Happy Days

A Memory of Binham.

My name is Barbara Annison, nee Wyer. I was born in Binham in 1948, we lived in a house on the green facing the market cross. My dad worked on the farm nearby and as children we used to play in the stables and barns. There was a lovely big derelict house there, but we were forbidden to go in as it was deemed unsafe, needless to say we did! I have so many lovely memories as a child playing catchers, hide and seek and marbles, my cousin Edna had the loveliest marbles I have ever seen. Every year the fair came to Binham for a few days, there was great excitement watching the rides and stalls being set up, we had a birds' eye view from our house. Although we were certainly not wealthy it was such a happy time for my sister, brothers and me, my mum and dad worked very hard for us, we had no indoor toilet or time saving gadgets when we were very young and no TV. Mum had to light the old copper every Monday morning to boil the washing, Dad and my brothers always wore white shirts on Sunday. The laundry took nearly all day. The copper was also lit for Friday night baths by the fire! Mum was a great one for cleaning, Dad used to say "Polish ought to cost a £1 a tin, you wouldn't be so keen then". We went to Sunday School every week till we left school, Mrs Pointer was the teacher and Joyce Greenacre the organist. The anniversary was a very special occasion when we used to sing hymns and recite a verse or two, the chapel would be full. Mr Gaskin came from Hindringham and used to raise the roof. Then came the annual trip to Yarmouth, it was the highlight of the year. Mr Greenacre used to support the Sunday School, buying us all an orange and a bar of chocolate on special occasions, we also chose a book every year, Enid Blyton being my favourite. Mr Greenacre was the village barber who also sold cycles and tobacco etc. When I started work I bought a bike from him, paying back 10 shillings a week. On November the 5th we went next door to the Hewitt's for fireworks and a huge bonfire. Valentine's Day was great also as we received presents and played tricks leaving parcels on doorsteps, once we put one of our cats in a box and placed it on the neighbour's doorstep. There were two grocers, a butcher, coal merchant, two pubs and a fish and chip shop in the village and let's not forget Mr Billy Massingham the cobbler, his little workshop was quite a meeting place in the evenings.
My mum came from Hindringham and Dad's family mostly lived in Binham so I had lots of lovely aunts and uncles to visit. Binham, the place where I was born and where I was married 43 years ago has a very special place in my heart.

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