Chippenham memories
Here are memories of Chippenham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Chippenham or a Chippenham photo.
Chippenham Grammar School
Chippenham Grammar School in wartime, way up on the Malmesbury Road, was a great place to be, despite inevitable privations. Textbooks were in short supply, exercise books were rationed, and some of the teachers were away in the armed forces, but it was a happy place, with 400 pupils and a splendid Head, Sidney Farrar, supported by an excellent staff, some of whom were university teachers on loan. One, Morgan Perkins, was a wartime commando, while another, Walter ('Billy') Gee, became Mayor of Chippenham. 1940-47 pupils who went on to do great things included W.J.Harvey the poet and TUC President Ken Gill... We had 48 acres to enjoy. Apart from the old manor house loaned by one of Churchill's Air Marshals, (Charles Portal) all the buildings were brand new, it being the last grammar school to be finished just before war broke out in 1939. It was also co-ed, a novelty in those days, which meant, apart from anything else, that school plays... Read more
The Chippenham Folk Festival
Chippenham Folk Festival is about to celebrate its 40th year in 2011 and I have been attending as a musician with the Whitethorn Morris Band many times going back to my first visit around 1980.
Although it has seen many changes since its beginnings in Lacock all those years ago, it still retains its 'village' atmosphere, providing three days of song, dance, workshops and dance displays. Over 200 events now take place within the town centre, turning the whole town into a giant party. The main Ceileidh and concert events take place in the park alongside the river, while practically every pub and venue in the town is used for a vast range of sessions, workshops and smaller concerts and dances. There are also children’s events, a large craft marquee, catering facilities and an open air arena in the park. The High Street and historic Market Square are now pedestrianized, and are used throughout the weekend for busking, street theatre and processions. A huge street fair also takes... Read more
A Fine Romance!
I remember many happy days at Monkton Park Swimming Pool, with my parents and friends. We would take a picnic and spend the day there. The sun always seemed to be shining on those days and people came from miles around to use the pool. I was strolling around the pool with my friends one day when Mervyn called out "Hello Blondie! ". We were married for 44 years until he passed away in April 2010. We shared many happy memories of the day we met and were so sad that the pool was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair and was filled in.
Dancing in The Street at The 2010 Chippenham Folk Festival
For many years morris sides have danced in the streets and pub gardens around Chippenham during the annual folk festival. Its a popular venue in any morris dancer's calendar.
Whitethorn Morris and their Whitethorn Band made a trip from their home town of Harrow to join in the Folk Festval fun. Most years we have encountered poor weather and any rain soon dampens the enthusiasm of dancers and scatters the crowds of onlookers. On this occasion the 2010 May Bank Holiday produced an entire day of dry weather and even a few hours of glorious sunshine.
The crowds came out and applauded to encourage the musicians and dancers! As the day progressed the music and dancing became vigorous - helped by the drink no doubt. Our dancing friends from "Dawnswyr Tipyn O Bopeth" (in Carmarthen) shared a High Street dance spot with us exactly where this view is shown.
The Whitethorn Band and Whitethorn Morris Dancers later took part in the afternoon's Grand Parade... Read more
Fishing
We used to do our fishing further down the Avon, behind the old Oxo factory where the workers used to throw lumps of Oxo across the river to us to eat.
Old Mill
Sad day when the old mill was pulled down. When I was growing up the schools used to have class visits to the mill to explain how it all worked, imagine that.
Fishing
Favorite spot for fishing as a young boy was under the arches. We paddled out, risking cutting our feet on broken glass, which happened the odd time. Caught my biggest roach ever...but it got away! True story.
Chippenham Swimming Pool
I was about 12 when the pool opened and what excitement it brought to us kids of Chippenham. I learnt to swim their with my friends (Margaret Ritchie, Jean West etc. and many more). I remember the bank being covered in sun bathers, people would take picnics and spend the whole day their. There was a shop at the top of the bank that sold teas, coffees and snacks. In fact when I was 14 & 15 I worked their for the summer holidays. I remember my sister Pat Potter tripping in the kids pool, then standing up and not realising her bikini top was up around her neck and she was displaying her charms. Oh! how those years have passed by and how much water has flowed under the bridge since then!
