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Cuddesdon
Cuddesdon maps
Historic maps of Cuddesdon and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Cuddesdon maps
Cuddesdon area books
Displaying 1 of 7 books about Cuddesdon and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Cuddesdon
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memories of Cuddesdon.
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Oh to be A Bishop's Daughter
In 1971 my father The Right Reverend Kenneth John Woollcombe became the youngest Bishop Of Oxford at the age of 47 and we came to live at Bishop's House, Cuddesdon, opposite the Theological College, next to Bishop's Wood.
On March 3rd of this year ( 2008) he died after a long illness at the age of 84.
The Times wrote in his obituary "Scholarly clergyman who rose to be a capable, effective and popular Bishop Of Oxford". I quote "He also had an enormous gift for friendship. He gave support and often spiritual direction to many throughout his life."
Whilst we lived at Cuddesdon, life was not so easy for us, the young family. Me and my two sisters were teenagers and had been used to living in the centre of Edinburgh. My elder sister, Meg, went to boarding school in The Lake District but Fran and I attended what was then Holton Park Grammar school in Wheatley (it is now known as Wheatley Park School). It was quite... Read more
Playing in The Daisy Field
I grew up in Cuddesdon and spent many happy hours playing in the surrounding fields. My family moved up to Parkside (No. 15) from The Park houses in '56 when I was 2. I don't remember living there although a trip with mates down Redman's Lane, turn right and pass the crab-apple tree, then on towards the river was a regular summer jaunt. The water from the spring was so refreshing - much more pleasant than the Corona bottle of tap water someone had brought along.
We would play in Cuddesdon Brook (straight down the hill on Redman's Lane) although that was seen as 'foreign' due to it being on land owned by a Wheatley farmer (Mr Greaves) rather than the familiar Palmers. The sloping meadow at the top of Parkside by (now) Sunset Lodge was the Daisy Field, named for reasons obvious in the summer. In the winter of 1963 when the snow and ice was ferocious I well remember sledging on Mum's baking tray to the bottom of... Read more
Famliy
In the last two months (year 2006) I found out that I had a Great Uncle that lived in Cuddesdon in the 1881 census. This was a surprise to me as I lived in Cuddesdon in Parkside Cuddesdon for 5 years under my ex married name(1995 to 2001) and never new I had famliy there beforehand. This was David King who married a Ann Gunn, who was born in Cuddesdon, her father John Gunn was also born in Cuddesdon. (I am not related to the Gunns, only by marriage.)
Oxfordshire memories
Bridge Bungalow Cafe
We lived at the BBC for many years. Near to the bridge over the River Thame, next to the garage run by Harold Thomas and Jeff Lafford. I went to Thame Grammar School on the double decker blue bus. Dad was George Allen, Mum was Alice Allen and uncle Bill and Auntie Joan lived just up the road. We used to fish in the river and sometimes the A40 used to be flooded when the river overflowd. grandad Allen was head gardener at Shotover House and Grandad Day lived in Forest Hill. Roger Allen, Melbourne, Australia. rogerstallen@msn.com.
Grandad used to drive the horse and cart along the almost deserted A40 from Shotover loaded with fruit and veg to Keenes in Iffley Road?
Advertisements in Wheatley
The lady on the right of this picture, taken outside Bowens shop (later Ferrridges) at the bottom of Friday Lane in Wheatley, is my mother Patricia Hanks. I don't know who the lady is that she is talking to.
Contributed by Lucille Goodwin
High Street
I worked in Wheatley village in 1963 in John Bull's butcher's shop opposite Sam's butchers with Ted! and a lady bookkeeper. After living in Waterstock on John Bull's farm during the terrible winter of 1963 we moved into his bungalow at 17 Beech Road, the building of which was delayed through the bad winter.
We are now both retired and live in Bournemouth. I remember Alan Hayday and his brother, also Dennis next door.
Growing up in 1950's Wheatley.
I can remember my early childhood days. We lived in The Avenue. All the fields at the back of us were open fields. It is all houses of course these days.(Elton Crescent, Miller Road etc).
Early school days were having to walk to school at the infants school to be taught by Miss Flood or Miss Wren. Later on I attended primary school in Church Road.
I used to work as a kid for Ted Turner and John West the butcher. I also did a paper round before school and remember vividly some really cold winter mornings waiting for Mr Bill Phipps to bring the papers in from Oxford. The summer days were a lot better, deliver the papers and then grab some drink, food and fishing rod to go down to the river. Here we could all fish and swim till dusk. Then walk home on our own without fear of predators. Those were the days eh!!
One memory that will always stay with me is Mr Harris delivering... Read more
