My Childhood

A Memory of Sible Hedingham.

My grandfather had the newsagents in Swan Street from around 1942 to 1952 and
during school hols i would stay in Sible. I would go with either my aunt or
grandfather to deliver papers, with aunt on a bike or in a Ford car with grandad.

I remember taking papers to the Sugar Loaves,and getting evening papers off the
train at the station (station where it was then). I remember Rippers the wood
factory opposite Suger Loaves, and the field behind the then post office where
the wood was piled to season. Also the brick kilns close by. Thursday was
always a panic at the shop as the Halstead Gazette would be dropped off by the
Eastern National bus. People would queue outside waiting. Another memory was
seeing the gliders parked in the fields along the road to Gosfield. These were
used either in the D-day drop or Arnhem. The P.O.Ws based at High Garrett would
be allowed to stop at Grandad's shop to buy cigs on the way to work the
farms. Further to the gliders, I have since been told that parts for these were
made at Rippers but I am not sure about this. To me Sible was a wonderful place
and I can now bore my own grandaughter to death with some very wonderful
times. Lastly, I was very upset to see the old shop no longer there.

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