An Idyllic Childhood

A Memory of Wargrave.

I grew up in Wargrave and my memories of the village and the surrounding areas will always be etched in my heart. I lived with my parents in "Ivyhurst", Victoria Road which at that time had a small orchard to the side of the house. The warm, lush summers meant that there was always an abundance of fruit, so much so that my mother used to hang bags of apples and pears on the gate posts for passers-by to take. We lived there during the 1950s and early 1960s and at the beginning I can still remember the Muffin Man who used to walk up Victoria Road ringing a hand bell and calling "Hot Muffins, come and get your Hot Muffins". It really was another way of life then, when as a child the most important thing was to enjoy each endless day.

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Added 21 June 2008

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Hi. Your memory of Wagrave also brought back very happy times. Ivyhurst seems to ring a bell!! A Mrs. Hodges used to live there or next door. My uncle and aunt lived opposite in Beechurst. Their names were Bill & Olive Collyer. He was the Firechief. I was born in 1941 so the times would be right. We lived in London but spent nearly all our holidays there. The family name was Maine. Does any of this help? I have such happy memories of Wargrave all through the years. The Regatta, The lovely old railway station, swimming in the river getting a Punt out for the day. Dear old Robert Morley etc etc. I could go on and on!! Regards Peter.

By zoomeru on Thu Nov 5th 2015, at 9:59 am

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I was born in Court Cottage in Victoria Road in 1953. One of my earliest memories was the Muffin Man. I have often wondered whether it was real or something I imagined, so I was most gratified to read your post. I don't remember Ivyhurst, where was it?

By stephen_roberts on Sun Feb 5th 2017, at 7:20 am

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Good to read that others were also happy in Wargrave. I attended the PIGGOTT senior school - 1946-1951 which are still the best years of my life. We had a re-union there in 1999 with 85 ex-pupils enjoying each others' memories, all good.
Three of us live in Australia and keep in touch with many more who still live not far from Wargrave. Paying a penny to be punted across the River Thames so we could swim and play in the fields was always a big thrill, waiting later to be collected before it got too dark was preceded by yelling and whistling to alert the ferryman. I wonder who he was and when this service stopped. Roger Yates-Stanley.

By Roger Stanley on Tue Jan 16th 2018, at 11:30 pm

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All those memories are mine too

By M Ichael Aldridge on Tue Dec 21st 2021, at 2:20 pm

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