Living In The Village

A Memory of Eccleston.

My family have lived in Eccleston for 45 years plus. My sister was born in the Manor House in the village itself some 39 years ago, she will kill me for that, at this point it was always said that her and Mr Wood were the only 2 living people to be born in the village and to this day she still holds on to this. The village was a fantastic place to grown up, we knew everyone and everyone knew us as kids. In the days without telephones, my mum would lean out of the window (once we had moved to the top of the village) and shout us in for tea, if we hadn't heard her we would find out as someone would let us know. We spent years walking down by the river, climbing the hollow oak tree down there, but I don't think once any of us went in to the river knowing the undercurrent and what had floated pasted in the years gone by. I can remember the bypass being built and sitting under the new bridge shouting, getting the echo back, all sounds a bit silly now. There were only a few kids in the village, we would sit on the middle of the pump and play a little music on the radio, no one really minded as it was low. They would say if us kids were around and saw anyone or anything we didn't know we would report it to the local policeman who we did respect. As a kid we knew every car that went though the village, with the exception of the golf club members which at the time was on Eaton estate itself, even then we would all wave. I remember the time we won the best kept village, the church choir and vicar walked up the village to bless the place. All fun and games. We were free to do what we wanted (within reason), no one bothered us and we didn't bother anyone. I think one of my best memories was being in the church choir doing our normal Christmas walk round the village singing, at this time no one was bothered about kids drinking too much, well at 2 of the houses (I can't indulge the names), they would always have food and drink, and I mean food and drink, they wouldn't take no for an answer, well some of us children by 9 o'clock at night were always a little worse for wear but we always slept. Another thing I aways remember was 26 years ago, the night my mum had to go to the hospital, she had a blood clot and had to have a leg removed. I have never seen so many cakes, pies from all over the village. Our next door neighbour would make our tea and look after us until dad came home, as he would driving up the drive she would be walking round with his tea and putting on the table for him, everyone was just so nice. My parents still live in the village, in fact they are only one other family who have lived there longer than they have, that is only by 6 months. My parents still live in the village, my niece goes to school there, even carrying on the family by joining the church choir. My sister and myself have our own houses a few miles away but it does only take us 10 minutes to get home, we do spend as much time as possible in Eccleston, we still love the place and if we could afford to live there I think we both would, it would be a bit close for my mum to pop round and see the mess my house is in though. I have loads more to write but it might get boring.

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