Newtown

Read and share memories of Newtown and Hampshire inspired by Frith photos

Living in the Swan Inn - Newtown - 1936-1943

I lived at the Swan from 1936 to about 1943 - below are some extracts from my memoirs. I hope you find them of interest.
In about 1936 my father resigned, or to be more accurate was forced out of his company, a story in itself. My mother was getting concerned about the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the very real possibility of a war starting and wanted to leave the London area. The result was that my parents became the proprietors of Ye Olde Swan Inn in the village of Newtown just outside the old market town of Newbury in the County of Berkshire. A river ran through Newtown and the bridge crossing the river was the ...read more here
Contributed by Howard Johnson

Newtown School

I remember I hadn't had my 5th birthday, and my mum said that tomorrow I was going to start school. School, I thought, whats that!.
The next day I was dressed up and at about 8.30 a small van with seats arrived outside my house, mum took me outside and kissed me and said I was to behave myself and to enjoy the day.  "Ok mum, bye."
The van stopped outside a house, or that's what it looked like to me, and a lady came to the van and opened the door.  "Come on children let's be having you out." she said.  Ok I thought, I will see where we are going.
We were taken into a big room and were ...read more here
Contributed by Vanessa Hillman(nee Miles)

Living at the Swan Inn - 1936 to 1943

I lived at the Swan from 1936 to about 1943 - below are some extracts from my memoirs. I hope you find them of interest.
In about 1936 my father resigned, or to be more accurate was forced out of his company, a story in itself. My mother was getting concerned about the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the very real possibility of a war starting and wanted to leave the London area. The result was that my parents became the proprietors of Ye Olde Swan Inn in the village of Newtown just outside the old market town of Newbury in the County of Berkshire. A river ran through Newtown and the bridge crossing the river was the ...read more here
Contributed by Howard Johnson

Newtown School

I remember I hadn't had my 5th birthday, and my mum said that tomorrow I was going to start school. School, I thought, whats that!.
The next day I was dressed up and at about 8.30 a small van with seats arrived outside my house, mum took me outside and kissed me and said I was to behave myself and to enjoy the day.  "Ok mum, bye."
The van stopped outside a house, or that's what it looked like to me, and a lady came to the van and opened the door.  "Come on children let's be having you out." she said.  Ok I thought, I will see where we are going.
We were taken into a big room and were ...read more here
A memory of Newtown contributed by Vanessa Hillman(nee Miles)