East of the District

diners enjoying a monthly meal and natter. And reminiscing for Stroud Voices.
anonymousF anonymousF anonymousF Ladies at
The Ship Inn
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1 Sunday school. And the farming Uncle. 1:05
2 the Prisoner of War camp on Minchinhampton common. 0:32
3 early schooldays and miss Lilly who did not like girls with tooth trouble. 0:38
4 milk deliveries in those days. Horse & cart and a milk churn. 0:17
DavidLane David
Lane
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1 remembering George and Dorcas Juggins. Cheese sandwich anyone? 0:33
2 David’s schools and the canal. He now works alongside the canal at Strachan’s Mill (now WSP formerly Milliken) and marvels at the canal restoration progress. 1:29
TerryBeard Terry
Beard
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1 Terry talking about Bowbridge where he was born and remembering the Brimscombe Banker 0:44
2 Terry playing along the canal at Bowbridge and falling in. 0:55
3 his schooldays and discipline! And games in the shoolyard. And do you know what a dap is? 1:32
4 When the Rats came to say hello & play. 1:21
5 Shops that we had in Stroud way back when. 1:45
6 Cinemas. Saturday matinee at the Gaumont and meeting girls at the Ritz 1:39
7 Audrey Butts, other local dances, when the Beatles came to town and being refused entry to the Flamingo. Terry as a Teddyboy. 1:36
8 Working at the Piano Works and Ryeford sawmills. 1:53
GrahamWatts Graham
Watts
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1 early life in Thrupp, his parents and what he remembers of the canal in 1955 1:01
2 schools Graham attended in Thrupp, and teachers in the primary school there. 1:39
3 schoolyard games :- Plank Football, Shoulder Wrestling and British Bulldogs. 2:04
4 cycling, moped to school and the unique badge of office as a prefect. 1:38
5 some of the shops in Thrupp in the 1950’s 1:50
6 milk and bread deliveries in those days, and helping the milkman. 1:39
7 the Gaumont cinema and the films. 0:46
 8  Graham Watts meets his doppelganger on the first day of Stroud College! 0:19  
anonymousM Anonymous
5
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1 remembering the blacksmith’s forge at Miserden. 1:21
2 remembering the Daneway pub and changes to the area. 1:06
anonymousF Anonymous
7
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1 First School and teachers in the area known as the Bisley Hundred. 0:42
2 the shops and pubs above and in Chalford 1:56
3  fishing for sticklebacks in the canal at Chalford 0:29  
4  describing George & Dorcas Juggins and Dorcas’s mother riding down Gloucester St. 1:36  
5 the Wartime plane crash & when George tried to pose as the local Squire 1:17  
6 first job in in the foundary of Peter Hewins in Brimscombe 0:43
7  remembering the Brewery and the smell of brewing 0:18
Steve Steve
Philpot
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1 his first house was a caravan at Thrupp. 1:21
John McCabe John
McCabe
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1 Swimming in the canal at Thrupp, and jumping the Frome. 1:16
2 Remembering his school,  shops and pubs around Thrupp & Brimscombe. 0:59  
3 Recalling George and Dorcas Juggins. 0:52
4 Where John refereed football matches, and remembering international referee Dave Smith who lived in Stonehouse. 0:46
5 more on the places & teams he refereed football. And his first car that took him to the matches. And refereeing at Layhill prison. 1:29
6 John’s father came to Stroud to build aircraft hangers. And remebering his wife and their dancing lessons at Kay Virgo’s. 1:05
7 Recalling priests at Beeches Green church, foreman & workmates at Wallers Engineering and rail workers like the Brimscombe banker driver. 1:27
TinaBlackman Tina
Blackman
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Tina has written a book on four members of the Cole family,  who lived at Bourne House, & fought in WW1. Only 1 returned. For the soldiers’ stories and pictures of them you can obtain her book “The Three Uncles”  from Amazon and more information can be found on her website
1 William Cole snr & jnr and family of Bourne House, Brimscombe. 1:47  
2 Clifford Cole’s WW1 history. 1:46  
3 Maxwell Cole’s WW1 history. 1:08
4 Cyril Cole’s WW1 history. 1:01
5 Fritz – WW1 history. 1:16
6 The three sisters. 0:30
7 William & Fritz. 1:48
8 William & Fritz as Masons & members of the “Froth Blowers Club” . 0:49
