Childhood
A Memory of Stour Provost.
I was brought up in the village from the age of two years until I left at the age of 16 years, we lived at 16 Quarry Close. I went to school at Woodville. I came from a large family we was poor, didn't have much and lived in a three bed house where Mum and Dad slept in the sitting room, as we were after all a family of ten. My dad worked as a labourer but worked his garden in his spare time growing veg, rearing chickens, rabbits etc. He even had an allotment which is now the 'rec. In the summer we used to ride on the back of the silage tractor and trailor, hide behind the hay bales ect. There was a gang of us, the Hunt boys, Christine Weadon, my family. The village fete was held at the vicarage where we did morris dancing, regular events included fox meeting in the village with the hounds and having a drink before setting off. Our gang used to send them in all directions. We made our own entertainment, tracking, tree climbing, our own den. In the summer we used to swim in the mill river or at Trill bridge with the Mccoys. As a child we used to clean cars or work cutting docks from the river bank at the mill to earn some pocket money. At Christmas time we would rehearse at Mrs Gale's for carol singing, where we would travel by tractor and trailor with an organ around the villages, at the end of the evening we ended back at the village hall, for hot soup and mince pies. We also held the nativity plays in the church where I used to go to Sunday school. Rehearsals were fun because it gave us something to do. Then just after Christmas Harry Clarke who was the landlord of the pub in the village, the Royal Oak, would organise the Christmas party where all the under elevens were invited, we had jelly and ice-cream, games and films and slides and after would each receive a Christmas present. At that time there was no inside loo so we had to venture out in the wintry nights to a tin toilet at the back of the hall. Everyone knew everyone in the village, back then things were different, everyone helped each other out. Harvest Festival supper was held at Woodville school and my brother and our neighbour's son dressed up as tramps one year and sang 'I'm Jake the Peg'. What fun that was. We had different names for different areas of the village, 'THE DARK TREES' which was down in the village, T'HE BIG WHITE HOUSE', also in the heart of the village, one of the the biggest houses there, 'SEVEN TREES', 'THE BROOK', 'THE BOG', there was a donkey in the village down where the Stricklands lived near the track, right at the very bottom of the village, called 'BOOZEY'. I remember picking apples from the orchard next to the vicar's, picking up conkers from the vicar's conker tree, as we played conkers, so many memories. My parents are buried in St Michael of All Angels churchyard, close to the fence that adjoins the property next to the church. I remember receiving an apple from the lady who lived there for Palm Sunday, she told me she didn't have any palms to give but gave me an apple instead. I remember seeing for the first time Christmas lights in Mrs Veale's window, she owned the village shop, which was a thatched cottage-turned-shop, I never saw lights before so stood there for as long as I could staring at these fairy lights twinkling. Every Christmas i think of this when I put my lights on my tree. Mrs Veale's husband owned the piggery down the lane from where I lived.
I've been back to visit a few times and met up with some old friends there, I was shocked to notice the village was smaller then it appeared as a child, the walk from the top of the village only took a couple of minutes, as a child my mum used to bribe me with threepence to go to the shop as it seemed like miles! The bus shelter is gone and a lot of trees are gone including the 'SEVEN TREES'. Grey's Farm is no longer a working farm and Woodville School is now Stower Provost School, and has new buildings. STOUR PROVOST will always hold a place in my heart and memories, it was the only place and last place where my parents settled, and I'm sure I will see other changes when I next return to the village. My family name is BRIGHT, my name is Mary, my mum was Agnes and my dad was Arthur, my siblings are Fred, Ron, Robert, Linda, me, Margaret, Edwin and Malcolm. For all those who remember me, I wish you peace, and often think of you all.
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Comments & Feedback
My name is Tania Ballett and my son attends Stour Provost Primary. I do a lot of voluntary work for the school, as many parents do to help raise the profile of the school and raise funds for the PTFA. My current task from the school is to research some of the history of the school, find out more about school life and the people who went there and what they ended up doing in life. We hope to share these memories with the children to not only inspire them with stories but show them what they too could achieve. I loved reading your memories and wondered if you had any photos, text books, drawings or specific stories about the school that you could share? I am just starting this venture so any help with names of others I could speak to would be wonderful, no matter how near or far! One inspirational discovery I've made do far is that Raymond Briggs, author of 'The Snowman' attended the school during the second world war when he was evacuated from London!
