Wonderful Days

A Memory of Clifton upon Teme.

I moved to a small new house in Saxon Close in Clifton in 1962 - and have regretted moving away (for work) in 1974 ever since! To me, with Clifton set in the heart of some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain, it then, and for that matter still, epitomises all that is truly English that seems to be long gone elsewhere. With a population of 364 back then, village life revolved mainly around the church and the Red Lion pub (wonderful nights, where the village policeman would tell the clientel which way to drive home when the pub closed), and on a lot of occasions such as weddings, both would work together. It was far enough away from Worcester to still be very much a self-help and neighbourly community, and as such had an incredible and remarkably active and enjoyable social life. Of course, everyone knew everyone else, and their business, with some residents' families having lived there for centuries being more "local" than others!
I returned there in 2007 - there have been some changes, but the main street is still recognisable from the photo, and the village is as pretty as ever, and still unspoiled. Thirty years on and there are still a number of people living there whom I knew - wisely, they stayed put! I sometimes wonder if the raft race between teams drawn from the local pubs still race in the summer. The Clifton Hunt, Shelsley Hill climb, the Boxing Day shoot were just a few more local activities among many - no time for the TV! The butcher's shop was excellent - the meat amongst the best, while the village store and the post-office completed the local shopping line-up.