Tag Archives: 1920s

St James Church: photo Brenda Garlick

All the kids went to church. If you were a server you had to go to church without any breakfast. You went to church at 8 o’clock in the morning with the parson, and then when it was all over you went along to the rectory for breakfast. You used to do all right there because Vi White, she’d be there, and she used to lash us up with a bloody good breakfast, sausages or something or other, porridge, she always had a good breakfast for you.

In the church when you was in the choir, at Christmas and Easter you got two bob – the parson used to give you two bob. Then a bit later, when you got a bit older and you went on to be a server and had the red cassock, you got half a crown at Easter and Christmas.

from St. James Parish magazine: report of servers outing 1920s to Alum Bay

On Good Friday they used to have a procession around the town. They used to come out of church and went up the High Street and down Ommanney Road. I think we turned left and come back round to the church that way. Phil Kelsey b 1920

Eileen Smith, Charlie Lansdowne: 1920s, 1930s

My parents lived briefly in a house in Alma Place that I dont remember, and then they moved to South Street, to a tall cottage with an attic. Originally that cottage was called ‘Rose Cottage’ but mother changed it to ‘Halfway’ because it was halfway between Sandhard and where my aunts lived.

My father, Charlie Lansdowne, was one of the first crew members of the Lifeboat, the B.A.S.P. powered by a petrol engine and a sail.
I can just remember her being christened by the Prince of Wales. She was tied up on the pontoon the shoreside of the pier. Someone trod on HRH’s toe ‘Somebody’s treading on my bloody foot!’ he was heard to say.

Lifeboat crew 1920s . Charlie Lansdowne, back row, third from left. Walter Cotton, second from right, front row.

My father was signalman on the lifeboat – there was no radio, they had to rely on signals, semaphore and morse. His boots were kept just inside the door so if the maroon went he could be gone straight away. On one occasion when the lifeboat went out, I can remember my mother asking Mrs Cotton, the Coxswain’s wife where they’d gone, but they never knew, of course, when they’d be back. Walter Cotton, the Coxswain had come from Brighstone. My father said if Walter was moved, he’d go with him, he was such a good coxswain

Jean Maitland: Yarmouth School, Florrie Knee

I always felt sorry for poor old Florrie.
Old Miss Ireland, the one I said I didn’t like, used to ask on Monday morning who had been to church, put your hands up if you had been to church, because they didn’t like it if you didn’t go to church. Anyway Florrie put her hand up and Miss Ireland said,
‘You can put your hand down. You never went to church, you went to the Methodist Church.’ Florrie went to the chapel along South Street and so did Megan Cook (nee Buckett) Jean Maitland nee Levey1928

Eileen Smith: Yarmouth School

Robert May’s School Certificate1884

My grandfather, Robert May, went to Yarmouth School, my mother and her two sisters, I did, and my three children.

The last year I was at Yarmouth C. of E. School, there were 126 pupils and four teachers; Mr. Stanway the headmaster, Miss Troman, Miss Ireland and Miss Chambers, with the Headmaster’s wife, Mrs Stanway, helping out sometimes.

We started school at five years, no matter what time of year, and left at 14. Some people went on to Newport if they passed the scholarship.

Miss Ella Chambers had the first class. She was lovely; everyone was fond of her. If you met her in the town years later she’d say ‘Hello Eileen, – one of my girls.’

Yarmouth School, 1929 Eileen , 2nd row from back,5th from right

Every day we had half an hour’s scripture, and prayers. We had to learn the hymns off by heart. Reverend Marshall came from Thorley once a year to test the senior students. He was a bit deaf and he mumbled so you couldn’t always understand his questions. When he gave the prize, I think he guessed who knew the most.

The boys had gardening and woodwork, the girls knitting and sewing and embroidery. There were cookery lessons at Ningwood Institute for the senior girls – we travelled there by bus. Someone came out from Newport to teach us. We had old oil stoves, with a hob and an oven. Every week there was a draw to see what chores you had to do. I always seemed to end up cleaning the stoves – they were filthy old things.
Eileen Smith b1921

Haigh brothers: Thorley 1920s, 1930s

Mig grew up at The Retreat, just across the fields from us, where our fathers had spent time as boys. They used to go off in the donkey trap (known as the dog cart) to Bouldnor to catch butterflies and swim.

Haigh Brothers at Lee: Stanley, Paddy and Frank: Photo Sue Langford

Sue Langford: Haigh family in Thorley, Wellow

Haigh brothers, Stanley, Paddy and Frank at Lee 1920s : Photo Sue Langford

Henry Cooper: Upper Lee, Thorley, 1900s – 1960s

Upper Lee

Henry (Harry) Martin Cooper (1877-1969) was born at Upper Lee Farm, Thorley, and lived there most of his life. He had no formal education, but was self-taught having learned the basics from his mother. In 1902 his diary first mentions his bee-keeping activities, which provided additional income to supplement the income from the small family dairy farm.

Postcard of Upper Lee

I remember my dad telling me the field names – Long Meadow, Goose Acres, Pyle Field. I have a feeling that Grampy rented Vicarage Butts, but I couldn’t be sure. He strongly objected to having to pay tithes for some land he had. I wonder if that was for Vicarage Butts? Rosemary Cooper granddaughter of Henry

When it comes to fruit trees I can remember damsons, greengages and Victoria plums at Thorley, but I have no idea what the apples were, except plentiful. (There was a thorn apple that I was told by Mum to keep quiet about!)
I’ve a feeling there were apricots too? Grandma and Aunt May used to bottle lots of fruit but apart from plums I think it must have been mainly soft fruit. When they moved to Parkside my first memory was of the larder there with the shelves of jewel-like colours, the light shining through their store of bottled fruit brought from Thorley I think. At Upper Lee it must have been kept in the Dairy where there wasn’t so much light. Stella Ridley, Grand daughter

Mum said they loved going over to the Coopers at Upper Lee to Sunday School and then go in to the hall in Newport. It was a treat for them. They used to go and collect the milk in a jug from them at the farm. Mary Henderson b 1954

May Cooper used to do the dairy work for her brother. She made butter pats in the shape of swans, and cooled them in Thorley Brook, just where a little spring rises. When she made jellies and jams she’d cool them by floating them in the stream. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Eileen Smith, Mike Smith: Thorley, Blacksmith’s Lane

Blacksmith’s Lane, that was the original bridle path, went right through the copse down by the side of the two cottages, across the stream. Hec Stone’s – it must have been his grandfather – said he used to drive a coach and horses up through the copse. The bridlepath was still up through the copse… you’ve still got the dip. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921
The bridleway went up through the copse and over across the railway line and right through to the other road. Even when we were kids where they used to go across the stream, it was all hard gravel there. You could always get across there because it was shallower. Mike Smith b 1951

Yarmouth and Thorley Voices

Learn about the history of Yarmouth and Thorley from the people who have lived it