Tag Archives: Jim Ryall

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

Builders 1930s Photo Di Broomfield

 

Alec Cokes: Free Time 1950s 1960s

One time there was a big classic football match going on up the Rec. Jim Ryall then was the Fire Chief – and he was up there watching the football .

All of a sudden two figures came up across the back of the Rec, right across the middle of the playing field and disappeared.  It was Dicky Hatch and Dook Henderson.  They’d only managed to set fire to the rushes down the marsh.  There was a big cloud of smoke.
Somebody said, Jim, Jim, the marsh is burning.  He said, let it burn.  No point in getting down there with the fire engine, what was the point of that, it wouldn’t do any harm.

I can remember Rodney with his touchwood tin – he used to have a Golden Syrup tin, punched some holes in it with a bit of wire for a handle, get the old rotten wood out the middle of the trees and put something in to start it burning and of course you had a flame and if you wanted to light the marshes or something you just let go!  Nothing ever blew up.

Mick, he was a bugger, he’s a bit older than us – and he was very good with these bows and arrow he used to make.  We used to get in the middle of the Rec. a whole gang of us, about twenty of us, and he would fire this thing up in the air.  He’d have reeds for arrows with a bit of elder for the tip and a feather and a nail stuck in it, and he’d fire it straight up in the air – a game of chicken, watching this thing to see which way it was going to go.  Alec Cokes b 1945

Phil Kelsey: Free Time and Leisure

Stone Pier with Bun Cotton, Eric Doe, Jim Ryall, George Kelsey and Jack Noyce

Stone Pier with Bun Cotton, Eric Doe, Jim Ryall, George Kelsey and Jack Noyce

Before the Rec. was done, we used to go down and kick about  in what now is all brambles, down the Mill. Old Harry Jackman had cows down there then , and he also used to have them out around the copse.  Providing they weren’t there for milking, we used to go down there and kick about.  It was cut a bit like a field, it was nothing much, it was very rough.
Other than that we used to get messing about in Mill Copse and Thorley Copse, we were always out there.
In those days you couldn’t go over the bridge because you had to pay so we always went towards Bouldnor.  We used to try and scrabble along the front – Nicholson’s path – down by what is now Port La Salle.  It’s still there now.  To save having to come up and go right round there, we used to try and scrabble along there and keep out of sight of the gamekeeper with his dogs.  It wasn’t too bad if the tide was out, we used to get by.  We used to go right along then as far as the old Stone Pier usually. Of course that’s mostly disappeared, during the war most of it.  It’s a pity really that went. Phil Kelsey b1920