Your Memories

This is where I will be publishing messages I have received from visitors to this site. I love getting e-mails from people I knew when I was young and haven't seen since then. They often remind me of events that I have forgotten, things I did but forgot about and not all of them bad. Please keep sending them and if you know of someone who knew me but who isn't mentioned on this page please ask them to write. 

Please be assured that your e-mail address will never be passed on to any third parties for any reason whatsoever.

Robert Becker remembers

Hello Brian, I was showing my elderley mother the wonders of the internet over Christmas and came across your site - once again so I thought I would contribute some of my fondest memories of a wonderful childhood in 1950-60's Ledbury. I was born in terraced house on the Homend right opposite Lodges the newsagent and lived there until 1964 when our family moved to Gloucester. My father was one of the German POW's - Manfred Becker, who married a local girl - Enid Smith and stayed on after the war. I have so many fond memories there are too many to list, but reading the stories from your contributors there are many familiar names, places and events. I recall
* The old infant school at the top of the Homend with the huge stoves in the classroom with steaming gloves on the guards and spitting on the hot stove to watch it sizzle.
* The primary schoool - near the Grammar school and getting into fights in the playground with lads who would make Hitler and nazi salutes to those of us who had German fathers. It was always over quickly and never got nasty - thankfully. 
* The shop at the bottom of the church street where I would spend my pocket money on black jacks, sherbert dabs and 5 woodbines - if I was lucky. * Playing all day in Dog Hill wood, the Conegree wood and yes Lizard Mountain. I'm sure i was in some kind of gang, but can't remember which one. There were always a bunch of us. 
* Watching the big lads drinking in the Milk Bar - i never had the ourage to go in.  
* The old outdoor swimming pool across from what was the old Rugby Ground. Damn freezing, but being thrown in there by my uncle taught me to swim mighty quick. I recalll the grotty and open plan changing cubicle and trudging down there in convoy from the school. 
* Duncan and the gang and the crazy stunts. 
8 Collecting old newspapers by knocking on doors in the Homend and getting a free bag of chips for them from the chip shop opposite the Hospital. 
* Saturday matinees at the cinema. What a flea pit, but watching the bigscreen was magical. 
* The fair that used arrive every autumn - I think and take over the town. the whole buzzed with excitement. 
* Hop picking with my folks and brother Steven and a huge picnic in a farm off Lower Marcle Rd - I think. The old cribs were used then - no mechanical help. Terrific cammeraderie. 
* Racing trolleys around Dog Hill wood and the steep hills of the town. My father was a carpenter and used to build my brother and I real custom race jobs. We were as poor as church mice, but had the best trolley around. 
* Fishing for newts and sticklebacks on Wilces farm out near the station and cycling to Bosbury to scrump fruit. 
* Trying rough scrumpy that my gandfather used to give me and vomiting afterwards. 
* Hanging around the cattle Market on Market day watching the farmers. 
* Putting pennies on the railway line next to the receation ground off Orchard Lane. The old Gloucester line - axed by Dr Beeching, but working then. when the trains rolled over them they came out huge. 
Anyway - keep up the good work and I'll see if i can find a few photos for the site.      

Simon Gibson remembers :

Hi Brian, 
I lived in Ledbury from 1965 to 1976 and then intermittently (My mum 
and dad still live there - You probably know them since they were 
teachers at the local high school) 
Anyway it was fun to come across your web site 
Keep up the site! 

Simon Gibson 

I remember Simon's mum and dad, his father was my last teacher at secondary school and if he remembers me, it will be as a pain in his neck and for that I'm sorry. I also remembered that Mr and Mrs Gibson had a brand new Rover 2000 car which was, at the time, the bees knees, a real luxury motor. Simon takes up the story on that below.

Hey Brian,
Actually there's an urban legend that dad won that Rover picking bathing beauties out of a beauty contest...
He purchased it new in Sept 1965 - We did everything to that car - Engine out, tranny out etc etc - He used it until 1995 and sold it for about 400 pounds. Then he bought another Rover which he just sold the other day and they have now consolidated to one Fraud Fiesta (I call 'em fraud 'cos in a moment of madness I purchased a Windstar and I had a lot of expenses with that one - Anyway it was totaled the other day when my son was waiting at a jucntion, a girl in a Ford Explorer 'T-boned' him.)

Yeap - we lived at the Langlands - But they moved to New Street in '73 - Been there ever since.
My son & I are visiting back this Christmas, so we'll be around the area. Do you remember Jeremy Wolf? - He was in my year at school? - Although I went to St. Mary's in Lugwardine rather than be taught by Mum and Dad!

