Medstead, the School c1955

This was my School!

I went to school here from about 1971 when I had just turned 6 until the age of 11 when I was sent off to the Amery Hill Secondary, in nearby Alton.

The school house and St. Andrews Church played a huge part in my life back then as I was also in the Church Choir, Brownies & later the Girl Guides lead by Miss Jennifer Lines - who I adored. I was one of two girls to get sick with Scarlet Fever at this school and there was a big hush up so as not to panic the "simpleton villagers" as the Doctor put it. Charming! I then got Coxsackie Virus and I was off school for a long time that year and it was touch & go for a while. Prayers were said in Church and obviously they must have worked! :)

I hated my school days as the bullying was terrible - all the way through unfortunately, mainly by the same group of girls whom I will refrain from mentioning here, but may justice be upon their heads! My favourite teachers were Miss Hobbs and Mr. Dyson. The Head at the time was a Mr. Benson. I remember the kindness of the Chief cook - Mrs. Worcester (I have paid my respects at the Cemetery), teachers Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Westlake, Miss Pearce and the very awful Miss Shaw, who eventually found someone to marry her. That woman picked on me without mercy - big mistake! Dinner Ladies were Mrs. Bird & Mrs. Richards who hijacked the Brownies and took over at some point, God love 'em!

My family lived further out towards Fourmarks, in Station Rd, which then became Lymington Bottom Rd. We lived in a huge house called San Diego which became Vine Cottage after 1980. My father was the local plumber/builder, Peter Tayman and my Mother was Elizabeth. I had a brother called David. I was known as Kate back then.

My parents passed away tragically quite young and I am now living near Oz. I had a good career running my own business as a Mortician/Undertaker and retired early due to ill health. I am now a Parapsychologist & writer, living alone on an Island offshore Queensland with far too many pets and a yacht I never sail. I was married for 23 years with no surviving children and am on my 3rd engagement! Blessed be to any other schoolies who attended Medstead School...:)

my younger days up redwood lane.

i can remember menia cottage from a very early age.its not there anymore knocked down to make way for modern and bigger houses.to me that little tinned roof bungalow was heaven i lived there with mum and dad and my 5 brothers and 3 sisters until i was 23.now we have lost another brother (andy) i wish we could go back to how it was then,you could trust anybody leave doors and windows unlocked day and night not worry about where our next meal was coming from.we never had a lot of money because you did not need it then, but we never went without we were always happy.

Farringdon beat

I was the village beat bobby from 1983 until 1994, I lived in the police house in lower Farringdon, I covered the villages of Chawton, Newton Valence and east Tisted.I was PC 1609 Clive Cutts, but later changed my surname back to Renowden. I made some good friends in the village, and I miss my late friend Joe Lonsdale. I am now retired from the Hampshire Police and live back in my native Cornwall. anyone in the village who knew me. please contact me at Clivejac@fsmail.net