Rose Ash, Devon

Christmas holidays in Witheridge

30 years just passed but it still seems present, the time I spent in Witheridge since 24 December to 1st January when I got back to London and then flied back to Italy. I spent splendid days by a family of friends at 17 West Street and still I remember that house, very typical, with wood roof. Inside there were on plan floor an entrance with a wood stair up to 2nd flor for two bedrooms, down a living/dining room and on the back a little kitchen and then a little garden and a white rabbit. In the living room there was Maisie, a white colored big dog. Beside the stairs in the entrance of that house there was a bathroom with  blue tiles and another independent room where was situated local Postal Office with Mrs. Mary who managed alone all kind of service. I used to sleep alone in the room on second floor under the roof with typical bow window. Now in the same place of that house instead of it, at number 17 West Street, I saw in Internet a photo of a shop  with a postal office more large, rebuilt. In the square there was a covered place where they stopped the buses on the right looking in front to West Street where I arrived on 24th Dec. Then on the back side there was the church where I and my hospitable family went that night for the nativity. All seemed so real and romantic, much cold and high snow in the streets and in the square. In the same square there was also a restaurant-hotel where one evening we had a very good meal, it was very friendly and comfortable. I remember there was a playing group, I would like sometime to return there and play my accordeon. It's better I stop now dreaming, but I am an incorrigible romantic who still lives on the past as someone used to say to me. Yet I can't believe they are just passed 30 years and ....che sarà sarà as we say in Italy, maybe some day I will return to visit the places even if I don't listen about my friends since long time, it happens in the life to be losted...it would be nice  to see again Sally, Elisabeth, Mrs. Mary and Mr. Courtney.
I don't forget... I would appreciate anything from Witheridge, photo, curiosities etc. Thanks and all the best. Sincerely, Guido

My School

I was born at Filleigh and went to Filleigh Infants School.  But then at eleven years old went to school at South Molton Secondary Modern. It was 1953 and the school was quite new, opening in 1952 if I remember correctly.

As I recollect  Mr Larson ( ref below post) had an upholstery business in South Molton. My memories are of the Terraneaux buses taking me from where I lived to South Molton School and the bottles of school milk that we were instructed to drink at break time. The Headmaster was Mr Hawkes, we kids called him "Buzzard". I remember the the sound of the children saying "Watch out, Buzzard's coming". Those were the days.

Childhood in South Molton

I was born in Gothic House, The Churchyard, South Molton in May 1941. My name was Patricia Elizabeth Abbott Huxtable. My father was Charles John Huxtable and my grandparents were Charles George Pearce Huxtable and Elizabeth Avery Abbott (of North Molton). The churchyard was a playground for myself, my brother Roger and our friends. We were lucky not to suffer the effects of the war and have memories of American soldiers, German POW's and some of the evacuated families who lived close to us. We played on the gravestones, climbed the trees on the 'banks' and got told off by Mr Larsen who was a church warden at that time.

Church

This is the church where my Uncle Michael George Sinnott is buried.