Bridport memories
Here are memories of Bridport and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Bridport or a Bridport photo.
Photos of Visitation Convent, Bridport, Dorset
Several of my younger brothers attended VC Bridport in the mid-1950s to early 1960s, all with mixed memories, before moving on to join me at the Salesian College in Chertsey when reaching 11. Strangely we have no photos of the Convent in our collective and rather extensive collection of school photos. Apart from this one shown on the Francis Frith site, if anyone has other photos of the external and internal of the school and of the Nuns , I would be most grateful if they would share with me (patrick@pontet.com). Look forward to hearing from you. Patrick Pontet
Waiting to go to Bahrain 1966
This is me, pushing my daughter Allison, with my mother Phyllis Carey. I was staying with my parents prior to joining my husband at RAF Muharraq, Bahrain in the summer of 1966. Recessed next to Hoskins the Butchers is the Congregational Church (now the United Reformed) where I was christened, attended Sunday School and Junior Church and was married. Our three children were also christened there.
East Street 1965
The lady with the shopping bag and wearing sunglasses in this picture is my mother, Hilda Hounsell. She had either visited the library or her sister who lived at the bottom of Easst Street.
The Visitation Convent Bridport Dorset.
For unruly behaviour, I was delivered to boarding school at the age of 4, after enjoying wonderful times on a Devon farm. I was taken to the Convent by my parents in an Austin 7. I remember crying and staring at the red and yellow floor tiles while Mother Superior Sister Agnes Francis and my future form mistress, Sister Anne, promised punishment if I didn't stop. For high spirits, this turned out to be a long punishment, lasting until 1953.
The nuns ruled the boys with discipline that today would result in prosecution and school closure. After Mass, breakfast in winter was a sordid affair starting with a tablespoonful of Cod Liver Oil. If it made you vomit, you were very lucky if you didn't receive a thrashing with the cane. The taste was taken away with a bowl of lumpy porridge. Talking was strictly forbidden and disproportionate punishment did the trick. Time was allocated after breakfast for use of an outside row of toilet cubicles, which had to be... Read more
Boarding at The Visitation Convent
My brother and I attended the Convent as boarders from 1958 to 1961 after the death of our mother. We were pretty traumatised on our first day there but were gently looked after by the wonderful Sister Edith. I later remember serving at her funeral. The discipline could be quite harsh at times and I do recall the infants being forced to eat there own vomit at breakfast. Not being allowed to go to the loo when you needed to, especially at night, is a lasting memory.The education was very good and I did well there, having joined with English as my second language. I do remember the room with the strange creatures in jars, it was where we would go for our haircuts. My brother and I enjoyed playing football and represented the school in local competitions. Our home games were played on the field opposite. We went on to win a cup competition against a local school, who were the strong favourites. My brother Steve was the... Read more
Visitation Convent
I was a boarder at the convent, with my older brother , from September 1927 until Decomber 1929. Contrary to the report given by Alan Noon, (not of my generation) the nuns treated us well and, with reflection over the years, with understanding and kindness. Some names of nuns _Sisters Agnes, Edith and Gertrude. Reverend Mother was a kindly person - not that we had much to with her directly - my abiding memory of her is that she had a mole on her face.
Walks, long for children of our age, were a great feature - Bothenhampton Downs , West Bay, Eype and other names which I cannot remember now. We also bought sweets ('gob stoppers,' sticks of liquorice etc) in town on our walks.
We also played cricket !
I won 2 prizes, books, which I treasure to this day
Food - I don't remember much about except that on St Cecilia's day (Nov 22nd) those learning music got a little extra .... Read more
The Convent
My father died the year after I was born and his employer Burton's, provided for myself and my three brothers to attend private schools, which is how I came from London to the Convent at the age of 4. I followed my brother Colin who had been boarded there for a number of years. Even today I still have nightmares about the place and the horrible way the nuns treated the children. We were required to remain in our seats even if we needed to go to the toilet. Subsequently many kids soiled themselves or urinated where they sat and were brutally punnished for doing so. At bedtime the nuns checked underwear to look for mistakes that might have been otherwise overlooked. In my 3 years of residence I remember slaps across the head and face; rulers across my knuckles; and yes, I remember the cow on the railings who groaned in pain, his eyes wide open as he waited for death to come to him. I remember arrogant priest... Read more
Visitation Convent Boarding School, Bridport
During the 1940s, I lived in Weymouth, but from May 1942, when I was 5, until July 1947, I was a boarder at the school. I was happy there, and still remember the names of my teachers - Sister Anne, Sister Edith and Sister Magdalene, and also the names of many of the other nuns there then. We had a walk every Tuesday and Saturday afternoon. We walked in twos - with one nun leading the column and another bringing up the rear. Sometimes we just went to West Bay, at other times we would go to Loders (which seemed very far) or Allington, Symondsbury Copse or Eype. Meals were taken in silence(well, maybe not always total silence). We had to attend Mass every morning at 7.45 and before breakfast. On Tuesday and Saturday evenings we attended Benediction. I was an altar server and choirboy. On VE Day 1945 Union Jacks and Belgian flags were hanging from the top windows of the convent and we had a game of cricket... Read more
Convent of The Visitation
I was born in 1950 and attended the convent as a boarder, leaving in 1958. I travelled by train with my mother from New Street station Birmingham to Paddington station London where the convent nuns met up with us and the other schoolchildren for the journey to Bridport station. We used to have long country walks during the summer and I can remember going to a place covered in long fern vegetation in which we played. The regime at the convent was very strict and the education standard extremely high. French and Latin were taught well before the 11 plus age. I still have a couple of the bills for my upkeep that were sent to my mother. I also have a couple of photo's of myself taken during my time at the Convent. One of them shows my class mates and I in the classroom being taught by Sister Edith I believe. Our clothes had our name and number attached, mine were Cash's name tapes with the number 4.... Read more
In Memory of F.A. Brake, Born 1895
This is where we played as kids - all eight of us! Our grandad was born in one of the houses on the bottom left-hand side. He lived there all his life and my father plus my eldest brother, sister and my nephew was born in the same house. Five generations lived there for over 100 years. It was sold out of the family in 2002. My grandparent and parents where also married in the St Swithins Church.
