office
This was the year that I and my family moved into the Post Office where we lived for the next 9 years. During this time I saw lots of changes to the buildings accross the Framfield Road. My father changed the inside of the Post Office. The old wooden counters were removed and replaced with open shelving and self service shopping.
There was a sorting room inside the Post Office which was busy each morning as the post and parcels were sorted into different rounds for Nora who delivered everything on her red bike, except at Christmastime because of the amount of parcels and post. This was deliverd by car with lots of help.
The Post Office is no longer there and the trees have all been cut down but the photos that were taken of the people and the place are still with me today and bring back the happy times we all had.
Memories of East Sussex
The Lodge Foxhunt
School days over, I came home to my mother who had married again to Walter Day who lived at the Lodge Foxhunt. I made friends with Joan and Betty Bennett. I sang in the Choir of All Saints Church in the village. Another friend was Ian Smith whose parents operated the Star Inn. I stayed in Waldron for 4 years then Joined the RAF. I have many fond memories of those days. Both my mother and step father are buried in the church yard of All Saints. And I did some gardening in the Rectors garden.
Great-Granny Worked Here?
I do not have a specific memory myself but I think my great-granny worked here. On the 1901 census she is listed as a kitchen domestic. At the time Lady Ashburton and her children Alexander and Lilian Baring and many other servants are listed as living here. I am tracing my family tree and I am looking for any books or photographes taken around 1900 or any local historian that may have some more infomation about Buxted Park and the people that lived and worked there.
Anything at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Convent
I attended the St Michael's Convent when it was a boarding school run by the nuns. I remember Sister Anastasia who was very kind. Also the prayers and the lovely church next door. I saw that they have bulldozed the convent and I think it's so sad. I was there in 1963 and it was to be my last school before I entered the world. When I was there the BBC came and did a Christmas broadcast. I was Victoria Redman then.
Alice Eastwood Nee Colthup
My great aunt Alice was a teacher at Five Ashes village school in the early years of the 20th century. She was born in New Brompton, Kent on 29.8.1879 and died 23.12.1966 and is buried in the village. She married Fred Eastwood on 4.8.1903.
Sam Hocking was the headmaster; he came from Camborne in Cornwall. If anyone still living in the village remembers Alice, or who knows of her grave, I would love to hear from them.
Stonehurst Five Ashes
We lived at Stone Cottage, and then Stonehurst on the road between Five Ashes and Jarvis Brook for 7 years whilst I was a child. Wonderful freedom absorbing the Wealden countryside. We used the grocers shop, run by Mr Gagen, in Five Ashes. Rationioning was almost over by then. Also the pub a little bit - I do remember the 5 Ashes. The village bobby had a house on the edge of the village on the way to Cross in Hand I think. Most winters it seemed to snow a good deal and Mum had to put chains on the car to get us to school and Dad to the station.
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