Wantage, Oxfordshire

St Nicholas Place

I used to live at 1st Nicholas Place and use the shop in the photo when I was a child growing up in the village. The memories I have of the village were of good times.

Whatcombe stables

My grandfather, John Carstairs, moved to Whatcombe after partition in  Ireland. He had been Land Steward for Captain Cliff of Belle Vue, Wexford but was described on his death certificate (1931) as formerly electrician at racing stables. He lived at  Whatcombe Cottages. After his death, the family moved to Fawley. We have no family papers as his widow deliberately destroyed everything... [more]

The big elm tree.

This is the best picture yet of that great old tree that I have found. I sat on its roots at the age of 5 years back in 1939, and all through the war it was a great place to sit out of the rain.
I have a picture of it when it was young, and a picture of its stump... [more]

I lived in the house immediately behind "the big tree" from 1973-1975. I was only 8 or 9 years old and have fond memories of climbing in the lower reaches of that tree. I have a photo my parents took of the tree in the winter, and one can see how massive the tree's upper branches and trunk were in spite... [more]

the green east hanney

I moved to East Hanney in 1956 at the age of 4, we moved to Manor Farm Cottage just behind the centre of the photo. the large tree on the left was known as "the big tree" and it was said that Oliver Cromwell camped there, the occupant of the house on the far end of the row was Mr Creed,... [more]

The Pound

I used to live in The Pound at Goosey. As a pub it seemed massive to me when I was a lot younger, now I realise that in fact it was really small and intimate for a pub. I used to love the huge open fireplace, the smell of the wood smoke mingling with the smell of the beer. I used... [more]

Grandad

I spent several summer school holidays in Didcot with my mate and grandad,
he lived in Newlands Avenue with my Uncle Bert. Grandad ran the bar in the army camp. He used to send me round to wake up the men first thing. The man in charge was a Sergeant Biggs. Mum worked in the post office where she met Dad,... [more]

The Prior family of Steventon

My grandmother lived in Steventon with her own grandmother around 1880. She was Florence Prior and her own gran was Eliza Prior who by then was a widow and a laundress living in Timsbury Cottage. I have tried to find the cottage but the only place I have seen with a similar name is Timsbury Villa. I sometimes wonder if it... [more]