Hanford Road c1965, Child Okeford
Hanford Road c1965, Child Okeford Ref: C222023
Memories of Hanford Road c1965, Child Okeford
Hanford Lodge
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.
Child Okeford & local memories
Read and share memories of Child Okeford and Dorset inspired by Frith photos.
Below Hambledon
I spent my early years playing and later working in the fields in the valley between Hambledon and Shillingstone hills. At one time I worked for Mr Harry Watts and later his daughter Jo. I can remember once Harry Watts and Mr Reg Tucker were building a hay rick when the local vicar and doctor walked by, they called up to the men on the rick "could you do with a hand up there", they replied "Yes we could, but you stay down there". I can remember Mr Fred Bradly fetching his cows from the Bottom of Melway Lane, the cows knew where to go and passed several other farm gates but only went into their own yard for milking. Most people in the village collected their milk from the nearest farm to their home. The butcher Mr Turner used to kill animals in a slaughter house next to his shop in the middle of the village, and used to kill pigs at the homes of those who fattened their own pigs, we... Read more
Moons Shop
I was born in 1940 at the shop at the top of Shillingstone Rd, the Corner Stores owned by my father Guy Moon. One of my first memories is a tank pushing out the corner of the shop wall, and of the G.I's giving us chewing gum, also oranges which at that time we had never seen. We had lots of evacuees in the village, some of which never went back to their homes and married and live in the village now, a favourite joke played on these city children was, someone would send them to the Co-op for a pint of pigeons milk, they would say they were out of stock, try Mr Diffy at the other village shop, he would say the same thing and say try Mr Moon, Dad would say "It's not in yet, go and ask Farmer Bradly or Watts what time they are milking the pigeons", they would be going round the village for hours on this useless quest, not very PC today but it was... Read 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 from the forge and Post office was Mr Fox's bakery. He would give us wonderful hot bread and iced buns. Just on down the road was Mr Hutchins the local wheelwright and undertaker, he also had a cow which he used to take out on a halter to eat from the hedges. A few more yards down on the right was Mr Fred Bradley's farm, most of the work was done by Harriet (White) who spent most of her time moving cows from farm to fields a long way from the milking sheds.
When I started school the teachers were Mrs Laurence in the infants class and Mrs Jackson... Read 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 left of this memory. Sadly, the main characteristics - with the exception of the thatched roof - have gone. Also gone, are the numerous attached and detached buildings and facilities, which made the place a farmhouse.
I stayed at the farm on many occasions, during the 1930s and 1940s. As I grew so did my various responsibilities on the farm - but I must say the 'unskilled' labours were my forte - I had few real farming skills. Nevertheless, my broad back and great willingness to work were a welcome addition to the everyday workforce. In particular, these physical attributes were much in use during harvesting. I could... Read more
Gymkhanas at The Manor
I can remember in the late 1940s Gymkhanas being held in the field behind the Manor, then owned by Mister Glazebrook. I remember after one very large lady had done her jumping round one of the locals shouting "Now thee get off and give the hoss (horse) a ride". As children I also remember standing round the same fields at harvest time armed with sticks in the hope we could kill a rabbit as they ran out of the corn.
The Cross
Just to the right was a farm run by Mr Chaffey, he had working for him Mr Bert R*** who was a very large gentleman, probably over 20 stones, anyway in the bad winter of 1947 Bert slipped down on the ice outside the butchers shop opposite the cross, several locals tried with no result to get Bert back on his feet till one said "Yer, let's roll he over to the monument". This was done, result Bert back on his feet and back to work!!!
Haywards Bridge
I remember many happy days in the 1940-50s spent by the river near the bridge. It was here that I saw my first otter, we also used to fish from off the bridge. When the 8 a.m train used to go to Blandford, if the driver saw any late travellers coming over the bridge he would sound the whistle and wait at the station till they arrived. The fields round the bridge were farmed by Alec Cross of Bere Marsh Farm.
Happy Days
It was from here that the children of the village waited for the school buses to Blandford Grammer School and Sturminster Secondary Modern School. We never mixed, the Blandford children waited by the cross, we waited by Curtis's shop. At that time Mr Dyer had this butchers shop and Mr Pride had the pub. Before that Mr Davis had the pub, Mr Turner the butchers and Mr Cottle had a harness shop next door. Some of the children had to walk over a mile to catch the buses.
Memories of Chile Okeford Church
I was born in 1940 and was christened and confirmed in the Church. Rev Richard Taylor was the vicar for most of my scool days. In 1953 I learnt to ring the bells, we went to Shroton to be taught by Mr George Denis,when we were good enough we rang in the tem with Mr A Hart the captain, Mr C Pike, Mr A Dunn and Mr G Eagle, I learnt to ring with David Wingrove and one or two more boys of the same age. The Rev Taylor used to take boys from the Choir to Blandford Army Canp to sing at the Sevice there as he was Chaplen to the camp.
I Lived And Worked Here.
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
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 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... Read more
Village Center
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.
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 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.
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... Read 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 course, later a cabinet minister in Harold Macmillan’s government, and later still, became Lord Duncan-Sandys.
Duncan Sandys and his family certainly came to stay, and also lived at Hanford House for some time. As a consequence of the illness of their children’s nanny (Grace), I was asked to help with the children, especially, Julian, then about 4, who later became a barrister, and died in 1997.
I used to read to him and his sister, Edwina, and I particularly remember being asked to sing Julian The Skye Boat Song (‘Speed bonny boat, like a bird on the wing’). I also remember him saying to me ‘My grandpappa smokes a... Read more
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. He love his garden. There were a number of apples it would not surprise me if part of the property was an orchard. My family and I stayed with them. Travelling by train and arriving @ Shillingstone Station. I always had great excitement crossing the line (we changed @ Temple Coombe). Coming from Harrow in Middlesex it something never done. My mother remembers the oil lamps on the station. My Aunt always arranged for us to be picked up by taxi from the Stone's(I remember playing with their boys) garage. The Tuffins lived @ the farm @ the top of Ridgeway Lane. I remember... Read more
