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see the 1914 Reg Harrison photo in your archives
Granny Godding lived in the middle cottage (there were 3 here)moved from Dorney Court where she was in service in 1887(?) she was my maternal gt gran, dad was bought up here as he was firstborn and gran & grandad (Hill) were living there when they first married. He stayed and never moved to the house 76 Cippenham Lane when his parents did and where his bros & sis were born. He hated the old house with it's inconveniences (privy next to the well low beams etc) was bought up with his uncles and aunts, left when he married in the 30's.(bought a new house near his dad, in Ivy Cres) Granny Godding survived to the 50's, I used to go here from school to meet mum on a Tuesday (cos we couldn't afford a fire in the afternoons, grans range was always going, dad could remember the range going in, it was a proper chimley corner before then, he could also remember the pump going in the front garden, away from the privy, I played with it but of course they were on mains by then. I think this cottage had been the pub, I remember one large room downstairs, divided by large curtain and it still smelt musty from the beer)The story was that the Quakers bought the old pub and the cottages when the new pubs were built round the pond and gran rented it. The house to the left may have been Weekes farmhouse, they had a small holding to the east even when I was a kid.Albert was my dads youngest bro and had a small demolition business, my bro Pete worked for him after his national service and I did during school hols. We pulled the cottages down, got the contract from the council! I remember we got £5 cwt for the old oak beams you see from Chas Bowyer, they are prob in some mock tudor house now. |