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Venn Ottery

Venn Ottery maps

Historic maps of Venn Ottery and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Venn Ottery maps

Venn Ottery area books

Displaying 1 of 26 books about Venn Ottery and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Venn Ottery

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Devon memories

A Lovely Devon Village

We moved to No. 6 Tipton Vale in 1950. Maureen a baby, myself (Valerie) and parents Eric and Joan White fom Fenny Bridges. The house was a new council house, pink and blue. Dad dug out a bank at the rear and we found hundreds of flint arrow heads, knives and tools which we collected in Oster Milk tins and left in the garage. They should have gone to Exeter museum. I started at the school in November 1950. We played in the big trees of the Angela Home where children with T.B. were sent for treatment and took them comics and toys. In springtime the whole school would walk up to the hills above the Sidmouth Road and pick primroses, violets and bluebells to send to schoolchildren in London. I loved these beautiful days. I remember making the Easter Garden in the church. One day I found a hissing adder in the school sandpit. Miss West took the Infant Class and Miss Richardson the senior's. She was... Read more

Evacuee

My name was Evelyn Smith "Eve".  I was evacuated to my uncle and aunt's home during the war.  My uncle was Sidney Smith - he was station master.  We lived at 3 Coombe Lea.  Miss Richardson was our school teacher - a really beautiful lady and an excellent teacher.  My best friend was Nancy Leach - she lived in Dawes Cottage.  I remember the gypsies who came through the village - the eldest girl was named Caroline.  There were twin boys who lived on a farm - can't remember their names.  Skinner's farm was just down the lane from 3 Coombe Lea - they brought fresh milk to our house every day - or maybe we fetched it from the farm in our little churn - not sure - but it was always warm from the cow - LOVERLY!!  My cousin Josie and another cousin from London (Ettie) were land girls in Tipton.
Buster (last name skips my memory at the moment - was connected with the Great Train Robbery... Read more

The Old Railway Station

My friends and I spent many happy hours playing on the old platform and under the old railway bridge before they were both demolished.
We used to play hopscotch on the platform and had a camp amongst the trees at the back.
We made a rope swing there and used to take a packed lunch down on school holidays and spend all day there messing about.
We had a secret club and had to give a password before you could enter it like children do.
The old bridge was shored up with peices of wood and we would climb up and down it racing each other to the top.
I remember there was an old tramp lived under there at one time.

Good Times

Some of my first memories were picking the daffodils which my family grew, my great grandfather being the Walter Hill who grew the first King Alfreds.  We lived in Ova-Yonda in Back Lane, my grandparents lived in Waterleat, now the tea rooms. It was in the brook that ran through the property that I watched my grandfather tickle trout and I caught minnows and sticklebacks.
My great-aunt lived in a cottage further down the High Street and my great-uncle lived a house near the Cannon.  
My parents were Percy and Betty Hill. They entertained many, Dad playing the piano, Mum singing and eventually me doing 'a turn'. Dad had a dance band during the 1950s and in the 1960s going into a pub with a piano and tinkling away so people could have a good old sing-song.
The fun we had in the village hall, fancy dress parties and games, later on dances. Christmas time was when the school would put on a concert. I was Angel Gabriel... Read more

Growing up at Newton Poppleford

I was born in London, moved to Oak Tree Villas at Newton Poppleford in Devon at 9 months. Jean Bastin lived on one side and Brian Pring on the other, with Mrs Harrison the church organist in the fourth house, next to the Turk's Head pub, run by Arthur and Mrs Devereux. In Factory Row lived Mr Down, a war reserve policeman. Moved to 3 Otter View, aged 7 or 8. Mum, Iileen Page, and dad, Reg, who was recalled to the colours in May 1939, and died in 1944. I attended the primary school, under Mrs Hawkins, Miss Burrows and E Warwick Cox. Later I schooled at Exmouth, with June Force and Jean Radford. June's parents ran the paper and general shop next to the church where I was in the choir, vicar was Reverend Greenslade. Jean's father was a farmer, and I spent many happy hours on his farm. His family with his wife included Ken, Kitty and Marion. The Exeter Inn in the centre of the village... Read more

1950s

Great holidays at Goosemoor Farm with the Ireland family. Jack Bastin worked on the farm. Devon teas at the Southern Cross B and B.

My Grandfathers Cottage

Podbury's Cottage c1960
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Podburys Cottage was my Grandfathers cottage. (William Cooper). It was then named Ginko Cottage. My grandfather was a gardener at Harpford House and I believe that this was a "Tied" cottage.

I personally lived in Ginko cottage from birth in 1940 to my grandfathers death in 1946.

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