Where My Parents Met

A Memory of Ospringe.

My parents met at The Ship in Ospringe. My father, Alcwyn Davies, was in the 3rd Welsh Regiment and was stationed close by. My mother. Grace Glibbery, was with her family from East London picking hops, as they did every year. My grandparents were Liz and Jim Glibbery. Along with my aunt Rose Clark and her husband Joe with their 5 children. Also my great aunts and uncles, their children and grandchildren. They took up an entire row of huts at the farm. After they had met each other, my parents would meet behind this church, under the hemlock tree, at the stone wall overlooking the fields. I have been there a few times since. They were married in London in 1942. They spent every summer with the extended family hop picking, up until 1955 when my brother was born. My older brothers were 11 and 9 when we stopped going to Ospringe. I was 15 months old, so I can't remember as they do. I have lots of photos of the family in the hop fields and outside their huts. It is a very memorable time for my mother, as she would spend every summer with her family in this area. She still talks about it. My mother, now 85, lives in America. We have been here since 1963. Every year they would come to England and would always make a visit to this church. After, they would go for a pint at the Ship and have a good laugh at all the memories. When my father passed away in 1996, his ashes were brought to England and taken to this church, where family members stood in a circle by the large hemlock tree and spread his ashes and talked of the memories they had. I have a picture of this church hanging in my house. I must admit, it is where our lives began. When my mother passes, her wish is to be with my dad. When that time comes, I will be making the trip with my brother's and once again stop in at the Ship for that pint and to talk of the memories.