Further to the request for memories of High Halstow, I would like to offer some of my memories. I lived in Harrison Drive from 1956 to 1967, when we moved to West Sussex, when I was 12 years old.
I loved my childhood in the village, and have lots of good memories. One that stands out for me is when a few of us were using some straw bales to make a camp (We didn’t damage any I hasten to add). We were just finishing when a Jaguar Mark 10 appeared over the crest of the field containing assorted Osentons, who were not best pleased with us! They took names and addresses and sent us away with a flea in our ears. They reported us to PC Bob Haskins, who paid the parents of the “offenders” a visit. We were terrified, needless to say!
I also remember “hordes” of helpers hanging off or sitting in the milkman’s van – no such thing as Health & Safety then of course, mind you he used to get the round done much quicker
Other memories are attending ‘Jock” Lacey’s club in the Memorial Hall (neither he or we ever knew why he was referred to as Jock, but he didn’t like it), “newting” in Dead Man’s Pond, which was said to be bottomless. Us kids believed this to be true, even though you could clearly see the bottom!
Scrumping from the orchard, sadly all gone apart from a few cherry trees. We also “raided” Bill Rayner’s orchard and strawberry field at the top of Town Hill.
We also built countless camps and “created” new paths in the woods – much to the annoyance of Mr Hudson and Mr Fletcher the RSPB wardens. Strangely enough I am a Volunteer Warden at Northward Hill now.
I have to say that it was a fantastic place for kids and we never had “nothing to do and nowhere to go”. The village looks bigger every time I go there but I suppose that’s called “progress”
Mark Owen February 2012