Nostalgic memories of St Mary Bourne's local history

Share your own memories of St Mary Bourne and read what others have said

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.

Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.

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Displaying all 9 Memories

I also have special memories of the two houses shown - Spring House Farm and Spring Cottage. Tilly and Fred (as mentioned by Marie Sloane) were my great aunt and uncle as were the Davis sisters and brothers living in the farm house. I am sure Marie must have known my Mother (Tilly and Fred's niece) who was Ivy Hibberd (before she married). I spent many of my childhood holidays staying in the farm house and some of my earliest memories were of "helping out" in Tilly's shop.
My mum was born in Lower Link and started St Mary Bourne School around 1942. In those days there were only two classrooms in use. The Head Mistress was either a Miss or Mrs Lee who taught the older children. She thinks her teacher was Mrs Thompson (who, each day, brought her small son called Roger in with her - can anyone confirm this?). As there was no school dinners at this time she went to her ...see more
I have good memories of the white thatched house in the picture.  I was evacuated with my Mother during the latter part of the War to this house which at the front was the local sweetshop and it was run by Tilly Annals and her husband Fred. The house which is partly shown was owned by Tilly Annals' two sisters and four brothers who kept cows in the sheds behind the farmhouse.   I did go to the ...see more
Many happy childhood yrs spent here remember Mrs Pike who used to lIve next door and then my Auntie bought her cottage to make it into one. So many happy years in summer and yes can still see the jeep scars! Auntie has gone recently so no more chill out zone but will never forget Always in my heart Liz Love Jo
This shows the notorious bend as you enter the village from the south, which is still almost the same today, made worse by the increase in traffic. The white house right on th bend was occupied by Mr. Pike who lived to be over 100.
In the foreground are the village Almshouses, with two village shops also in view. The first is the Post Office stores and the other owned by Roy and Ruth Wells. Neither are there today.
This is the War Memorial, which is in the centre of the village. The white house was occupied a few years later by Air Vice marshall and Mrs. Perry-Keene and adjacent is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cook with their daughter Angela, not to mention the Jack Russell Terriers.
On the right is the thatched house occupied at this time by Jack and Doris Howard with their daughters Stephanie and Jeanette. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor lived next door with there son Quiller. Opposite is the village Post Office stores.
This photograph shows the thatched house of Mr and Mrs Hansford on the right, on the opposite side of the road to the village stores owned by Roy and Ruth Wells. In the centre of the picture, in the background, are the village almshouses. At the time this phograph was taken I was aged 4 and lived next door to Mr and Mrs Hansford with my parents Jack and Doris Howard and my sister Jeanette.