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Great Somerford
Great Somerford photos
Displaying the first of 17 old photos of Great Somerford. View all Great Somerford photos
Great Somerford maps
Historic maps of Great Somerford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Great Somerford maps
Great Somerford area books
Displaying 1 of 12 books about Great Somerford and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Great Somerford
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Great Somerford.
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or of a photo of Great Somerford.
Had to go Back.
The building to the right of the picture was one of only two shops in the village. From there, whilst waiting outside for my mother who was shopping in there I shot an arrow from my home-made bow straight up. It came down and hit the roof of a car parked outside the pub. All I got by way of reprimand was an "OI!" from the owner. There were so few cars about during the war and I had to dent the only one in the village!
My mother Jessica Morgan and my Dad, Bill Morgan, were regulars in the pub, and in 1959, when I was in the RAF, she made me wear my uniform to show off to the regulars, who bought me a few pints. I went back with my daughter on Father's Day 2007 and I mentioned to the staff that I had last been there when I was 18 years old. They were not impressed. I noticed on the wall a photo of local... Read more
Not Always Good to be Taller.
I attended this school, on and off during the war years as my father Bill Morgan, was frequently posted around the country, and I would end up with my grandparents, the Eldridges who lived at West House. My teacher was a Mrs Greenaway, who lived a bit further along in the picture, and always put me at the front of the line for our exercise period as I was the tallest ("E's gonna be 6 foot y'know"). This meant that whenever I was at the front I couldn't see what everyone else was doing and always got it wrong. Someone was always bleating out, "Please Miss, Keith Morgans not doing it right!" Nonetheless I loved that school. Just opposite was a cottage that housed the Brind family, and Julie Brind was always telling on me, but told everyone she was going to marry me one day ... I was only six.
So Cool Inside.
The house on the left used to be occupied by whom I called Auntie Eve and Uncle Jack. I never knew their surnames, and they were not real relatives, but close family freinds. They had a daughter, Diana, with whom I fell base over apex in love. The house had very thick walls I remember and was so cool in summer. It was eventually pulled down and rebuilt to almost the same design.
The View From A Volunteer Pub Garden Bench. 16TH JUNE
The most important bench I have had the privelage of sitting on one lunchtime on June 16th 2008 and the view of the Cross Roads. Over a diet coke and an Orange juice I met the best friend I have ever known. The Volunteer Pub, The pub garden bench and the slight view of the Cross Roads will linger with me for ever. That day at 12.15pm was the first time I had been in that village but it is now like a city in my heart. Had many a great meal there since.
Wiltshire memories
Rodbourne School
We stayed in the vicarage across from the pub and I went to Rodbourne School aged 3.
I Lived at 12,Newbourne Gardens
Hi to anyone who remembers me, I lived there from !952 to 1969 and have lots of fond memories of the village and people I used to know.
W Redman & Sons
The van on the left of the photograph was owned by my great-grandfather Wilfred Redman who had the butcher's shop at 41 The Triangle, Westport from the early 1900's until 1945. He died in that year and his son took over the family business. Wilfred Redman came to Malmesbury in the early 1900s from Nailsworth, Glos where his mother had a stationery shop. The van was registered to Wilfred on 30 June 1936.
