Child Okeford, Dorset

A country holiday

During the early 1960s my Aunt Bella and Uncle Alf lived down Ridway lane in a bungerlow called Fernleigh. It was detached, I suspect that it was part of field as the property had a five bar farm gate. Looking out of the bedroom window you could see the cows in the next field trying eat my uncles apples. ... [more]

Hanford House in wartime

HANFORD HOUSE


In the early years of the war, I taught at the school which was part of Hanford House. The rest of the house was occupied by a family I remember as the Listers (Colonel and Mrs.). My son-in-law, however, thinks it might have been Captain and Mrs. Sandys, the parents of Duncan Sandys. Mr. Sandys was, of... [more]

Evacuation to Hanford House in war time

My sister and I came to Hanford House with the Wimbledon High School at the beginning of the war. After a year the school returned and the owner of the house, Mrs. Lister, collected a small group of teachers and offered to keep on any children whose parents did not want their children in London. We stayed two further... [more]

Memories of the

Hambledon Hill played a great part in the first 15 years of my life as it did for most children of the village.
My very first memory is the huge bonfire built on top of the hill to mark the end of WW2, both my Father (Guy Moon) and George Diffy from the Post Office found some fireworks, this was the... [more]

Before the houses came

I remember these fields before any building was done in this part of the village.
The fields were owned by Mr Fred Bradley and Mr Harry Watts. I can remember going with Mr Watts to see if any cows had calved in the night. At the top of the field there was a large pond that in spring would be full... [more]

Laurel Farm

   My then husband Derek Schwier and I bought Laurel Farm in 1963 from Jo Watts - a wonderful jolly character in her dung-coloured dungerees and mucky boots! All her cows were lovingly tended, and her retirement was a sad loss to the farm.
   But it was our gain and for personal reasons we re-named it "Pilgrims".... [more]

Once an idyllic Dorset village.

Since about the 1960s, Child Okeford became a totally different community from the one I first got to know in the early 1930's. The Watts (Harry and Dorothy) had farmed out of Laurel Farm for many decades and Jo(sephine), the daughter, was my cousin by marriage.

Laurel Farm, as it is today in the late 1900s, is shown to the... [more]

Child Okeford in the 1940s

I remember the village in the 1940s to 1970s.
I went to school at the centre of the village till 1951 then went to Sturminster S.M school.  On the walk home from school we used to go into the forge run by Alfred Wolfery (known as Bogey as he was as dirty and sooty as the bogey man!)
Across the road... [more]

Sherborne Photographic Memories

Another view of the school buildings, seen from the opposite side. At this time, this site had only been occupied by the school for no more than a year.

Sherborne Photographic Memories

Looking east, we see on the left the businesses of W Warr & Son, hairdressing and chiropody, and Pedley & White, drapers and outfitters. In the distance is Greenham's butchers. Next to this is Frisby's, a well-known shoe chain.

Sherborne Photographic Memories

In the 19th century, this road was known as Coldharbour Lane and was built up as the Avenue during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Hill House, on the left, was built for the Reverend Arthur Field in 1899. In 1978 the grounds were used for building and the development known as Hill House Close was born. At the 'top' end of the Avenue stands Quarry House, built in 1924 for the writer Littleton Powys, designed by his architect brother Albert Powys.... [more]