Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire

sunday mornings

My mother in law, then Marie Elizabeth Burston born 1921 in Wales, whilst in service at Hartlebury House used to go to church every Sunday morning. The postman played the big organ.
Every morning she had to give him and the gardener a piece of leftover cake and a cup of tea. Ernie the gardener was 18 years old and very shy. He took her to the pictures in Stroud one day and she invited him home for tea one Sunday.
The very next day she received a letter from her mother informing that they had moved from Bedwelty in Wales to Blackheath in Birmingham and that she was to come and get a job there as there were plenty. She went to work in a laundry and then an engineering firm which is where she met her husband Albert Victor Carr.

The Old House

The first time I left Scotland was to visit my grandparents at the old house, Kay and Bill. I was excited, and after many trips we lived with them for a while. Papa always had a bag of pennies for us and Grandma introduced me to literature. At that time we shared a love for Cliff Richard. We moved to Rose Cottage, and had the best ever Easter when Laurie hid so many Easter eggs in the garden for us, there may still be some there!  Gloucestershire is the only place in England that I would ever consider living in.  Uncle John was the postie at that time. As kids we were very afraid of the story of lady in the lake. nowadays, I am convinced the old house was haunted, especially the 'dressing room' just outside Bill's bedroom.  I also remember the day there was a fox hunt, and the fact that Laurie did not want these people on his land. I quite agree!  I hope one day to go back and check out Uncle John's 'phonebox' at the Woolpack.

Our Honeymoon

Pat (nee Gilbert) and I were married at St. Stephen's church Sneinton in Nottingham July 1960. We arrived in Gloucester the same afternoon to be met at the train station by our hosts for a 3day honeymoon, they were the owners of the Black Horse Inn in Cranham. We  have wonderful memories of the village the church and of Prinknash Abbey. We still have a beer tankard we purchased at the Abbey in thier famous dark grey pottery.
We emigrated to South Africa in 1972 and in the year 2000 (our 40th wedding anniversary) we celebrated by having a renewal of our vows at Parkdale Congregational Church roughly 1mile from St.Stephen's Church which was attended by most of our friends from our early wedding days.
A trip to see friends in Bath took us for lunch in Cranham, once again at the Black Horse Inn. All the memories came flooding back and we added more photographs to the ones of so long ago. It was a wonderful experience.

Thoughts of Bisley Rodborough Chalford and more.

1794 The year my direct ancestor was born in Bisley. It was not until I found my connection with him that I discovered that my roots started there. Abraham Davis for that was his name, was born, lived, married and came to a untimely end in the Bisley area. His death occurred on the 29th September 1851 when he accidentally fell in the canal at Rodborough and drowned. I am now itching to find out more about him and the area in which he lived, also families that were living there at that time. Some families may still be living there, indeed even some of my own. If I find anything unusual of local interest I will post it here. To finish, the places where I know Abraham and his family lived was, Bisley, Eastcombe, Chalford Hill and Rodborough.