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
Tag Archives: 1930s
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
Carol Corbett:WWII Bun Cotton 1930s, 1940s
My Dad, ‘Bun’ Cotton was called up before the war to do Military training, in the Militia, July 15th 1939. When war broke outhe was transferred to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and sent to France with the B.E.F. Although his section was abandoned in the retreat and had one member suffering from shell shock,, they made their way back to Dunkirk and were evacuated. Eventually, because of his technical plumbing skills, he was transferredto the Royal Artillery as a Gunsight Fitter and served with the Army in Africa, and up through Italy. He was demobbed in January 1946.
Bun enlisting : photo Carol Corbett
b 1946
Phil Kelsey: WWII outbreak 1939
The day war broke out I was up the river sailing in my boat. It didn’t sink in that it would be anything like it turned out to be. That was 1939, I had to register in March 1940 then I was called up in June 1940.
My brother George and Newt, both were reserved occupationists because they were builders you see. George went into the Navy much later, because he was Reserved. Newt was building a lot of these air raid shelters and George was working for Bucketts – most of his time was spent working up the Needles Battery. They did a lot of work up there. Phil Kelsey b 1920
Builders 1930s Photo Di Broomfield
Joy Lawry: WWII 1939
WWII
In 1938, for Yarmouth, like other communities, life changed; we were preparing for war. Everyone was fitted with gas masks and volunteers were called for A.R.P. duties (Air Raid Precautions) and for the L.D.V. (Local Defence Volunteers), later known as the Home Guard. Conscription for the forces began with what were known as the “Militia Boys” and they all did us proud. Yarmouth at that time was a very close community, families and their forbears having lived here for a very long time. Our young men found it hard being taken from working as butchers, bakers etc. to, after a short training, becoming a fighting force.
Town Hall sandbagged 1939 photo: Eileen Smith
The A.R.P. had their headquarters at the well- sandbagged Town Hall to begin with, but moved later to the Royal Solent Yacht Club where frequent blood-doning sessions were held. The A.R.P. consisted of telephonists, wardens, First Aid and ambulance drivers. The ambulance was a laundry van, from the laundry in Heytesbury Road which was the main employer of women in Yarmouth, with some male drivers. Rescue practices were held at the Mill.
Some men and women went to work in Aircraft factories at Freshwater and Cowes. Several girls joined the forces, and women took over from the men by driving delivery vans.
from an article by Joy Lawry nee Cotton b 1922
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
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
Mary Henderson, Sue Henderson nee Hillier, Thorley
My Mum, Sue Henderson nee Hillier, was born in Blacksmiths Cottage in 1929 but moved to Newclose Cottages, the east side, when she was one. She was christened ‘Eileen Amy’ but her grandmother said she was such a little dumpling, a ‘suet dumpling’ that she was nicknamed ‘Sue’ and known by that name from childhood!
Newclose Cottages 2013
My Grandad, Frederick, was known as ‘Shep’ Hillier, – he was shepherd for Newclose Farm. We think his prize sheep were Dorset Horns ; he certainly showed them in Dorset. Although ‘Shep’ followed his father, who was also a shepherd, he had served as a police constable in the Plymouth dockyards, at a time when policemen always went out in twos. He was a Special Constable in WWII
(Yarmouth School Log book 1944 Sept.8th : Police Reserve Hillier gave children a ‘Safety First’ talk this afternoon)
Shep Hillier earthing up potataotes 1940s photo Jean Storie
My grandmother Amy Rose nee Barton had originally come from Shalfleet but was working in service in Dorset when she met and married my granddad.
She was wife of a shepherd so she had ‘cade’ or orphan lambs to look after in her kitchen at lambing time, masses of washing to do with only a boiler but I remember how it was always neat and tidy. Mary Henderson b 1954
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
Kitty Pearce: Thorley, St Swithin’s Church, 1920s -1990s
Kitty Pearce with her choir used to and put on nativity plays every year which packed the church out. She played the organ in Thorley for 50 years, right from when my mum was at school. I think she was one of the oldest organists ever; over 90.
Mary Henderson b 1954
Miss Kitty Pearce BEM was organist at St Swithin’s for 50 years. She retired in 1994 at 91, and died in 1998