Thrapston And Stoke Doyle Memories

My grandad was George Pears, the local dentist from Laburnum House Bridge Street (now part of the Bridge Hotel). My dad was Bill Pears who lived there with his dad George, his mum Evelyn (nee Abbott) and his brother Bob and sister Jean. My sister Susan was born there in 1947, brother Mick was born in Brigstock Nursing Home in 1952, sister Kerry was born in Thrapston in 1955 and sister Jill was born in 1956 at  Church Lane Stoke Doyle where we moved in approx 1954 after also living at 30 Highfield Rd Thrapston. Sue and I went to Thrapston Top School and then to Stoke Doyle primary school which closed approx 1954 and then to Oundle jnr school which is now an estate agent's saleroom behind the vet's. Sue & I have just returned from our 1st visit to Thrapston in over 25 years and in lots of ways it's still very much the same but we also remember places like the Swan ( where the fire station is now?) where we used to be friends with Michael White,  The White Hart in Chancery Lane, Cawdells shops and the chippy who used to do the most delicious food, people like Les (Ticker) Chapman who was a friend of our dad's, Dr Gainer, The 2 Misses Goss and their magical shop, Val & Olive Drain's sweet shop and a lady called Mrs Sharp who used to make us a new summer dress every year . 

From Stoke Doyle we remember Mr & Mrs Wallis from the 1st cottage past the Shuckburg Arms (where we used to be able to buy sweets from a 1d (penny) tray in the snug), Ivan, Derek & ? Wallis, Pat Briggs who lived with her Grandad behind these cottages and who I seem to remember had an old cart/shire horse (which I fell off), Pat Stubbs and her brothers & sisters who lived further along the row of cottages, Catherine Trotman who lived next to the school (her sister Sylvia still lives there) and who was my sister Sue's best friend.  Trevor Brock and Trevor Baker who were my brother Mick's friends and I believe Trevor Baker and family moved into our house at Church Lane after we moved away. The Beasley family lived next door and I have a photo of Kerry and Christopher Beasley outside in the lane.  We all used to go carol singing at Xmas and I remember going to the old Rectory at the bottom of Church Lane and being given peanut butter for the 1st time.  It used to be rented to the senior American officers from Molesworth Aerodrome (I think). There was a mobile shop once a week and a fish merchant who also delivered. I seem to remember the milkman was called Derrick (I remember a comment he made about being a strong as a crane (another name for a derrick). I remember sitting on the bridge on the left just past the pub and most of us crying because the village school teacher Miss Nichols was leaving as the authorities had closed the school due to lack of pupils etc - such a sad day. Mum used to leave the rent and insurance books on the kitchen table with the money for each and the back door was never locked.  The collectors would come in and mark the book up and take the money and no-one ever thought of money etc being stolen (probably because apart from anything else, people didn't have so many material possessions in those days) . We really wouldn't have missed growing up in Thrapston & Stoke Doyle and they will always have a very special place in our memories.