I was born at Mooltan Cottage Crown Loke Southrepps in 1950. We had an outside toilet which had to be emptied in the garden every week, Dad would do this on a Sunday morning before Mum and I were up. There was a wash house next to the toilet that had brick-built copper and mangle inside. On a Monday Dad would fill the copper with water from the well which was in my uncle’s garden next door and light the fire in the copper so Mum could do the washing. I liked to turn the handle of the mangle. After a time, my dad and uncle put an electric pump in the well to take water into the house. After a few years we got mains water and sewage.
We had a large garden where my dad grew vegetables and flowers. I remember riding in a seat on the back of my Mum’s bike going to Lower Southrepps to see my Nanny and Aunts and going to the Church Yard every Saturday to put flowers on my Granddads grave. We would also catch the bus on a Thursday to go to North Walsham shopping and to see my other Nanny.
I had many aunts and uncles who all lived in the village so I would have to be good at all times, or someone would get to know. I also had some good friends to meet up and play with. The recreation ground was not far from the house and Mum could call from the doorstep when meals were ready.
Southrepps was a lovely village to grow up in, everybody knew each other and would always lend a helping hand. We had everything we needed and didn’t go out of the village very much.
Mum would take me to the library run by Mr Crane, it was a small building next to his house on the High Street we would go once a week and get some books which my Dad would read to me until I could read myself. There were two village shops one on the High Street run by Mr. and Mrs Carr and another on Church Street run by Mr. and Mrs Laurence. The one on the High Street also had the Post Office.
On a Saturday night my Dad and I would go to the one in Church Street for hi, to buy his pipe tobacco and buy me some sweets.
There was a shop on the High Street run by Cyril Drury that sold batteries, light bulbs, bicycles, bicycle equipment, televisions and radios.
We had a butchers run by Mr. Frank Bird and a shoe repairer who was called Shumacker Bill. A Mr. Dunham was a barber and worked from a shed at his home. We also had a bakery run by Mr. Peter Drury, when I was old enough I would go and get the bread it was still warm and smelt so good I couldn’t resist having a small piece of the corner on the way home.
We had a garage on the High Street that sold petrol run by Mr. Pike who was also an electrician and his wife ran the B&B in the house.
We had two pubs the Vernon Arms and the New Inn. Mt parents didn’t go to the pub but my Mum would go to the back door to get a bottle of stout for the Christmas pudding. The pubs also ran a slate club so you could save up for Christmas, it would come out at the end of November. My Uncle would take the money in for my Mum.
We had papers and milk delivered. The money was left on the door step.
Rusts of Cromer and Star Supply Stores of North Walsham delivered into the village once a week.
We also had a policeman in the village Mr. Moor he would pop up anywhere at anytime so you had to behave.
During the year there would be Fetes and jumble sales which were very popular also the football club would arrange dances which I went to when I was old enough.
We had a district nurse Nurse Blythe who delivered many of the babies.
I started school when I was five at Antingham and Southrepps School. For the first year mum would take me down on her bike as I was reluctant to go. later we would be taken down by car by Mr Gray. As I got older I would bike, one very icy day I came off my bike on a bend and badly grazed my face, it was the Christmas Play that day and I was to sing a solo but the show must go on.
When we started school we went into the infant class run by Miss Stone. The room always smelt of plasticine. Miss Stone was a fair teacher and we all got on well. We would go for nature walks on the common. Each afternoon when we went home we would sing Now the Day is Over, night is drawing nigh.The next year you would go into the next class I think that the teachers name was Miss Allen she was nice. I remember I had to stand in the corner and face the wall for talking too much. I am afraid I did that quite a lot.
We changed class the next year and the teacher was Mr. Grace. He was a good teacher but I can’t remember anything outstanding.
The last class before we left Mr. Hare the headmaster taught us but he was not a patient man, one day I couldn’t do my sums and he threw my book on the floor and as I went to pick it up he hit me on the back of the neck and left fingerprints(which didn’t help me learn my sums) His wife was lovely and in the summer she would take us to have lessons under the tree in the garden of the school house.
At the start of the day we would have assembly with a hymn and a prayer, the hymns I remember most are; He Who Would Valiant Be and Eternal Father Strong To Save. The prayer would often be by St Ignatius Loyola. The classrooms were heated by a coal stove which was looked after by the caretaker. We were all allowed a bottle of milk mid morning and if it was frozen it would be arranged around the stove to thaw out. I don’t ever remember being cold a t school and it was lovely at playtime to make slides and play snow balls(there was no health and safety then). We played lots of different games, The Farmers in His Den, Hopscotch and did lots of skipping.
During the year we would have the nit nurse come into school and check our hair and you always hoped you wouldn’t be the one to have any(It would be so embarrassing).
We would also have the school dentist come in to check your teeth and if you needed anything done they would do it or your could go to your own dentist. A nurse would come to give injections if needed, they were very big needless then and we quaked in our shoes. They also had someone in to check our sight.
Outside in the playground was a large wooden building where Mr. Smith taught carpentry.Also in the playground were the toilets. They were horrible and always smelt awful.
There was was also the canteen that always smelt of boiled cabbage. I didn’t like school meals so always took a packed lunch.
When we were older we were able to go over the common at lunch break that was great.
In Lower Southrepps they had two shops one run by Mr. and Mrs. Bloom on Chapel Road and one run by Mr. Neal on Warren Road but I think his was more of a sweet shop. We would call at Mrs Blooms shop on our way to school and get a 1d packer of broken crisps.
School days at Southrepps came to an end and we went off to Secondary school at North Walsham.
After a week at school we would go to Sunday school either at the church or the Chapel on Chapel Street . At first I went to Church Sunday school and then for some reason I went to the Chapel in Upper Southrepps. It was a lovely Sunday school run by Gracie Snelling. The highlight of the year was the anniversary, we would all have to learn a piece (poem) and recite it at the anniversary. You would usually have a new dress, socks and shoes for the occasion. The chapel would be full to bursting with parents and aunts and uncles. We did get nervous in case we forgot our words. We would go to Lower Street Chapel as well to see their anniversary.
Each year you would have a Sunday school outing, we would look forward to this with great excitement. We would go to Great Yarmouth by coach and on to Gorleston for fish and chip tea. It was a wonderful day out as lots of people didn’t have cars then. At Christmas we would go carol singing round the village and we would go to the out lying cottages in Mr Gray’s Dormobile it would take 3 nights. It was lovely when we got to Mrs. Tylers house we would get a drink and a mince pie.On the Sunday before Christmas the Salvation Army band from North Walsham would come round the village playing carols.
After Sunday school I moved up to junior Church at the church run by Rev. Tilney. My friends and I would go to junior church then stay and sing in the choir. We also had confirmation classes at the Old Rectory. I was baptised, confirmed and married in the church it was a big part of my life then.
In the afternoon we would meet with friends and go for a walk. At the back of the Old Rectory there was a building which we used as a youth club. We would meet there and play records and chat, we would then go down the street and get fish and chips from Mr Codlings Fish and Chip shop. I also joined the guides run by Enid Drury and Mrs. Horney (her husband was station master at Gunton Station).
I loved the guides but did not like the camping, we would parade on Remembrance Sunday and on Thinking day we were allowed to wear our uniforms to school(Secondary School).
Although I haven’t lived in Southrepps for over 50 years it is still Home.
Gillian Matthews Nee Barnes.