Chudleigh Knighton Cider Memories

Year: 1930s

Chudleigh Knighton Cider Memories

I lived in Chudleigh Knighton when I was 11 years old until I was 15. That was 1932 till 1936.  I was taught at the lovely school there. The head mistress was Miss Gill and her assistants Miss Bray and Miss Parkhurst. My family had broken up and I lived with my grandparents Mr. William Thompson and Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson who had a small orchard and bicycle repair business with a couple of petrol pumps there at Bungalow Voysey. Nearby were boys of my age, Jack and Len Rodman, Aubrey Beer, Michael Wills and Joe Bovey to name a few and a girl, Reenie Snell. My grandfather built the bungalow whilst I lived there. It was a timber frame with asbestos cladding in and out and a corrugated iron roof. I particularly remember a huge dining table whose top surface was large spare asbestos sheets piled one on top of the other and we ate many meals off it. It obviously had no effect on our lifespan. I loved the river nearby especially at the Pyle railway bridge where all the locals swam. The Johnsons at Bellamarsh farm were great friends of mine and I spent many happy hours there, especially at cider making time when apples were crushed at the water wheel mill. The cider at that precise moment was not intoxicating. We played football at farmer Lovatt's field and farmer White's field and also tennis when I was allowed. Parson Mott had a large roller lawn mower and my grandfather ingeniously fitted a motor cycle engine to it. I was allowed to play cricket at the Vicarage which was a small pitch so big hits were deemed "six and you're out".
           When I was 15 I was allowed to join the local club to play snooker on the big table but unfortunately in a rash spirit of fun on bonfire night I threw a firework through the club window which charred the table surface and I was expelled. Another unsavoury episode of mine was when blowing the church organ I put too much gusto into the task and blew a hole in the bag. It was a chore I was never allowed to repeat. Some of my young friends there used to have boxing matches but no one got really hurt. One of the Vallance brothers gave me a black eye once but it was tit for tat as I gave one of them a split lip, although I rather fancy it was the younger brother. I now live in Australia but have happy memories of Chudleigh Knighton.