Abbots Fish House c1960, Meare
Abbots Fish House c1960, Meare Ref: M265008
Memories of Abbots Fish House c1960, Meare
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Meare & local memories
Read and share memories of Meare and Somerset inspired by Frith photos.
''The Grapevine'' And Others!
My uncle, the late William John Wilcox, was the proprietor of the 'Grapevine' from the mid 1930s through to the early 1960s. I remember it as a truly old fashioned 'pub' complete with a 'games room' with darts, shove ha'penny board and bar skittles. A game with the skittles placed on dots on the board, a wooden ball was suspended by a cord on a vertical pole. The player had to swing the ball in an arc to knock the skittles over. Painted on the Transom over the front door was the 'Legend' W. J. Wilcox, for the most part easy letters to paint, even from the inside, as they were, the J however was reversed - must have been a good brew! My eldest sister was sent to my uncle's to help recuperation from an appendix operation. She met the man who was to become her husband there. He was living with his widowed mother in one of a pair of cottages named 'Porter's Hatch' directly opposite the old Fish House.... Read more
Edna Baker And Carl Dewdney
Edna Baker married Carl Dewdney on 24th Dec 1935 at St Mary's church. Edna's father was James Baker who was a local carpenter. I would love to hear from anyone who has any photographs or can remember Edna or Carl.
Grape Vine Inn/Ring of Bells - Albert Holley
Transcribed from the Central Somerset Gazette of 1891:
16 May 1891 - Meare - "The Friendly and Benefit Society established last 9th Sep, held its first general church parade…After the service, the men reformed into procession and headed by the Glastonbury Good Templar Band…marched around the village and visited the farmhouses and the houses of the resident gentry, where they were hospitably received, and in some instances money given to them. (Dinner at the Ring of Bells was timed for 2:30 p.m., but it was 4 p.m. before the members returned from their perambulations. One can imagine that they had been liberally supplied with cider on the way!). A. Holley was one of the members and a toast was given to the Army, Navy and Reserve Forces. Sargt. Holley, in responding, said he had been in two engagements, and knew something about both branches of the service. They had good Generals and good Admirals, and the Army and the Navy were the finest... Read more
Honeymoon at 'The Old Ring 'o' Bells'
I spent my honeymoon here with my husband, Howard. It was truly idyllic and we were the only guests staying at the time. The stay was a wedding gift from a friend of my husband and his mother, we were on a tight budget at the time and would probably not have gone away at all. It was so peaceful and the history of the building made the whole experience even more special. From the uneven floors, to the orchard, to the old skittle alley and the cellar. We loved it all. We were woken every morning by the sound of the dairy cattle walking past on their way to work! Next year we celebrate 25 years of marriage but we will never forget where it all started. We have been back to see the building many times and keep waiting for it to come up for sale (at the same time that our premium bonds give us a win!). Last time we saw it there seemed to be an... Read more
Ring of Bells
I have a will dated 1865 for Robert Rood "of the Grape Vine Inn known by the ancient name of Brakeland". He bequeathed the property to his wife Mary Rood and it suggests the property was owned and bequeathed to him by his father Thomas Rood. His wife also had a property at Stileway beaqueathed to her.
The Ring o' Bells Public House, Meare
The building on the extreme right of the photograph used to be the Ring o' Bells Public House, owned by my great grandfather, Jesse Laver Difford. It was initially called The Grapevine Inn, or was called that when my grandmother was born there, in 1880 and its name changed to the Ring o' Bells at some time later.
