Chardstock memories
Here are memories of Chardstock and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Chardstock or a Chardstock photo.
Reflections From Childhood
I was born at Reeds Hill Farm in 1942. I started school at a two room school in Chardstock, we walked to school which for me was a long way and I usually got my older sisters who had to walk from the farm past my school to catch the bus to the senior school in Axminster. I remember the school getting big cases of food from Canada which was shared out to us to take home. There were all sorts of things we couldn't get because of rationing. All that I can remember were the big bags of sweets!!! We moved into Axminster when I was 7 or 8. But I still like to go and visit Chardstock, when I go home to England, from the USA where I have lived most of the time since 1966.
I rode as a professional steeplechase jockey there and in US and have also trained many winners on both sides of the Atlantic.
I try and get back to see my... Read more
Memories of Devon
Bonners Drive Friend
I lived in Millwey Avenue and had a good friend, Christine Taylor, who lived in Bonners Close off Bonners Drive. We worked for a short while together at Boots the chemist in Trinity Square before I left to make a life in London (from which I never came home), we have kept in touch (mainly at Christmas) and have both sadly seen the loss of our parents. The times I do return to Millwey now it is like going into a time warp as the area rarely changes, the only thing is that the adults I meet now are children of the kids I grew up with, which seems very strange. I still have family living in Millwey, sister Carol Long, nee Darke, and sister Norma Johnson, nee Darke. I do not return to Millwey very often, mainly for weddings and funerals, and as I get older it seems to be more of the latter.
Bonners Drive Post 1963
I have lived in Bonners Drive since March 1963, it has changed a lot, all the hedges on the left side of photo have been removed, there is also another 4 houses which have been built on that side as well, built in 2010, our house is out of sight in this photo, as there are 6 semi detached houses round the corner on the right. Millwey has changed a lot since 1960. There are about 420 dwellings here now, plus an industrial site on the Chard side of Millwey. Lots of bungalows have also been built.
Tracing my Family
I have no memories of Hawkchurch. But I am trying to trace my family history, and so far have got nowhere. And I am hoping that someone might remember hearing about them. According to the 1911 census they lived at Berry Cottage, and he worked on Berry farm. They were my grandparents, and their names were Thomas Dimond, his wife Ethel and they had at that time 2 children, a son Thomas Henry 1 year old and my mother Gertrude May aged 2 months. They had more children later. I have no idea of how long they lived there, because Thomas was born at Broadclyst and Ethel at SIlverton but their children were born there. Does anyoneone happen to know who owned Berry farm about then?The present owners are unable to help me, and there are no records for them at the church. I will be pleased of any help or imformation you can give me.
Dukes And Hawkins. My Two Favourite Sweet Shops.
In the years of rationing, my mum used to remove the sweet coupons from her ration book so that we didn't spend all our pocket money on sweets. About halfway down Castle Hill, on the left, was Dukes shop. All I was interested in were the sweets, though he also sold tea, sugar and a variety of other less interesting items. I used always follow an adult into the shop, who would invariably take pity on me when Mr Duke told me there were no sweet coupons in the ration book I had offered him (I knew that really). A voice would pipe up and say "It's ok Mr Duke, I think I may have one or two coupons in my book that I won't use". And so, off I would go with my tuppence worth of aniseed balls, after gratefully thanking the kind adult. Mrs Hawkins's shop was about a third of the way down Castle Hill on the right hand side. It always smelt of potatoes and cabbages, but she... Read more
Aminster Secondary Modern School
I have some rather bad memories of school years spent at this school, because I was a rather shy and insecure child so I tended to be the victim of the school bullies. One I remember very vividly was a Maureen Ashby, I also remember a Miss Wallis as the domestic science teacher, who used to make me feel very nervous and clumsy because I was left handed. I work in a school now and love all the kids to bits, even the very shy ones who can come across as disruptive, but only need understanding, something old-fashioned teachers never gave. My maiden name was Darke, and I had older families, 2 brothers + 2 sisters, that attended this school before me. Mr Tolchard was only head for my first year, he was then followed by a Mr White. The one teacher I do remember as being so kind was a man whose name I cannot remember but he taught English, he would help me through many a difficult term, especially after I... Read more
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