West Challow memories
Here are memories of West Challow and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Challow or a West Challow photo.
Dance Family
For many centuries my ancestors came from this area, the latest person was my grandmother Daisy Dance who sadly passed away very young in 1938. If anyone has any information on her or my ancestors could you please let me know? My ancestors currently stretch back to the1600s. My mother Kathleen Edwards was born in West Hanney, not far away from this village, her father was William Thomas Edwards, he died in 1966, he was married to Daisy Dance in 1929 in Wantage.
Orchard Gardens
In about 1972 we as a family moved into West Challow, although with being at a young age I hated it, since moving from Wantage and my friends this it seemed was in the middle of nowhere. I used to cycle most days to Icknield, if not then at least a lift was offered by one of my parents, although quite often I was having to walk home. We owned a Great Dane who I often walked either up the large hill leading out towards Letcombe and Childrey, otherwise I would walk him towards Mellors Garage where there was a small outlet and I would always purchase my ten cigarettes, as we made our way back towards the village along the winding road a patch of grass is where our dog should always stop, he was waiting for me to light a cigarette, on hearing the match strike the box he always knew this was the signal for our moving on. In those years I became the local paper boy,... Read more
Memories of 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.
To Meet my Uncle For The First Time
I'm glad I came across this website as I have been looking for my family's relatives from this area. I remember the first time I came to East Challow to visit my late uncle's family for the first time. I have in my possession a personal photo of him outside his home in Hills Close beside the old red telephone box. His name was Pat Downes (deceased), he was living at No 1 Hills Close. I would love to hear from anybody that knew him or indeed any member of his family around the area. Please get in touch with any info to: ptrckdownes@yahoo.co.uk . My own father's names was William (Bill) from near Carlow, Ireland.
Childrey
Does anyone remember the racing stables in Childrey? We lived there for a short while. I cannot remember the name of the road or much about the place except I believe that someone committed suicide in the bathroom we had, spooky memories, but I also remember going to school in Wantage and riding my bike to the local outdoor swimming baths, no wonder I am still not a keen swimmer. Any information I would be glad to receive, thank you. Jean
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 to spend many sunny afternoons exploring the village green with its ponds and marshes, fallen trees to climb, secret places to explore. As a child it seemed like an extremely safe and wonderful playground and I have never felt the same about anywhere else I have lived since.
I Too Lived at The Pound
When I lived at the Pound I was a lot younger and at 28 took the licence of a closed rundown empty pub called The Pound, that morning I pulled my first pint in a pub in Oxford for the Oxford Mail to get a look of the new landlord of The Pound, ‘a recipe for disaster’. That night I pulled my first pint for real and handed it to the customer, he said "Can you squeeze a double scotch into that?". Looking at the foaming head and thinking making money was going to be easy if they all do this, I said "Yes!". He handed the pint back to me and said "Well, fill the glass then!". A lesson well learned. A couple of months later we decided to have a lamb roast. On the night some of the students I lectured during my proper job, came to help, we offered lamb and real sausage hot dogs, during the evening one of my students gave a man a sausage in... Read more
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