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Fremington
Fremington maps
Historic maps of Fremington and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Fremington maps
Fremington area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Fremington and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Fremington
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Devon memories
Ladies Hairdressers at Instow
My mother - Hilda Florence Allen - worked as a hairdresser in Instow for a time during the Second World War. At the time she was married to Douglas Steer although the marriage did not survive long and she later joined the WRAF and was posted to Egypt for the remainder of the war years.
She had happy memories of Instow and took me there with my father for one of my earliest summer holidays probably around 1949. I revisited just this weekend in 2008 and tried to locate the hairdressers shop where my mother had once worked but there has been so much change that it proved impossible. I did walk along the sandy beach and thought deeply about having previously walked here almost sixty years ago! I looked across the water to Appledore and thought how beautiful the area is.
Family Home
Ahh Instow.. Always in my heart. Gran moved from Plymouth to Bickleton (2mls inland from Instow) c1930. Mum (Nancy Rooke) went to Instow school. During the war years she met Dad (Ron) married (1942) and moved to Staines where I grew up. Every year, with my two brothers, Doug and Andy, we would have our holidays with Gran, Aunt Lila and Uncle Ray (Spiers). Travelling down by train, watching out for the derelict tower on top of the hill above the old village near the School. Uncle Ray worked at the REME camp. They moved into Instow c1960, gran passed away 1963. We moved to Newton Abbot, Devon in 1964. Mum, Dad, Doug and Andy moved in with Aunt Lila and Uncle Ray c1966. Andy went to Instow School. Andy now lives in the same house that Aunt Lila had. I particularly remember the beach, Norman Johns' ferry to Appledore, I think he went to school with Mum. So many memories.
The Clarke Family of Newton Tracey in The Early 19th Century
Frances “Fanny” Clarke was born about 1810 in Newton Tracey and my interest in both her and the village is because she married Henry Howard, a tin plate worker from Barnstaple. My middle name is Howard which carries on the family name from those far off days. As I have now retired and live in Devon I am looking forward to visiting the parish church at Newton Tracey to see for myself the church where no doubt she and her family worshipped, and the village where she lived. Perhaps I may even find family gravestones in the churchyard? Frances married Henry in 1838 in Islington Parish Church, London and all their many children were born around there. Why ever did they leave beautiful Devon I wonder?
In The Hills of North Devon
Shovelled off to Boarding School, aged 7 (just), small boy, shorts, huge trunk, sandwiches and standing on the platform in London shivering and not just from the cold. School train huffing and puffing heading for Barnstaple feeling frankly miserable. All is new, all is not good and others sharing the same fate. Eventually arrived at St Michaels through huge gates, facing huge buildings and hordes of boys, cars unloading, parents fussing, boys blubbing and others tearing about. Write postcard home saying 'have arrived safely', using pen and make sure the blotches noted as tears in feeble attempt to get parents to change their minds and escape home........ That was the start, it got better. Posted to Cingalese and right at the back the great hall at back of long line of desks. 1st night in Orange Dorm a bit strange, woke up wondering where I was. Matron, a star. Most of the masters as well once you got to know them. Couple of scary ones like 'Toad' &... Read more
Schoolboy Memories
I was a boarder at St Michael's from late 1947 to 1953. The church was bordered by the Golden Valley on one side and woodlands on the other. I remember sketching Tawstock Church and getting a commendation for my efforts. We used to be taken to the church about once a month and added our treble voices to the congregation's praise. If one had to be away from home, the school did offer a different life; but only liveable to the full once one got over the sense of complete abandonment. I would love to hear from any of the local staff - such as Miss Waters or Miss Jenkins, or, Bridget Fitzpatrick who surely invested her whole life in those of others.
Seven Years of my Childhood.
I was at St Michael's from 1943 to 1950. The school had just moved from Uxbridge because of the war. Old gilded pictures, suits of armour stored. We weren't suppose to go there. Great friends with Barry and Copp. We were known as the three musketeers. Hill, Ireland. Would love to have any contact. We played in the woods, on the terraces. Cecil Cook was our headmaster but died. It was quite a good life especially as my parents were overseas some of the time. In the Earth Google it looks little different. Playing fields where the kitchen garden was, a new swimming pool and a large new building next to it.
Tawstock Court Now!
Hello there,
We are planning to hold a Reunion Dinner on 20 September 2009 for all St Michael's Old Boys circa 1940 - 1965. If you would like to come, please phone us on 01271 343242. Regards, Nick Edwards, Bursar
