Newton Hurst, Staffordshire

Our Childhood

My twin sister and me were brought up in Hixon from babies till we were about 10, we were known as the Taylor Twins. We first lived with our nan in the house that stands at the top of Smithie Lane and Featherbed Lane, we then moved into what was called The Baths, it was a 1 up 1 down house... [more]

The photograph is of my mother.

I'm a little young to remember the post office as it is in the photograph, but I can say that the girl in the pushchair is my mother and the lady behind is one of my great aunts. Three of my great aunts built and ran the store and post office at the bottom of the village, i don't know exactly... [more]

Wartime

Very sketchy memories - maybe someone will fill the blanks. My father was RAF at the Wellington bomber base. I lived for a short period in a single row of cottages, near the base and a railway line. I had to cross the line over a small bridge to go to a school just the other side. My parents were show-biz... [more]

In the name of adversity.

My family lived adjacent to the fields which were designated for the Hixon Aerodrome.  I remember well standing against the garden fence seeing the location being prepared for the runways, and watching the workmen erecting the hangars.  My mum would make the workmen billy-cans of tea.  My age was 7 years.  It became necessary for our house to come under the... [more]

Summer Holidays

I was born in Brewery Yard, Great Haywood. After the war my mum moved to Notting Hill, London, so in the summer holidays my sister and I would stay at Nan & Grandads in the village. Mum {Eileen Bailey} played the piano in the Fox & Hounds, Stubbs's were the local butchers. I spent a few months at the local school,... [more]

A 1950s childhood memory

I have very fond memories of Great Haywood during the 50s as my sister and I went to stay with our grandmother during the school holidays. We lived near to the centre of Manchester and so to visit this village in the 50s was like entering another world.
Grandma lived on the outskirts of the village in Tolldish Lane and she... [more]

The Clifford Arms

Ahh, The Drinking Hole!

Bailey Bridge Pontoon - Canal Cruisers.

I built the boat shown on the right hand side of the photograph.   Bailey Bridge pontoon MKVI N0.19053 was manufactured by Gee Walker & Slater Ltd, Uttoxeter Road, Derby and sent to Engineers Stores, US Army Depot, Newbury, Berkshire on 29/9/1944.  At post-war WD surplus sales, a considerable number of these Bailey Bridge pontoons were bought by Levesley's International and stored... [more]