THE SIMPSON SISTERS

Hello Jean

A voice from the past! I am Brenda Kent (formerly Simpson) now living in Great Bookham near Leatherhead in Surrey and I remember you and your family very well.

I was visiting my sister Norma in Paignton a couple of weeks ago with our other sister Eileen and Norma showed us the letter she had received from you, so we sat down to add a few more names to your list. They both remembered more people than I did as I was only nine when we moved up to Blackdown View, but we mentally started at the top of Summervale and tried to recall all the families as we moved around the green and up the other side - the following list is the result!

Doreen Rollason (her mother ran a girls' choir for a time)

David and Tommy Smith

Stan and Beryl Kearney ( WASN'T THIS THE PARENTS)

Doreen Simmonds

Alice,Doreen, Jackie and Joyce Bryant

Beryl and Eileen Acton

The Stokes family - wait for it....

Ivy, Bert, Sid, Harry, Jean, Joyce, Lily. Tommy, John and Dorothy.

These were just the children how did they all fit in to that tiny bungalow?!! Norma said they all went back to London she thinks immediately the war ended.

Pauline and (I think her younger brother was David) (ALAN?)Self

Frank Abbot

Colin Biggs

Loretta Macey (I won a Talent competition during Carnival Week with her. We sang "We're a couple of Swells)

Hazel and Angela Humphries

Barbara and Janet Hudson

Vivienne and John Hodgeson

Sheila Barrett (Norma says she had a sister but can't recall her name)

Trevor Stock

Irene and Reg Forbes

Colin (ALAN) Dixon and a sister - can't remember her name, sorry.

We hope this is all helpful Jean. What a great idea to start the website - we all have happy memories of days at Summervale, Bonfire Night was always so exciting, gathering all the leaves in the lane to feed the bonfire on the green, learning to rollerskate and ride a bike, going on blackberrying expeditions at Herne Hill. Despite the war and the cramped living conditions it really was a super place to spend one's childhood, wasn't it - everyone knew who we were and we were all safe to play and wander off for long walks. Neither Eileen or Norma use a computer but I will try to dig out some old photographs and get them on your website in the near future.

I have been married for almost 50years and have two sons, Simon who is 43 and Julian who is 40, they each have two children, one of each sex and they are all a great joy. Our sister Audrey died some years ago and our dear brother George just this year - we three girls miss them both terribly.

Bless you Jean for undertaking this job - it would be fun to hear news of other Summervalers - keep in touch.