A lot has changed sadly, a lot more houses built.
Happy Island
I remember playing at Happy Island with my brothers and sister, and friends, having a picnic, and watching the trains pulling out of the station. Happy days. Now I have eight grandchildren and I want them to see life as I grew up in Bridport.
Visitation Convent
I have no connections with Bridport or the Visitation Convent but found the thread of messages detailing school life highly absorbing; I do know of another individual of note who may qualify as becoming "famous" (message posted 03/10/2009 by Mr Duffy).
I think he was sent from the Midlands as a boarder in 1927 at seven years of age, through to 1930; he would have attended the Convent at the same time as the gentleman who posted on the 26th January 2008. He was named John Davey and went on to do very well in further schools and in the Royal Air Force, his life coming to an untimely and tragic end in the Battle of Britain.
I would like to ask any old pupils who knew of John and are willing to pass on their thoughts of him, or of the time as it was then at the Convent to post again.
I was sorry to read of the unhappy times for certain pupils and... Read more
Visitation Convent Bridport
Since my blog of 2007 concerning my time as a boarder at the Visitation Convent school 1942-1947, I have noted with interest that other former pupils (though not from the years I was there) have commented on their experiences of the place. Mostly, their memories are sad and bitter ones. It has made me think back again at my years there. Were such things as they have mentioned really going on, and I never knew about them? All I can say, is that I was never maltreated during the whole of those years, nor did I see or hear of any other boy being beaten or forced to eat his own vomit by the nuns, or being refused permission to go to the toilet, or being so oppressed that suicide would be contemplated. In my opinion, the nuns were dedicated to looking after us - and this they did to the best of their ability. Of the 20+ nuns at the convent when I was there, there were only perhaps... Read more
The Convent in Bridport
I was disturbed to read the Memory posted in early September from a contemporary about our common primary school, Bridport Visitation Convent. It was reprinted in the Bridport News of October 1st so needs to be balanced I feel. That gentleman clearly doesn't remember his time there with relish but I wonder why he didn't put his schooldays into the context of the time. My own experience at the Convent was not so different in the detail so I'm perhaps lucky not to be troubled by the same demons that our friend apparently is. The food was not great and some was truly awful. I can still taste it today and when I first had porridge without lumps, I thought there was something wrong with it. Discipline really was upheld rigorously as he says, but surely it was everywhere then in comparison with today. We were in the late 1940s/early 1950s and many greatly lament the gradual undermining of those standards. I was a day pupil from Sept 1949 until July 1954.... Read more
VISITATION CONVENT
I was sent to the Visitation Convent at the age of 6 and was there for four terrible years. Like others who have written their memories of their time at the school, for me it was a very severe, cruel, harsh enviroment, devoid of any love or affection from the nuns. The punishments were frequent, for messing my pants or wetting my bed, as often I was not allowed to go to the toilet. I remember having to hold my underpants out for the nuns to inspect at bedtime. I cried so much and often. The nuns would keep hitting you until you stopped. Being told I was a dirty child and being hit was very cruel and sadistic. I remember not making it to the toilet to be sick, having my face pushed in it and being made to eat some of it. It was only when I tried to kill myself at the age of 60, it was explained to me, this had remained with me all my... Read more
The Convent of The Visitation
I was a boarder there for about a year aged about nine or ten in about 1957. It was the unhappiest period of my life before or since. I don’t recall a moment of kindness, sympathy, or humanity from any of the nuns. As a lonely rejected child I received nothing from them but harshness, punishments, and cruelty. And I was not the only one. I vividly remember a little boy of about seven clambering onto the window-sill of a lavatory several floors up overlooking the playground where the rest of us were standing and trying to bring himself to jump. (He must have locked the door behind him to stop the nuns getting in.) He didn’t jump but I understood his feelings because I myself thought about killing myself as a way of escaping.
At least those nuns taught me a lesson: how very cruel people can be even when (especially when?) they think they are being virtuous and high-minded.
Visitation Convent -Bridport-Contd.
