Something From The 1980's

A Memory of Ludgershall.

Some of you may remember me from reading this! Some of you may choose to forget!

More than likely the latter!

Sadly, My brother was the main trouble maker in the village and wherever he went, I had to go with him, he was my little brother and I just had to look after him, or so I was told!

Back in the 80's things were a lot different! you could go out and leave your front door unlocked, you could leave your buggy outside the shop with the baby in it! I know my mum did with my sister a few times.

There were clicky groups of friends. The Dixon's and the Dingsdales were close knit to eachother. had a long term family friendship! they you had the Youngs and the Wilsons, they seemed to be related if I recalled right.

shameful to say my brother hasn't changed! I, on the other hand, have and I am a freelance photographer now.

funnily enough, I was in York a few years ago with my wife and children, a woman approached me, elderly with her husband on her arm too. Recognised that strong Wiltshire accent! Then I began to tell her about the Dixon's and what little sods they were! Yes we was, I know, but we were kids! we hung around in gangs of 7 or 8, The Westies, the Roberts, The Prices, The Mills, oh and the Williams. all used to terrorise the village with our army gear and wargames causing no end of trouble.

anyway, this one lady, she was a dinner lady at the school and said she remembered most of them boys, I am sure she said her name was Buckland, I do remember a Mrs Buckland as a dinner lady in the mid 80's but I was told she had passed years ago. Then I told her I was one of the Dixon's! If a hole could open up and swallow hjer right now, she wished it could have happened! you just saw the colour drain from her face! But she was pleased to know that I had changed for the greater good.

My brother (AD) along with two others (DW and SP) set fire to the E.E. Roy lorry in the late 1980's, that caused one big storm in the village! all three were nicked for arson too if I recall right.

I remember Sammy Curley threatening me with a chainsaw too because I took the blame for someone nicking his nephews bike, I never did, but I had to try and make it up that I did because they refused to believe it wasn;t me, just because someone saw a kid with ginger hair!

Although there were lots of bad memories for me in the village, I never forget the good ones! Me and the gang of lads, granny hedging we used to call it! (pushing eachother through the hedges) playing chicken in the road or pretending to beat eachother up to get the cars to stop. walking down biddesden lane in a column formation like little soldiers with stick guns, building bases over the back of the cornfield.

I was often led astray by people, if it wasn;t my brother's criminal mind, it was the lads we hung around with. we used to hitch hike for rides between the villages, sometimes we wouldn;t get back til 10 at night, our parents grounding us for a week because we were back so late!

sadly, over the years we have lost contact with many. we have the likes of people now via email and facebook but that doesn;t reach out to many of those who you want to contact now.

technology has advanced, the village we once knew has changed with the technology. I go back still every now and again. still see old faces and new ones too!

I left Ludgershall in 1994 and moved to Marlborough, thats when I changed! I didn't really grow up though and I have a teenage son of my own now, and two preteen sons! I share my stories as a child with them, quite hastily too. Maybe to show them how difficult and different the 80's were!

How lucky they are to have everything they have today! I wish I could go back and change things.
Be abetter person, but you can;t!

with that, I leave this here and would like to hope that those of you who do remember me and are reading this can forgive me for being the little sod that I was and see that people do change! it just takes time. My dad passed away in 2005 and that also made me wake up to a few things.

Happy christmas to each and every one of you.

SD x