Nostalgic memories of Abbotsham's local history

Share your own memories of Abbotsham and read what others have said

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.

Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.

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Displaying all 7 Memories

In 1940 a group of children with ages ranging from about eight to eleven were evacuated from Croydon, (then in Surrey) and taken in by the local populace. I (Les Quilter) and John Durr were billeted at Pusehill Farm with George Bellew, where we spent the next eighteen months. The school in Abbotsham received us and increased the number of pupils attending by quite a number. I suppose the worst memory I have in ...see more
I lived in Abbotsham from birth in 1947 until we moved away in 1967. I attended the village school from 1952 until 1959. Started in the infants class with Mrs Attenborough then on to the Junior class with the Headmistress, Mrs Cotton. In the Juniors we used to listen to the Schools Radio programmes where we learnt much about History and Geography. Also twice a week were music programmes - Music and ...see more
This photo has brought back so many memories of when I had my summer holidays in the last house before the white houses. There was a gate to the side of the house which lead into a large garden where my grandad grew veg and fruit, and the chickens from the farm behind walked around the garden. I loved to play in the sheds in the garden and pick the peas for dinner. The days would be filled ...see more
At the side of the Post Office is a single track lane that leads to the cliffs, half a mile along the lane past the farm was a large thatched cottage named "Rixlade". In 1957 our father Major William (Bill) Hay was stationed as O.C. at Fremington camp near Barnstaple, from our home town of Aldershot in Hampshire. As a southern townie from the London commuter belt moving to the quiet ...see more
Growing up at Fairy Cross, Alwington and as our village school had closed in the late 1950s we had to catch the school bus daily morning and afternoon to Abbotsham Primary School. (Shown in the centre back of the picture next to St Helens Church). I started in 1963 in the "little ones class" of the two roomed school. Mrs Elston was my first teacher there and she had also taught at Alwington School ...see more
As a boarding pupil at Grenville College I used to walk up to Abbotsham in sunny summer weather from Moreton House with my Sunday packed lunch. It was a very quiet village and one of my main memories is the range of old carvings on the pews in the old church. The village was also on the route of our cross-country runs and it was the point at which the final effort needed to be made to beat the visiting team.
This picture was actually taken in the early 1960's and later turned into a postcard. The man on the motorbike is my late father, John Ridd, who was a local farm manager at the time. The motorbike by the way is a BSA Bantam - he was the only person in the village who had one like it!