Memories of Stock - David Hunt
I was born 25th May 1957 at Oakfield, Mill Lane. (almost opposite the windmill) My Mother was born there 26th March 1937. It was my Grandparents' house, Bill and Vera Brooks. Bill sadly died in 1965, but my Granmother only died this year, aged 100, and was always a pleasure to visit.
Grandma was a very keen gardener. She had to be, Oakfield was three acres, the top third was garden and orchard, and the rest grew into an oak wood during the war. By the time my brothers and I were born, we could get lost in the woods. Grandma had a brown dog called Joe, who was a bit wild. I'm sure he has many descendants still in the village. He went for walks in the grounds of Greenwoods with Mr King who lived opposite. Mrs King always gave us toffees.
Just down the road lived Harry Bacon, a real countryman, who taught us a lot about plants, animals and how to swing a scythe without losing your feet. There was no bathroom on the bungalow, so bathtime was a fun event, with the galvanised bath being unhooked from it's nail on the shed, and put in front of the fire. By the time the last person had bathed the water was very scummy and cold.
Another memory is having to empty the Elsan once a week onto the compost heap. We always slept with the windows open, even on the coldest nights. Grandma kept chickens and at one time had about eight cats. We loved looking for eggs.
Every one in my family has happy memories of Stock. It was a lovely place to grow up, and a very happy house. We also used to love playing in the windmill, but were always upset when we saw grafitti and damage caused by others. David Hunt
http://www.carrybridge.co.uk
David's email address is dgahunt@tiscali.co.uk
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