Wyndham Hill And Penn Mill

My house backed onto Wyndham Hill and I spent my childhood playing over there.
My cousin and I loved to watch the steam trains passing by and sometimes (if our parents weren't nearby) would run onto the bridge at Penn Mill station and hang over to get lost in the smoke!  (The things kids do!!)
There was also another smaller field beside Wyndham which had three horses, Penny (a chestnut), Dusty (a dark grey) and Joey (a brown). The lady who owned them gave riding lessons which I went to every Saturday (after coming back from the Saturday morning pictures at the Odeon). My horse was Joey, a lovely little horse,  and I always remember cantering at the bottom of Wyndham (the station end) when for some reason Joey decided to 'put the brakes on' so to speak and I went flying over his head. I kept hold of the reins though and wasn't hurt but when I stood up the smell was dreadful. Dear little Joey had unseated me into a cow-pat! Thank goodness I didn't have far to walk home.
I used to go to Penn Mill Junior School and one summer afternoon, whilst lying on the grass of the playing field, I found a four-leaf clover which I still have to this day. I remember Grass Royal as a Secondary School (although I believe its a Junior School now). Very nice school but I recall that our Domestic Science lessons were in a large house in, I believe but I'm not a 100\% sure, Southville.
Other memories are Larcombes Stores in Sherborne Road right opposite my house, the daughter of the owner is still a friend (thanks to the internet) although I haven't seen her for 36 years face to face(!), Arundels in Middle Street where my Mum and I would stop off for tea and ice cream, Denners department store, the cattle market and, of course, Nine Springs.
Also remember my Dad's local, 'The Royal Marine' in Great Western Avenue - used to love playing in the skittle alley.
Of course there's St. Michaels church where I attended a few weddings and it was used on special occasions by my junior school i.e Easter, Harvest Festival and Christmas.
I also recall a house with a water-wheel just by the River Yeo which could be found not far from the bottom of Wyndham on Sherborne Road going towards Sherborne. Was fascinated by that wheel and loved feeding the ducks there.
After viewing aerial maps I see that Great Western Terrace has changed for the better but unfortunately that is the only good change I can see.  Yeovil seems to be sprawling out of control (has even moved into Brympton now) and has become so very modern that it has lost its charm. There's a ski slope, golf course, multiplex and numerous franchises like Pizza Hut, Burger King etc. so  that Yeovil looks like every other town in the country - in other words characterless! And what an absolute travesty ... they knocked down The George Hotel!!  A plea to the Planning Office in Yeovil - please leave it alone now, the place is becoming 'faceless'.
I remember my Geography teacher, Vyvian Malleson, going on television after the first Chinese restaurant came to Yeovil, to state that it would change the town and open up the floodgates and that, in his opinion, it should never be allowed - how right he was!