Asfordby, The Old Hall c.1960

This site was my first job on leaving school. I was an apprentice joiner and worked for MR Abbey Coleman, Builders of Barsby. I lived at Burrough-On-The-Hill at this time and had to cycle to Barsby every morning before going onto Asfordby with Mr Coleman.

I had the pleasure of living in Beechcroft since the day I was born in 1954, my parents and grandparents had bought the rectory, named a "White Elephant"as no one had lived in it for 4 years. During that time we had birthday parties on the front lawn, unless of course you were born in January. My parents loved to have BBQ's in the grounds. My sister and I had our weddings here and walked across the lawn to the ...see more

It was Dec 1965, and my sister Ellen Blackham and I sailed to England  from Perth, Western Australia, to spend time with my sister Doris Whitby. Doris and her husband Roy had purchased The Old Rectory in the late 1950s. It was no longer required as a rectory and was therefore put on the market. I will never forget driving down Station Lane on that grey afternoon in December and seeing Beechcroft (my sister ...see more