Memories of Doom
I remember sitting on the seat by the old Yelde Hall in 1964 and telling my boyfriend (Brian Robbins) that yes, I was having a baby. Then arranging that he would tell his parents, and I would tell mine and tell them we wanted to get married. He was nearly 19 and I was 17. (Still in love after 44 years)
Hardenuish School For Girls
I went to Hardenuish School between 1958 -1962. The headmistress was an ex nun and did not allow the girls to mix with the boys when their school was built just down the road, so she staggered our dinner and leaving times from theirs. Silly woman - didn't stop them waiting about and meeting up later. I can remember going out on our art lessons in the summer and sitting by a pond in the grounds to paint the scenery around us. We cycled to school because we lived at the other end of town in Long Close - I must have been fit then!
Whitethorn Morris Dance at The 2007 Chippenham Folk Festival
It rained. It truly rained absolutely all day. Although Whitethorn Morris were booked for three dance spots in the street plus an Arena show there was no chance whatever for either the dancers or musicians of the Whitethorn Band to perform as planned. We took shelter where we could, standing in doorways, shopping mall entrances and we finally took refuge at The Gladstone Arms where the landlord had a marquee in his courtyard. Here we shared a small dance venue with four other "sides" and managed one dance on the wet stone slabs. Sadly one of our lovely dancers - Sue - took a fall in the slippery conditions and needed first aid. Everything was simply too wet!
Why does it always rain for the Chippenham Folk Festival!! The Festival organisers arranged for an alternative venue to the sodden Arena so we moved on to the Sports Centre. The band took up position with the microphones by the stage and the red white and blue dancers took... Read more
Memories of Wiltshire
The Corner House
My father's cousin, Kitty Mortimer (nee Barratt) lived here with her husband Leslie, and their two daughters Andrea and Lynn - mostly throughout the '60s and '70s. I believe they rented the house from the National Trust, as I remember they had to open it to the public at least once a year. (It was a fascinating house inside, although the biggest problem was flooding in times of heavy rainfall - the house used to flood as much as waist height sometimes, and I think the insurance companies used to groan when the Mortimers phoned up yet again for new furniture, carpets, etc.!)
Dummers Lived at Bowden Hill, Lacock For 400 Years
I recently visited Lacock and Bowden Hill searching for information about our Dummer family. We searched in the churchyards of St Annes at Bowden Hill and at St Cyriacs in Lacock but most of the inscriptions were illegible.
We only found one Dummer that we could read. It was at St Annes and was for my great aunt & uncle James and Sarah Dummer died 1934 & 1931 respectivly.
Does anyone know of any transcriptions before lichen and time disfigured the memorials?
Derry Hill, Wiltshire
I did not live in Derry Hill, but rented a cottage there, Primrose Cottage, in 1990. I was introduced to Wiltshire in the 1980s by my husband's mother who had been based near Pewsey in the Land Army during the Second World War. When I first visited Wiltshire it was to visit Avebury and later to stay at Chisenbury with people that my mother-in-law had known in the 1940s. I fell in love with the county as soon as I crossed the border, loved the landscape, the feel of the place, as if it was a homecoming of a kind. So, in 1990 we rented Primrose Cottage. The youngest of my two sons was four and the other 14. I remember loving the quiet, loving the old houses and the little school, lying in bed in the early morning (it was August) and watching the trees at the end of the garden blowing about in the wind as it was getting light. I thought that I could live here and... Read more
Biddestone
I was born in Biddestone in 1953. I went to Biddestone School, Mrs Taylor was the cook and I believe the teacher that I had was Mrs Walker. There was a large field out the back of the playground that we used in the summer for sports and at lunchtimes. There was some large trees along one side that gave us some shade on very hot days. On the 1st May we danced around the maypole on the village green. I also remember Miss Weeks who lived in the thatched cottage next to the school. My father helped when the pond was cleaned out in 1959, I have a photograph of this work being done.. I still go to Biddestone with our grandchildren and feed the ducks, it brings back so many memories. I try to go to the village fete each year .
A Lucky Find Chestermans Farm.
Having started to work with a company in Fleet I needed to find somewhere to live that was commutable both to work and our home in Devon. Having spent a whole weekend looking at various properties in the surrounding area without any luck we had one more left on the list to look at before heading home again. To our delight it was just what we needed, plenty of space, peace and quiet and the dogs were well pleased. We stayed for two years before moving on again but we loved the farm and it still crops up in conversation.
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