Star Brush Factory

A Memory of Stoke Row.

We lived in a council house adjacent to the Star Brush factory where my father worked for some years before we moved to Peppard. While our house was very modern by some standards, we had no electricity for some years, but we did have flush toilets. I remember the beech trees being hauled into the factory for cutting up for making the backs for brushes which were then sent to London to be shaped and the bristles fitted.
There was quite a successful cricket team in the village in which my father played as a bowler and opening batsman.
I can still remember the petrol pumps at the local garage with the price at one shilling and one pence a gallon!
During the Second World War we were kept awake by the aircraft from Benson airfield going out to bomb Germany and were woken up in the morning when they returned.
Our neighbour was Tom Clark who was the village baker at the village stores before he was called up into the Navy to serve as a cook, he survived the war despite serving on the dangerous Russian convoys.


Added 24 July 2009

#225376

Comments & Feedback

I didn't know my father had written this 'memory'. Sadly, he died in 2015. We hadn't seen much of each other for several years. He was born in Peppard and I was born in Stockport, Manchester. Ironic that he lived in Stockport for the last 50 years and I have lived in Kent for nearly 40 years. I started family history research about 35 years ago when both grandmothers were still alive and this helped a lot. My 'southern' grandparents were Frederick Carter who was a sawyer and who was born and bred in Stoke Row and Dora Ellen Carter (nee Price) who originated from High Wycombe. I believe Dora worked at the Star Brush factory at one time. Are there any records to prove this? The Carters along with the Stallwoods, Coxs, Lambornes, Lesters, Wells, Britnells, Stevens, Slades and others were prominent families in Stoke Row. The last in Granddad Fred's generation, Aunt LiI Hayward (nee Carter) died in January 2010 and I have not been back to the village since her funeral. I am not aware of any of my relations still living in Stoke Row. I plan to visit the village again this summer (2019). Does the Star Brush factory building still exist? Exactly where on Kit Lane is it or was it located?

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