Tag Archives: Brian Pomroy

Shops: Mills and bakers, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Mills had a very dark haired nice- looking boy who used to push the bread round daily on wooden trucks door to door. Also we had bread delivered from Whilliers at Newbridge.
Pat Burt nee Adams b 1929

Athel Henderson worked in a bakehouse in Mills. They used to cook some bread there, when you come to think of it!  They had 2 vans on the road, one used to go out with the bread and one with the groceries. Brian Pomroy b 1937

I can remember sitting in our big old pram outside the bakehouse, waiting for my Dad ( Athel)  to finish his shift. Terry Henderson b 1947

Brian Pomroy: Free Time, Yarmouth Football 1930s – 1950s

:Yarmouth Football Team, with Bill Pomroy in goal 1936

:Yarmouth Football Team, with Bill Pomroy in goal 1936

The best team Yarmouth had was in 1947 when they played in the final of the Hampshire Cup over at Fratton Park. They had George Cleary from the pub, George Kelsey, two masters from the school at Eastmore and two lads from there. One of them, Charlesworth, he was really good, he went on to play for Wolverhampton. Mr. Holding from the shop, he was Chairman, and helped with money. You might get two or three hundred watching.

You should have seen Bun Cotton! He would really get stuck in. The ball would be at the other end and you’d look round and there was Bun, having a real go at someone. Yes, he used to get sent off.

Ted Levey used to referee, but every time he refereed when Yarmouth was playing he got into trouble. He’d be blowing the whistle and getting really queer with people.

My family played; Dad played in goal for Yarmouth and my brothers Derek and Peter. Derek was the best player of the family. I went with him when he had a trial for Southampton when he was 18 or 19, but when he came on the pitch at The Dell and saw the crowd, it was just too much for him. When I was 14, I had to go and see the Headmaster at Freshwater to get permission to play for Yarmouth First Team. My Mum used to have to do all that washing, kit for 3 of us, heavy shirts and all.  Brian Pomroy b 1937

Brian Pomroy: Free Time 1940s

Poor old Harry Jackman! He didn’t like us cutting through his fields. We used to wait for him to milk his cows, and when we knew he was milking, we used to whip through and up to the copse.  One day we came out the copse, all laughing and joking, Mick Morton, Les Jupe, Barry Mcdonald  and  me. We said, he never caught us today. When we got down to the big gate by the railway he was stood just there.
‘Got you!’  he said, ‘got you, all of you.’
‘Hello Mr Jackman,’ I said.
‘You can go home. I know where you live.’  Brian Pomroy b 1938

Brian Pomroy: swimming

Mill at Yarmouth with Gasworks Cottages beyond

Mill at Yarmouth with Gasworks Cottages beyond

Swimming lessons?  Learnt to swim on my own at the Mill.  We were in and out of the water all summer.
I just learnt to swim in the river. I’d nip over the wall, and into the water if the tide was right. Yes, I spent more time in the river than I did on the beach.
We used to get big oil drums and planks and make rafts and set off paddling. You’d get half way up the river and look round, and one drum’s gone floating off that way and the other one’s gone the other way, and there you were in the water, not on the raft anymore.  Yes, it was good down there. Brian Pomroy b1937

Brian Pomry: Early Days, 1940s, 1950s

Simmonds built boats up Ommanney Road. They built a boat that was too big to get out. Bloody hell it came down that ramp, it was going! I thought it was going in the old funeral parlour, but Jim managed to hold it and Ray, John and Harry put blocks of wood  under the wheels to stop it.  They went down the High Street with it, and couldn’t turn at the Town Hall.   Brian Pomroy b 1937

High Street to Town Hall

High Street to Town Hall

Brian Pomroy: School days 1940s

School was good. Yarmouth School was a beautiful school, well built, one door at the back and one at the front, steps up the front with 2 classrooms.

Mrs Barton was in the front one. Mrs Barton, she always used to have me sat at the front of the class. There was her desk and there was me, and I always remember, she used to have this ruler. If I used to turn round to say,

“Alright mate?” Bang! She was a lovely teacher though, used to bring in an apple for me.
There was another teacher, lived up round the corner, Miss Chambers, had the baby class, ‘Polly Chambers’ we used to call her.

The sea used to come over the wall sometimes and anybody trying to skive off school got wet.

They were some good days in Yarmouth. I loved it there.
Brian Pomroy b 1937

Aerial photo of school and town, before harbour was dredged. Photo Rod Corbett

Aerial photo of school and town, before harbour was dredged. Photo Rod Corbett