Eype memories
Here are memories of Eype and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Eype or a Eype photo.
Same Family.
My dad was Cyril Henry Sprake, I have memories of travelling to Eype to see my gran, she was Day then. As grandad and uncle Robert died during the war, I am interested in knowing which of the local Sprake families was grandad's.
I too think of the area as my spiritual home, I have said to my family that I should like to be returned there one day as we moved around the west country, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, I always think of Bridport/Eype/Symondsbury as my home town, so to speak. I am now living in Peasedown St John, Bath, BA2 8PS, having remarried after my first wife died but when I go for a drive I often seem to end up down at or near to Eype.
Eype Cottages
My Mum, Nesta Smith (nee Sprake) was born in No. 3 Eype Cottages and lived there up until she married my Dad (Ron Smith) in July 1949. They met when he was stationed close by with the Royal Army Service Corp. They used to do their courting by the old phone box apparently! Dad proposed to Mum up at Golden Cap and they were married in Symondsbury Church. I believe that my Great. Great Uncle made the wrought iron gates or the lock on the gates to the church? Mum lived in the Cottage with my Nan, Aunts and Uncles - Betty, Barbara, Peter and my Grandad and Uncle are buried in Eype Church. I love the area and would really love to retire there myself! Shortly before Mum died in 2002 my sister Karen and I arranged for Mum and Dad to spend a weeks holiday in No. 3 Eype Cottages (as these are now holiday lets). It was a brilliant surprise for them and I am just so... Read more
Memories of Dorset
In Memory of F.A. Brake, Born 1895
This is where we played as kids - all eight of us! Our grandad was born in one of the houses on the bottom left-hand side. He lived there all his life and my father plus my eldest brother, sister and my nephew was born in the same house. Five generations lived there for over 100 years. It was sold out of the family in 2002. My grandparent and parents where also married in the St Swithins Church.
A lot has changed sadly, a lot more houses built.
Convent of The Visitation
I was born in 1950 and attended the convent as a boarder, leaving in 1958. I travelled by train with my mother from New Street station Birmingham to Paddington station London where the convent nuns met up with us and the other schoolchildren for the journey to Bridport station. We used to have long country walks during the summer and I can remember going to a place covered in long fern vegetation in which we played. The regime at the convent was very strict and the education standard extremely high. French and Latin were taught well before the 11 plus age. I still have a couple of the bills for my upkeep that were sent to my mother. I also have a couple of photo's of myself taken during my time at the Convent. One of them shows my class mates and I in the classroom being taught by Sister Edith I believe. Our clothes had our name and number attached, mine were Cash's name tapes with the number 4.... Read more
Visitation Convent Boarding School, Bridport
During the 1940s, I lived in Weymouth, but from May 1942, when I was 5, until July 1947, I was a boarder at the school. I was happy there, and still remember the names of my teachers - Sister Anne, Sister Edith and Sister Magdalene, and also the names of many of the other nuns there then. We had a walk every Tuesday and Saturday afternoon. We walked in twos - with one nun leading the column and another bringing up the rear. Sometimes we just went to West Bay, at other times we would go to Loders (which seemed very far) or Allington, Symondsbury Copse or Eype. Meals were taken in silence(well, maybe not always total silence). We had to attend Mass every morning at 7.45 and before breakfast. On Tuesday and Saturday evenings we attended Benediction. I was an altar server and choirboy. On VE Day 1945 Union Jacks and Belgian flags were hanging from the top windows of the convent and we had a game of cricket... Read more
The Convent
My father died the year after I was born and his employer Burton's, provided for myself and my three brothers to attend private schools, which is how I came from London to the Convent at the age of 4. I followed my brother Colin who had been boarded there for a number of years. Even today I still have nightmares about the place and the horrible way the nuns treated the children. We were required to remain in our seats even if we needed to go to the toilet. Subsequently many kids soiled themselves or urinated where they sat and were brutally punnished for doing so. At bedtime the nuns checked underwear to look for mistakes that might have been otherwise overlooked. In my 3 years of residence I remember slaps across the head and face; rulers across my knuckles; and yes, I remember the cow on the railings who groaned in pain, his eyes wide open as he waited for death to come to him. I remember arrogant priest... Read more
Visitation Convent
I was a boarder at the convent, with my older brother , from September 1927 until Decomber 1929. Contrary to the report given by Alan Noon, (not of my generation) the nuns treated us well and, with reflection over the years, with understanding and kindness. Some names of nuns _Sisters Agnes, Edith and Gertrude. Reverend Mother was a kindly person - not that we had much to with her directly - my abiding memory of her is that she had a mole on her face.
Walks, long for children of our age, were a great feature - Bothenhampton Downs , West Bay, Eype and other names which I cannot remember now. We also bought sweets ('gob stoppers,' sticks of liquorice etc) in town on our walks.
We also played cricket !
I won 2 prizes, books, which I treasure to this day
Food - I don't remember much about except that on St Cecilia's day (Nov 22nd) those learning music got a little extra .... Read more
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