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West Rasen

West Rasen photos

Displaying the first of 2 old photos of West Rasen.   View all West Rasen photos

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West Rasen maps

Historic maps of West Rasen and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all West Rasen maps

West Rasen area books

Displaying 1 of 10 books about West Rasen and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of West Rasen

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Lincolnshire memories

Middle Rasen Farmer Sires Two Mayors For Grimsby

My 2nd G/Grandfather, Robert Milner (1794-1870), married Mary Ann Norton on 25th April 1821 in St. Peters Church, Middle Rasen, winessed by Thomas Miller, Nicholas Danby and Frances Popple.  They had ten children, all born in Middle Rasen, and the family remained there until my grandfather Christopher Miller (1865-1937), grandson of Robert Milner, moved to Grimsby and later became Mayor of that town in the year 1912/13.   Walter Banyard Smith (1913-1993), a 2nd G/Grandson of Robert Miller, was also Mayor of Grimsby in the year 1980/81.   

Childhood

Me and my sister used to go and stay in the school holidays with our great nanna, Mrs Hilda Pocklington, in her cottage at Walsbey Road, we used to love our time there. The tennis courts were out the back, and we often used to sit and watch them play tennis in the summer and often wondered whether any of them would end up at Wimbleden, or indeed ourselves - childhood dreams I guess. I also remember she had a coal shoot on the side wall and the coal man arriving and tipping it in and cleaning out the grate and re lighting the fire on cold days. I now have a fake coal fire that brings back memories. The Sellars lived over the road in their bungalow and a Lady Jessie lived next door in a big white house and a man called Jack lived next door to Nan. His house is no longer there, after being rebuilt. My nan's cottage is now almost unrecognisable due to being modernised,... Read more

Discovering Glentworth

Being aware that our family name was unusual, I was told by my brother, Philip Glentworth, that a village called Glentworth existed quite near to his home in Gainsborough in Lincs. Quite soon after I visited Glentworth, and looked around the church graveyard, looking to see if our family name was there, none could be found. We were both born and brought up in Hull; our deceased parants were George and Jone Glentworth of Calvert Road in Hull. I have two sons, Anthony and Neil; Neil, who lives in Australia with his wonderful wife Shannon, has three daughters; hence the Glentworth name has been further expanded in Australia.

The Vaccie Years.

On June 8th 1940, just 6 weeks before my 8th birthday, I was evacuated to Fillingham where I was billeted with Mr & Mrs Cross and their daughter Violet. I had to attend church three times a week and chapel twice. At harvest time we were sent to pick potatoes and in spring we helped to sow the next crop. In winter I was sent outside to dig the weeds out from between the paving stones outside the house. It was not easy using an old dinner knife but I suppose it kept me from under the adults' feet for a few hours. The worst aspect of my stay was the onset of chilblains, the treatment for which was to bury my feet in an enamel bowl of snow. At the age of 79+ I am still not convinced. Despite this, I look back on those 21 months I stayed at Walnut Farm (though I saw no farm on our side of the garden wall) with a fondness I find puzzling. Maybe swimming... Read more

Caistor Methodist Primary School

I remember the infants class at Caistor Methodist Primary School. The class used the vestry of the Methodist Chapel and the room had supporting pillars. Our teacher was Miss Parrott. We had a wooden dolls' house, a sand pit and wooden jigsaws of about 5 pieces. We sang 'Bell horses, bell horses what time of day, one o' clock, two o' clock, three and away'. Miss Reader's class was in the schoolroom and I remember her telling me off for losing a pencil which was only about 2 inches long! I won a prize in her class - it was 'Noddy goes to School'. We used to play tig in the playground, boys against girls, the safety place being the entrance to our toilets! Mrs Varlow came next and the big room was divded by folding doors between her class and Mrs Markham's. Mrs Varlow taught us to be polite to each other and I remember one day Philip Jollands took the matter too far by pulling my chair way back and... Read more

The Blacksmith Arms

In 1962 I moved to The Blacksmith Arms with my parents and brother. My parents were Mr and Mrs Mitchell and were employed by Joseph Nickerson, a local landowner. Now I am mature in years and both parents have gone, but the memories are aways vivid. I remember the harsh winter of 1963, and customers being stranded in the pub. Despite my long evenings spent on my own I appreciate the hospitality and community presence there was at Rothwell. My biggest memory was of ghostly goings on within the pub, many stories to tell. Does anyone have any memories or stories to tell. A beautiful village with many stories and much local history.

'Blacksmith Arms Ghost'

In 1978 my sister-in-law Diane Plaskitt worked in the kitchens at the pub. During her time there along with another member of staff they came across 'the Blacksmith Ghost'. They caught site of an image of a man walking from the kitchen door into the hall and then down into the men's toilet at the bottom of the hall. One of the staff decided to go into the toilets to see who it was......and when they entered noone was to be seen! It is said that the man was Stephen Rowles dad who had been a blacksmith on the premises.

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