Twyford memories
Here are memories of Twyford and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Twyford or a Twyford photo.
I Was Born Here
Seeing this photo brings back many happy memories, on the left of the photo are two black gates and the first cottage next to them is where I was born back in 1955. Shortly afterwards they were demolished and a service road was put in that led down to the school canteen and the playground of the boys school. The bakery across the road was owned by Uncle George and many a time on a cold winter's morning I would walk around the back into the bakery itself with my sixpence and get my fresh hot bread rolls, and then go and stand with my back against the wall next to the ovens. My mum also worked in the school canteen along with Mrs Gale so I always knew what we were having for tea that night, what was left over from lunch that day.
Mr Farthing
Adding to someone else's comment the gentleman leaning over the wall - it is indeed Mr Farthing, he was my form teacher at Twyford Boys' School. I was born a few yards further along in one of the cottages next to the school. The cottages were demolished as they became unsafe and made way for a service road down to the canteen and the playground at the bottom of the school. Mr Farthing retired from teaching around the mid sixties but was often to be seen at the local bowls club in the Wargrave road, he was a real old Twyford character but the smell of that pipe he used to smoke, ugh.
Tappa's Tump NW Morris Hold A Dance Workshop in Loddon Hall Road
What an amazing day! One moment Twyford is enjoying a quiet Sunday morning on a cool February day and then dozens of cars arrive from all over the south of England delivering Morris Dancers! The occasion was a dance workshop day run by the local dance team, Tappa's Tump North West Morris, a group of smartly turned out women who perform energetic dances wearing clogs! The visitors were dancers invited from other dance teams who then spent the day learning new steps and tunes. The community hall in Loddon Hall Road provided a spacious indoor venue for more than one hundred dancers and many musicians and I had fun joining in providing some music on the stage. My own dance team, Whitethorn Morris, attended from Harrow, and had an enjoyable and energetic day finishing up with tea and cakes in the late afternoon. A great day and a great memory for the many dancers and musicians!
The Royal Oak Public House And my Cousins
When I lived in Twyford and surrounding areas between when I was born in 1944 and when I moved away from the area in 1971, much of my time was spent in Twyford. My uncle, aunt and my cousins lived in Norton Cottage, which was situated 20 yards from this side of the Royal Oak, and set back from London Road shown in this photo. The house between the Royal Oak and Norton cottage belonged to Mr and Mrs Jones, who were always good neighbours to my uncle and his family. When the area was 'developed', I think in the 1970s or early 1980s (I'm not sure exactly when) the Royal Oak, the Jones's family house and Norton Cottage were all demolished to make way for the new shops and public house, for which I think they kept the name of the Royal Oak. I remember going into the new pub with my cousin in the 1990s and where we were stood at the bar, he said that that was... Read more
The Polehampton Schools
I think this picture could show Mr Farthing who was a teacher at the Boys School, near the railway bridge. When I was walking to and from the girls' school at the other end of the village I often used to meet him rolling along, puffing his pipe. I had schoolfriends who lived at public houses on the High Street. One pub was the Duke of Wellington - the name of the other escapes me. You can see a baker's shop. I won't divulge the name of the baker, but I can remember his dog devouring the icing off one of their birthday cakes. Mrs. H., his wife confided to us that they had re-iced it it, because they didn't like to waste a good cake! (I don't think we bought cakes there after that.) I remember the mill at the bottom of the street being decorated for the Coronation. One of a group of passing cyclists commented, "Gosh, they've even heard about it here!" Perhaps it was a sleepy... Read more
Memories of Berkshire
Flint Cottage
I am not sure about the exact year. I have fond memories of visiting my nan who lived in Flint Cottage and just wondered what happened to it and see if anyone knew anything about it as would like to find out more. The date I have put on was the year I was born so if anyone can help please email me.
Wargrave. My Adventure Playground.
Born in 1950, our first home was the old Nissan huts at Hare Hatch. We moved down to Hamilton Rd in 1953 and I lived there until January 20th 1964. Yes, a date engraved in my memory as it was the end of my great Wargrave adventure playground.
I've started a blog recording my life and times as I remember them at;
http://platignumpete.blogspot.com/
I hope to see you there.
Pete.
An Idyllic Childhood
I grew up in Wargrave and my memories of the village and the surrounding areas will always be etched in my heart. I lived with my parents in "Ivyhurst", Victoria Road which at that time had a small orchard to the side of the house. The warm, lush summers meant that there was always an abundance of fruit, so much so that my mother used to hang bags of apples and pears on the gate posts for passers-by to take. We lived there during the 1950s and early 1960s and at the beginning I can still remember the Muffin Man who used to walk up Victoria Road ringing a hand bell and calling "Hot Muffins, come and get your Hot Muffins". It really was another way of life then, when as a child the most important thing was to enjoy each endless day.
Wargrave in 1955
We visited Wargrave in the summer of 1955 while my father was on sabbatical. We lived in Kellet Lodge for several weeks. The houses had names then. We did not have a refrigerator, just a pantry. We had fireplaces in every room. A family had a large house on the Thames, where we went to Sunday mass. I played with the children on my street and learned to ride a bike. We watched Sooty the bear on TV and read Rupert stories. It was a great experience. My brother and sister have been back to visit the area. I have not.
Lock Keeper
My grandfather, Edward Ernest Light, was the lock keeper at Sonning when this photo would have been taken. He was married to Lily and they had 3 sons, Edgar, Harold and Len, and a daugher Evie. Harold was my father and was born in the lock keeper's cottage in 1912 (and was later married in Sonning Church). My grandfather was very proud of the lock gardens and frequently won the Thames Conservancy cup for the best kept garden. I have one of the cups, dated 1922 and an oil painting of the lock in all its formal floral glory painted around that time. I believe E.E. Light remained at Sonning Lock until he retired to Bournmouth in the 1930s. All 3 sons were expected to do their bit at the lock, including looking after the boats that were hired out and helping with the planting of all the many flowers that helped my grandfather win so often!
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