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Village Memories
Village Shop
The village shop was owned by Bob Wood in the
late 1950s up until 1977. The shop was on the right-hand side and he lived in
the left-hand side. It changed hands several times after he left. It is now The
Bushel and Sack. Originally the shop was of weatherboarding construction and was
built close to the pavement. Mrs. Seedon was an early owner, to be followed by
Mr. Hansell. While the latter was there the shop burnt down. A large chicken
house in the farmyard opposite was converted into a shop and did a good trade
until the new shop was built ....too be continued
Tony Tuttlebury April 2008
Village School
Village School c1958 courtesy Tony Tuttlebury
I am now 63 years old and lived in nearby Hounslow Green at
Pyes Farm until I was about 17, so until 1961.
Mrs Hallam, God Bless her, ruled the roost so wonderfully in
Barnston Primary School where we all got taught somehow by one teacher
irrespective of age, unless you were a toddler then there was another teacher;
we were divided by only a hanging curtain! Lunch ("school dinner"!) came
in an insulated metal container (I never saw one of those again until I joined
the Army!) by van from, presumably, the local Council; I don't know how many
other schools that van served. I was proud to be one of the few who passed
their 11+ whilst at Barnston School - I then went to King Edward VI Grammar
School in Chelmsford.
I never did find out if the school was used after it closed,
perhaps a library? Mrs H presumably continued to live in the adjoining
school house. There is a picture of "the old school house" on your website
and presumably that is now the building to which I refer - yet it looks nothing
like a school now!
I can remember that many people came to pick apples for us on
the farm in the apple season, joining folk from Dunmow who came in a coach.
There was the village store up
the hill on the right hand side towards Dunmow I remember, diagonally opposite
the road that went to the Rodings which in turn was next to the Mission where I
went every Sunday for Sunday School - the Wood's owned the store, they had two
lovely daughters (Linda was one) and by chance I met the other one on an Army
course. Talk about a small world!
Two more names spring to mind,
the Ling's - I think it was Heather their daughter who went to school with me -
and good old Nellie Barltrop.....
Thank you and your colleagues for building this site; now that
I know it exists I shall peek at it regularly.
Understandably, nobody will
remember the Reeves family as we were so far away (well, three or so miles) from
the village but my Dad was Bob Reeves, my Mum was Jessie (both now passed on)
and I was Alan Reeves. It was only when I joined the Army in 1961 that I
was given (on my first day) the nickname of "Steve" after the body building all
muscle man (and no, I looked nothing like him!). Because it is a proper
name and not an endearment like "Chalky" I have kept the name, hence "Steve" in
the signature block.
Steve Reeves April 2008
The Wood's children were Linda as Steve says still living in
the Dunmow area and Vivien they also had a son Laurie who is currently living in
Germany. The School was indeed a library after it closed it was also a clinic.
Heather ling bought the school and converted it into a private house which it is
today
Tony Tuttlebury April 2008
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