Old Weston memories
Here are memories of Old Weston and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Old Weston or a Old Weston photo.
The Swan
I became landlady of The White Swan as it was then, with my husband Gordon, who has since died. It had previously been run as an up market restaurant, but had not been successful. We concentrated on the village life, bringing the community together. Introduced bar skittles, darts, and instead of the restaurant, kept to plain English home-made cooking. We always had a themed New Year party, and people would be queueing outside on a Saturday night. The hardest three years work of my life, and while there were many happy memories, there were more unhappy ones. I was so glad to leave it. I have visited only once since, in the mid 90s. I may be tempted to do so again, but I doubt it. I am glad the new owners are making a success of it, but they are more than welcome to it.
The Black Swan (Pub)
Old Weston & the Black Swan.
My first memory of Old Weston was back in 1955 and actually when the picture of the Black Swan was taken. I was stationed at RAF Molesworth from March 1955 to March 1957. This was one of the first pubs I went to after arriving in England that year. I have since visited Old Weston in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005 and have visited Old Weston on every trip. The pub is now called The Swan. Lots of good memories from back then and always enjoyed visiting the area.
Memories of Cambridgeshire
Hales Family
My dad was born in the village in 1927 in a cottage in Sheep Street. The Hales family have lived in the village for a number of generations until the 1960s. The churchyard is a testament to this as there are a number of gravestones with the family name on. I remember visiting the village as a child and walking from the main road where the bus dropped us up the hill to the village sometimes using a footpath across fields. My dad's family had moved to a cottage on The Avenue behind the war memorial, and as a child I can't remember venturing far from this. The other side of the cottage was used by a men's temperance group that didn't frequent the pub! We make regular visits to the village and each time my dad shares another memory of his childhood, maybe about his schooldays at the village school or visits to the pub with his grandad. He was brought up by his grandparents as his... Read more
Spaldwick Windmill & The Belton Family
The Belton family has a long association with Spaldwick as millers, witnessed by a hill being in the family name, (O.S. map 153), just north of the village.
My mother's sister Violet Bass, from nearby Kimbolton, was married to John Belton.
John, my uncle, inherited the windmill as well as a further windmill at Alconbury and a *water driven mill at Houghton, now owned by the National Trust. The Belton family had a very healthy corn milling business in this area of Huntingdonshire, (sad that it had to be gobbled up by Cambs.). I have documents associated with the business as well as John's 'verge' pocket watch, which formerly belonged to a "Charles" Belton, (father?). I have also, letters written to John's mother when he was in France in WW1 and a number of French embroidered postcards which were popular with soldiers.
Why 1955? Well it was around this time that I visited the mill as a teenager and was saddened to see it in its dilapidated state. The... Read more
The Cooper Family
My family, the Coopers, lived in Spaldwick from 1800-1900 if not before.
My great-great-grandfather, Daniel Cooper, was a baker, corn seed merchant and the registrar for births, deaths and marriages in the Spaldwick area.
There are stained glass windows in Spaldwick church dedicated to him and his wife, Susan Jellis, and their children and four very prominent gravestones in the churchyard.
His son married Ann Horsford in 1881. Her father, James, a land owner, had a brother John who married Ann Belton.
In the 1857 census there was a three-year-old John Belton living with my great-great-great-grandfather John Horsford and his wife Ann Griffin. It was their son John who married Ann Belton.
John Belton
John Belton who wrote the postcards was the son of John (Horsford) Belton who was master at Spaldwick mill in the 1901 census, he was my G.G.G Uncle. John H was the son of my G.G.G.Grandfather Benjamin Belton who's father was Charles and he had a brother Charles he was born in Spaldwick approx 1818. I have lots more details. G.Chandler111@btinternet.com
Ghosts in Spaldwick!
I only lived in Spaldwick for about 6 months from December 1968 to May 1969. Just married, with a baby, we rented a farm cottage to the west (?) of the village green, the lane leading to the church was next to it. One night in January or February all was quiet on a very cold and frosty night. We were both fast asleep until my wife woke me and said "Someone's knocking on the back door!". We both crept downstairs and indeed there was a loud knocking on the door. I picked up a poker and moved to the door,I was more angry than scared and as quick as I could I threw the bolt and opened the door, there was nothing there. I went out and had a good look round but there was not a sign of anyone. Our garden backed onto the cemetery! I cannot explain this at all and it never occurred again while we were there but I never forgot! I think about this... Read more
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