Our favourite Memories

Lower Shott c1955, Great Bookham
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I have just discovered this wonderful website today and oh what memories come flooding back. I was born in Lower Shott in 1954 and lived there until I was about 23. I remember these shops so well. Being sent by my mum to get some cheese, I think it was from Mr Absaloms, and bursting into tears because everyone ignored me as they were waiting for my mum to come in and didn't realise that I had been sent by myself (obviously a big girl now) to buy something on her behalf! Mr Absalom was so kind and picked me up and allowed me to stand on his step ladders (no health and safety then) whilst he packed the cheese. I remember the James's who owned the newsagents and round the corner was a hairdressers and a wool shop and a butchers, later owned by the lovely Ken Pillings (does anyone know what happened to him????). In the High Street was the granaries, and a lovely shop that a bell tinkled when you entered it and sold leather goods, dog leads and such (could have been a saddlery??). I remember clearly the smell of the leather and we used to love to play in the sawdust in the butchers. Along by Beckley was the Co-op that sold broken biscuits and down the High Street further down opposite the church was a post office and a fish shop run by the Cripps family I believe. Opposite the fish shop was... Read more

The Entrance to Church Farm c1965, Pagham
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I first attended this camp in 1954 as a baby of 10 months of age and my first experience of the sea was with my father at that tender age. I attended for at least the next 10 years and learned to swim in the sea at Pagham and often played in the penny arcade and in the dunes behind the beach. I also used to fish for crabs at the old harbour and also fished with my father at the lagoon. I have very fond memories of the place and the camp - even if I think back and look at the possibility that we were probably a bit of a shock to such a small village. We used to travel to the camp - which lasted for a fortnight - in London red buses with our luggage being brought down separately on the back of a lorry, and we stayed in a field (I think at or near Church Farm) in army bell tents which were loaned to the charity who ran the camp. I can also remember being a bit of a pest and playing with the church bells when were not supposed to even be in the church and peeing on the floor when I got caught short - subsequently being 'frog-marched' back (by my uncle and father) through Pagham - carrying a mop and bucket to clean up my own mess - as a lesson. This horrified the local vicar of the time who thought... Read more

The Manor House 1965, Southall
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My parents were born in India. My grandfather settled in Africa and had a good job. When my father got married he stayed Africa where all my brothers and sisters were born. My dad was a carpenter by trade; he arrived in Britain on his own with close relatives in 1962 for work as a carpenter to build new houses. He worked very hard in the snow, often travelling to London. They lived in rented accommodation in various addresses in Southall. My father did not want us to come to England as it was too cold in the winter but my mother wanted to join him, so he sponsored the 7 of us and we joined our father in 1962. At first we lived at 23 Beaconsfield Road sharing an overcrowded house. I remember the cold winters and the paraffin heater that mum used to keep us warm with and often she would put a pan on top and pop some popcorn for us. My father was a very religious man who played the Indian organ (which he made himself).. after work he would teach us to play different Indian Instruments. Southall had just a hand full of Asian families, but every Sunday dad would take us to the Shackleton Hall and the Bingo Hall on Beaconsfield Road to perform for Holy Service. As there was no Gurdwara in Southall, family used to meet in each other’s house to get together for Holy Service and meals were cooked by different Asian... Read more

Creek Road c1960, Hayling Island
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I was at St Patricks 1948 to 1952, I loved it there! I remember Pauline Quinn, her mum ran the laundry and little Margaret who ran the uniform and sewing room...I spent hours trying to darn a sock. Rosemary Bacon, Pauline Quinn and I were friends. Our ward maid was Bridie, she was a dreadful bully, we always got our own back though. She used to hand out syrup of figs or cascara on a Friday night, if we upset her she used to give a double dose and held your mouth shut until you swallowed it. Oh, I nearly forgot Winnie Pratt - great girl. We had stretchers in the playroom on wet days and in the gardens in the sunshine. Stretchers were like half deck chairs that we had a nap on everyday after lunch. We used to have lessons in the gardens on sunny days. Sister Bertha was my teacher, we all loved her so much and Sister Katherine was another favourite. We used to help butter the bread while she cut it on a machine. Sister Vincent was the nurse, she gave us cod liver oil, parishes food glucose and bemax on alternate days. I was upset to leave that lovely safe place; midnight feasts, ghost stories in the dorm and great friends. Sad its no longer there.