Walkers Hairdressers

A Memory of Dulverton.

My family lived in Dulverton in the 1950s. Both parents were hairdressers and we sold sweets and tobacco as well as drapery and ice cream from our shop on the High Street. We had the first chewing gum machine and you used an old penny to get chewing gum and every fourth coin got a double pack. My sister Pam and I went to the school up on the hill and my brother Barrie went to Minehead Grammar School. I used to go horse riding with Charlie Hoskins who lived next door to us, I remember him taking his wheelbarrow loaded with dung down to his allotment. He also used to cut the grass in the park with a scythe. We were friends with Sandra and Yvonne Hammond who lived opposite us in the bakery. We used to go to Sunday School in the chapel and also went to Red Cross in what is now Somerset House. Great fun was had out playing up in the woods and in the river with our tyres. In those days there were very few cars and we had freedom to run just as much as we wanted to. I used to help muck out the horses in the Lion Hunting Stables and Charlie Hoskins had stables in the yard behind the Lamb Hotel . I remember the cows coming down Fore Street and the High Street on their way to Fishers fields, the resulting milk brought around by Arthur Chilcott on his bike in big urns poured into our waiting jug....how delicious. The new school was being built before we left and I was one of the first pupils to attend and Mr Boardman was my year teacher, we used to go along to the sports field and played netball in the playground. I remember some of the names of my fellow pupils, Avril Blencairon (excuse spelling), June Campbell, and Heather Hodge. Other families I remember are the Hobbs family, especially Jennifer and the Woods Family who lived at the castle. For many years I wanted to return and finally at the end of 2011 I made a long overdue visit and thankfully nothing much had changed. I stayed in the Lion hotel and arrived on the day of carnival, a lovely balmy night and great fun. I visited all the places that meant so much to me, even went on the stage where I had been in panto (along with the Mackneys). It was where we would go the the pictures on a Friday night, it cost us thruppence to get in. I remember going into the Tantivy, Woods cafe and the milk bar for yummy milk shakes. Great memories. Dulverton was a magical place to grow up in and has remained close to my heart , I was delighted when I visited and the only disappointment I had was not having a few more days to enjoy all my memories.









Added 14 January 2013

#239618

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