Visits to my Uncle at Robertsbridge
As a small child I would travel down by train with my nan and stay at my Uncle George Bowen who lived in Langham Road,
Most important thing before boarding the train in London was to get in the right section for Robertsbridge, the platform was too short for the train - get in the wrong place and you would be outside the actual station.
His sister Ethel got on the wrong section on one occasion and found no platform so tried to get out and ended up falling out onto the railway line - she was always doing silly things like that.
We would walk along from the station and along a stony road, soon knew if my shoes were a bit thin by the pain of the stones through them.
My uncle lived next door to his neice and strange as it would seem the lady on the other side of him had the same surname though no relative.
Nan and I would walk into Robertsbridge shops, I loved going past the old houses the type that when you walked into the front door you would immediately enter the front room with their windows showing nick-nacks.
We would walk along one part out into the countryside where there was a blue bell wood, very sad to say when I returned there many years later the wood was gone and there were now houses.
Traditionally we would visit Battle and have a cream tea at the little shop near the castle, we would also go into Hastings.
My memories of a quaint village staying with my uncle, although retired when I visited, he used to work at the cricket bat factory.
He had a dog called 'Pip' which went missing the whole village went looking for Pip and he was eventually found caught in a 'trap' after that Pip always walked with a limp.
Uncle George also had a huge garden where I used to help him with all his vegetables and fruit. When we travelled back by train we would go back laden with apples, pears etc.
It was the high-light of my summer holidays my visits to Robertsbridge I remember it always being warm and sunny when I was there and a sense of stepping back in time - not much traffic coming through the village at that time. Old fashioned shops which most of them when you went into them you went down a few steps.
Ah happy days.
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RE: RE: Visits to my Uncle at Robertsbridge
My mum used to clean a lady's house, she was a Miss Bowen, was very elderly, and lived in Langham Road. It sounds as though she may have been your uncle's next door neighbour! She had a very large dog, a deer hound, called Tess. I lived in Robertsbridge from birth in 1955 until 1965 & then again from 1969 - 1972. I have many happy memories of playing in the woods and going primrosing, mushrooming and picking blackberries. The cottages you speak about were lovely, but sadly used to get flooded every winter, when the River Rother used to flood its banks. Sometimes the flood water would freeze over so everyone went skating!
Comment from Ivy Sharp on Tuesday, 8th June 2010.
RE: RE: Visits to my Uncle at Robertsbridge
This would definitely be the same lady. I well remember the huge dog which loved to put his front feet on her shoulders and try to lick her face. I had forgotten the dog's name but yes she was called Tess. I spent some wonderful summer holidays accompanying my nan and chatting with his neighbour, I was intrigued that she always wore socks with her shoes whereas grown ups normally wore stockings. I had no idea about the flooding because I used to go in my school summer holidays. I envy you having lived there I am sure you sound as though you have happy memories of your childhood too. When my uncle died he left his house, I think it was number 14, to newphews so I have no idea whether there is still a family member living there or whether it was sold.
Comment from Geraldine Todd on Saturday, 26th June 2010.