Orchard Gardens

A Memory of West Challow.

In about 1972 we as a family moved into West Challow, although with being at a young age I hated it, since moving from Wantage and my friends this it seemed was in the middle of nowhere. I used to cycle most days to Icknield, if not then at least a lift was offered by one of my parents, although quite often I was having to walk home. We owned a Great Dane who I often walked either up the large hill leading out towards Letcombe and Childrey, otherwise I would walk him towards Mellors Garage where there was a small outlet and I would always purchase my ten cigarettes, as we made our way back towards the village along the winding road a patch of grass is where our dog should always stop, he was waiting for me to light a cigarette, on hearing the match strike the box he always knew this was the signal for our moving on. In those years I became the local paper boy, something I had not much liking for, especially during the cold wet winter mornings before going off to school. One winter morning when the snow had fallen I made a large size model of our dog in the front garden from the snow which everyone came to admire. It was whilst living here that I learnt about driving and came to pass my driving test and so a small car from a local garage now out of existance was purchased by myself. I never invited any of my friends down from Wantage, although a few appeared on occasions, as there was nothing for us to do. Then we moved out to Witney...how I longed to be back in West Challow.

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