Here are some photos which Peter has sent me of his recent visit
1. Top of Brewery Lane; no cars in the 50s or theatre! The theatre was a fruit and veg store in our day.
I remember them finding a tarantula in some bananas.(JJ)
2. Corner of New Rd. Was a cafe with juke box.
3. Me at top of Summervale; now blocked off to traffic.
4. .Looking down Brewery Lane. Our prefab was probably just past these modern garages on the right.
5. Looking up Summervale towards the blocked off road. Methodist church at top.
We steered many a home-made trolley down this road without any fear of cars hindering our descent!
6. I think "The Green" was on the right. My grandparents prefab would have been at the end
of this road on the left. Yours too Jean!
7. he International Stores used to stand here. I recall taking my mother's weekly grocery order
here for it to be delivered on a Friday. We always ate well on a Friday evening!
8. Ditton Street, fortunately clear of traffic. Now one-way only.
9. The old Plaza cinema on the left. Occasionally we would let kids into the cinema free by
opening the door on the left in this alleyway! It could also be the unofficial exit if you wanted
to leave the cinema quickly!
10.The old boys' grammar school, now a first school.
11. Wharf Lane, now completely blocked to traffic. It was two-way traffic in the 50s.
Looking at it now it makes you wonder how any vehicle could pass through it at all!
12.Boys' grammar school from Wharf Lane. High windows to prevent people from peering in
and the boys from being distracted from their Latin! Somewhere along there,
nearer the red door was an indoor pool. The water was always freezing and GREEN I remember (JJ).
13. Ditton Street Secondary Modern. We would enter through these gates on the right,
having walked through the Rec to get there.
14. Ditton Street primary school. I never went there but David and Paul did. Mr Wade was
the headmaster at the time.
15.The original kissing gate at the bottom of Brewery lane, with me looking a lot older that I did
in the 50s. On the right was an old earth bank and just below here we would nip over the hedge
to do some scrumping in Mr Britten's orchard. Naughty boys!
16. The Girls' Grammar School where you were educated Jean. Sorry about the scaffolding.
Who else went there? Wenda and Carol Richards I think. Did Carol Whiting attend?
NO. Carol Whiting went to Chard Convent with Gloria and Pat Laughton.(JJ).
Enjoyed the photos and some memories. Strangely enough I still sometimes dream about Ilminster and could probably find my way around quite well despite changes. I was a Chard girl but My sister and I both went to IGGS (I was there from1955 to 1962, my sister from 1951 to 1958). I remember walking down Wharf Lane past the boys school to get to the sports fields (hockey, tennis, netball) and for lunchtime recreation.We also used the boys' swimming pool in summer and the gym. One of your photos (towards the end) you can see the door into the gym, which we also used for speech days, school plays and parties. You mentioned Carol Richards - Carol was in my class right from the start. The name Carol Whiting is also familiar but maybe that was from St Gilda's in Chard as I went there for about 4 years before going to IGGS. My father was HM at Chard School (boys) and we lived in the house attached to the school. I now live in Australia, have 2 daughters and 2 young grandsons. Elisabeth Powell (maiden name)
ReplyDeleteRemember Mr Powell of Chard School; he was rugby coach for Somerset under 19’s. I played in the county team 1963-64. I went to Crewkerne School but my brother went to Chard under Mr Powell. Married to Lesley Millsom who went to St Gildas!
DeleteI was in your class too and I think you were fair with plaits? Carol Richards and I were bestest friends until we got married and went our separate ways.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you all the way from Australia and it would be great to hear from you again.
I live in Torbay, Have been married for 49 years, one daughter and 3 grandchildren. I am on friends reunited for Ilminster Grammar as Jean Boyce and you could get in touch through there.
Best wishes
Jean.
Are there more photo's of the Summervale Prefabs, thanks, Richard
ReplyDeleteHi Richard,
ReplyDeleteIf you scroll back to the beginning of the blog you will see lots of the old prefabs in Summervale. Were you looking for one in particular? I lived at number 27.
Need any info please contact me.
I was in a childrens home at horten cross and went to ditton street from
ReplyDeletesome time in the late 40s till 1951. i remember the hewitt girls !!. mr gapper mr tancock. i remember the school was pretty basic, having been a factory during the war,so i believe. can anyone help with more memories