Childhood Spent In Robertsbridge

A Memory of Robertsbridge.

I was born in St Helen's Hospital at Hastings and lived in the village from 1955-1965 and then again from 1969- 1972. I remember the River Rother flooding and then freezing over, which was great fun as people made the most of it and went skating. Many of the tiny cottages were flooded regularly every year, until they dug out the riverbed. My mum used to feel very sorry for the people having to clear away all of the muddy mess.
I used to look forward to the summer fete held at Darvel Hall, which was a TB hospital in those days. The sight of the patients in striped pyjamas in their iron beds, arranged in a line along the verandahs, used to fascinate me.
I used to play in the river, although I wasn't meant to, and we used to try to catch a fish or two but mostly ended up with minnows.
There were still steam trains running when I was very small and there was a line from Bodiam, which I think used to take flour from the mill.
I used to wave to the guard and he always waved back.
Everyone used to know everyone else so you couldn't get away with much as your mum would be bound to find out!
One of the most exciting events was when the haystack caught alight in the field next to The Ostrich pub / hotel in Station Road. I watched all the activity from the safety of our living room window.
I went through that particular field regularly as a short cut to the station and to gather mushrooms and to help take our dog Judy for a walk.
The woodyard employed many of my friends' dads and I used to go with my mum with an old pram to fill it up with off cuts and than top it with a sack of wood. It cost 2 shillings or maybe half a crown I'm not sure, but the manager used to let my mum load up the pram, which we then had to push up the hill to Bishop's Lane!
A favourite walk was Popping Hole Lane and then through the woods. We used to come back in the Spring laden with primroses and violets. Once I found what I thought was a soldier's helmet from the war but it was probably an old Home Guard hat!
I was lucky to live at a time when children were allowed to play out of doors, making the most of the fields and woods and the lanes where little traffic came. We played cricket in Bishop's Lane and skipping or hop scotch. Not many people had cars, the vehicles we saw were mainly council trucks or commercial vans. Our lane was a dead end so there was no through traffic. There was an old toll cottage, at the end of the lane, which was occupied by Mrs Vidler, she died when I was about 5 or 6 but I remember her house, it was tiny with just 1 main room and a scullery. I think she had a dog called Pip, which when he died was buried in the copse next to her house.The cottage just stood empty for ages so we children used to play in and around it. I always thought it was a bit spooky, which added to the fun.
Happy Days!
PS My name was Ivy Musselwhite then

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