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Child Okeford, Hanford Road c1965
Child Okeford, Hanford Road c1965 Ref: c222023
Memories of Child Okeford, Hanford Road
In about 1967 my mother and father moved to this lodge after selling the Corner Store in Child Okeford. It belonged to Hanford School. It was sad to return a few years ago to find it had burned to the ground.
Opposite was one of many tracks leading to Hambledon Hill, my Father used it most days to walk his dog Gladys, if he could not go she took herself!
About half a mile further along the road to Steepleton corner on the left, are the remains of the ice house belonging to Hanford House. As children we used to use it to play in.
Shared on 13 March 2007
Child Okeford & local memories
Read and share memories of Child Okeford and Dorset inspired by Frith photos
Child Okeford, the Manor c1900
Ref: c222306
I lived and worked at the manor from Sept 1986 to around May 1988, if anyone remembers me and wants to get in touch please email. j.goodwin007@hotmail.co.uk
Shared on 11 November 2009
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 years during which time as well as receiving a surprisingly good education we enjoyed the country life, riding, walking and helping in the gardens. One term another school, Eversley, was billeted on us and several of us had to stay with people outside. It was quite a difficult period as they felt very superior to us, so we were glad when they left. One afternoon a friend and I were hiding in a garden shed during a game when two planes went overhead one English and one German and there was a lot of shooting. We were soon called in and had to take shelter in the cellars. We were very lucky to have wartime rations supplemented by fruit and vegetables from the garden and rabbits shot by Colonel Lister on the estate. Like many young girls we were mad on horses and the school provided us with the opportunity to learn to ride and care for the horses and tackle.
During the time we were there Mrs. Lister's grandson and granddaughter came to stay at the school, Julian and Edwina Sandys and Julian caused quite a stir in the local Post Office when, on seeing a poster of Churchill, he announced "There's Granpa."
Shared on 23 April 2008
Child Okeford, Knotts Close c1960
Ref: C222019
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 of frog spawn.
Mr Bradley would keep his cows in these fields at night to be close for morning milking, but by day they would go to the very bottom of Melway Lane, about 2 miles from his farm. When I was about five Harriet White used to come and collect me from my home at the shop to go with her to collect them for afternoon milking.
Shared on 22 February 2008
Child Okeford, the Square c1965
Ref: C222034
This photo brings back all sorts of memories! The house nearest the camara was the home of Mr Cottle the village harness maker, the double doors next to it led to the butchers yard, in those days they used to kill the animals behind the shop. The butcher was Mr Turner. He was followed by Mr Dyer whose son had the shop till it closed down in 2001?
Beyond the pub and not in the photo lived farmer Mr Francis who had a milk round and after the war Mrs Francis started making ice cream, the first those of us born since 1940 had seen.
It was here that after we moved on to "Big school" we used to wait for the school buses.
Shared on 22 February 2008
Child Okeford, Hambledon Hill c1960
Ref: C222014
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 first time I had seen fireworks.
While at the village school we used to be taken on nature walks on the hill and used to go into the Yew wood at the Hanford end of the hill.
We were also taken to see the pre-historic pits left on the hill from the huts that must have been there, we found many flint tools which we used to carry back to school.
Much of the holidays were spent on the hill also, we used to take tin trays up to slide down into the dips, or in winter proper sledges.
I also used to go rabbiting on the hill with Mr Walt Wareham who seemed to make a living from it.
It is only in recent times that any crops were grown up there, in my youth it was all grass or scrub.
Shared on 22 February 2008
