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Holidays With my Grandparents in Somerleyton

My grandparents lived at 5 The Green until my grandad retired from working on the Estate farms. They then moved to 5 Widows Cottages. My grandma lived there after grandad died in 1951 until her death in 1959.

I have very happy memories of school holidays spent with them. My cousin and I used to walk everywhere, round the candlestick etc., with no worries. I remember the Co-op, which always smelled of cheese and bacon, the little off-licence and butcher's shop next to the Post Office. There was a garage run by Nee Woodcock, who was always on hand when our not so reliable car broke down.

My auntie and uncle lived at The Nook, on The Street, and he was Butler at the Hall.

My grandparents moved from Fritton to The Green in about 1925 and my father left home as a teenager to join Birmingham Police. He was a keen photographer and fortunately I have his albums which contain many pictures of Somerleyton and surrounding area.

I was in the area about 4 or 5 years ago to attend a family funeral and visited Somerleyton for the first time in about 20 years. I was so pleased to see that it has not changed a lot and hasn't become a "satellite" for Yarmouth or Lowestoft.

Written by Carol Roice. To send Carol Roice a private message, click here.

A memory of Somerleyton in Suffolk shared on Tuesday, 21st July 2009.

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Comments

RE: RE: Holidays With my Grandparents in Somerleyton

Hi Carol

Reading your entry brought back so many happy memories for me. As a boy in the 60s I used to visit my grandparents George and Doris who also lived on The Green, he was a gardener at the hall, his father was a tailor and once upon a time I believe his uncle had also been a butler at the hall. I visited Somerleyton recently and it has largely remained unspoilt and long may it remain so.

Kind regards

Trevor

Comment from Trevor Howes on Wednesday, 16th December 2009.

RE: RE: Holidays With my Grandparents in Somerleyton

How amazing - I was just looking up Somerleyton village green on Google and up popped this website and more, so this comment. I currently live in 5 The Green, have been here for 3 years now and it was lovely to read your post and learn a little of the history of this cottage. Thankyou.

Comment from Louise Qualters on Monday, 21st December 2009.

RE: RE: Holidays With my Grandparents in Somerleyton

My maiden name was Howes and I am the great granddaughter of Charles Howes, born 1844, married to Elizabeth Smith, who was butler at Somerleyton. He started as a footman and then went to Yorkshire as a butler - I think this must have been for the Crossley family in Halifax, and then returned to be butler for them at Somerleyton. He was living at The Retreat in Somerleyton when he died in the1920s.
I would love to hear any further information about him, or his family, as I have only recently found out about him.
I also hope to visit the village in the future.

Comment from Margaret Cox on Friday, 18th March 2011.

RE: RE: Holidays With my Grandparents in Somerleyton

We also lived at The Nook, The Green, 1958-1960, where my brother was born. The old pump in the garden was still there in the 1980s - maybe still is. My mum had to make sure there was water the night before to boil up and unfreeze the pump on cold mornings. Imagine having two small children and no indoor tap or washing machine! My father, Harold Cowley, was the last Butler to the present Lord Somerleyton's father - we moved when he died.

Comment from Roma Harding on Tuesday, 10th January 2012.

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