The Francis Frith Collection.
You are here: Explore your past > Shillingford St George > Memories

Shillingford St George

Get involved in the Frith Memories Community - savour and share Memories of your favourite places.
You can start now: Add your own Memory of Shillingford St George or a Shillingford St George photo.

The Wakely Family

I was born in Lower Shillingford (Shillingford Abbot) in 1939. My grandparents lived in Rectory Cottage, Higher Shillingford (Shillingford St George). My grandfather was gardener at the vicarage. He was also the sexton at the church, gravedigger, bellringer and caretaker at the church.
At Christmas time we would walk from Lower Shillingford to Higher Shillingford to attend the midnight service at the church on Christmas Eve. My grandmother would not attend the service as she was stone deaf. She looked after my little brother instead while we were at the service. It was always bitterly cold and I remember starlit nights and chattering teeth. The church was warm and bright and full of holly and ivy that my grandfather had collected to decorate the church. I loved this service and often think about it even now. After the service we walked home and by the time we got home we were very tired and slept very well. I think that my parents had an ulterior motive for we were never up early on Christmas morning

Shared on 25 November 2008 by Rosemary Morris.

Need to revise your search? Click here for our Search Homepage, where you can browse by Place, Postcode or Keyword.

© Copyright 1998-2009 Frith Content Inc. All rights reserved.