Feb 04 2010
More memories from Chris Mills
Dear Editor,
A couple more memories of the Wye area that I remember from the 1950′s are:
1. Mr. Pemberry (or Pembury, I do not know the correct spelling), who ran the Post Office in Brook, used to play the organ at Wye Church. I remember going to the church with my uncle, who was a schoolteacher and organist, to see Mr. Pemberry, so that he would be able to play during Mr. Pemberry’s holidays. I also remember that he used to drive a dark green A30 Austin van.
2. My father farmed at Elm Tree Farm, which was part of the Brabourne Estate. On one of our fields, each summer, the estate gamekeepers would set up a rearing field for game birds. Mr.Crouch, who was the head keeper, did not drive so my father used to take him around the farms to collect cluck hens to sit on the game eggs (Editor: Organic incubation eh?). One of the farms which we visited regularly was owned by Walter Wheeler and was just above the Wye Crown. To get to it you went to Coldharbour, turned left towards Crundale and then right up the Downs to come out above the Crown. The farm was between Marriage Farm and Miss Hudson’s property at Combe. To go to this farm was quite an education!
3. Whilst on the subject of Wye Crown, as teenagers we used to attend the bonfire held at the Crown each year. O happy days. (Editor. Chris will be pleased that the village once more owns the bonfire and has successfully celebrated in November over the last three years.)
There are several references here that older villagers may wish to comment upon – it is not the first time that we have heard reference to Miss Hudson and could anyone confirm the name of Mr Pemberry/Pembury just for the record?
In addition I hope that the memory page has proved more accessible from the front page – WyeWeb Specials.
5 Responses to “More memories from Chris Mills”
Hi Chris,
Pembury is the name you are looking for. Do you remember the Duffields at Pickersdane and Yeomans at Newgate? My father, Col. Duffield, was a great friend of your Grandfather.
Your uncle whom you mention – was he the one who, at one time , lived in the Isle of Wight? if so, I well remember ringing hand bells at a concert in Brook!
I hav’nt seen your mother for ages, I remember a few years ago going to Brabourne to fetch her to Brook Church for a funeral, but whose, I don’t recall.
Do you remember the Yeomans boys Mark and Matthew, Broook bus travellers to school? Enough memories for now.
Daphne Yeomans
Hi Daphne,
Nice to know someone reads my information.
Thank you for the spelling of Pembury. Yes, I remember the Duffields and also a picture of my grandfather with Col. Duffield, in the Home Guard (I think) during the Second World War.
The uncle, who you mentioned, was my uncle who did live in the Isle of Wight.
I do remember your boys on the Number 118 bus going to school, in the early Sixties. I am glad to say my mother is still alive and well.
Do you still live under the Downs at Brook?
Chris Mills
Mr Pembry (yes that is the spelling, as I have a copy of his signature on a legal document) lived at No57 Oxenturn Road, where he gave piano lessons to me and my younger brother in the 1950s. My brother still plays – in fact he treated himself to a new piano from his retirement pot, but the tuition was all to no avail in my case!
That house was next to Nan and George Hancock who brought up their four boys in Herbert Sutton’s large house no59. My first memory of Daphne Duffield (now Yeomans) was meeting her at that house as a small boy.
When his wife died Mr Pembry moved in 1960 to No9 Oxenturn Road, a bungalow newly completed by Earl &(?); Co of Willesborough. My late parents Jack and Dae Paterson bought the property from his executors on his death in 1977 and stayed there till the end of their days.
My other memory of Mr Pembry was hitting his windscreen with a well-aimed snowball as his car passed in Oxenturn Road when I was on my way to Wye Primary one wintry morning more than half a century ago. It so startled him that he slithered to a halt and gave me a real telling off, with much finger wagging ! A rare childhood memory when the sun wasn’t actually shining !
Alan Paterson
(Editor: Thanks, Alan, maybe we could have a picture of this variable surname on your legal document?)
Mr Pembury (as I remember the spelling) was setting out – from his bungalow in Oxenturn Rd. – to give me an organ lesson when he suffered a stroke, from which he sadly never recovered. After his death, his sister, clearing out the house, gave me his Canterbury of organ music – which I still have. I recall that some of the manuscript books have his name written on them….I will dig them out later and confirm how he wrote his name.
what an excellent idea this memories section is, so much is flooding back, i will add some myself in the near future, i can remember palying squash with nick williams every friday afternoon and him thrashing me everytime, are the old squash courts still standing albeit in a state of disrepair?
we are going to visit wye asap to see the tribe and im keen to see how much has changed and what hasnt ,.
as a kid i can remember going up thru rats hole to the crown, on the way with stephen blackford we wold stop at the ropes hanging off the trees and have great fun, health and safety reps would have a heart attack these days!
use to work at the bakery with stephen every saturday morning, the things we use to do but they were good times !