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Quemerford
Quemerford maps
Historic maps of Quemerford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Quemerford maps
Quemerford area books
Displaying 1 of 12 books about Quemerford and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Quemerford
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Wiltshire memories
Puppet Show
We went to a puppet show inside the Town Hall - organised by Sharpe's Toffees I think. It has to be around 1955 - 58. My father worked at RAF Yatesbury and we lived in Curzon Street. I can remember this view of the Town Hall quite clearly as I think the Calne Junior Infants went to school to the right of the building so we walked this way back from the church. We walked a lot on our own as well and I believe that the library was opposite this building, but that may be a false memory!
Calne,
I worked in Harris's factory in the early 70's, first in the sausage room then in the pre-pack bacon, then into the tinned ham room. Not the best job I have had but it kept the wolf from the door. My! how Calne has changed since then!
White Hart Hotel, London Road Calne
I worked for Jo & George Thomas (George & the Dragon) at the White Hart in Calne in the 70s. I often had to run up and down between 3 bars to work them all, and sometimes helped in the hotel by cleaning. Jo would say there's only 4 or 6 sheets today Sheila so not worth putting the washing machine on so wash them in the kitchen sink. This was a huge Belfast sink in the outhouses at the back. They had 3 parrots out the back that were quite scary and you daren't put your fingers near them. Although Jo was a bit of a dragon I had some fun there. Sometimes working until 2 or 3 in the morning when they had a lock-in. I made friends with many people including Doug Brittain, Heather & Tony Beamish, Barry Bryant, Bill Pellow and many more too numerous to mention. Oh! to be young again.
Long Service
I remember as a child being taken to see my uncle Ewart who was employed at Calne Railway Station for 55 years. My cousin Jean (his daughter) told me that he also used to use a long pole to put out the gas street lamps when on his way home. As a lad he had worked for Angells greengrocers but had always wanted to go the railways. Sadly the station has now been demolished, probably the demise of the Harris bacon factory played its part. The Harris factory had been a major employer in the town and had made good use of the railway to move its products.
The White Horse Pub
I was born in the White Horse pub in Calne in 1952, at No 1 Wood Street. My grandparents, Alec and Dorothy Poole, were landlords at the time. I loved to stay there as a very small child and my room was a cosy room in the attic with a window to the street. They had a budgie called Joey and a dog whose name escapes my memory. I also remember a birthday when I was given a doll nearly as big as me. There was a vegetable garden at the back of the pub. I used to pull up radishes and carrots and eat them before putting the tops back into the ground to hide the evidence ... which of course was pretty fruitless as the tops always wilted.
I believe this pub has now been demolished, which is a great shame because I think we shouldn't pull down old buildings to make way for new, often inferior ones.
1st Day at School
I remember walking up that drive in short grey trousers, new blazer, Kerry House tie and a school cap.
The Calnebgs website has moved to www.calnebgs.com
Cheers
Martin
My Memories of Calne as A Small Boy
Please visit www.moonrakers.com/memories.pdf where you can download my humorous account of my rather mischievous childhood in Calne in the 50's and 60's, called MEMORIES OF CALNE.
A copy of this book is lodged with the town library.
