Church Farm

Year: 1957

Church Farm

I lived at Church Farm, Longparish in the late fifties & early sixties. The farm was then a working farm and my father was dairyman. I went to the primary school just after it was rebuilt, the teachers were Miss Munday & Miss Tari. The school playing field was rough grass, it was then relaid with no fence by the river yet we never came to any harm. At Church Farm there was a big old barn next to the granary. In the barn was an old covered wagon like Wagon Train. I played for hours in there. The granary had owls in, we used to spend hours looking out of our bedroom windows watching the owls come and go. The farm foreman was Mr Reg Ball, he used to ride a bike and deliver all the wage packets on a Friday to the workers who were scattered far and wide, you would not do that today!  The dinner ladies were Mrs Plummer, Mrs Dobson, & Mrs Smart  - she used to make chocolate crunch, lovely! The railway line was not used but the track was still laid with old trucks stored on it. One day they took them away and the army blew up the bridge over the A303 at midnight one saturday. When I lived at Longparish it had two coalmen, two shops, a cafe, a post office, a taxi, two pubs & an off licence. We used to have jumble sales in the village hall opened by Muriel Young who lived at Forton. I remember when Cliff Richard opened the fete, I payed 6d for his autograph. My mother used to make butter for Mr Wills at Middleton House, wish I had some now. Sadly when Mr Wills died the milking cows were sold and we moved on, I don't think I have lived anywhere so nice since.

Year:

RE: Church Farm

My name is Stan Barnes. I was born in Folly Cottage, Sugar Lane, Longparish on the 23rd October 1935. I left Folly Cottage at a very young age and moved to number 6 Station Cottages, Longparish, with my mother, Margaret Barnes, my father, Harry Barnes, my two brothers, Fredrick (known as Barney) and John together with my sister Sheila. I left Longparish in 1957.

The memory of Church Farm submitted by Robert Bolt bought back many happy memories of Longparish Station. As a boy I would wait for the train to arrive so that I could ride on the foot plate, whilst it shunted the trucks, many laden with bombs, to the RAF (202MU) Bomb Dump at Harewood Forest, very close to the station. It also bought coal for two coal merchants, Ernie Engerfield and Alf Turton.

Robert Bolt mentioned the bridge over the A303 road being demolished at midnight on a Saturday night (I wish he mentioned the date). I remember it well. I was stood in Lywood’s field, near the bridge, along with others. We were expecting a spectacular bang but all we got was a thud, as the bridge collapsed onto the road. I have some photographs which I took when it was being prepared for the demolition. Let me know if you would like copies.

I have many happy memories of Longparish and my friends, neighbour Charles Kingston, school friend Raymond Lipscombe and many more.

By the way, in the 1950s there were three ubs in Longparish: The Free House, The Plough Inn” and The George Inn near Longparish Station on the A303, where workers from Kennedy and Kempe, would call in for a game of darts and a pint, at lunch time.

Sorry if this is drawn out, but my memories of Longparish hold a special place in my heart.

Year:

RE: Church Farm

My name is Stan Barnes. I was born in Folly Cottage, Sugar Lane, Longparish on the 23rd October 1935. I left Folly Cottage at a very young age and moved to number 6 Station Cottages, Longparish, with my mother, Margaret Barnes, my father, Harry Barnes, my two brothers, Fredrick (known as Barney) and John together with my sister Sheila. I left Longparish in 1957.

The Memory of 'Church Farm' submitted by Robert Bolt bought back many happy memories of Longparish Station. As a boy I would wait for the train to arrive so that I could ride on the foot plate whilst it shunted the trucks. The train was often laden with bombs as the RAF (202MU) Bomb Dump at Harewood Forest was very close to the station. The train also bought coal for two coal merchants, Ernie Engerfield and Alf Turton.

Robert Bolt mentioned the bridge over the A303 road being demolished at midnight on a Saturday night (I wish he mentioned the date). I remember it well. I was stood in Lywood’s field, near the bridge, along with others. We were expecting a spectacular bang but all we got was a thud, as the bridge collapsed onto the road. I have some photographs which I took when it was being prepared for the demolition. Let me know if you would like copies.

I have many happy memories of Longparish and my friends, neighbour, Charles Kingston, school friend, Raymond Lipscombe and many more.

By the way, in the 1950s there were three pubs in Longparish: The Free House, The Plough Inn and The George Inn near Longparish Station on the A303, where workers from Kennedy and Kempe would call in for a game of darts and a pint, at lunch time.

Sorry if this is drawn out, but my memories of Longparish hold a special place in my heart.