Village Memories

I was a 9 yr old evacuee in 1939, taken from the east end of London to your lovely village, where, not having seen any countryside before, this little girl played in the fields, watched the harvest being cut,and spent many happy days with amost loving couple and their son, who, I think was named David. They often took us for rides on the back of their bicycles. I cannot remember a great deal but it started a lifelong love of the countryside, plants, flowers, trees etc.Your Village is remembered with gratitude by an 81 yr old Great Grandmother.

Yours with much affection Mrs Mary Brooks nee Anderson 27th february 2011

I have just located the Barnston website which is very interesting with a picture of my late Father outside the Spotted Bog at Bishops Green when he was in the Home Guard - my Grandmother lived at Streets Cottages - I am trying to locate anyone who may have a photo of this property.
I have looked at the pictures of Barnston School - I attended this school form 1949 to 1956 - Mrs Hallam was the Headmistress and when I started there was a Miss Simmons (I believe that was her name) who subsequently, I believe, emigrated to Vancouver in Canada. Every Chrtistmas Mrs Hallam arranged a party for the children who attended the school - I still have the toy car that was presented to me at the Christmas 1949 party. Every year we had a day outing to Walton-on-the-Naze - Lodges coaches from High easter provided the transport with afternoon tea at a local restaurant. I believe that both the Christmas party and Walton outing were paid by Mrs Hallam out of her own resourses. Mrs Hallam's sister lived in the Browns End road Broxted.
I believe Mr Hallam is shown in the picture of the Barnston football team.
Re Alan Reeves - I was at school with him he lived at Pyes Farm near Onslow Green. Others that went to the King Edward grammer school in Chelmsford were David Warren (we were best man to each others wedding) and Bryan Smith also I recall John Gaylor.
David Warren and his sister Ann home was at Barnston Brook Cottages and I recall that their parents had the village Post Office in their cottage.
Hope this is of interest?

John Lodge.9th February 2011

The day when Mr Hansell's village shop was destroyed by fire - my late Mother and I travelled on Hicks Brothers bus to Dunmow that afternoon and vividly recall that the chimney stack was left standing but little else remained - we were living at Lawn Hall Cottages at that time - just up the road from the Butchers Arms public house where the landlady was a Mrs Butler! Travel home from Barnston School was by a Hicks Brothers bus with the bus slowing sufficiently to enable the conductor to place me on my Mothers bicycle seat. In 1950 we moved to Dunmow and a number of children travelled to Barnston school by bus - initially Lodges transported us to Barnston corner i.e. the turning at the top of the hill for High Easter and then a walk to the school - later Eastern National provided the service to the school.

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 Stansted Skyliner Hotel and Monsoon  bar and restaurant (ex 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 ....to 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