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Plaistow Green
Plaistow Green photos
Displaying the first of 4 old photos of Plaistow Green. View all Plaistow Green photos
Plaistow Green maps
Historic maps of Plaistow Green and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Plaistow Green maps
Plaistow Green area books
Displaying 1 of 19 books about Plaistow Green and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Plaistow Green
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Essex memories
Miss Frances Funge
Miss Funge was my great aunt. I stayed with her and her friend Miss Nellie Payne, as a child, in summer holidays. She lived in School House, Cousley Wood. She taught in the school for 50 years, starting at the age of 16. She also played the organ at the Cousley Wood Church from when she was 18. I spent a lot of time at the farm next door, run by Mr Hobbs, where I learnt to milk a cow! Very many happy days were spent there. Aunty France (as I called her) was firm but very, very kind. In School House there was no gas or electricity, just one inside cold tap, and also an outside toilet. Cooking was done on a paraffin stove from which was produced wonderful meals, cakes and biscuits. Oil lamps and candles were used, and lovely open fires. My father (her nephew) tried to persuade her to have electricity installed, to no avail. She preferred life as it was.
There was a sweet... Read more
Annie Charlotte Funge
Ever since I was a young boy I had an interest in knowing where my grandmother was born. She was born 1883, the youngest daughter of James William Funge and Annie Hayward.
Sadly she passed away in Christchurch, NZ in 1963, reaching there as a war bride in 1918 after marrying my grandfather Percy Gourdie, at Wadhurst Parish church 27 April 1918.
In 1966 I started working as a shipping clerk and my goal was to travel to England and visit Cousley Wood and see my Great Aunt Frances Funge whom I had heard so much about.
In 1968 we learnt from her nephew Raymond Ralph she had died after illness. In August 1968 I left NZ arriving Heathrow 1 September. Towards end of September my first visit to Cousley Wood took place with the help of my 2nd cousin Raymond and we motored down to Sussex on the A21. We first visited the Wadhurst Parish Church and I saw the resting place of Aunt Frances and... Read more
Merebrook
We lived at Merebrook, Dormans Park for ten years from around 1952. My parents were Lilian and Peter Deverall and we were five children - Clive, Michele, Camilla, Nicolas and Louise. We lived next door to the Samsons - also a large family - Larry and June and children, Nicky, Penny, Jacky, ricky and Kim. On the other side were the Turners - Charles, Jamie and Hukin. Their house was called Falacre. We also knew the Wards, the Gilberts, the Slipners - who were American and lived at Eden Vale before the Samsons with their grand daughter Michele. I went to school at Little Felcourt and then Highfield. We walked to the bottom of the road and across the fields to catch the bus at Charters Towers to Lingfield Road East Grinstead - we'd get off and buy a cream doughnut for 1 penny at the bakers. The Slanns lived opposite at Badmington Hall. We were told that the Park was built for the Prince of Wales... Read more
My Memories From When I Was Young
I was born and bought up in Withyham. I lived at the farm at the top of the common until we moved to a house in Balls Green.
When I was five I went to Withyham School. My favourite teacher was Miss Hosker. Mrs Jenner ran the girls' club in the hall behind the Dorset Arms, where we played games on the cricket field when it was a nice evening and if it were raining we would play games in the hall.
Withyham had only one shop with post office and a garage which sadly has gone, and there is no shop or garage now.
When I was eleven I went to Crowbrough School which later became Crowbrough Beacon School. Because there was not any public transport to the school we had to get a coach which picked you up at the bus stop and took us to school.
Withyham is a beautiful place to live.
The church is a very special place now for me as both... Read more
Charles And Eileen Brackenbury
I would like to dedicate this memory to my mother and father Charles Richard and Eileen Brackenbury. May they always be rembered for ever, love Lynda and family xxxxx
The Rectory
I grew up at the rectory in Withyham, my father Peter was Rector of Withyham and Blackham from1953 to 1986. I was the eldest of eight children. I have many fond memories of my life in Withyham and also some sad ones. My father's ashes are now lying beside his predessor (Arthur Miles) by The Dell, a small piece of ground which lies between the Rectory garden and the churchyard. I visit my father's grave two or three times a year and feel that the village has changed, not neccessarily for the better, everywhere I look are signs, No entry, No parking, Private, No horses, No cars, and one of the best farms that used to exist in the south of England now appears run down and neglected, as does the lake that the rectory overlooks. I worked on that farm (Buckhurst Estate) as a schoolboy during the harvest, and later when I left school as a student under the management of Arnold Christiensen. After Arnold retired and the then... Read more
Chesson's Coaches
Hello Patrick, I came across your reminiscences while looking for something else - as you do! I remember Tom Chesson and his coaches, was at school with Veronica Chesson, his grand daughter and also my best friend Jill Burgess. My name was Chris Langford, we usually travelled on the Ashdown Motors coach from Forest Row, in that cold winter we slithered all over the Forest and up to Old Lodge collecting primary school children for Hartfield, got stuck a few times. I expect you boarded at Withyham and went along the Ladies' Mile. When the Ashdown coach was busy Tom collected us and we were in awe of him, I remember him ordering a boy off at the radio station at Nutley and he walked most of the way home until the postman took pity on him. He was strict, and we were grateful for our peaceful journeys! But I do remember my embarrassment when allowed to travel in the passenger seat, a great honour, and the school rabbit peed in... Read more
