Savernake memories
Here are memories of Savernake and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Savernake or a Savernake photo.
A Respite A Sanctuary on A Long Journey.
Savernake Forest is significant to me because this was the chosen halfway point on our family's mid+ 1950's long road journey from Hereford to Portsmouth for our annual summer holidays.
Here, my stepfather, Lt.Colonel H.R.W*****, MA,RAEC, future OBE and general SOB, would pull the old Hillman off the road among the massive roots of this ancient, historic forest's huge oaks and my haughty stepmother would take out the sandwiches and lemonade we had packed for the trip and we'd wolf them down ( I was constantly hungry) followed by the inevitable tossing around the tennis ball ( or worse, cricket ball) thereby stretching our legs in the cool of the forest, before resuming our journey.
Countryside Memories. Working on The Edge of A Forest in The 1960's
I once worked in a Cottage Hospital, situated on the edge of Savernake Forest in the West Country. The hospital doctors were also the local General Practitioners. The wards consisted of one surgical and one maternity ward and a third ward which was comprised of everything else, all mixed up together. In one bed there was an elderly lady with heart failure and next to her, a teenage girl who had just undergone an abortion. Long term post operative patients were also nursed there. Christmas arrived and Sister made what turned out to be, by the end of the morning, a very potent Punch. She made it in the ward bathroom, indeed to be more specific, she made it in the ward bath! After each addition of alcohol she would sample the ever-changing flavour and was soon quite tipsy. We sang carols around the wards on Christmas Eve and our angelic candle lit faces smiled demurely from the local rag the following week. Appearances can be so deceptive. I had... Read more
Memories of Wiltshire
Spelling Correction
The area now known as "Stibb Green" was until the 1970s or 1980s known as "Steepe Green" although it was pronounced as Stibb by many of the locals.
When I Was A Child.
My father was born in Great Bedwyn, his name Arthur Maurice Hatter. When I was young in 1952 we were invited to stay with a member of his family in 47 High Street, I remember they had a wonderful garden, layered with full flower beds, also they had a summer house in the garden, today it may be called a conservatory, that is where we stayed.
Almost opposite number 47 was a garage that looked like a wooden barn and we had our old Humber repaired there.
In Church Street on the right hand side was a stonemason and the names of some of his family was engraved above the entance to the shop, these were from family killed in the first world war. In St Mary's Church there are headstones with the family name, I would dearly like to know more as I know very little of my father's family only that he had a brother named Raynor [not sure of the spelling] and his father was a preacher... Read more
My Childhood Days
My memories of Great Bedwyn are spending my holidays with my gran and grandad William and Beatrice Alderman in Castle Rd and my uncle Dennis. My uncle and grandad were both signalmen at Great Bedwyn and I used to go down to take their tea. It was lovely to watch the steam trains go by. My gran took me on lovely walks up through the forest where we would sit and I would make daisy chains with my cousin Shirley. We would go to the man who made baskets and I can still remember my gran buying me a little basket with orange weaved around it. I also loved going to the bakers where there was the lovely smell of bread and cakes especially the lardys which they still make. When I got older I used to spend nearly all my weekends there. Sadly my gran and grandad and uncle are no longer alive but I still visit the church yard where they are buried along with my uncle Bill.... Read more
My Gt. Bedwyn Family.
The Eastman Family lived in Gt. Bedwyn from 1735. My Grandad lived in Brook Street then later at Railway Terrace, until his death in 1934. My Grandad had died several years before I was born, but I have vivid memories of my Grandma Carrie; she died in 1951. She was a tiny woman about 5ft 2ins - I was taller than her when I was 10 years old. She had very long hair which she put up in a bun on the top of her head. She took it out to brush it at night and I remember it was not that grey even when she was 80. I think she used to say she put soda in the water. She wore long lace-up black boots when she was going out, her best dresses had long sleeves and were quite long with lace collars and bibs. She always wore a starched long white apron over her dresses when she was at home. Both my Grandparents are buried in the "new"... Read more
The Vicarage Boys
My two brothers, my sister and I were evacuated from London to Great Bedwyn at the begining of the Second World War.We were billeted in the vicarage opposite St Mary's Church, the vicar's name was Mr Phillips. My sister Joan was later billeted with Mrs Downton who lived next door to Police Sergeant Stokes. I have so many happy memories of life in the village. I worked for Farmer Kerr at harvest time, leading a huge Shire horse and cart to collect the threshed stooks of corn to where they were building a rick. My brother Christopher and I had our portraits painted by Mrs West, I would love to know if it still exists. Sadly Christopher died in 2008.
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