Moston

A Memory of Moston.

My grandparents, Horald and Edith Hughes, lived in Moston Cottage, Booley. Also living in the cottage were 3 of their sons; John, Douglas and Tony. My father, Basil, was no longer living at home. John and Douglas worked on the farm opposite, I think the farm belonged to the Boffeys. Although I was born in Shawbury I lived at that time in Wolverhampton, my sister and me always went to stay for the six weeks holidays. I loved our holidays there, it was so different to my life living in a large town. I remember there were very few cars past that way except for when there was motor bike scrambling at Hawkstone - we all sat on the wall in front of the cottage waiting for them to pass by. I remember the cottage had two rooms downstairs, each room had a door leading up to the bedrooms. My gran cooked on a black leaded grate; I still think to this day the food tasted better cooked on that grate. The was no electrity light came from oil lamps. The loo was outside at the back and I seem to remember there was a dolly tub outside somewhere. Milk came from the farm each morning, John would bring it home after milking and breakfast which was always cooked (not sure where the bacon came from?) The food was kept in something called a safe! The bakers van called a couple of times a week, I think it was from Wem. The cottage is still there but it's changed however the wall is still there. In the 1960's they moved to Paper Mill Lane just up the road, that cottage was more isolated but I loved it. The house again no electrity or running water, the milk still arrived each breakfast time. We used to wait for John to come back over the fields with the milk . The same baker delivered, not sure how he ever made it down the lane with its huge pot holes. There was a disused chapel at the top of the lane that remained empty for years, it's now a home. There was a gate that led to Harcourt estate opposite the chapel; we were always too scared to venture through the gates. At least once a month they went into Salop and we had to walk what seemed like miles to the main road to catch the bus. The road is now the busy A49 - it was a lot quiter in the 1960's. At the junction of the road where the bus stopped was a house which is still there, it was called the Boat House which is strange as there was no river close by. Just along the road heading towards Whitchurch was a garage which I think belonged to a relative called Charlie(?) What a shock it was going back home it was such a different world from Moston.
Happy Times

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