Old Keepers Cottage

A Memory of Stoke Charity.

I moved to Stoke Charity in 1965 when just a toddler and lived there with my parents,Teresa (nee Lansley) and Patrick Gray, and my baby brother Martin. Pat worked on the Rank Estate which allowed us to rent Old Keepers Cottage from them. I remember this old house so well as it holds very fond memories for me. It had a large garden with an apple tree, pear tree and plum tree and gooseberry bush so we were never without fresh fruit. The house sat next to a horses field. Next door lived a stern old lady called Mrs Froome whose son used to provide the cart and horses for the Sutton Scotney Carnival Queen to ride on. At the rear of our house lived a lovely old lady called Tilly. The house was old and rickety and the floors squeaked. I remember my parents bedroom well as we were not allowed in there but we used to sneak in to slide around on the highly polished floor. The L shaped living room had a rayburn, which when removed revealed an old bakery oven hidden in the wall behind. I fondly recall Canon King, training me in his kitchen to speak at the church services and read excerpts from the Bible. Mrs Adams ran the local Post Office from a room in her house for many many years. Dr Louige lived in the big house near the church which always fascinated me. The local children would be bussed to Wonston County Primary School in Sutton Scotney daily by Taylors ancient coaches. During our leisure time we would spend our time roaming the fields and woods building underground dens, in the recreation ground and riding our bikes around the small village lanes, and around the "Death track". I remember being scared of the "Bogeyman" who supposedly lived in the Watercress beds. We had wonderful times as children and I still remember Sarah Adams, Janet Andrews, The East children, Robert Flint and the Hansford girls with such fondness. I was absolutely devastated when my parents divorced, my mother remarried and we moved away when I was 8 years old. It felt like the end of the world to me. Happy days!