A Wonderful Childhood On The Green.

A Memory of Bearsted.

My older brother Geoffrey and me grew up in our grandparents house (which was unnumbered then but 3 The Green now) which backs on to The Green. Geoff was born in 1938 and me, David, in 1940. Our close companions were Bev and Ian Simmons, Derek (Dick) Filmer and Brian Pellet.
Our grandparents were Pop and Granny Brimstead. Wonderful people. Dad was away in The Royal Artillery most of the time and mum worked across The Green in Bearsted House.
I remember falling into the pond, across the Green, after swinging on the railings. Granny stuck me in a tin bath and cleaned me up, much to the excitement of Marion Snowdon watching over the fence.
There were always lots of troops around The Green who were very good to us and took us around The Green in Bren Gun Carriers.
One morning whilst still in bed with mum the plaster on the ceiling fell on us following a large explosion at the foot of the garden wall on The Green. Some said it was caused by a doodlebug others a stray artillery shell. Whatever it was it broke a lot of windows up the street and we collected lots of shrapnel from around the hole it made.
Datsons the baker made wonderful bread and we would often go and ask for a loaf and "please put it on granny's account."We would then go to the banks in Thurnham Lane (a favourite play place) and eat it. One day granny caught us coming out of Datsons and took the bread from us. She never told us off but we never did it again.
Great uncle Len used to deliver beer to The White Horse on the brewers shire horse drawn dray from Maidstone. I can't remember if it was Fremlins or Style and Winch Brewers.
This is only a fraction of my story but I have run out of space. David Ditcher.

---

---