9 The bacon & sausage firm Cole & Lewis during the depression. 0:58
RichardOrchard Richard
Orchard
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1 Richard’s father ran the firm Orchard and Peer. They were supplied with timber by canal in the 30’s. 0:58
2 His recollections of George & Dorcas Juggins. 0:28  
3 the local bobby in Brimscombe & Thrupp. 0:25  
4 His schools and teachers and Audry Butts taught him dances.  1:37  
PeterEvans Peter
Evans
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1 His father studying at Brimscombe Polytechnic. And the family all worked at Abdela & Mitchel, boat builders, Brimscombe. 1:06
2 How Brimscombe coped with the aftermath of WW1. 1:57
3 German prisoners billeted with his family after WW2. 0:35
4 What Brimscombe was like between WW1 & WW2. 1:18
5 Australian airmen at Aston Down in 1918. And more of the Australian connection. 2:10
6 Recounting a recorded interview with his mother, recalling Minchinhampton during WW1. 2:56
7 More on the interview – post war unemployment. 0:38
8 Flying in a Lancaster bomber, taking off from Aston Down. 0:21
9 Lieutenant Arthur Peel prisoner during the Korean war. 0:47
10 Haircuts – reading the newspaper about WW2. Plus the Dunkirk veteran. 1:13  
11 Wartime privations as a schoolboy at Marling. 0:44
12 Foods available inf WW2. Learn what ” Snook ” is. How they had to make butter their own and cream. 1:48
13 When the Gloster Meteor crashed and they had to pick up the pieces for the accident investigators. And describing a display of a flying Meteor close up. 1:39
14 How to get a cream bun in WW2. Mr Beard’s sweet shop in Brimscombe. 1:47
15 Photographic evidence that Hitler was going to bomb Stonehouse is found Lubek discovered by a Stroudie. 1:42
16 Watching Bath burning during WW2. 1:18
17 Two aircraft collide over Brimscombe. And a Typhoon airplane spotted. Plus a bit about Denmark. 2:02
18 How Peter learned his trade as a cub reporter. And talking to Fred who made furniture for Sir Stafford Cripps. 1:44
19 How he got the job on the Stroud News. And how Dr Browns Road got its name in Minch. 0:42
20 More furniture makers in his family. And a few characters he worked with at the SNJ. 0:00  
21 Delivering the newspaper to the village shops in the Cotswolds in an old pre-war van, in the snow. 1:01
22 The story of Britric and Matilda is re-created every year. (According to Wikipedia the love between them was the other way round). Matilda was eventually the Wife/Queen of William the Conquerer. 1:12
23 Ernie Barratt, Lucy Pate & when Brismcombe church burn down. 1:11
24 George Debenham – an early audio recording archivist. 1:48
anonymousM Steve
Gardner
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1 His father was the author of history books with Lionel Painton and a director of Erinoid & BP. 1:54
2 His mother was the first woman to drive a car (legally) in France Lynch. 0:32
anonymousM Ken
2
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1 Swimming in the canal at Brimscombe and working in the factory that used to be Abdela & Mitchel – then Air Plant. 1:22
2 51 years working in the factory alongside some of the old boat builders. The noise you can hear is the dredger “Augustus Gloop” working at Hope Mill. 1:21
 3  Evacuated with his brother (also speaking) during WW2 to Amberley with the Bowles family.  1:41  
anonymousF Pauline
Hill
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1 Newly married & living in a caravan & working in Wilcox’s chemist shop in Stonehouse. 1:02
2 Remembering shops & cinema in Stroud. 0:39
3 Railcar and canal in Brimscombe. 0:27
4 Shops & pubs on Brimscombe Hill. Recycling the stones from Hudson’s shop when the road was re-aligned. 1:35
5 Mr Hill, Brimscombe vicars and George and Dorcas remembered. 1:32  
BillDarby Bill
Darby
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1 Bill fishing in the canal, he remembers the Bourne Pike, he was a bit afraid of it apparently. They had chickens that swam! 1:13
RichWhite Rich
White
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1 Edited clips of Rich talking about his heirloom. A piece of hydrauilc pipe from a crashed German bomber of WW2. 1:46
2 The story continues about the WW2 bomber, planes take off from Kemble in pursuit of the German bomber. 1:53
3 More planes from Aston Down take off in pursuit of the bomber. 2:08
4  The WW2 aerial dog-fight begins. 1:49
