Chelmondiston, Suffolk

The Gates to 'Hell'

I remember Shotley Gate 1954/55. I wish I could erase it from my memory. 12 months of sheer Hell at the infamous Ganges. I enjoyed my Naval Service and I did well, but Ganges almost defeated me. I danced a jig when they demolished the place!
JW

Family History

My ancestors owned this public house in the late 18th century. Prior to this they were tenants of the Duke of Bristol and the head of the household was the ferryman. He was mentioned in a letter to the Duke from a disgruntled customer claimed that his attitude was unbecoming!
We have visited the area many times during my search for... [more]

HMS Ganges

Until the mid '70s Shotley Gate was the home of HMS Ganges, a Royal Navy training establishment. As 15 year old boys under training in 1964 we were allowed to visit the Post Office (see photograph in this collection) to draw money out of our Post Office savings books - usually to buy food of some sort as Ganges food was... [more]

Books

I loved going in the Ancient House as a child. Lots of stationary and books. I remember the floors squeaked.Shame it is no longer a book store.

I worked here

I worked at Bowhill Elliot and White shoe store at the top of The Walk in 1960  Every morning I walked through here to go to work. I still e-mail a friend who worked at Turners Photography also in The Walk.  We were like a family in The Walk, greeting each other every day, and going to lunch.

Shoe shop

The shoe shop at number 44 was Thomas Alderton and Son, shown on the 1871 census as the family living there, presumably above the shop, it was still there in 1985 with the original street frontage, is it there now?

St. Lawrence Street 1960s

Back in the 1960s there was a beautiful Magnolia tree oposite the church in front of a solicitor's office in St. Lawrence Street.
Forty years have passed and I live the other side of the world.
I wonder if that tree is still there.