The Village 1908, Chilton Foliat
The Village 1908, Chilton Foliat Ref: 60954
Memories of The Village 1908, Chilton Foliat
The Past The Present And The Future
I was born 3rd July 1959 in Marlborough hospital, I spent the first few months of my life in Ramsbury, my parents lived opposite the fire station, until our house burnt down and we moved to Crabtree Close, Chilton Foliat, where my dad still lives.
I then went to the "OLD" Chilton Foliat Village School, which is no longer a school but has been converted into a house. The head master in those days was Mr Hassel. Mr and Mrs Dobson had the village shop and post office, I can still smell the scents from the ham that Mr Dobson used to slice up at the back of the shop, I was very sad to hear that they passed away just after retiring. There was also Bunces garage and the Wheatsheaf where I used to work as a "barmaid" in the evenings. I have some very happy memories in that pub.
The photo above is the start of the village and the house on the left... Read more
Chilton Foliat & local memories
Read and share memories of Chilton Foliat and Wiltshire inspired by Frith photos.
Some Memories From 1916 to The 1950s
My father believes the man in the carpenter's apron in photographs 60995 and 60995x may be Francis New. The carpentry business he is standing in front of was eventually taken over my grandfather, John Bray, and his brother William. In the directories they were listed as wheelwrights but they undertook a much larger range of buiding work some of which is still on view today, e.g. the lych gate of the church which was built as a memorial to the dead of the Great War. My father remembers them making a coffin for the last of the Cannings family at Bridge house. Sadly Miss Cannings died in relative poverty and there was no money for a funeral so her coffin (complete with body) was transported in the back of my grandfather's converted Standard motorcar to its last resting place near Swindon with my father holding on to it to make sure it didnt fall out! My father, who is now in his nineties, remembers a life which seems to resemble an... Read more
Living in Chilton
My family moved to Chilton Foliat and took over the "Old Post Office". I was still young then and went to the old school run by Mr & Mrs Hassall who lived next door to the school. Two classrooms and very fond memories.
At the end of every day we would all have to stand still, dead quiet and were not allowed to leave until we heard a pin drop! Then the Hassalls left and Mr & Mrs Porter took over, very nice people again. Along with them I remember an elderly lady who was there called Mrs Nagler, I think she was American and used to sing gospel songs. One year I remember being in the Christmas nativity at Marlborough Church when we did Noah's Ark I think, and I believe I was a "rat" - not in real life!
I left to go to boarding school then, attending 2 different schools in Hampshire, then returned to finish my education at John O'Gaunt in Hungerford. I returned... Read more
