Childhood

I was brought up in the village from the age of two years until I left at the age of 16 years, we lived at 16 Quarry Close. I went to school at Woodville. I came from a large family we was poor, didn't have much and lived in a three bed house where Mum and Dad slept in the sitting room, as we were after all a family of ten. My dad worked as a labourer but worked his garden in his spare time growing veg, rearing chickens, rabbits etc. He even had an allotment which is now the 'rec. In the summer we used to ride on the back of the silage tractor and trailor, hide behind the hay bales ect. There was a gang of us, the Hunt boys, Christine Weadon, my family. The village fete was held at the vicarage where we did morris dancing, regular events included fox meeting in the village with the hounds and having a drink before setting off. Our gang used to send them in all directions. We made our own entertainment, tracking, tree climbing, our own den. In the summer we used to swim in the mill river or at Trill bridge with the Mccoys. As a child we used to clean cars or work cutting docks from the river bank at the mill to earn some pocket money. At Christmas time we would rehearse at Mrs Gale's for carol singing, where we would travel by tractor and trailor with an organ around the villages, at the end of the evening we ended back at the village hall, for hot soup and mince pies. We also held the nativity plays in the church where I used to go to Sunday school. Rehearsals were fun because it gave us something to do. Then just after Christmas Harry Clarke who was the landlord of the pub in the village, the Royal Oak, would organise the Christmas party where all the under elevens were invited, we had jelly and ice-cream, games and films and slides and after would each receive a Christmas present. At that time there was no inside loo so we had to venture out in the wintry nights to a tin toilet at the back of the hall. Everyone knew everyone in the village, back then things were different, everyone helped each other out. Harvest Festival supper was held at Woodville school and my brother and our neighbour's son dressed up as tramps one year and sang 'I'm Jake the Peg'. What fun that was. We had different names for different areas of the village, 'THE DARK TREES' which was down in the village, T'HE BIG WHITE HOUSE', also in the heart of the village, one of the the biggest houses there, 'SEVEN TREES', 'THE BROOK', 'THE BOG', there was a donkey in the village down where the Stricklands lived near the track, right at the very bottom of the village, called 'BOOZEY'. I remember picking apples from the orchard next to the vicar's, picking up conkers from the vicar's conker tree, as we played conkers, so many memories. My parents are buried in St Michael of All Angels churchyard, close to the fence that adjoins the property next to the church. I remember receiving an apple from the lady who lived there for Palm Sunday, she told me she didn't have any palms to give but gave me an apple instead. I remember seeing for the first time Christmas lights in Mrs Veale's window, she owned the village shop, which was a thatched cottage-turned-shop, I never saw lights before so stood there for as long as I could staring at these fairy lights twinkling. Every Christmas i think of this when I put my lights on my tree. Mrs Veale's husband owned the piggery down the lane from where I lived. I've been back to visit a few times and met up with some old friends there, I was shocked to notice the village was smaller then it appeared as a child, the walk from the top of the village only took a couple of minutes, as a child my mum used to bribe me with threepence to go to the shop as it seemed like miles! The bus shelter is gone and a lot of trees are gone including the 'SEVEN TREES'. Grey's Farm is no longer a working farm and Woodville School is now Stower Provost School, and has new buildings. STOUR PROVOST will always hold a place in my heart and memories, it was the only place and last place where my parents settled, and I'm sure I will see other changes when I next return to the village. My family name is BRIGHT, my name is Mary, my mum was Agnes and my dad was Arthur, my siblings are Fred, Ron, Robert, Linda, me, Margaret, Edwin and Malcolm. For all those who remember me, I wish you peace, and often think of you all.