Chippenham, the Old Town Hall c1955

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.

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.

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.

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!

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)