September 2022
Oral History
Jane and Carole had prepared snippets from the Oral history of 3 people, memories of their childhood and youth in Stockcross and surrounds
. Carole nee Goodenough
When she was 2 years old the family moved into a 50 acre small holding at Woodspeen, they had no electricity, heating or running water, the bathroom facilities was a tin bath in the kitchen. Later the “bucket lorry” came to empty the “earth closet”, The lighting was candles or paraffin lamps, they warmed up a brick in the oven over the open fire to take to bed. They had a dairy herd and some saddleback pigs and lots of chickens. The eggs they laid Carole sold around the village, in the post office shop, they were also sold at Newbury covered market. Carole was driving the tractor by the age of 11, she did lots stone picking in the fields and made hay and the farm grew kale and swedes for the cattle. She went to school in Stockcross and remembers the teacher putting hyacinths bulbs in water in the school cupboard and the magic she felt when they re appeared with roots and a green top.
Her mother was involved in village activities like the the WI and whist drives, her father would go to the billiard room on a Friday and on to the Rising Sun leaving Carole and her brother waiting at the billiard hall. The corner by Snake Lane was called “widow corner” as the Sutton Estate used to house some of the estate widows in the “Sportsman Hall” buildings.
Mark Winwood
Mark’s father originally came from Portsmouth and his mother from Bayden Wilts, they moved to West Lodge the white house in a wooded lane which was Ermine St. His father had a travel agents, Winsor & Neate in Newbury and also did removals, his mother was a mid wife. He went to St Barts preparatory school on the Enborne Rd in Newbury. His mother put him on the bus from the age of 5 and waited at the bus stop for when he came home to Stockcross. The “big” noisy boys travelled on the top deck and the younger ones on the bottom deck, at that era there were bus conductors on all buses. Mark remembers one time when the driver didn’t pull in at his normal bus stop and went merrily passed his waiting mother. Instead of stopping when he realised, he drove onto Wickham before he turned the bus round to get Mark back to his waiting mother.
Mrs Millie Spence, a well known figure in Stockcross, looked after him as a child. His whole family very much involved at Stockcross church. Mark was a member of the choir, Friday night was choir practise and he served at communion, He remembers the names of many people who were around at this period of his life like the organist Mrs Pengelly and her stand in Mrs Spence . He joined the local football team, but as it was a Sunday League that a bit controversial, unfortunately he broke his ankle in a match and never got back in the team. He remembered carol singing around Marsh Benham when he was 9 or 10 wearing short trousers and his legs were frozen with the cold.
Brian Palmer
He lived at 107 Marsh Benham at the bakery as a child, with his elder brother John and 2 honorary brothers Mike Pike and his cousin Tony. The bakery oven was fuelled by wood/puff and they had a pony and trap. The bakery closed for a variety of reasons, people didn’t pay their bills and found it cheaper and convenient to get their bread in Newbury as transport improved. His Dad then started driving buses and coaches for Paddy Dromgoole. When Brian was around 8 or 9 he was sometimes able to go on bus trips to the sea side or theatre in Reading. He used to play with his friends by the bridge and stream at Marsh Benham they made a raft out of oil drums and a tin bath. Brian hated school. His memories are of Miss Thorn and Fred Smith the headmaster and singing All the Bright and Beautiful a lot. School meals were cooked on the premises and Thursday was roast dinner day. The tarmac playground had bars and the school field is still in the same place now. He enjoyed doing gardening at Stockcross but when he got to Park House it was more about writing than doing so that wasn’t enjoyable. He walked from Marsh Benham to Stockcross to go to school, when he moved on to Park House he would cycle to Stockcross leave his bike and bus to school in Newbury. He would be in the billiard hall aged14.
. When he married he lived for 2 years at Inkpen before coming back to Stockcross. He was an apprenticed as a gun smith under Mr Paine whose premises were in Crowmwell Place Newbury opposite M & S. Along with Invicta book shop an antique shop and Dr Ray Richards surgery. He was only being paid £2.19.0 a week so had to work nights on a farm to mark a living wage. Then his brother John got him a job at £10 a week at the Lighting Centre. Later, together a couple of mates, Brian got involved with disco entertainment, first doing the lighting and later the full DJ thing doing the rounds of the village halls. His mates dropped out gradually but Brian carried on his own for 21 years. A memorable event was the millennium celebration in the Rising Sun in Stockcross.
These snippets might stir some memories for members who couldn’t attend the meeting as it promoted discussion for the members attending.