Brook Row And Beyond

A Memory of Lower Stoke.

I was born in 1941. We lived at 4 Brook Row (where the public toilets are now). My family Arthur and Alice Mudge and myself Valerie Mudge.
During the war, my dad, well known as Doll...was the village policeman.
I was best friends with Stanley Fritter, who lived at 3 Brook Row with his family, his dad Arthur also known as Sweat and his mum Beattie. He has 2 sisters, Sheila and Pam.
My Auntie Grace and Uncle Horace Craddock lived at 5 Brook Row, and Auntie Alice and Uncle Snow lived at 2 Brook Row.
We had no toilets or running water, we had to collect our water from a tank at the end of the Row, and the nearest toilets were about 100 yards up the lane.
Stan and I used to play in the ditch, in the front of Brook Row, and on summer evenings we used to wait by the local shop (Hobarts?)for the boatmen to arrive from Grain because they gave us money and sweets which were in short supply at the time.
We rode our bicycles to Cuckolds Green, to help Harold Bradley in his fields, picking potatoes and peas. He was also the local barber.
Other people I remember:
Mo Muggeridge...the local farmer
Ivy and Fred...who ran The Ship pub
Bill and Polly Marsh...who ran the Nags Head
I attended Stoke School, the headmaster was Mr Godfrey, and our teachers were, Miss Goldie, Miss Cosgrove, Miss Fitzgerald and Miss Plewis who played the piano.
I remember the farm going up in flames, I think it was called Amos Farm.
I remember Bradleys shoe shop, Welshs Post Office and the butcher, Mr Stops, was a very good friend of my dads.
There was also Mr Thomas who owned the local haberdashers, and the second hand furniture shop.
One shop I remember well was Reynolds...which was very creepy as it had hardly any lighting.
The Doctors were Dr McDonald and Dr Tilley.

After the war, my dad was the local coal merchant.

We had local dances and entertainment at The Legion in Lower Stoke. Also we had a mobile cinema that used to visit on a Tuesday.
I left Lower Stoke in 1953 aged 13, and moved to Hoo.
It would be nice to hear any other people's memories of Lower Stoke between 1941 - 1953.

Valerie Dixon - nee Mudge