Daccombe, the Lane c1950

A great childhood

I've got such fond memories of my mum pushing me up and down Daccombe in the pram and putting me on the horses at Henry Fogwell's farm where she kept her horse Danny. There were a lot of horses down there at one time and everyone knew everyone, it was great. Hiding out in the hay loft I used to get away with a lot down there.  Scrumping from the orchard across from Manor Farm and paying the bus drivers with fruit to have a lift down from Monkeys Island (Barton Cross) to the shops as I lived in Falloway Close, Barton. Barton Stables was a place I hung out at a lot as well with Granny Grimble (Powel). I would love to have a photo of Henry as I haven't got one so if anyone reads this and can help that would be great . My mum's name was Shirley Hooper Bowden before she married.  We go camping every year at Manor Farm as I just love the place and that's where my heart is and all my great memories are of a wonderful childhood, the best in fact. xxx

Squire Brown's, now Pontings.

The thirties were the very early days in my life. My mother would take us up  to Greathill where we would sit and have a picnic, not a lot to eat but a chance to play in the fresh air. We were all very happy together. Sometimes we might see a skylark rising above us singing away. We used to try to find the nest but never did. My mother would tell me the skylark took off well away from its nest. Barton was also where Squire Brown's house was, a large place where we had an outing day from the church, it would be at Easter time and the helpers would hide chocolate eggs for us children to find. I remember that you had to have six stars for attendance on Sundays to be allowed on the trip.
The Greathill I talked about was the high part of Torquay, that was where we could look right over the fields to the sea, not many houses then to cloud our view. Further down was Coakers farm, now only a road sign to mark it by. Walk along Moor Lane, Farmer Ching lived in a cottage, he had an orchard, yes, we would shin up the trees and fill our shirts with apples and run off when we heard the dog barking. All us locals knew of the greenpond that collected water from the springs that fed it. Sometimes moorhens would nest there, and sometimes it would freeze over and we would skate about like kids do. Does anyone remember Mary Pinkham? Her house is still there. Church Road is where Brunel had a chapel built, Stoneman the builders turned the building into  two dwellings in 1947?, I'm not quite sure about the date. I lived in Barton village for some years, quite a lot of history in the village. I think Upcott, the house opposite us, was once a pub. The quarry at the back of us was worked by a Mr  Gillard whose son Harry was an architect and was a friend of mine. A little further up the road Sharhams lived, I believe the house was once a post office. There is much more to say but perhaps I have said enough.

MR Eric harwood.

Childhood Memories

Hi my name is Maria Brown (maiden name Zalmen). I lived in Kingskerswell up until 1967 when I was seven. We then moved to Australia. I have never forgotten this lovely place and in 2005 I decided to come back and relive my childhood memories. Back in the 1960s we lived at no.13 Bourne Road in a lovely little white house. I remember living next to a field where my rabbit used to escape to and where I use to roll down the hill inside a barrel. I remember pushing my mum up the hill to the milk bar because it was such a steep road - I don't remember which road, it might have been on the post office side of the main road. I also remember going to a coffee shop with a big red chair in front of a cuckoo clock. I used to have an orange juice and raisin toast when I was there. I can still smell the aroma of the coffee they served. I don't know where this was though. Maybe Newton Abbot? I used to go to the old Kingskerswell school, which is now a community centre. I am trying to get hold of the school magazine from the years 1965 to 1967. If anyone reads this and was in Kingskerswell around the same time as me it would be fantastic to hear from you on the memories page.