Addition To Con's Entry

A Memory of Figheldean.

Being Con's older brother, my memories go back a bit further, having started school about the day war was declared, going to the village school, with Miss Burling(?) - rumour had it that she changed the spelling of her name from Berlin (for obvious reasons). There are a lot of hazy wartime memories as well which would occupy a lot more space. I have memories of winding the church clock, back in the early 1950s, climbing that long ladder into the bell tower, knee deep in twigs left by the nesting rooks. There must also have been quite a stir in the village back in about 1937, though I obviously don't remember it, when Dad won a small fortune (in those days) on the 'Pools'. From the old photo I have we must have been living at Avondale at that time, though we later moved to 279 Ablington, just down the garden from 292 where Gran and Grandad lived, with about 60 chickens and, in the early days of the war, a pig or two. Schoolday names that come to mind are Brian Drayson, Michael Mosely, Wally Read, David Pennels (with his 'fleet' of go-carts), Peter Bullivant. Having moved away in the mid 1950s, I've rather lost touch, but still remember nights at the Club, playing Bingo, and on one very odd occasion winning either a line or full house on all but one of the games played - but maybe old age (mine) is exagerating things. I live in Chester now ,with three grown -up children, two living locally and one in Bulgaria, who we recently visited. We also have three grandsons,two married, and one 4 year old (soon).