Symondsbury, Dorset

Same family.

My dad was Cyril Henry Sprake, I have memories of travelling to Eype to see my gran, she was Day then. As grandad and uncle Robert died during the war, I am interested in knowing which of the local Sprake families was grandad's.
I too think of the area as my spiritual home, I have said to my family that I... [more]

Eype Cottages

My Mum, Nesta Smith (nee Sprake) was born in No. 3 Eype Cottages and lived there up until she married my Dad (Ron Smith) in July 1949.  They met when he was stationed close by with the Royal Army Service Corp.  They used to do their courting by the old phone box apparently!  Dad proposed to Mum up at Golden Cap... [more]

Waiting to go to Bahrain 1966

This is me, pushing my daughter Allison, with my mother Phyllis Carey. I was staying with my parents prior to joining my husband at RAF Muharraq, Bahrain in the summer of 1966. Recessed next to Hoskins the Butchers is the Congregational Church (now the United Reformed) where I was christened, attended Sunday School and Junior Church and was married. Our... [more]

East Street 1965

The lady with the shopping bag and wearing sunglasses in this picture is my mother, Hilda Hounsell. She had either visited the library or her sister who lived at the bottom of Easst Street.

Visitation Convent

I have no connections with Bridport or the Visitation Convent but found the thread of messages detailing school life highly absorbing; I do know of another individual of note who may qualify as becoming "famous" (message posted 03/10/2009 by Mr Duffy).

I think he was sent from the Midlands as a boarder in 1927 at seven years of age, through... [more]

Visitation Convent Bridport

Since my blog of 2007 concerning my time as a boarder at the Visitation Convent school 1942-1947, I have noted with interest that other former pupils (though not from the years I was there) have commented on their experiences of the place. Mostly, their memories are sad and bitter ones. It has made me think back again at my years there.... [more]

The Convent in Bridport

I was disturbed to read the Memory posted in early September from a contemporary about our common primary school, Bridport Visitation Convent. It was reprinted in the Bridport News of October 1st so needs to be balanced I feel. That gentleman clearly doesn't remember his time there with relish but I wonder why he didn't put his schooldays into the context... [more]

VISITATION CONVENT

I was sent to the Visitation Convent at the age of 6 and was there for four terrible years. Like others who have written their memories of their time at the school, for me it was a very severe, cruel, harsh enviroment, devoid of any love or affection from the nuns. The punishments were frequent, for messing my pants or wetting... [more]