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Wrabness
Wrabness maps
Historic maps of Wrabness and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Wrabness maps
Wrabness photos
We have no photos of Wrabness, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Ramsey| Bradfield| Great Oakley| Mistley| Parkeston| Dovercourt| Chelmondiston| Manningtree| Harwich| Shotley| Woolverstone| Shotley Gate| Pin Mill| Freston| Thorpe-Le-Soken| Flatford| East Bergholt| Walton On The Naze
Wrabness area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Wrabness and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Wrabness
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Essex memories
Memories From David Cheverton of Hope Cottage, Heath Road
In 1953 I attended Bradfield Primary School which in this year of 2007 celebrates its centeniory year. I have fond memories of many cricket matches during my time at the school playing against other local school teams. Mr Martin the Headmaster had lots of fast cars, to the delight of all the children. There was always a scramble on match day to see who would have the pleasure of going in one of his cars.
I lived in Bradfield till 1967 when I was 21 years of age, at that time Bradfield had a brilliant football team called ' Bradfield Rovers' and I was their Linesman for many a year. They won the Amos Charity Cup and many league titles.
Bradfield also had three Public Houses at that time, one was The Strangers where the football club spent most of its time. The other two were The Village Maid and The Ram and Hogget which is now a private dwelling.
Strangers Home
I lived with my father Denys and sister Mandy at the Strangers. I have many great memories of Bradfirld and the villagers. Who remembers the likes of Bill Long, George Jones, George Barnes and one I can only remember by the name of Blackie.
Fondest Memories Of Gt. Oakley 1938 to 1961
That was when I was born along with a bunch of other kids who grew up with me and with whom I played during the WW2 years and eventually went to C of E school together. Mr Porter was a teacher there, he was still watching for enemy aircraft after it was all over and the boys would tell him "not one of ours sir" and off we would go to the air raid shelter yet again and wait and wait but of course nothing happened. Miss Freshwater was another teacher then off we went to High School
after that. Oh yes there was a Miss Brown also who later became Mrs Van Ryswyk.
During the war my Dad served in the Army, I didn't really get to know him until I was 7. My Uncle never came back, he is buried in Italy somewhere. My Grandad Clarke was in the ARP and used to check on Mum and I every night when there were air raids. So we... Read more
Houghbridge Hall-Gt.Oakley
In January 1949, my parents moved into Houghbridge Hall - on the winding country lane mid way between Stones Green and the church at Gt. Oakley.
I remained there until called up for National Service in November 1952, and last saw it on my Christmas leave that year during which we attended Christmas Day service in the church.
Houghbridge Hall was a huge dwelling on about an acre of land, part of which was apple orchard and many outbuildings where we had about a thousand chickens, geese, turkeys and pigs on open range. We had to turn nearly all of our production of eggs over to the Egg Marketing Board. We bred all our own poultry which included Rhode Island Reds, Sussex and White Leghorns. The geese were Emdens.
We were a family of six, so the accomodation was adequate for our needs. All except mother had full time jobs in Colchester too!
My two younger brothers were also called up for National Service in 1953, and the remaining family... Read more
Mistley
I was born in Mistley at Ye Olde Mill House in 1930. My father Rupert Edwards was a family butcher and my grandparents lived at Shanghai Villa, Mistley. I attended Mistley Norman School and won a scholarship to Colchester High School. My early memories were of the swimming pool and the start of the Second World War. It was fascinating at first to hear accents from the north, see searchlights, and I really enjoyed watching the solders marching up the hill, and playing in the band after church, often the Coldstream Guards. I knew all the names of the planes and remember Brookes getting an incendary bomb, the smell lingered for ages.
Childhood Memories
I was born in 1951 and lived in Middlefield Road, Mistley with my parents, sister and brother. My maiden name was Lay - Flurrie. I attended Mistley Norman School in 1956 my teacher being Miss Temple, Headmaster was Mr Thompson. Other teachers were Mr James and Miss Jacklin. I remember having a bottle of milk everyday at school and when it was winter time the birds had pecked at the foil bottle top. I left Mistley Norman School in 1966 to attend Manningtree Secondary Modern. In this year 1966 I had a paper round after school hours and I would cycle to Manningtree to pick the papers up and my first stop on the way back was Brooks on Mistley Hill where the workers would be waiting for their paper. I have fond memories of times spent at Furze Hills, the old tree Nobbly which I would climb on, game keepers pond feeding the ducks and swans, also Blackberrying in the school holidays to earn a bit of pocket... Read more
Una Rd
I was brought up in Una Rd in the 1960's and 70's. My mother still lives in the same house after more than 50 years. One thing that always strikes me now when I visit are the number of cars. I can still name the people who owned a car and the type of car it was in Una Rd when I was a child. Probably only seven cars maximum!
Two Morris Minors, an Austin A35 van, Wolseley 1500, Reliant Regal van ( 3 wheeler), Ford Anglia, yellow and white, with american style spare wheel holder on the back and a Heinkel bubble car. We did not own a car which grieved me terribly as I have always loved cars!
On Sunday morning there would be what seemed to me dozens of people all dressed up in their best clothes, complete with 'walnut whip' hats for the ladies. All heading off for either of the two churches in the village. If I waited by the front gate, Mr Bell... Read more
