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Grove Park

Grove Park maps

Historic maps of Grove Park and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Grove Park maps

Grove Park area books

Displaying 1 of 7 books about Grove Park and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Grove Park

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Oxfordshire memories

The Green East Hanney

I moved to East Hanney in 1956 at the age of 4, we moved to Manor Farm Cottage just behind the centre of the photo. the large tree on the left was known as "the big tree" and it was said that Oliver Cromwell camped there, the occupant of the house on the far end of the row was Mr Creed, I have a photo of me taken in 1957 just behind his house in the orchard, where the new houses are now.Every year a small fair was held on the green, the rides were supplied by Jumbo Collins from Challow, I left in late 1966 and the big tree was felled shortly after that.
A nice village for a young boy to grow up in.
Tim Gibbs

I lived in the house immediately behind "the big tree" from 1973-1975. I was only 8 or 9 years old and have fond memories of climbing in the lower reaches of that tree. I have a photo my parents took of the tree in the winter, and one can see how massive the tree's upper branches and trunk were in spite of having been severely cut back over the years.

I last saw the tree in 1977 on a visit to East Hanney. I don't know exactly when it was finally cut down, but is certainly gone now. Interestingly, while visiting for the first time in 30 years this past spring, I found that one could still see remnants of its trunk if you looked under the branches of the new tree planted in its place.

The Big Elm Tree.

This is the best picture yet of that great old tree that I have found. I sat on its roots at the age of 5 years back in 1939, and all through the war it was a great place to sit out of the rain.
I have a picture of it when it was young, and a picture of its stump full of flowers. Its branches were held together with chains and very few kids could climb it. I haven't seen it since 1952. It would be great if someone had a picture of the complete tree.

Evacuation to West Hendred From 1941 to 1946

I was evacuated at the age of 4 yrs with my mother, Catherine and younger brother Alfred. We had been buried alive in a shelter, in Upton Park, East London and only saved when someone heard my mother screaming for help. I don't know how we got to WH but am told my mother arrived in the same dress she was wearing when she was dug out, it was soaking wet still. I wish I had got more information from her before she passed on. My father had to stay behind in London and eventually joined the army for the duration. My three elder sisters, Joan, Kath and Patricia had previously been evacuated to Wantage and in time we all came to live at Alpha Cottage in the village.When we arrived in the village , we were put up at The Vicarage, next to the church, and was looked after by a lady who was known as Lady Gwen Evans. I started school in the village in April 1941 and... Read more

TIRROLD WAY

Atomic Estate c1955
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My parents lived in the house on the right, the end semi-detached house, I can just be seen in the photograph as the light coloured blob in the front garden. Normally I would have been at Garston Lane School, but in the late spring of 1955 I had to have my tonsils removed at Wantage Cottage Hospital, so I had extra time off school. My parents were the first occupants of the house in 1949, we moved to a bigger house on Foliat Drive in 1956. My maiden name is Robinson, and my father worked at Harwell moving to Winfrith in 1958.

Tirrold Way

Atomic Estate c1955
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We lived at 5 Tirrold Way on the Charlton Estate at Wantage just after I was born in 1949. My father George Nicholas worked at the Atomic Energy at Harwell and my parents were also the first occupants of these houses. My mother who is 83 years old feels sure that the Robinson family lived next door and that Susan and I played together and that she went on to become a nurse. If this is fact would love to hear from you!

All Grown Up

Market Place c1965
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Being of a young age by this time, twelve years old, I remember the market square being filled with motorbikes, with each the bike riders wearing leather jackets topped with a cut-off denim with this being decorated with many a metal stud, either coloured brass or silver, and sometimes framing what was a stencilled picture of perhaps an evil looking face or else something of another bizarre description. This congregation of these bikers held a friend and myself in so much fascination that even with our both being at this early age, every evening my friend and myself would be found sitting at the foot of King Alfred's statue joining this party, he wearing his leather-looking jacket and I in my denim jacket covered with a variety of studs purchased from one the local shops and chains used for plugs, either bought or else retrieved by some other means. On the back of my jacket was painted a scull with lightning drawn through its entirety, so making the complete diagram... Read more

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