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Godmersham memories

Here are memories of Godmersham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Godmersham or a Godmersham photo.

Godmersham Post Office

We visited and stayed at  the Post Office, village shop and off licence in 1973. My mother Mrs Oliver had just taken over as Post Mistress. My mother had given up a teaching post in Liverpool to be nearer her own mother who lived in Westgate on Sea. She ran it until 1982 when she retired to Herne Bay and took up freelance teaching in her spare time. I would be interested to know of any history relating to the Post Office as it had a lovely garden and was an interesting building

Memories of Kent

Oh Happy Days

The High Street c1955
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1st white house on left was the 2nd post office where I had to go every morning to collect and deliver all the Chilham newspapers around the village for the grand sum of £2 per week. Post master then was a Ken Parker, I had to finish by 8am to catch Herbi Arnold's school bus to get to Chartham Secondary School.

My First Flat

The Castle c1955
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No I'm not joking, when we first got married we lived in a flat in Chilham Castle which was at the time above the Battle of Britain museum at the rear of the castle, yes it was cold there in the winter. We were allowed to walk around the lakes and gardens, whenever we wished.  My father was the local village policeman, PC Bill Bishop. who managed to persuade a certain Lord Mazzerin to rent it out to us.  Mice, yes, they were in abundance, the record then was 21 in two days, what did I do with them all you may ask? My wife would throw them out of the window in disgust of condition of the castle. Just beneath our flat there was also a small cafe, they sweep up all the bodies and wonder where they kept coming from!

Many A Beer Here

The White Horse Inn And Church c1955
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Many a beer here I have downed, served by the landlady who was then locally known as Brandy Lil, I can't imagine why though?

Don't Get Caught!

The Rev Lawson caught three of us smoking in the graveyard here, he then said he would tell my dad unless we all swept up the leaves around the main church door, which we all did. My dad was the local copper then, and a clout round the ear I would have got!!

Praise The Lord

I remember singing in church choir and getting paid for it - the princely sum of 6 pence a week. We used to play in the church yard, climbing trees was a favourite pastime.

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