Thank you so much, in anticipation,
Yours, Tania
wow i never knew about the Author of the Snow man going to Stour Provost School. My memories of Woodville School , When i started i was in a little class next to the kitchen , the windows was arched and high up but they looked out onto the school garden.At that time my teacher was Mr Stucky. The Head Master was Mr Bonnell , his wife was my art teacher, they had two children Sally and Simon .Sally was in my year and Simon in the year below.Back then the new building was not there, and the playground was used as a sports area where we played netball. There was a tiny quadtriangle near the walk way between the toilets and another part of the school. We was not allowed in the quadtriangle that often.There used to be a climbing frame that was against the wall of a classroom which was wobbly. i used to travel by bus until the age of ten when as an older child we was allowed to walk to school. I remember Mrs Aspinal used to teach sewing and remember we had to bring an old shirt to school and she taught us all to turn it into an art shirt , which we wore backwards when doing art. Mrs Simmonds taught french.Mr Bonnell taught Maths, every friday he would write us 100 questions on the blackboard and my friends and i would see who would win the most.We had hyms every day before school started, and on tuesdays we had a radio service where we sang hymns along with the radio the hymn books was blue.when i first started school Mrs Wilson was the school care taker, she emigrated to New Zealand and the school presented her with a coffee service. Then Mr and Mrs New took over the job , they lived next door to the school as the house came with the job, with their daughters Susan and Wendy, and their son Peter. We knew Mr New well as he was our Chimney Sweep.We had sports day every summer and Mr Bonnell would start the egg and spoon race with his Pistol. Parents was invited to watch . The sports field was behind the classrooms that had the verandas.Christmas time we had the play in the hall, which had yellow walls. We used to rehearse Christmas carols in the village church, i was lucky to of found a couple old school friends via facebook who sent me some photos of the christmas carols rehearsal and i had not seen a photo of myself as a child for over 40 yrs. I could send you photos but there doesn't seem to be a link here to send them. We also used the hall as a dinning hall . The kitchen was opposite the hall, and the dinner ladies used to have tables in front of the two doorways with the food plates ect on. We had to que up for dinner.I remember the girls loos had a water fountain where we would be able to have a drink. When school uniform came into fashion it was grey skirts ,white shirts, blue ties, and Royal blue jumpers, they wasn't that fussy about us wearing it but had to on special occasions like Christmas.i remember back then mum couldn't afford white socks so had to make do with fawn or grey socks but Mr Bonnell was strict when it come to school uniform and special occasions so i was made to stand at the back when it come to singing the carols.When the school introduced the TV in school we was able to watch the school programes, which they dont show anymore my favourite was "How we used to live One hundred years ago" At the end of term when we had the old desks with lift up tops, we had to polish our desks, Mr Bonnell would bring out the dusters and tin of orange wax polish and we had to polish our desks until we could see our faces in them.Our dinner ladies was Mrs Harrison she lived in the village and i met up with her about 7 yrs ago and she told me she lived at East stour now, i remember she wore a white muslin turbin and blue overall, she used to watch us at playtime.Also Mrs Lapham who is now in her 80s and still lives at Quarry close with her daughter Jane, then there was Mrs Hunt who has sadly passed , and Mrs Broughton whom i believe is still in the village, all used to cycle to school.My bus driver used to bring the dinners in the boot of the bus near to dinner time and the dinner ladies helped him unload.I remember we collected News papers to help raise funds for the swimming pool. After it was built we was allowed to go swimming there in the Summer holidays.There was a school garden that pupils shared with each other, i had one which i shared with my friend Julie francis. It was behind the head masters office.I left woodville and attended Gillingham Comprehensive, Just after my father passed. Since then i moved around a bit after my mother passed.I now have a family of my own 3 daughters and eight grandchildren, im a carer to my youngest daughter and a proud nannie to eight beautiful grandchildren who are on the ASD spectrum.Since i discovered facebook iv found a few old school friends and friends i grew up in the village with. iv very few photos from child hood but would gladly send you copies via the net of what i do have.
Please forward a link so i can send you what i have.
kind regards
Mary
kind regards Mary