Swanton Abbott

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westwick

I was born in a farm estate cottage amongst the fields at Westwick. My father had been born in 1919 just up the road on the edge of Swanton in a small cottage , two up,two down , his father had lost a leg in the great war and had been set up as a shoe maker there ,during the fifties we had moved away but even now i think of that little house where my grand mother lived,as home,Dad went to school in a small weatherboard place up near what the locals still called , the high road , or the turnpike, My father alledgedly shot the hands of the school clock, it made a change from poaching! When ...read more here
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Canon Peter Nicholson

I was a pupil at the Paston Grammar School from 1936-42. It was a wonderful school where boys from all over N.E. Norfolk made many friends so that when they left school and started work in the area, they co-operated in so many ways. Major Percy Pickford D.S.O., M.C. (Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry) was the headmaster. He had served with great distinction in the First World War and was very keen that we should all join the school Cadet Corps. During the war, the East Lancashire Regiment drilled in the playground and we all stood around and watched and looked forward to the day when we could join the Forces. On the playing field, the soldiers would carry out signalling ...read more here
A memory of North Walsham contributed by First name Last name

Old John Barley Corn....

Known as the 'John Barley Corn' children because at the Staithe where they all used to play, there is an inlet. In the 1920s, when boats came past, the children would sing 'Old John Barley Corn if you throw us a penny we will sing you a song'. Sometimes handfuls of pennies would be thrown. The people on one boat 'Nelson' were always quite generous. It was quite a scramble to each get a couple of pennies.
A memory of Belaugh contributed by The Frith Memory Archivist

A R Taylor

I left school at 15 in 1953, and like many others of my age went to work at A R Taylors timber merchants.  I first worked at the Tunstead road site.  It was hard work and unlike today there was no such thing as a contract of employment so you did whatever anyone who was older than you told you to do.  I remember one of my jobs was to go around every morning to take orders from the workers for cigarettes, tobacco and sweets and such and then in all weathers cycle into the village and purchase the orders.  I remember Alfie Ransom asking me to go to the Ironmongers and get him a left handed hammer and a bubble ...read more here
A memory of Hoveton contributed by Calvin Simper