5 The Hurricane rams the German bomber while another plane joins the fight. 1:41
6 the German airmen bail out and France Lynch residents take charge and offer drinks. 1:26
7 Another airman lands in a cornfield and is surrounded by land girls. 1:09
8 The Hurricane pilot who rammed the bomber lost control. 1:26
9  hints at more research about the British plane crashing onto the Hoffman ball bearing factory. 0:18

Alan Merryweather		 Alan
Merryweather
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1 Alan’s first impressions were not favourable , but he grew to love the area 0:12
2 remembering Brownshill and the amenities , and thwarted developments in the area . Describing some history of Frithwood House 2:12
3 Alan’s job working for the Commercial Union Assurance . One customer was Laurie Lee who was fearful of airplane hijacking 1:13
4 Tales from observing Stroud from the office . Inspecting St Mary’s Mill , making walking sticks 1:36
5 Alan’s cars . remembering Wycliffe Motors and Batemans & Hussle’s stores , and companies he insured in Stroud 2:00
6 Odd happenings and customers of Alan’s insurance company 2:10
7 Doctors’ handwriting ! Doctors Crouch and Newton . They named the roads after them 1:05
8 Dennis Parsons Burkitt of “ Burkit’s lymphoma ” fame plus the newly annointed Lady Dorathy 1:39
9 vicars of church and the Queen of Bussage . Cyril Pond of the TV shop and John Hemming of Chalford Chairs 1:28
10 Jam making in Brownshill , and the rhubarb patch in the chapel 1:48
11 France Lynch & the cencus . Bussage School and the headmistress . Events in the Village Hall 1:14
12 Roads along the valley in Brimscombe , Toadsmore and the road shifted ! 1:07
13 Buses into stroud from Brimscombe were plentiful , and well used when the snow was bad 1:14
14 The day Alan found a handbag , and was rewarded with £5 . Stroud Show 1:25
15 Tucks cafe and his name for the pies . Cake shops in George St . An insurance man’s take on shop window glass 1:09
16 Describing the state of the canal above Brimscombe in the mid 60s 0:51
17 The cake shop in George St was Browns 0:17

Irene Bartlet		 Irene
Bartlet
track description time Play
1 the Fair on Minchinhampton common 0:45
2 Irene and brother-in-law decorate a lorry to make a themed float to take to Stroud Show 1:20
3 in the Gilrl Guides and religious segregation , but she enjoyed her days in the Guides 1:33
4 talking about her father who drove for the military at Aston Down ferrying dignatories and prisoners 1:43
5 Irene talking about the building with Bateman’s and the Flamingo cafe 0:53
6 dancing at the Sub Rooms 1:22
7 Irene’s husband was a policeman on point duty on the cross roads at the bottom of the High Street 0:57
8 the kind of duties that local police had during the 50s . Plus merry japes 2:17
9 cinemas and cafes in Stroud 0:42
10 frequent buses to Chalford , Green & White and Red and White . And the railcar 1:51
11 shops in Chalford and milk deliveries by horse & cart ladled out from the churn 1:30
12 what got thrown in the canal above Brismcombe in the 50s 0:51
13 living beside the canal during WW2 , her brother falling in at St Mary’s lock 2:01
14 the Lancaster bomber crashing on a house . Irene helped clean up crockery that could be salvaged from the fire that ensued 1:28
15 pubs in Chalford and fetching a jug of beer for her father . Cigarettes in packets of 5 . And scrumping peas 1:42
16 the local policeman in Chalford , PC Bailey . Brother gets a rocket for acquiring a Christmas Tree ! 1:06
17 remembering the priests and vicars . On being the angel Gabriel for the nativity 1:56
18 memories of George and Dorcas , their lodger Duke , the chickens and the donkey 1:07
19 George and Dorcas Juggins and their donkey and cart . How George got his bowler hat . And Dorcas’s vocabulary ! 2:01
20 earning pocket money to spend at the Stroud cinema 1:01
21 remembering games at school and after . The rhyme “ the Farmer wants a Wife ” 1:38
22 Chalford school and the teachers near St Mary’s 1:09
23 Finding a wallet and returning it to an ungrateful owner 0:46
24 John Clark builds a house at Roborough 0:30
25 Shops in Stroud like Granny Ball’s 1:11
26 More shops in Stroud . Selling loose lard and butter , and how it was dispensed . When the mice got at the cheese 1:37
27 Yet more shops in Stroud , Lewis and Godfrey , Clarks , Bells , Fowlers , Revels , Maypole , Strange’s Fruit 1:08
