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West Harptree memories

Here are memories of West Harptree and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Harptree or a West Harptree photo.

Moon Family

The Church c1965
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Although I do not know West Harptree very well, my great-grandmother and great-grandfather are buried here, and there is a memorial to my grandfather William Moon in the church, he died in 1915 in India while in the army. If anyone knows about either the Moon or Bendle families I would love to hear from you.

Memories of Avon

My Ancestry

I have wonderful memories of visting Compton Martin in the 1990s and a lunch at the Ring O' Bells. My strong interest in the village is because my grandfather Charles Stallard was born there in 1879, his father George in 1844 and his grandmother Martha Badman in 1811. My Stallard family lived at Compton Martin for many years having come from nearby Wrington. If there are any Stallards or Badmans still living in the area I would love to contact them.
Patricia Adair (nee Stallard)
e-mail: paadair@ihug.co.nz

Hinton Blewett 1945-1946

I first saw Hinton Blewett on a late September day when arriving at my prep school, Colchester House. This was housed in Hinton Blewett Manor, which was its wartime home. Its true home was in Clifton, Bristol but that had been requisitioned during the war so the school was in borrowed accommodation. The headmaster was Mr K A Moresby, a bachelor, but very fond of boys! He liked to have them stripped naked in his study at the beginning and end of term for weighing and measuring. Nevertheless it was a very happy school and I learnt a lot in the year I was there. I remember cycle rides into the nearby country, seeing lots of horse-drawn farm equipment and seeing haymaking the hard way. Pick-up balers did not then exist. I remember the narrow lanes and views of Blagdon Lake.
Regretfully it all came to an end in July 1946 as Mr Moresby couldn't afford to pay for the building in Clifton to be made good and decided to... Read more

Wedding

The Church c1960
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On March 21st this year it will be 50 years since my mum and dad, Christine Hole and Islwyn (Eddie) Griffiths, got married at this lovely country village church. This is not a personal memory, but I have seen photos of the day back in 1959. They are still very much together and love each other to bits!

My own personal memories are a little sadder, the last being the burial of my paternal grandmother (Nana) in the churchyard where she joined my grandfather (Papa) in eternal rest.

Fun!!

I worked in Chewton Mendip in 1968, at Bathway Farm which was a racing stables. It was an amazing job and a wonderful place to work. Every Sunday lunchtime down to the Waldegrave Arms!! 3 of us shared a cottage on Nedge called Swallowsloft, that little house was amazing! Chewton is a beautiful place and I'll never forget my time there.

A Country Drive Around Somerset

Having retired and moved to the West Country my wife Elizabeth and I set out to explore the area. Our new home is in Tiverton, Devon, but gradually we explored further and further afield and we remember a lovely drive to Wells and going along Somerset lanes through beautiful villages like East Harptree, Rookham, Chewton Mendip and down towards Taunton on our way home.

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