Otley memories
Here are memories of Otley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Otley or a Otley photo.
My Ancestors
All my ancestors originate in Otley, and I have traced them back to 1718. The only recollection I have of Otley is that when I was six to seven years old the family used to visit my father's aunt, my great-aunt Emma who was in her 90s and bedridden, she lived in a small cottage on the road to Helmingham. Further along the road lived one of his cousins who was married to a Walter Goodwin who used to drive a steamroller for Dawsons. It was a quaint little cottage standing endways to the road and looked rather like an oversized dolls house. Walter's son Willy lived there all his life and worked on the farm for Mr Ling. After he retired he spent his time making model steam engines with matchsticks and fairground carousels mounted on gramophone turntables. Willy died about three years ago. The cottage was then demolished. S G Forsdlke
Memories of Suffolk
William Gildersleeve & Thomas Robert Gildersleeve
In the year 1492 William Gildersleeve and in 1544 Thomas Robert Gildersleeve were born in Witnesham, Suffolk, England.
Gildersleeves first found in Norfolk area where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor.
If anyone knows any Gildersleeves (Spelling variations of the family name includes Gildersleeve, Gildersleve, Gilderslieve, Gildensleeve, Gildensleve, Sildsleeve, Gildsleve, Guildersly).
Shrubland Park
My wife and I moved to Shrubland Park in 1950 after I had secured a job working in the glasshouses and market garden of this large estate. It was a wonderful place to live and enjoy the peace of the countryside. After a couple of years the head gardener left to become self employed. I was then given the chance to take charge of the market garden whilst the pleasure gardens were looked after by someone else. I had been involved with three generations of the Saumarez family by the time I retired in 1999, just a few months short of 50 years since we arrived there. The last 41 years of that time we rented the walled garden and surrounding area and established what became a flourishing chrysanthemum nursery. It was quite a wrench when we had to retire but I did write my memoirs of that very happy 50 years. Sidney G Forsdike
The Black And White Cottages
My great grandparents, my nanna (and all of her siblings)and my mother all lived in this house. I'm not sure of the timeframe but it was for a number of years. My mom had many fond memories and stories of the crinkly wall across the street, as well as the 5 Bridges. My family name is Harvey. My grandfather and his family also grew up in Easton. His family name is Last. I visit Easton everytime I go back to England. It is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I tend to take pictures each time I go as well. Time seems to have stood still in Easton. What a wonderful place.
Hillman Imp Outside The Red Lion
We moved to Debenham in 1964, when I was seven years old. Having come from Oxfordshire, where the houses were built of stone, I remember being amazed that many of Debenham's old houses were painted pink. 'Suffolk Pink' is the traditional colour of the limewash used on the timber-framed houses in this county. The Red Lion, the pub on the right of this photo, was one example.
The Hillman Imp parked outside the pub in this picture, belonged to my parents. They had just stopped to pop into the Post Office, which is next to the Lion. If you look very closely, you can just see the silhouettes of my brother and me, sitting in the back seat!
The Hillman Imp was new when this photo was taken. It was sky-blue, and we were excited to have such a modern car, with its folding back seat and rear window that opened. It was quite a departure from our previous car, a Morris 8.
Debenham High Street... Read more
Boulge Was my Home
My family owned the Boulge Hall estate at the time of your photograph. I was christened in Boulge Church in 1940.
I am the 3rd Baronet of Boulge Hall and the last of the line.
The summer house on the right of the picture was built by my grandfather Sir Robert Eaton White.
I remember Boulge well throughout my childhood. How sad that it was demolished.
I have some faded photos of the interior and a couple of others of the outside.
Nothing else remains.
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- Eastleigh, Hampshire
- Barking, Essex
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- Cefn Fforest, Gwent
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I Remember When...
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