Breachwood Green, Lower Road c1965

Cottages in Lower Road

My dad used to live in the end cottage up until the early 1950s (the one next to the car). Both my grandparents lived there until about 1965.
The cottage was very small, with no running water and an old earth closet toilet. The water had to be collected in pails from standpipes every day.
These were dotted around the village next to the older cottages that did not have any internal running water, and this was the norm right up untill the late 1960s, when a lot of the houses were modernised. From memory, the water appeared to be not charged or metered as during the summer holidays you always could get a free drink and play around by leaving the standpipes full on to create mini floods!
I also remember the council lorry arriving on Wednesday afternoons to visit various houses around the village to empty the contents of the toilets. I recall the smell, especially in the summer!
Kevan Peters

my gran grandad uncles

My grandad and grandma Sam Brown lived at 36 near the chapel, aunt Et and uncle? on the adjoining corner house. Until I was 5 we lived at Offley where I was born at the Wheelwrights during the 1990s. I was looking for this house which has been renamed, the lady living there kindly invited me in and I remembered some of the features of this house. We moved to The Flints about 1931 where my eldest sister was born and uncle Harry and aunt Olive? lived close by, their daughter's name was Betty. On Sundays we walked to Gran's over the Hoo, if my memory's right, I seem to remember there was also a windmill near The Flints. Also my uncle George and aunt? lived in council houses past the school and a pond on the right, cousin Gordon was one of their sons, other son and daughter I can't remember their names. Before the war we went to Gran's on holiday, we went over stile and across a field to the shop on the opposite side of the road near the school, opposite side of the house, I remember crossing the road that led to a farm through a steel fence to this great big tree that had a low branch that I and my brother had a great time swinging on. My uncle Jack and aunt Kit also lived at Lilley, he was the local butcher and my cousin Monica lives at the top end of the village, I believe her parents had The Red Lion at one time? Gran used to walk to The Lilley Arms with a jug with a net with beads on to get Grandad's pint of beer every dinner time which was amusing to us children. Contact is if of interest: jfg.brown@talktalk.net