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May 2003
The great British disillusionment with local politics has continued for another year, well, at least in Feltwell it has. We had so few people stand for the Parish Council elections that everyone who did put themselves forward has been declared elected without an election being required! And we still have at least one vacancy, I believe. Is it like this in your part of the world?
On a brighter note April saw the opening of The Sanctuary, a new business venture for Feltwell. What's good about this is that it is based in the old Coronation Hall on High Street (see the High Street on Site 1). As a joint venture The Sanctuary includes a hair dressers, a Beauty Parlour, a Massage and Tanning centre and a Coffee Shop and I wish all those who have money invested in this venture the greatest of success. All they need is the support of the village. I'll arrange a couple of photos eventually once I've bought my own digital camera - any recommendations from anyone as to make and model?
I'm starting to feel as though I'm neglecting the website but there genuinely hasn't been any new material apart from that compiled by Dan Engle on the history of RAF Feltwell and its squadrons for which I am truly grateful. Having said that I was delighted last month to receive the following memories completely out of the blue. Before you read them you need to read the note that was attached - here it is: "At one of our Mobile Internet Taster Sessions, we spent a moving morning with an ex-Feltwellian reliving his memories. On our next visit to his Day Centre, yesterday, he dictated his own memories for inclusion on your site." The note came from Caroline Whitfeld who works for Age Concern in Oxford and the man concerned is Elmer Lake (I hope you enjoy this) -
My memories of Feltwell by Elmer Lake
Age Concern Oxfordshire offer Mobile Internet Taster Sessions to older people in Oxfordshire. At a recent session we carried out a search for Feltwell with Elmer. We were really pleased to find your excellent website & Elmer really enjoyed reliving memories of people and places he knew in his childhood.
On our next visit he dictated the following:
When I was a boy I lived in the village. My name is Elmer Lake. Do any of you remember me? I was born in 1927 and lived in the village until 1941. I lived by the infant’s school and also went there. When I was eleven I went to the primary school. My friends were Alan Whitehand, Cyril Nicholls and Billy Vale and many others. I used to go newt fishing and fell into the Beck Pit a number of times. When I arrived home, soaking wet I got a good hiding from my mother. The pit is not there any longer. I enjoyed playing football and played for Wilton Road against Long Lane which was the other end of the village. The games were quite rough. We also used to play some wonderful cricket matches with all the men and boys joining in. The games were played on Flour Rices meadow. I now live in Witney, Oxfordshire. I married a lady called Louise and had a son. He also lives around this area. I really enjoyed looking at the village web site as it brought so many memories flooding back.
Isn't that just wonderful? (I know why I do this job now.)
Another high spot last month was the arrival of Feltwellian Kate McEwan from Australia, over here to see old friends and family. I spent a great evening earlier this week talking to Kate about her time here as a child and her life now in Australia. She told me an awful lot of interesting stories from her childhood but two facts particularly intrigued me as no one has ever told me them before that I can recollect. Firstly, she told me about the weekly bus, run by Towlers, to the cinema in Brandon in the late 50s and the yearly village trip to Hunstanton. I guess that, unless I'm very lucky, photographs of these events don't exist or, if they do, are buried in shoeboxes somewhere.
Please, if any of you do come to the village at any time, let me know as I like to put faces to names. I'm always willing to split a bottle!
Family detail requests this month are for Ash, (My grandfather’s family came from Feltwell and Southery – my great, great grandfather Joseph ASH (b 1851) was originally a farm labourer in 1881 and then became a gateman on the railway. His son Joseph, was also born in Feltwell but moved his family to East London in the late 1880s. Joseph senior’s twin brother Robert and his wife Naomi remained in Feltwell as agricultural labourers and were living at Riverbank, Feltwell Anchor in 1881. A third son, Samuel lived a few doors away with his widowed mother Susan (nee Barritt) I’d be intrigued to hear from anyone who remembers the Ash family or has any connections. My grandfather claimed to come from a family of Norfolk farmers – I fear that the reality was more humble: farm labourers and servants mainly!) and Shinkfield and a question, "Where did Wannage come from?"
