Ickham, The Forge And Street c.1960

Photo ref: I1027

I came to live with my grandparents in Treasury View after my mother had died in a car accident where we lived, on the Isle of Wight. I had been to Ickham before as a baby, and in later years was told many times by neighbours of being bathed in front of the fire in my gran's house! I left in 1972, but I have wonderful memories of watching the blacksmith at work, being confirmed in St Johns, not being allowed ...see more

I used to spend all my summer school holidays with Mr and Mrs Curtis who used to live in the school house in Ickham. He used to play the organ in Wickhambreux church. I was adopted in London, and Mr Curtis was a good friend of my birth mother(I will leave it at that). I always remember the awful day that I was put on the coach outside the pub to go back to London (a place I have always disliked). I used to dread that ...see more

The building on the right-hand side of the photo in the foreground is in fact the wall of the garage which belonged to Treasury Farm, my home for many years. Many a time I was in the forge with my ponies getting them reshod ... to think this is how it looked just one year before I moved there.