Doveridge memories
Here are memories of Doveridge and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Doveridge or a Doveridge photo.
Evacuated
I remember being evacuated to Doveridge with my sister Brenda. We stayed with a family called Lloyd, the mother was Marie and the husband was Lou, they had three daughters called Jean, Joyce and Dawn. If anybody remembers my sister and me or the family we stayed with I would love to hear from them. We stayed in a small cottage next door to the school in the village about 500 yards from the church with the large so called Robin Hood tree. Hoping I get a reply, leaving you in expectant mode. Yours faithfully, J Bainbridge
Memories of Derbyshire
Ford Family in Hanbury 1700s on
We travelled from Sydney, Australia in 2006 to Hanbury, looking for traces of our Ford Family who had lived in the area around 1800. Our particular ancestor was a convict, John Ford, "Alias Tonks", b. 1801. He was tried and sentenced to 7 years in the colony of NSW, and was never to return, his crime was that of pig stealing.
Armed with some prior research done for us by the Stafford Office, we were aware that John Ford "Alias" Tonks was born along with his 8 siblings at "Foxholes Farm", they were all christened in the Parish of Hanbury. The marriage of their parents William Tonks Ford and Mary Ward took place in Marchington in 1797. William Tonks Ford was named in the Parish record as "Will Bastard Son of Mary Tonks". We found "Foxholes Farm", an old pig farm, which ceased to operate as such c1944, around the time of the Fauld Explosion. It was in Draycott-in-the-Clay, turning at the old drinking fountain, down Pipe Hay Lane... Read more
Where do I Begin?
Where do I begin? I have titled this memory thus and placed it in about 1960, because that's the most accurate I can make it. Ida (my mum) pushing me in a pram up the 'Cliff' to the wood yard, that used to be up by the six lanes end junction. The purpose of this jaunt being, to collect logs for the fire in the pram, which I would have then sat on top of for the return journey. We lived in the house I was born in, at number 16 Pipe Hay Lane (which was really number 15 but somewhere along the line this got screwed up and we ended up with number 16). These were the new council houses,three up and two down, outside, as well as, inside toilets and, by today's standards, a large garden which initially my dad tended loyally. Along with mum, dad and me were the oldest of my siblings David, my big sister Susan and our dog Floss (a 'bitzer' as I would... Read more
Wartime
I was evacuated to Hilton with my mother and grandmother at the outbreak of the WW2. My father was drafted into the army and was sent off to India and Burma when Japan entered the war. We lived in a terraced cottage in Eggington Road. The families next door were the Radleys and the Lands. Opposite the row of houses was the American army camp and my friends and I spent time waving and talking to the soldiers who gave us biscuits an chewing gum.
I started at Hilton school when I was five and stayed there until the end of the war in 1945. On both VE day and VJ day there were enormous bonfires lit in the road opposite the Talbot pub. There were so big that they melted the road.
During the time I spent in Hilton I remember going each morning to collect the milk from the farm . We also had to take the battery for the radio to... Read more
An Ashbourne Childhood
My family moved to Ashbourne in 1942 when I was 6. I went to school at what must have been the last of the old "Dame" schools run by an elderly lady called Ethel Hunter. The school was at the top of a big house in Church Street, owned by a dentist: Mr. Bligh. It was a small school, not more than a dozen children and we were all in the one classroom. We used to have Wednesday afternoons off school, Wednesday was half day closing day. This left us free to explore Ashbourne and the surrounding countryside. We walked everywhere and collected wild flowers which we pressed in books. I used to go home for lunch, running up Smith's yard and down again after lunch. One of the charms of Ashbourne - still there, I've been back - are the yards which connected the town with the upper roads - they are quite steep. At the top of Smith's yard... Read more
The 1950s
I was born at the maternity hospital in 1951, we lived at 3 St Oswalds Crescent and my granny and grandad lived close by on Park Road. I attended St Oswalds C of E School - I had a lady head teacher whose name escapes me before moving up to Parkside Juniors - Mr Lawton was Headmaster. We used to play Shrovetide at school but it was banned for beeing too exuberant. Joined the Church Choir - C Daly Atkinson - organist and choimaster. Open air swimming pool, school dinners. Joined the Cubs - was the first cub to get Leaping Wolf at New Scout Hut. We went to Butlins at Skegness in 1958 - first holiday I remember. Shrovetide - with boarded windows, Woolies and Boots next to it, the gingerbread shop, 2 cinemas - the Empire - saw the Incredible Shrinking Man, The Elite. Left in 1963 - going back Saturday with brother Mick to taste the nostalgia.
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