Ringstead, Dorset

The Castle Inn at Lulworth

I worked as the kitchen porter at The Castle Inn, Lulworth in 1966. I was nineteen years old and thought it would be good to spend the summer by the coast. As I thought of myself as a bit of an artist I would have the Dorset countryside to inspire me. I wasn't a very good artist, but I looked the... [more]

Dorothy Iris May Williams - My Mother - Walter Cornish - My Grandmother's relative

Dorothy Iris May Williams was born in Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset in 1929 - her mother's maiden name was CORNISH. Winfrith Newburgh village church of St Christopher displays tributes to the Cornish family name. My mother was baptised in St Christopher's. My grandmother's relative (Walter Cornish) lived in Winfrith Newburgh until his cottage was sold. He was last known to be... [more]

Collecting Soft Fruit in the Retreat House Garden.

As a child I remember collecting loganberries, raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries in the garden at the back of the house. My mother used to make them into jam which would last throughout the winter months. We had 5 childrens ration books and one adult so my mother had plenty of sugar to make the jam. During the evacuation... [more]

New Years Day

I remember one New Year's Day just before the war. There was an annual football match between the Lobsters and the Shrimps. The Lobsters were the older fishermen and the Shrimps their sons and their friends. My father was the manager of the N.A.A.F.I at Lulworth Camp and had to do some work early in the morning. On the way home... [more]

West Lulworth Church

I was a member of the choir. In the 1930's and throughout the war years the church would be packed for the morning service every Sunday.
As a child I used to look forward to the Magic Lantern shows put on by the vicar Mr Sharpe.  These occurred after Evensong.  The Catholics of the village came in after the sevice and... [more]

Silver Jubilee Parade 1935

I remember well the parade through the village on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee.
My mother and several other mothers dressed six of us young boys as toy soldiers and we had to march in the parade.  However, the best thing in the parade that I can remember was a model of the Queen Mary.  It was loaded over a... [more]

Wedding Day

My parents were married in this church in June 1943. My father Ernest was in the Navy (based at Portland) and my mother Joan worked as a secretary at Tilleys Garage.

1960s holidays

My mum and dad had their annual holidays in Weymouth in the late 1950s through to the middle 1960s. My dad worked at Vauxhall Motors in Luton but always went on the train as he did not own a car! My earlist memories of visiting Weymouth was of standing in the corridor of the steam train waiting to get the first... [more]