Some things in Ledbury are timeless!
Hey do you remember Old man Wildman the hardware store on the High Street? - My freinds family purchased it and it was called Salmons - They did a lot of renovations on that building - It was built in 1620 and we found tons of ancient memoriablia which was displayed in the window as it was found. There was a tin-smiths a the rear and a lumber store/shop. There was also a safe right at the back with tins of gunpowder in it!!
The bathroom at the rear was an outside 2 hole affair...


Wendy Pavlis remembers :

You mentioned Bradley's mens shop that later became Fosters. My dad Reg Moyle was manager of Bradleys/Fosters for many years and as a child growing up I lived in the flat above the shop until 1972 when we moved to Barnet Avenue. I have fond memories of the travelling fair each October arriving in the early hours of the morning and setting up the dodgem car ride outside my then bedroom window which overlooked the High Street. Even now I can remember how the whole thing was put together with the heavy metal plates forming the flooring like a very complicated puzzle.I used to watch the whole procedure from start to finish and learned a few grownup words along the way when someone dropped something on their foot or banged a hammer in the wrong place! Reading your web site brought back a whole host of memories that I thought had long since been forgotten and I'd just like to thank you for that as it made interesting reading.

Andrew Taylor remembers :

Brian ('Orrit'!)
Great to read your web page, brought back some happy memories!
I don't quite know where to start; the corner of Margarets Road and Queensway seemed to have a local life all of its own - especially to a boy not into double years of age. There were the Lucas', Powells, Davies', Williams, Shakesheffs,  Mays, Colwells, Baileys, Hills, Browns, Hodgetts, Taylors - loads of children, and I suspect I was in the middle of the age range. I have a theory about this that most parents were relatively recently returned ex-servicemen and took over the new houses early in their married lives and thus had young children - a situation probably never to be repeated.
But I remember the camaraderie of the time, playing together as 'gangs', trips to the woods, the brook, the garages; I remember going with Alec Shakesheff (and a gang of others) to see the Secondary Modern School being built - I must have been all of 5 or 6. Also the football and cricket matches that would take place, in the street (cricket using the lamppost outside my Gran's at number 24 as the wicket - but don't hit the ball into Mrs Webb's garden - that was 6 and out and you had to get the ball back!), on the rec and sometimes even in Farmer Barnett's field. There would be teams from the top of Margarets Road (Tompkins, Gladwins, Haines, Preedys, Gardners, Davies), top of Queensway (Evans, Davies, Vernall (x2)) and bottom of Queensway (Hamblin, Roberts, Goodwin, Cales, Hodges).
Talking of football you gave me my first pair of football boots! One Saturday morning in your shed you gave me a pair of ankle high, toe capped, cork and nails studded boots - they were so old they could have been your Dad's - but I was so chuffed!
I remember the long school holidays when Dads and Mums would be at work and we were all left to look after ourselves! I remember on one occasion we had been told to clean out the pantry. Anne and Christine Brown were in charge and emptied all the dregs of all the bottles into an old sherry bottle, then invited you round to sample it! Being a hardened drinker (at age about 11/12) you didn't want to let on and declared it pretty good! Incidentally we didn't throw the bottle out and Mum used it in a sherry trifle later on declaring - I just found this sherry left over from Christmas - I didn't know we had any left - I think it tasted alright though!
The photographs of the group in Roy Hill's garden brought back memories, I remember loads of children on the road to the garages hanging on 'Moses' Morris' fence watching fascinated as you did your thing! I also seem to have a vague recollections of you doing a 'gig' in the skittle alley at the Legion Club.
I think you've been a bit modest in your musical achievements - weren't you in the Church choir for a while?
Do you remember the Church Youth Club in St Katherine's with the Curate Micheal (?) Thomas and Roy Pidd (and the bloke from down the Ross Road) and all the gang: Terry Smith, Bic Smith, Chas Poole, Mike Hodgetts, Keith Hodges, Anne & Christine, Jane Poole, Sally Heselton, Pam Hamilton - loads more that I can't remember!.
I enjoyed your tour of the town, but what about Grinnell's butchers! I seem to remember you worked for them.
It's odd when you start thinking what memories do come back - I wonder why you remember somethings and have no recollection at all of others!

Some random memories:

- leaning over the Margaret Road sign in your garden.
- picking rose petals from the roses in your garden and boiling them up to make perfume.
- making jam jar wasp traps.
- speculating as to why your sister, Pat, had had her appendix out, and the opinion of the older boys was that it was due to swallowing chewing gum - after that I always spat mine out!
- cycling over the fields to the swimming baths.
- making slides in the road when it was icy, and covering them over with newspaper when the gritter came round.

