Tag Archives: railway line

Delia Whitehead: War years at Yarmouth School

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There was a large brick building across the playground that was used as an air raid shelter. When the siren went off, the drill was to stand up, pick up your gas mask and then a little mat that was hung on a hook. It was sort of felt on one side and rubber stuff on the other. This was to sit on, as the seat in the brick building was very cold. We then marched to the shelter and sang silly songs, said our times-tables and listened to stories until the all-clear.

Another rather frightening thing I remember. One day, a big black van came to the school and we had to go and sit in it, about six children at a time, with our gas masks on. This was for them to test that they were working all right. They did not explain to us that it was nothing that would harm us. One young boy got so frightened that he was sick down his gas mask and had to be taken home.

One bit we did like was every so often, a lady used to arrive dressed in a green dress and a broad-rimmed green hat. I think she was from the Women’s Voluntary Service. We were given a piece of stiff paper that, with help, had to be made into a cone shape. Then the lady filled it with chocolate powder, folded the top over and we were supposed to take it home but the teacher turned a blind eye to the fact that many fingers were licked and poked down into the chocolate powder, to say nothing of the odd tongue. Not a great deal of the powder reached home, I might add!

Then there was the school war effort. One of the things done was that every so often, we were asked to bring a bag or tin dish to school, and we went to an area that is now the old train line path, to pick wild rose hips. These were to be made into rose hip syrup. But I don’t know which was worse, the insects that bit us or the boys! They would break the rose hips open to get the itching powder out and put it down the girls’ backs when the teacher was not looking. But the hips that did not drop on the ground or get put down people’s backs finally were taken back to school and weighed.

A few evacuees came to live in Yarmouth during the war years. I made friends with one little girl the day she arrived and we have been friends to this day.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Richard lawry: Free Time, Cricket 1960s

Several locals played for West Wight – George Kelsey, Fred Cheverton and Chris Cheverton, Ted Lawry, Ted Crooks, Denny Stretton, Stuart Holloway, and before I left to become a Police Cadet in 1963, I joined Dad, (Ted Lawry) so there were two generations of Chevertons and two generations of Lawrys playing.

In the early days when Dad was playing, my mum used to push my sister in her pram with me walking, along the railway line to watch Dad play at Stroud. If we were lucky, there were wild strawberries growing along the railway line to make the walk more tasty.

I remember being told that Dad, who was a ‘Demon Bowler,’ took a lot of wickets at Calbourne in one match. Dad was working in the High Street on the following Monday, and Bill Brett, a staunch Calbourne player and member of a cricketing family, was working in South Street. Dad couldn’t resist the chance to celebrate  West Wight’s victory so he made a giant sized bat and sent his apprentice round to deliver it to Bill Brett, with the message that Calbourne might like to use it in the next match.
Richard Lawry b 1947

Colin Smith: Free Time 1930s

Yarmouth marsh panorama

Yarmouth marsh panorama with Mill and stream on right

We lived in the last house down Station Road just before the station, St Kilda it was called then, Mill Stream Cottage it’s called now.  Beautiful views.  I used to spend my time off over the marsh there, into the copses, Thorley Copse or Mill Copse.  I don’t think you can get into Thorley Copse now,  that was the one I particularly liked.  We used to go birds nesting and things like that.  Not that I should be proud of that now. Colin Smith b1921

Alec Cokes: Free Time 1950s

Mill Copse beyond marsh

Mill Copse beyond marsh and stream

When they used to dredge the stream they piled it all up with the reed and everything in, that’s why you’ve got high banks.  Just after they dredged it, it was lovely and soft.  You get down there, you dig yourself a hole, you build it all up round, plenty of reeds – you make a roof with the reeds  –  you’ve got a little hide.  It only used to be about so deep, you used to crouch in there.
Nobody used to have candles much or anything but we used to get half an eggshell and a little stump of candle, put it in the eggshell;  it would burn for ever.  You had to keep changing the wicks.  We used to play around like that a lot of the time.  Sometimes other gangs would set the huts alight, they used to burn the roofs off.  It didn’t matter, you just dug another one.  Alec Cokes b 1945

Janet Hopkins: Early Days

Yarmouth harbour showing old bridge 1930s

Yarmouth harbour showing Bridge House on the old bridge 1930s

Doe family at Bridge House

Doe family at Bridge House

I can remember as a toddler going to visit my grandparents when they were living in Bridge House, and standing on a table to look up the river. The top storey burnt down when someone was doing some decorating and using a blow torch, then it was used as a Customs House, and later still the Sailing Club.

The Harbour Commissioners gave my grandfather, ‘Pop’ a nice present when he retired – a launch. When I was young I used to go out with him over to Key Haven collecting seagulls eggs. We used to bring them back and eat them, they were quite strong, but nice. We used to go out winkling and prawning, and cook and eat those. I used to go with him, pigeon shooting up the railway line.

I had my first dinghy at 8, before that I used to borrow Pop’s. I suppose it was a bit unusual, there were hardly any others moored up the river where I kept mine. I always enjoyed small boats. Janet Hopkins b 1947

Phil Kelsey: Early Days

When we was kids, we used to go out up the railway line picking blackberries.  We used to wait for the train to go, then nip along the line. You couldn’t get off the track very well, it was a bit more wired up to what it is now.  You used to have to make a good bit of a dash for it from Barnsfield Creek up to where the next lot of trees were – we used to call it Furze Break because it was all brambles on the right hand side.  We used to pick loads of blackberries up there.  I’ve even known my mother walk up there and pick them with us. Phil Kelsey b 1920