Over Wallop, Homely c1965

My Home

I lived in Rose Cottage from mid 1965 to July 1966 when we were posted to Germany. At the time it was divided into two cottages. Myself, my husband and my 6mths old son lived in no2 which was the cottage on the left side looking front on. My husband was in the army. We had a choice of Rose Cottage or Apple Tree Cottage in King Lane. My next door neighbour was Margaret also an Army wife. We spent a fair bit of time on our own whilst are husbands were on exercises, so we became involved with the church fete and we spent hours making fudge to sell on the stalls. We had a great time. While living there my son was very sick with whooping cough and a very kind local couple I had made friends with who lived on the 'new estate' [sorry I cannot remember their names] took us to the doctors in Nether Wallop. I also remember my neighbour and myself walking once a week to Middle Wallop to the air force camp to play bingo. I remember the Morris dancers dancing outside the pub, summer of 66. It was great fun living in Over Wallop, long country walks, bus trips to Salisbury and Andover. It was beautiful. Huge eggs at a shilling a dozen [cracked of course] from a local farm. Nothing ever tasted that good again. The property was placed on the market during our time there. I cannot remember if it was one or the two cottages for sale but I do remember the asking price was 5,000 pounds. I was 20yrs old at the time. I was from Liverpool and a long way from home but everybody made us very welcome. It was just one of lifes adventures of which I have had many since. My son turns 42 next year and I went on to have another 3 sons and a daughter. I now live with my 'new' husband in Tasmania, Australia. We are retired now and hope to come to England in the next few years and will certainly be visiting the Wallops. Thanks for this great site and rekindling some off my greatest memories.

RAF Middle Wallop

1946, I was stationed at RAF Middle Wallop and remember the village with watercress beds. Rationing was of the vogue but next to the aerodrome was a bungalow that always supplied eggs and chips to ever hungry airmen.

If anyone remembers me please get in touch. Jack Lawford.

The Square

I was the village policeman, 1986-1991. I used to stand on the bridge in the photograph on the days of a wedding to ensure the newly-weds could get out onto the main road without waiting, and to help guests leave 'in convoy' where necessary so as to follow each other to the reception. Weddings often attracted guests 'from the city' who would invariably still be driving around an hour later, having got lost 'in the country'!

On a sadder note, I would do the same on the occasion of a funeral at St Andrews to allow the chief mourners to be on their way without any hold-up.

Each year, the square was the scene of the church bazaar, I would invariably look after the bric-a-brac stall, the leftovers I'd take back to the beat house for collection by the dustmen. They must have wondered why I cleared out an entire attic every year.....

The arrival of the 'Miss Marple' BBC crew saw the Square adorned with a glass-fibre Butter Cross. Times were that the old red telephone box was a contemporary scene filler, but when it was spirited away and replaced by a yellow monstrosity it had to be disguised.

I made the glass-fronted parish notice board fixed to the wall of the village hall that would be directly behind the photographer, arranged and approved by Fred Mouland, then Chair of the PC.

Memories!