I was also interested to read the piece from Keith Hodges about going down Bridge Street on a trolley; it was me with him - we really rattled down from the top and got to the shop on the corner of Woodleigh Road, when discretion being the better part of valour we steered (if that was possible) into the kerb to avoid a 'pozzie' truck coming the other way - I do remember the driver shouting at us through the window; I was just worried in case he knew me and would tell my Dad!
Great days and great memories - unfortunately time marches on!
I think I last spoke to you about 5 years ago in the cafe in Ledbury (where Taylor's shop used to be) one Saturday morning, Mum and Dad would go up every Saturday morning and meet people and have a chat. I think you were over from Hereford with your Mum.
We have loads of old family photographs - somewhere - I will have to trawl through them and see what's there!
regards
Andy

Elizabeth Brown remebers :

Hi Brian,Firstly I will introduce
myself,I am Christine Brown's
youngest sister.She gave me your
web site details and I really
enjoyed going back down memory lane.I seem to have done that quite a bit lately as Mum passed
away at the end of 2009 and Anne May & Raymond Shakesheff were at the funeral & at the wake so we were all reminiscing.
I also received a card from Barbara Shakesheff she had a brother Frank who was your age.
Remember how we all played cricket by the lamp-post.Oh what fun we had.
I remember your sister Mary and the sad circumstances in which she died.Whatever game we were
playing she always had to go in for her dinner at 12!Roy has done well for himself,do you know what happened to his brother John as he was my age?Also it was nice to hear from Keith as I was at school with him.I have lived in Worcester since getting married
and I have 2 grown up sons.I do
see Richard Hamblin at times as he also lives here.Keep up the good work Brian as you have done a brilliant job.Regards to you and your family.
Liz

Christine Brown remembers :

hi Brian,just had a nostalgic trip with you!!!Anne taylor sent me the link for your website.You have worked very hard and I have to say you have a better memory than me as we approach old age!!
Isn't it sad that our grandchildren will never be able to do half the things that we did!! I remember going 
to your gig at Malvern Winter gardens - right little groupies
we must have been.
Mum died at Christmas and i was talking to Ann & Jenny May,Alec & Raymond Shakesheff 
about how we used to play cricket in the road and use the lampost as a wicket.There just couldnt have been any traffic.As for the swimming baths- remember Mr Webb was the"lifeguard" or attendant anyway.Imagine having an 80 year old life saver now.
Lovely to see you doing so well.Do see Chris Smith in ledbury sometimes.listened to Roys record on U Tube - he never gave up did he.
Maybe catch up sometime.
regards Christine(brown).


Elizabeth Brace nee Paul remembers :
Love the website. What about the dances at the old Drill Hall in New Street, now demolished and part of the Supermarket car park. Parties in the old Toch H up Church Lane. I could go on for ever more!

Ben Hodges remembers :Hi Brian 
I'm Ben, Phil's Son suprised to see a photo of my old man and Uncle Duncan on the Net , great Idea for a web site found it all very Interesting , not too sure about the old man being a ladies man though if it dont have four legs and jump fences I didn't think he was too interested :) Fantastic Idea for a book I was only recently telling my other half about Dog Hill wood , cut throat lane , the paddocks and the characters that played there when I was a Boy she said it would make a great kids book / Books , well done on the site so far and look forward to any additions to it that you make. Its important to keep a record for future generations, Ledbury's a special place to grow up in .

Peter Lacy remembers :

Hi Brian i used to go to Lizard Mountain when i lived in Ledbury. I moved to Ledbury in 1951 when i was 5 years old. I moved away in 1974 My father had the TV Shop on the top cross, W J LACY Ltd, Its nice to here about Ledbury when i was a boy, I found your site very intresting,  Regards  Peter

Lorna Waters Matcham remembers :

Gail Rose sent me the link to your website.  Hello, Brian.  I got a smile out of seeing my maiden name mentioned. And, the references to Peter Garnett were spot on. It seems that many of us were inspired by him to become writers.
I shall check in at your website for news of "The Secret Of Lizard Mountain," as we used to climb the quarry when we were kids. I'll have a couple of copies when you publish. 
Is it really almost forty years  since I've seen you?
Fond regards, Lorna Waters Matcham

John Hooper remembers :

Brian, I enjoyed reading your website. We had many mutual friends and aquaintances. Around this time of year I always think of how good Ledbury Fair and Bonfire Night were. John Hooper

Gail Rose (nee Williams) remembers :

