The Rock Inn at Waterrow 1954- 1965

c1955
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The Rock Inn will alway have a special place in my heart. As a small boy I would spend as many holidays as I could staying at my uncle and aunt's pub The Rock Inn. In 1959/60 I would have only been five years old but I am blessed with a very good memory of my uncle, called James Pile, and his wife Florence, better known to the locals as Jim and Curly, and their ever faithfull black labrador called Carlo. The kitchen was a hive of activity with Shirley Pearce, Maureen Blackmore, Mrs Brice (known as Auntie Topsy) and a lady that lived in the village called Mrs German who lived half way up the hill on the right hand side of the Rock Inn.
The farmers used to frequent the pub supping on the local ales and Watney's Red Barrel. Uncle Jim drove a dark green Standard Vangard Phase 1A (Bettleback) car. He loved that pub with all it quirkiness, its spiral staircase and its own well and a very steep sloping garden. The Exmoor hunt were regular visitors. Coach-loads of ladies would drop in for coffee and sandwiches on Tuesdays. In the lounge bar were table skittles, darts, shove half penny and a Victorian upright musical box called a polyphon made in Germany. To operate this magical box you had to wind up the handle and put an old penny in the slot. Slowly the large disc could be viewed through the large window on the front and sound could be heard as the disc turned.
I do remember the tradesmen from Wiveliscombe taking me around delivering the bread and cakes (you wouldn't be allowed to do that this these days).
My uncle and aunt treated us to trips to see Weston-super-Mare, a train ride from Venn Cross and I have a great memory of my uncle taking us to see Chipperfields Circus in Taunton 1962/63. I loved seeing all the cars of the time, every one was different from the next. I used to spend hours sitting on the black bench under the porch of the old Rock Inn. I think there was a post office or shop opposite to the Inn?
There was a farm owned by the Pearce family, who I would like to make contact with. Their farmhouse was knock down for road improvements in the mid 1960s. They had a daughter called Margaret. Shirley used to work at the Rock Inn in the 1960s. I have a few old pictures both inside and outside of the Rock Inn.
Happy days and fond memories.
Julian Bishop