1st Home

RE: RE: 1st Home

I lived with my aunt and uncle next door to Strattons at Beacon Hill, they had the butcher's shop next door, they were Mr and Mrs Gray, they managed Parhams, that was the name of the butcher's shop. Their children were John, Rosemary and Margaret. We went to the village school, for a short time I went to Huntington House on this end of Wood Road. I knew Mr and Mrs Stratton and their daughters Pat and Pam. I used to sit near the petrol pump near their back door shelling peas for my aunt. I remember Srattons had a Trojan Engine van, hence the petrol pump. Another uncle was Bill Wise, he had the garage opposite Strattons and lived in a house down the "dip" as we called it. We used to climb over the fence at the bottom of my uncle's garden to get a quick way into "The Rec", it was not always pleasant as my uncle was the local slaughterman for the local butchers. I recall all the shops very clearly. My other uncle who spent a lot of time with us was Edgar Knight, who actually had a farm in Churt. I cannot recall the name of the lane, the farm was called Outmoor, a lovely place. We saw the broadcast of one of the first televisions in Strattons, Beacon Hill, we were all invited into the shop, it was very exciting. So many happy memories, of so long ago. I was there from 1940s onwards. I have revisited, it was painful, it has changed quite a lot, our butcher's shop and the house (Southdown House) was empty and very sad looking. My aunt and uncle moved to Witley and bought a farm in Wormly, Orchard Farm, my cousin Edgar Knight Gray is still there. Lovely to hear of someone that is familiar with that lovely area.