A Recollection Of My Fond Childhood Memories At North Somercotes

A Memory of North Somercotes.

North Somercotes during the 50s (1953-1960)
My mother, Gwen's side of the family were from North Somercotes. They were called Humberstone. She had 5 siblings, Donald, Percy, Gert, Did, and Winnie. She was Mrs Duncan McCaw. I was born in 1948 in Norfolk, as my father worked there. My uncle Don had a painting company and my father decided to work for him, (It might have been Mum ) so we moved to Grainthorpe in 1953. I had a step brother, Peter Dawes, and a sister, Suzette. All three of used to walk to Fen Lane school from the High Street. The only thing I can remember was the boy next door who was my age and he was called Owen Wade.
We then moved to Somercotes as a house was available in Locksley in Way about 1954. At the time my uncle Don and aunty Elsie had a daughter called Jean who needed care 24/7 and a son Donald (young Don). They all lived and ran the Bay Horse. At the time, he was having a new house built down Mill Lane, now Willerton Road at the far end of the lane. He also had his offices moved there and stores. As it was an unadopted road he paid for it to be converted to a highway, hence he named it after his father and my grandfather. I also was blessed with the name. He also had a garage at South Somercotes where all of his vans and cars were maintained. The foreman was Barry Merrican from Saltfleet I think, not sure. Mary Button who worked for uncle Don, and also helped with Jean, lived opposite his new home at the end of the lane in the house which had a twisted chimney.
When Don came out of the Bay Horse, a man caled De' Tore took over, then Bill McCandles who had just come out the RAF, with his family.
Next door to the pub was Jack and Pat Jeffrey's shop,and at the time we still had national service, so most mornings there would be a lorry full of RAF men pile into the shop on their way to Theddlethorpe, or Manby. There was a dance at the village Hall most Saturdays, and the only girl the airmen knew was the girl in the paper shop, Moreen Sylvester I think, so she never went short of a dance. The hall also doubled as a picture house.
It was not long before my brother, sister and I were introduced to Mr Mallet the school Headmaster, and followed on by the vicar, Cannon Rees Jones. He was a nice man and soon had us hand bell ringing in the choir, and I helped him at the alter. He always made sure all the kids had flowers for Mum on mother's day. On one occasion three of us boys went to the vicarage and he left us in a room, and said I will not be long, well he was and what is more he had left a recorder running, and when he played it to the local WI we all got our ears clipped.
My uncle Percy and aunty Alice then moved into the village, as he had been at York, painting for Don for years, and they moved into Locksley Way next door to Joe and Thora Holland. Her party piece at meal times was to call her son Christopher, and everyone in the village could hear her. Next to them was the only fireman in the village, so when the fire alarm went, all the part time firemen ran the the fire station just like the RNLI life boat men do.
Percy and Alice were not there long, they moved to a cottage down a lane at the end of Willerton Road, to the right past 4 terraced houses. I think there were 2 girl twins lived in one of them, and next to that was their cottage; it was at the end of Brown's lane, also down the side of Garside's shop. At the top end of Willerton Road was a shop one side and "Cloddy" Loughton on the other side, and daughter Dorothy, sons Richard and David I think. Further up (Reform Street ) were the Murdy family, son Robin and daughter Mary. Further up was March Lane; I used to walk up there and meet the Brook farmer's sons and ride the horses back to the farm, if they were leading sugar beet, and if I was off school, I went for the day. There was a cobbler shop in Churchill Road and he worked in a wooden hut, then the village institute where all the men played snooker. I think the lady who ran it was called Mrs Homingroid? She was always knitting. Years later my aunty Elsie had a bungalow built next door when my uncle Don Passed away. Carrying on there was a builder called Ireland and he had two sons, one called Trevor; they lived opporsite the back car park to the Bay Horse. I also think Markems lived opposite the chapel.
My aunty Gert and uncle lived opposite the pub. He was a butcher and I used to help him in the slaughter house on Saturdays, and when he had finished he sent me for 20 players fags and they were 1 /11d so I got the penny change. I went out with him in his van sometimes for the day around all the farms and villages. We even went some nights and killed a pig at the farm.
I have used up all my space, I am sure I have got some names wrong, and places, but its nice to look back in time, and remember all those happy times. I will do a part 2.

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