Stoke Prior, Herefordshire

The broom maker of 1862

I am researching my family tree and have discovered that my great-grandfather, Thomas Ashcroft, a besom (broom) maker, lived and made brooms at 122 Mill Street in 1862 before migrating to South Wales. I believe that most of the old Mill Street houses have long since been demolished, I shall visit one day and have look.

butchers shop

I have a picture of a double fronted butchers shop in the corn market. Over the door it says L.Pugh, outside is the butcher and his wife and probably their daughter Marie.  A family story was that a lad from the family when asked who he was replied "Jack Pugh, Leominster, kill sheep"  I assume there was an abbatoir behind the... [more]

Gardener's boy

My father went to work at Hampton Court as a gardener's boy when he left school at the age of 14 in 1917. By then, it was in use as a convalescent hospital for soldiers. I remember my father saying that he had to put little leather boots on the pony's hooves to mow the lawns with the horse-drawn mower,... [more]

Mrs Price's tuck shop

I lived at Lucton in the late 1960s and remember buying sweets from the shop.
I vaguely remember a young girl staying there who we played with in the meadow. The Buttons Sandra mentions are probably the BUFTONS.

Ye Old Tuck Shop and Mrs Price

My grandmother was Ann Elizabeth Price and lived in a beautiful house. She ran a little shop in the house and it was called YE OLD TUCK SHOPE. It is the most beautiful little village I have every seen. I remember the people around, how kind and friendly the were. The buttons and the Davies and old Fred. I remember playing... [more]

Visiting the Corner House

I visited Weobley in the late 60s as a child with my Mother to visit our Herefordshire cousins. We stayed with Mum's Great Uncle Fred (Frederick Hope) and his daughter, Mabel Hope. They lived at the Corner House and I think Mabel's brother, Rogers Hope, lived near by in Broad Street. We came from London and I remember... [more]

Nash School

I went to live in Nash in 1955 as a foster child.  I attended Nash School from 1955 - 1958 when Mrs Jones was the headmistress. The school sadly closed in 1958 and we were moved to Burford School near Tenbury Wells.

Life at Nash School was idyllic and we used to run through the lanes to school every day.... [more]

The LOWE family in Market Street

My great grandfather, Andrew Corden LOWE moved to Tenbury Wells about 1904 with his wife Florence "Flo" and their two little children: Douglas age 4 and my grandmother Cordelia "Queenie", age 1. He was an Ironmonger and they lived on Market Street until the early 1930's. They had 3 more children: Cyril "Cil", Winifred, and Eric. His wife died in 1910.... [more]