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Pymore

Pymore photos

Displaying the first of 1 old photos of Pymore.   View all Pymore photos

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Pymore maps

Historic maps of Pymore and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Pymore maps

Pymore area books

Displaying 1 of 16 books about Pymore and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Pymore

Pymore memories
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Displaying a selection of personal memories of Pymore.
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Triggering Memories.

The Village 1909
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We were clearing the last furniture from my mother's bungalow a few weeks ago. A heartbreaking task, having lost her in April. Behind the last set of drawers, on the floor, I found an old sepia photograph. It showed a group of children with some adults, outside a building which must have been a chapel or a school. From the clothes they wore, the photo would have been taken in the early 1920s.

Later, I searched the internet for clues, looking especially at the areas where my mother grew up - Salway Ash in particular. So I found the Francis Frith site.

There were no clues for Salway Ash, but I came to the Pymore site. One photo. Surely it couldn't be! Yet it was - the cottage my grandparents lived in when we were young! The memories flooded back.

We lived in the Midlands for some years, although I was born in Walditch. We were so lucky in that we were able to... Read more

Dorset memories

In Memory of F.A. Brake, Born 1895

From Allington Hill 1897
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This is where we played as kids - all eight of us! Our grandad was born in one of the houses on the bottom left-hand side. He lived there all his life and my father plus my eldest brother, sister and my nephew was born in the same house. Five generations lived there for over 100 years. It was sold out of the family in 2002. My grandparent and parents where also married in the St Swithins Church.
A lot has changed sadly, a lot more houses built.

Convent of The Visitation

The Convent 1903
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I was born in 1950 and attended the convent as a boarder, leaving in 1958. I travelled by train with my mother from New Street station Birmingham to Paddington station London where the convent nuns met up with us and the other schoolchildren for the journey to Bridport station. We used to have long country walks during the summer and I can remember going to a place covered in long fern vegetation in which we played. The regime at the convent was very strict and the education standard extremely high. French and Latin were taught well before the 11 plus age. I still have a couple of the bills for my upkeep that were sent to my mother. I also have a couple of photo's of myself taken during my time at the Convent. One of them shows my class mates and I in the classroom being taught by Sister Edith I believe. Our clothes had our name and number attached, mine were Cash's name tapes with the number 4.... Read more

Visitation Convent Boarding School, Bridport

The Convent 1903
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During the 1940s, I lived in Weymouth, but from May 1942, when I was 5, until July 1947, I was a boarder at the school.  I was happy there, and still remember the names of my teachers - Sister Anne, Sister Edith and Sister Magdalene, and also the names of many of the other nuns there then.  We had a walk every Tuesday and Saturday afternoon.  We walked in twos - with one nun leading the column and another bringing up the rear.  Sometimes we just went to West Bay, at other times we would go to Loders (which seemed very far) or Allington, Symondsbury Copse or Eype.  Meals were taken in silence(well, maybe not always total silence). We had to attend Mass every morning at 7.45 and before breakfast.  On Tuesday and Saturday evenings we attended Benediction.  I was an altar server and choirboy. On VE Day 1945 Union Jacks and Belgian flags were hanging from the top windows of the convent and we had a game of cricket... Read more

The Convent

The Convent 1903
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My father died the year after I was born and his employer Burton's, provided for myself and my three brothers to attend private schools, which is how I came from London to the Convent at the age of 4. I followed my brother Colin who had been boarded there for a number of years. Even today I still have nightmares about the place and the horrible way the nuns treated the children. We were required to remain in our seats even if we needed to go to the toilet. Subsequently many kids soiled themselves or urinated where they sat and were brutally punnished for doing so. At bedtime the nuns checked underwear to look for mistakes that might have been otherwise overlooked. In my 3 years of residence I remember slaps across the head and face; rulers across my knuckles; and yes, I remember the cow on the railings who groaned in pain, his eyes wide open as he waited for death to come to him. I remember arrogant priest... Read more

Visitation Convent

The Convent 1903
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I was a boarder at the convent, with my older brother , from September 1927 until Decomber 1929. Contrary to the report given by Alan Noon, (not of my generation) the nuns treated us well and, with reflection over the years, with understanding and kindness. Some names of nuns _Sisters Agnes, Edith and Gertrude. Reverend Mother was a kindly person - not that we had much to with her directly - my abiding memory of her is that she had a mole on her face.
Walks, long for children of our age, were a great feature - Bothenhampton Downs , West Bay, Eype and other names which I cannot remember now. We also bought sweets ('gob stoppers,' sticks of liquorice etc) in town on our walks.
We also played cricket !
I won 2 prizes, books, which I treasure to this day
Food - I don't remember much about except that on St Cecilia's day (Nov 22nd) those learning music got a little extra .... Read more

Boarding at The Visitation Convent

The Convent 1903
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My brother and I attended the Convent as boarders from 1958 to 1961 after the death of our mother. We were pretty traumatised on our first day there but were gently looked after by the wonderful Sister Edith. I later remember serving at her funeral. The discipline could be quite harsh at times and I do recall the infants being forced to eat there own vomit at breakfast. Not being allowed to go to the loo when you needed to, especially at night, is a lasting memory.The education was very good and I did well there, having joined with English as my second language. I do remember the room with the strange creatures in jars, it was where we would go for our haircuts. My brother and I enjoyed playing football and represented the school in local competitions. Our home games were played on the field opposite. We went on to win a cup competition against a local school, who were the strong favourites. My brother Steve was the... Read more

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