28 working at the Stroud Brewery . The first Christmas and free drinks ! Irene remembers the smell of the hops 0:52
29 the size of people in the 30s and 40s . The best shoeshop for samll feet was in Stonehouse , but getting there was unlucky for two people 0:51
30 living at Puckshole Harbour 0:56
31 her first day at work at school stuck in her memory . Son Chris with head stuck in the railings 0:43
32 money was tight so they made their own cupboards out of wooden orange boxes . Son’s Red Indian outfit made out of a sugar sack 1:47
33 collecting water from the Bisley spring by bucket . Father disappears down a hidden culvert while trying to pipe the water nearer to the house 1:21
34 Irene’s mother-in-law lived next door to Laurie Lee , and was not entirely complimentary of him as a youth . And an insurance man’s take on the Bentley Piano libel action against Laurie ! 1:50
35 Moseley’s ice cream van and the cornets were strictly rationed 0:39
36 when Irene had polio , hospital rules were different . Rationed sweets came twice a week were kept in a tin and had to wait till after dinner 1:15
37 lack of street lights and walking from Bowbridge to Chalford in the fog because the buses weren’t running . We don’t learn how much fudge made it back that day ! 1:17
38 doctor Cohen from Austria lived in Painswick 1:08
39 the summer in WW2 and how kids spent their time at play 0:53

Alan Beale		 Alan
Beale
track description time Play
1 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Starting in the lab as an assistant . A bit of history 1:15
2 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Describing the method of making paper 2:04
3 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Different boards types 0:48
4 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . How the waste paper comes in , some of it from local children 1:22
5 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Comparing the kinds of waste coming in . After crushing it goes for further beating . Some uses for the finished product 1:56
6 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . When the fibre was fine enough , it was collected by settling on mesh drums , transferred to a wool felt band then layered on a roll 2:19
7 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Taking the sheet off and water squeezed out in a huge hydraulic press 1:09
8 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . The boards are dried . The heating boilers are changed when natural gas comes to town . Testing it was an experience ! 2:14
9 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . One product made here were insoles for army boots made by G B Britton of Bristol 1:58
10 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Alan was on the committee of the works magazine , he lists some of his colleagues 0:50
11 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . More examples where product went – ladies shoes , luggage , stationary boxes , car consoles and linings 2:13
12 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Alan cleans the managing director’s ties until the wrong one was made of nylon ! 1:49
13 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Dealing with customer complaints , in Germany . He learns how to negotiate 2:30
14 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Trying to devise a new fireproof product for Switzerland 1:58
15 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Trying to get a contract in France for car roof linings 1:17
16 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . As a boy collecting waste cardboard to sell to Chanberlains . Dampening the waste to add weight ! 1:39
17 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . The Polish workers from Babdown were bussed in . A fatality one day 1:59
18 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . The waste water coloured the stream , until the water authority changed the rules . Alan goes before the judge ! 1:30
19 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . A big employer in the town until it closed . Teddy Chamberlain , the big boss , with two spaniels 2:07
20 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Rocky Rhodes worked here then retired to run a hardware shop . His brother was Dusty Rhodes 1:00
21 fibre board company Chamberlains , Nailsworth . Lesley Chamberlain ran the local Fire Brigade , staffed mostly from the company 1:28