Growing Up In Newton Poppleford 1945 1986 Rosemary Forslin Nèe Drake

A Memory of Newton Poppleford.

I was born in The Burn, Burrow Lane, Newton Poppleford in 1945. My parents were William Francis George Drake (George) and Dora May Drake nee Shobrook. My brother David Andrew Drake was born in 1942. We both went to the local school, with the then teachers, Miss Burrows, Mrs Eggelstaff, and Mr Beaven. The houses in Hillside were occupied by Frank and Nelly Curtis, Mr and Mrs Dart, Mr and Mrs Melhuish, Jim ad Bessie Elliot, Mr and Mrs Clifford, I was friends with Sandra Walton and Marilyn West that also lived in Hillside council houses, and Susan Hill - who lived in "Ova Yonder" in Back Lane. Both my brother and I passed the "11+" and went to school at The Kings school Ottery St Mary. Oak Tree garage was then called Reeces, and Bobby Reece also went to the local school. We had three classrooms, with each teacher taking responsibility for two age groups. We learned to knit and sew, and our times tables! as well as reading, writing and singing lessons on the radio. The worst thing was the school dinners. I didn't like fat on the meat and was often left in the canteen crying alone as I was not allowed to leave the canteen unless I had eaten everything on my plate. Usually the dinner ladies took pity on me and removed the plate. The dinner ladies were Mrs Howe, who lived opposite the Cannon, Mrs Hammet that lived on Greenbank, where there was a savings bank back then. The head cook was Mrs Locke. I remember going to the cottage where Dr Traill had his surgeries on Wednesdays. Later on we had the Doctor there three times a week. Doctors made house calls then too. Turners Close was a new estate, then Glebelands also got built. We often had "nature wslks" along Farthings lane from school. We had buses to Sidmouth and Exmouth and Exeter. We also had the train to Ottery. We went to Sunday school in the Church with our penny for collection. then often went to the playing fields for a while to play on the seesaw and swings. The little shop at the bottom of the village near the village hall was owned by Mr and Mrs Packer from Bristol. Newton Poppleford has grown enormously over the years, but it was a pleasant little village to grow up in. I moved to Exeter when I got married to Alan Turnbull, but moved back to Canam with Alan and our daughters Jane and Lisa , when my dad gave us the plot to build on. In 1986 I moved to Sweden where i still live. If anyone would like to contact me my e-mail is rosiefor@gmail.com. Would love to hear from old friends.

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