Kiddington 1938 To 1955

A Memory of Kiddington.

My very large family moved into The Chequers in March 1938. It had been a pub many years before and it was very much more suitable for us than our previous three bed roomed council house at Steeple Aston. We were not unknown as we had relatives in the village.
I was the youngest and the only one not yet at school or out at work - Mrs Checkley kindly let me start a few weeks before my fifth birthday - my teacher was Miss Howes. The village was owned by Squire Gaskill very much of the old school forelock touching days. There was no electricity and water was fetched from one of the taps and it remained like this until the 1950s -1960s.
The biggest event I remember was in 1944 when United States troops took over several fields prior to their move to fight in Europe. During the war years evacuees had come and gone. in the main it was the ordinary people who offered accommodation - not always those in large houses.
In 1953 the estate was sold to Mr Laurence Robson who put into motion much updating and improvements to the village. Mrs checkley had long since retired and had been replaced by Miss Dobiinson {Old Dobbie} - a very strict but good teacher.
I left Kiddington in 1955 when I married but have returned many times on day visits to go to the churchyard to see my parents and a brother's graves. On the surface little has changed over the years except the residents. Only one house has been built as far as I know. My memories - some good some not so good but that is true of life in general My Best Wishes Ken

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