North Tidworth, Wiltshire

Friends in North Tidworth

My best friend Barbara Harris, who I have not seen since I was 14 years old.
Finally last week we re-united, thanks to my Auntie Olive who lives in Andover now.

The years just rolled back an I recognised her and she recognised me, we could not stop hugging and looking at each other.

This is a friendship which has survived an absence of 40 years.

Flooding in these cottages

I lived with my parents in Zouch Avenue nearby but did go to school with a girl who lived in one of these cottages.  The River Bourne is/was directlyopposite and every winter it overflowed, ran across the road and flooded the downstairs of these cottages.  The pianola lived permanently on a pile of bricks.  The way upstairs here was a ladder in a cupboard.  I did envy that child as I was only about 5 myself.  The same families through the generations seemed to occupy these cottages but they were all pulled down when I last visited. They also had outside bucket toilets and every Wednesday afternoon the emptying lorry came and the smell standing at the bus stop opposite was quite dreadful. Buses came hourly to Andover.
Joan Battershill

Jean & James H Whitwell

Hi Joan,

We're trying to locate Susan Whitwell born 1960 while living at 32, Zouch Avenue, can you help?.

David Thompson

Childhood memories

My mum Dorothy Elizabeth Pratt was born in Nepaul Road in 1927. I was born in Salisbury Infirmary in 1950 and lived with my mum and granny and grandad (Bill and Eileen Pratt), I had a great time when I was little playing on the Garrisons football pitch, I use to sit in a tray and slide down the hill onto the pitch. The Ghurkhas were posted at the Garrison at the time and they were so friendly. My best friend Barbara Harris lived down the road with her family. My grandad worked in the office at Bulford Camp sorting out the supplies. He use to come home at 1pm for his dinner, and then the big army lorry would come and pick him up and take me with him. I always remember, even though I was only about 4 years old, I was left in the office on my own for a few minutes, but in that time I managed to stamp every piece of paper that was laying on the desk. My grandads boss though it very funny, I use to go into the stores when I was allowed and the people would give me sweets. My grandad was the curator at Tidworth Church, he is also buried there along with my granny and my mums ashes and also my great aunt is buried there.

Wiltshire Churches Photographic Memories

Tidworth has few buildings of architectural merit. Holy Trinity is in North Tidworth, the centre of the civilian area. A small 13th-century building, Holy Trinity is rather hidden away, but it is the village’s jewel. Built of flint and stone, it has a Perpendicular nave, chancel and west tower. The top of the canopy has been repaired in brick. The Norman font is a large single-scalloped capital. The church plate includes a cup from 1576.

Marlborough Photographic Memories

This is a typical lodge house of the Ailesbury Estate variety; it bears Gothic features such as the ornate barge-boards and detailing to the eaves. This lodge has fish-scale tiles that were popular in the later 19th century. Labourers work- ing nearby have obviously been drafted in to add a rustic charm to the picture.

Marlborough Photographic Memories

This fine old 17th- century farmhouse, built in a mixture of materials, stone, brick, tile-hanging and long straw thatch, is typical of the area around Marlborough. It was known as Brown’s by 1718. By the middle of the 20th century it was being used as an outhouse, and it was demolished in 1961–2 to make way for more modern farm buildings.