A Country Holiday

A Memory of Child Okeford.

During the early 1960s my Aunt Bella and Uncle Alf lived down Ridway lane in a bungerlow called Fernleigh. It was detached, I suspect that it was part of field as the property had a five bar farm gate. Looking out of the bedroom window you could see the cows in the next field trying eat my uncles apples. He love his garden. There were a number of apples it would not surprise me if part of the property was an orchard. My family and I stayed with them. Travelling by train and arriving @ Shillingstone Station. I always had great excitement crossing the line (we changed @ Temple Coombe). Coming from Harrow in Middlesex it something never done. My mother remembers the oil lamps on the station. My Aunt always arranged for us to be picked up by taxi from the Stone's(I remember playing with their boys) garage. The Tuffins lived @ the farm @ the top of Ridgeway Lane. I remember having great fun with daughter Claire playing in their hay stack. A little way beyond my aunt lived the Footes, more children there 2 girls one I think had the name of Elizabeth. More play mates! A vivid picture I still have is of the cows being taken down the lane to be milked. Twice a week there was a journey to Stir or Blanford on bus which we hailed on the main road @ the top of the lane. Before waiting for the bus we would have to change from our wellies ( which we threw in the hedge) for shoes so we did not mess up the bus. Another new experience for me was going to the baker to buy the bread in the bakery not a shop. Christine Amerstone took me to choir practise in the week and I was given the previlage of being part of the chior on a Sunday. I loved the robes, back @ home I went to a Baptist church with not a robe in sight. I can still see the lovely stained glass window behind the alter and also have a vision of me standing on a kneeler to see over the top of chior stall! I was really small. Harry Corbett(of Sooty & Sweep fame) lived in the village, but I never saw him. Somewhere @ the top of the village before the High Street live a lady with a boxer called Bruce, the garden had a stream with a bridge over it. I remember playing in the park, well from what I can remeber there was some swings and a climing frame. Sunday papers were collected @ a house. One of the shops was called Moons, I presume that was the people who owned the shop. As to what they sold I cannot remember. The smell of fresh bread was wonderful when my aunt took me to buy bread in the bakery not in a shop. Sunday papers were brought from a house in the High Street, not a shop. Somewhere between Ridway Lane & the High Street was something called Jacobs Ladder, though that is more vague. Although I remember all these sights and smells I was too young to really appreciate them.

---

---