We soon got back into the routine and before long the summer holidays came along. The last day of school was a big event. That morning we got eggs for breakfast. That was so, when we got home and our parents asked what we had for breakfast we said, we had eggs. That was the only time in the entire term we got eggs. I used to dream of a meal, where I had a large plate of a dozen boiled eggs. That to me was a feast. The reality was every morning for breakfast we had lumpy porridge and a slice of bread and butter and a cup of tea. We were made to eat the porridge whether we liked it or not. The trouble was the porridge had large lumps in it, which was so awful that in attempting to swallow them I kept drinking large mouthfuls of tea with it. The result was, I threw up all over the table. Sometimes for lunch we had boiled tripe.... Read more
Convent of The Visitation - Bridport - Dorset
CHAPTER TWO
School Years - Convent of the Visitation 1939-1945
One’s school years leave an indelible impression on one for good or bad. My views over these years in this regard, have modified considerably. The older you get, the more you tend to look at your youth with rose tinted glasses. So in relating to my school years I am trying to put myself back in that time and place.
My mother took me down by train from Newbury on the GWR (Great Western Railway). It was the age of coal-fired trains with carriages that had separate compartments, sometimes connected by a corridor and sometimes no corridor. In the latter case, you were stuck in the compartment with no access to a toilet. We traveled down to the West Country to the town of Maiden Newton where we had to change to a smaller connecting train to Bridport. The date was September 3rd 1939 the day that England declared war on Germany. World War II had... Read more
Visitation Convent, Bridport
I was saddened to read the blogs of boys that had such an unhappy experience of days as a boarder. I was there from 1951 until 1957 and whilst I also remember the less than idyllic food and discipline, I tend to believe that was a reflection of the societal norms of the immediate post-war period. Are we in danger of making judgements based on our expectations of 50 years on?
My 'mentor'was Sister Anne who, like other bloggers, I revisited in the late 1980s on the way back from a holiday in France when the place was an old people's home (I probably should call it a Mature Citizens Haven to match the political correctness of these days). My recollection was that she was kind to me yet kept me on the 'straight and narrow' which I believe shaped my whole subsequent life in making me confident and self reliant. This doesn't seem to be too bad a value system to have instilled in us.
Some of you... Read more
Memories of Dorset
Oh Arrr
eve udil ann robert barnes were married he was the first toy boy they were really happy driveing their 25d david broun i lived there untill 1968. george widden used to catch badgers and eat them. there were many strange people in bothenhampton the likes of colin webb mr gordon holt and grinter the buglers etc i moved to canada where there are people but none as nice as the people from bothenhampton
Triggering Memories.
We were clearing the last furniture from my mother's bungalow a few weeks ago. A heartbreaking task, having lost her in April. Behind the last set of drawers, on the floor, I found an old sepia photograph. It showed a group of children with some adults, outside a building which must have been a chapel or a school. From the clothes they wore, the photo would have been taken in the early 1920s.
Later, I searched the internet for clues, looking especially at the areas where my mother grew up - Salway Ash in particular. So I found the Francis Frith site.
There were no clues for Salway Ash, but I came to the Pymore site. One photo. Surely it couldn't be! Yet it was - the cottage my grandparents lived in when we were young! The memories flooded back.
We lived in the Midlands for some years, although I was born in Walditch. We were so lucky in that we were able to... Read more
Eype Cottages
My Mum, Nesta Smith (nee Sprake) was born in No. 3 Eype Cottages and lived there up until she married my Dad (Ron Smith) in July 1949. They met when he was stationed close by with the Royal Army Service Corp. They used to do their courting by the old phone box apparently! Dad proposed to Mum up at Golden Cap and they were married in Symondsbury Church. I believe that my Great. Great Uncle made the wrought iron gates or the lock on the gates to the church? Mum lived in the Cottage with my Nan, Aunts and Uncles - Betty, Barbara, Peter and my Grandad and Uncle are buried in Eype Church. I love the area and would really love to retire there myself! Shortly before Mum died in 2002 my sister Karen and I arranged for Mum and Dad to spend a weeks holiday in No. 3 Eype Cottages (as these are now holiday lets). It was a brilliant surprise for them and I am just so... Read more
Same Family.
My dad was Cyril Henry Sprake, I have memories of travelling to Eype to see my gran, she was Day then. As grandad and uncle Robert died during the war, I am interested in knowing which of the local Sprake families was grandad's.
I too think of the area as my spiritual home, I have said to my family that I should like to be returned there one day as we moved around the west country, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, I always think of Bridport/Eype/Symondsbury as my home town, so to speak. I am now living in Peasedown St John, Bath, BA2 8PS, having remarried after my first wife died but when I go for a drive I often seem to end up down at or near to Eype.
Haywards of Loders
John (1813) moved to Berkshire. Thomas (1787), Robert (1759) and John(1738) are all connected to Loders by being born, baptised, married and buried here, or in surrounding villages. Their ancestral home one might say. Still tracing them further via Dorset OPC and BT records. Collecting any photos related to these ancestors of mine and where they lived. Photos bring back happy memories and are good records of events.
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