Alison Munday

Lived in Winterbourne Down

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I went to Hambrook County Primary School on Whiteshill Common - I'm still in touch with Anne Maggs (now Manning) - a local name - and I remember my class mates who included a Cordy and a Howell (both names appear on this site). I remember the Rutters too, from the old farm at Moorend - I believe Joanna is now head of Hambrook CP.

I grew up in Winterbourne Down between 1961 and 1979. I was browsing this website and came across the Skuse family tree - I can't add anything useful but I do remember "Mrs Skuse" who lived in Stone Lane when I was very young. I don't know her first name - looking at the family tree it might have been Alice (nee Gingell) - anyway, I remember her as a very old lady who grew lily of the valley. She used to say "they da' rassle' (meaning that they spread when you planted them) - this became a favourite saying in my family for anything that spread with unwelcome speed!

Down Road, Winterbourne Down,

looking down towards the shop on the right

 They were happy days - there were lots of 'local characters' - unfortunately I don't know all their names. There was a very rotund chap called Fred Glastonbury who lived just up from De Gay's shop (later 'Porter's) on Church Lane - he had two brothers, one of whom lived on Harcombe Hill and had 'funny turns' because he'd had malaria ... the other brother liked a pint and when I got older and started coming home from a night out in town on the last bus, he would wait for me on Church Lane and walk me home - sometimes we watched the local foxes. He was quite elderly (to me), and pretty tipsy - I always felt I should be walking him home! I think they also had a sister, who lived in the white house on Stone Lane - she used to let me and my friend pick the dandelions in her garden, for my friend's rabbit (dandelions were the
only thing in her garden!)
 
I also remember Mrs Close on Church Lane. We used to called her 'Maryanne's Mother' because she had a black cat called Maryanne. The cat would sun itself on the pebble-dashed wall outside her cottage - one day my brother lifted me up to stroke it, and I licked it (because that's what cats do!) I never lived that one down.
 
I lived there until I was 20, and my parents moved back into town about 9 years later. I have been back once or twice but it's a bit 'yuppified' now - the memories are good though, I could bore you for hours.

I attach a few photos. The first two are postcards. They were purchased around 1977/78, probably in the Post Office, but I think the actual pictures are older than that.

 
The first shows Down Road, taken from just above the junction with Station Road. You can see what used to be Palmer's Grocery on the right, and the view extends down towards the Cross Hands on the left. Leaning on the wall, on the right, is an elderly man with a dog. This is "Fred's brother", who used to walk me home late at night from the bus stop. The car registration appears to be HHY 354D, which might date it - it's a Bristol registration.
 
The second shows Church Road, looking towards All Saints Church. The road on the right leads to Down Road / the Cross Hands. What used to be DeGay's shop is on the left (later "Porter's") - Fred Glastonbury's cottage was just a bit further up from DeGay's, on the same side, set back from the road. There was a stone wall outside. The shop signs say "Walls" and possibly "Esso Blue".
 
The third is just a photo of me in January 1963, in the grounds of All Saints church. I was coming up for my fourth birthday in February. I'd never seen that much snow!
 
I don't have any photos of Harcombe Hill but I well remember creeping past the house of Fred's other brother - if he spotted you he would keep you talking for hours!!

 
Hope these are of interest!

Alison Munday

Church Road, Winterbourne Down, looking towards All Saints Church

Alison Munday, January 1963