Hi Brian,
Thought I’d just drop you a line to say what a brill job you’ve done on the web site.  Congratulations, your Mum and Dad would be proud.  Judy Baker told me about it, can’t remember what her maiden name was but she works at Ledbury Hospital now.  It was lovely to see all the old familiar sites, brought back a lot of memories, mostly good.  I’m sure I have a picture of the Mums waiting for the pick up to go to the hop fields somewhere at home, I’ll see if I can dig it out and send it.  I can’t remember exactly who is on it, but I know its there somewhere. I am happily married for many moons and have two daughters and six lovely grandchildren.  That’s my life in a nutshell so to speak, I never was much of a one with words was I!  As soon as I saw the pic to Lizard Mountain, I was six again and off with Dusty and Lorna having adventures.  Thanks Brian, keep up the good work.  Gail (Williams as was)

John Hooper remembers :

Brian,   For a long time I was friends with Terry Toombs and Robert Jones. Our 'territory' overlapped with that of Duncan Isaacs, at the top end of the Homend. We had several run-ins, usually involving bows/ arrows/spears/explosives etc. and which once ended up with Robert firing a miniature brass cannon, filled with (bonfire night) gunpowder and fishing shot, at Duncan and his group. This happened in broad daylight along the pavement near Duncan's shop. On my life. Its amazing how relaxed people were about stuff in those days. I am definitely in a nostalgic phase at the moment. It happens every Autumn for some reason.  I was very pleased to receive your Email.  John Hooper.

Terry Toombs remembers :

I came across your website and it instantly brought back memories. I haven’t been back to England since 1975 as it rained for 2 weeks solid the last time. John Hooper’s story of the miniature cannon made be laugh because I'd long forgotten about it.
 Regards

Terry Toombs

Thanks Brian - my recollection of the cannon incident was that who-ever it was that robert shot the cannon at, was sitting in an apple tree adjacent to my back garden being obnoxious and when the shot hit the leaves he fell out of the tree. Oh the good old days! 
Terry Toombs.

Keith Hodges remembers :

Brian,  I came across your website by chance and reading it cheered me up so much I thought I'd write and thank you.My name is Keith Hodges. I'm Phil's brother but you probably won't remember me. I've lived in Northumberland for many years now and get back down to Ledbury only once or twice a year. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading your boyhood recollections of Ledbury in the 50's and 60's. It reminded me of many of the same things I did when I was growing up ..........that wonderful smell of mud and cow dung down the brook, and the beady eyes of those poor little minnows staring back out of the jam jar at me; the freezing water and the smell of chlorine and creosote at the swimming pool; whole days running round Dog Hill and the Conigree - how we didn't all get killed by spears or arrows was a miracle; and yes, sledging down the paddock at breakneck speed risking life and limb. I also remember going down Bridge Street at high speed on a trolley with no brakes and nearly going under the wheels of a lorry from the jam factory. You must have been out of your minds trying it down Knapp Lane!........such Happy days  -  what I'd give to do it all again.......and you're right we did keep out of mischief (most of the time anyway!).Next time I'm down I'll definitely have a walk along to Lizard Mountain.       I used to knock around with Roy Hill's brother John, as well as all the tearaways down the bottom end of Queensway. I'm sure you remember Brian "Trout" Powell - he was a good friend for many years. I should get in touch with him again - it's so easy to lose contact with people.       You're a brave man to open up your life to the internet Brian, but I'm so pleased you did. It's a cracking website. You must have spent ages putting it all together. I learned lots of things about Ledbury and the area that I had no idea about. Phil's never seen it so I'll print out and send him a few pages to show him what he's missing. Mike Hodgetts still looks the cool customer I always remember, even with his silver hair.I was sorry to read that your mum and dad were no longer alive - they were such good, kind people.        Well, keep up the good work Brian and stick at the writing - you've obviously got a talent for it. Thanks again for the walk down memory lane.....and thanks for being such a good friend to Phil - you've helped to keep him going through all the trials and tribulations in his life.

