memories of yeovil
memories of yeovil
Yeovil remembered by Richard Barber
Many thanks to Richard Barber for the following -
"The hours I spent on Wyndham Hill cannot be calculated. Shooting spud guns, by putting gunpowder caps in the 'bullet' twisting the bullet into a spud, pull back the hammer and head for the nearest cowpat and shoot the horseflies into the crispy crust. Happy days! Looking towards the four lime trees to the left, was a foot path which went to the Town Station side of the hill. Half way round was a groove in a steep bank where countless pairs of school trousers were worn through sliding down to the bottom. Some unknown looney, decided to put a rope swing in a tree that swung out over the fence line and back. The fence being the barrier between you and long fall down to the Penn Mill - Town station railway line. Health and Safety would have a fit if they saw that now. The river Yeo going away towards Sherborne. The Mill I believe was called Chudlieghs. There was a pool in the river just before this, and my friends, Paul Rigdon ,Paul Vane and John Litler would fish under the metal railway bridge. We used to swim across the pond to retrieve lost fishing tackle, which we would sell, swap or use ourselves the next time we went fishing. I would also like to point out that the golf course towards Bradford Abbas (where my parent still live) it was not me who used to 'nick' the golf balls that went of the green. we just relocated them.
Eastland Road, a satellite of Grass Royal School, did Domestic Science (?), Woodwork (Fred Hall), Metalwork (Stan Cumberbatch) and Howard Roberts (Gardening) who cut his big toe off with a petrol strimmer. Ouch! They built a swimming pool at this location, and we spent many happy hours standing around freezing our nadgers off waiting to dive into the unheated and usually freezing water only to stand around again when you got out and shiver some more.
I remember the roller skating rink - I think it was in Summerhouse Terrace? I remember Johnny Farrs scrapyard, the gas tower on the other side of the lane, and the coal yard beyond. This is where I learned to drive my dad's car, and kick up huge amounts of dust just driving round and round, but no-one ever said anything, well not to me. Maybe my dad.
My mum and dad had Middle Street Post Office for many years before we all moved to Bournemouth. I can name a few other shops around us. Caves (Boutique), Hill Sawtells (Ironmongers), Adams Brother (electrical), but what was the name of the cafe in Station Road that had a pinball machine that took threepenny bits? Larcombe's Stores in Sherborne Road is where we used to take Corona bottles back the get the money on the bottle's deposit (1d) and buy Jamboree Bags and Black Jacks with the profit. There was not a waste/rubbish bin within a mile radius with any empty bottles in as we 'recycled' them.
Nine Springs, Summerhouse Hill and the metal bridge over the rails. As trains chuffed from the sheds (towards Exeter) we would lay flat on the floor of the bridge which had high sides and see if we could stay out of the smoke that billowed around above you as the steam trains passed underneath. Happy Memories. "