Brian
Further to my message via the website, your email is in plain view – I blame my blindness on the nostalgia generated from reading some of your content. Brilliant stuff and worthy of a large project which a huge number of people will get a lot of pleasure from. I was talking with my father, now 74, only last week and reminiscing over past times and who’s was who and where etc – memories are very enjoyable things, especially when shared.
We don’t know each other, you are 8 years older, but I do remember one fearful summer when there was a ‘war’ on up the woods (aka dog hill). Duncan and his gang were having a battle against a another group. I was probably 8 or 9. You didn’t just use bows and arrows; you used air rifles as ‘dirt’ guns – at least that what us little un’s were told – its was quite frightening.
Last time I saw Duncan he had long dark hair. He now looks like Dougie his father. He died quite young, as did my mother – dad went to Joan’s funeral a couple of years ago. Haven’t met any others since the early 80’s.
Other close friends of mine as a small child were Linda and Anthony Colhune, who’s parents (John & Brenda + grandmother and live-in boyfriend, Albert, who worked the railways by day) ran the Plough. No memories of Ledbury would be complete without something on all the pubs, many now closed down and the characters that ran and frequented them. There must be 10 closed up pubs in Ledbury. Not bad for a small market town. When I was of drinking age there were 14 and some had already gone.
Another friend was Jeremy Powel, son of Pip Powel. No self respecting kid wasn’t a personal friend of Pip, who helped us all keep our bikes on the road, and supply catapult elastic, air rifle pellets and parts for carts. I understand that he is still there fixing bikes in his workshop under the store next to the Horse Shoe.
The curio shop was run by Joyce Foudry (not sure how it was spelt) – everyone knew her as Joyce. After her old man – an odd bugger who wore wellington boots all/every day and no teeth – passed away, she married someone 30 year her junior and seemed to have a wonderful life on the insurance.
Don’t forget the fast food outlets. There was the top fish and chip shop – nearly opposite the Hospital, and the bottom fish and chip shop up the ally run by John Jones – opposite the clock tower. The Milk Bar. Next to the market house. That was it I think.

Kids shops.

Lodges – Newsagent up on the top end of the Homend.
Miss Smith – Sweet shop opposite the old cinema – real old fashioned jars of sweets.
Just north of Miss Smiths there was another one that did a Calypso thing either liquid or frozen in a tetrahedron shaped cardboard package. Cherry flavor was do die for.
                Tilly’s of course – best toy shop in town
                Denslows (sp) next to the post office. Toy shop
                Preece – baker up steps behind the market house.

Other shops that have gone.

                Brays       - a cloths shop that did all the school uniforms for both schools. Run by two chaps that came out of the was in Japan together.
                The Hereford Bull (Steak Bar) – only restaurant in town
                The chemist - ??
                The fishmonger – Woods??
                The hardware store on the top cross - ?????
                Lacy’s was taken over by Eagers who you will know.
                Hoopers – another TV/Electical store
                Jukes (furniture – opposite the Post office) – my grand parents. Now Eagers electrical

                Other stuff to mention.
                The rec.

                The police. Mike Kidd was probably the Sergeant  in your time and mine. I knew his son Chris, who died very young (20).
                Tuesday was market day, and we would all go ‘help’ at the market. Rest of the week the market was just a place to play



Simon Gibson remembers :

Hi Brian, 
I lived in Ledbury from 1965 to 1976 and then intermittently (My mum 
and dad still live there - You probably know them since they were 
teachers at the local high school) 
Anyway it was fun to come across your web site 
Keep up the site! 

Simon Gibson 

I remember Simon's mum and dad, his father was my last teacher at secondary school and if he remembers me, it will be as a pain in his neck and for that I'm sorry. I also remembered that Mr and Mrs Gibson had a brand new Rover 2000 car which was, at the time, the bees knees, a real luxury motor. Simon takes up the story on that below.

Hey Brian,
Actually there's an urban legend that dad won that Rover picking bathing beauties out of a beauty contest...
He purchased it new in Sept 1965 - We did everything to that car - Engine out, tranny out etc etc - He used it until 1995 and sold it for about 400 pounds. Then he bought another Rover which he just sold the other day and they have now consolidated to one Fraud Fiesta (I call 'em fraud 'cos in a moment of madness I purchased a Windstar and I had a lot of expenses with that one - Anyway it was totaled the other day when my son was waiting at a jucntion, a girl in a Ford Explorer 'T-boned' him.)

Yeap - we lived at the Langlands - But they moved to New Street in '73 - Been there ever since.
My son & I are visiting back this Christmas, so we'll be around the area. Do you remember Jeremy Wolf? - He was in my year at school? - Although I went to St. Mary's in Lugwardine rather than be taught by Mum and Dad!

Some things in Ledbury are timeless!
Hey do you remember Old man Wildman the hardware store on the High Street? - My freinds family purchased it and it was called Salmons - They did a lot of renovations on that building - It was built in 1620 and we found tons of ancient memoriablia which was displayed in the window as it was found. There was a tin-smiths a the rear and a lumber store/shop. There was also a safe right at the back with tins of gunpowder in it!!
The bathroom at the rear was an outside 2 hole affair...

David Williams wrote :

Hi Very interesting. I went to the Grammar School from 1963-1970. I remember many of the places, shops and people mentioned in this blog. Christine Brown, Pam Hamilton and Lorna Waters wet all in the same year at school.
Thanks for this. David Williams