OK, this picture might be a rose-tinted vision of an England in earlier times, but it's very much how I remember my native Surrey village of Lingfield, as a child.
I was born in 1946, and lived for the first 14 years of my life in my small Surrey village, where almost everyone knew who I was; and greeted me with a cheery 'hello'. I always felt very much a part of village life. We all knew the village 'Bobby', the District Nurse, the Vicar, the Butcher, the Baker, and everyone else of importance.
I had my little red bike, and would cycle wherever I wanted. I would go fishing, watch the village Cricket team, or visit friends. My world was only limited by how far I could cycle. Freedom was total.
There was a village pond, and a village memorial to those who'd died in the two German wars. There was a lovely old church, where I sang in the choir. And there was a village Silver Band who rejected my appalling lack of skill on the Cornet.
In Autumn there was a huge Horticultural Show in the village hall, for adults and children alike, and on November 5th we held one of the biggest local Bonfire Night parades in the area. There was also a very active WI.
It was how an English village should be. Very little crime, other than one wayward Irish family who lived on a council estate, and couldn't help themselves. And lots of friendliness from almost everyone else. The only 'foreigners' I remember were a Canadian family; the Beardmores. The father had been sent to work in England, and the son was at Prep' School with me.
My only complaint about the present state of the village is it's proximity to Gatwick. These days (not when WE lived there) there is constant airplane noise, which has spoilt much of its appeal. The last time I returned there, I could hardly believe how much noise there was.
Our village here in France used to have the same feel about it, but even that has now changed. The camaraderie that came with peasant farming has gone, and those same people now sit at home and wait for their EU cheque to arrive. The 'newcomers' are mostly NOT country folk, and often have no idea how to behave.
Those descriptions remind me of growing up near our local Village in Burnham Bucks. It was like another world altogether. And yes, we're being forced to look back through rose tinted glasses.
ReplyDeleteAnd the tragic news that our government are about to flood the Yorkshire village of Linton-on-Ouse (of 700 residents ), with 1,500 illegal immigrants is heartbreaking.
It proves that Andy Burnham is simply carrying on from where Starmer left off. It's going to be another nail in the coffin for The Labour Party. And people wont forget this when The General Election comes round.
I feel very sorry for the people of Piddington in Oxfordshire. Their lovely village of 300 residents is to have 1,250 young male illegal immigrants thrust upon them. Unbelievable !!!
DeleteYour'e right Dee, it is absolutely tragic what's going on, makes you want to jump into hole and bury yourself doesn't it!
Delete1250 hitting Barnham on Norfolk Suffolk border. I wrote about it yesterday. Village of 600 people. Rachel
DeleteSue, I have to pinch myself that those days of old really did happen. We can only blame our governments.
DeleteBy "airplane" I assume you mean "aeroplane"? Why did the village bobby, Sergeant Thumper arrest you and your dog down by the village pond? Had you been chucking bricks at the ducks again?
ReplyDeleteJust for your enlightenment, the word 'airplane' is standard American English, and seeing as most of the airplanes landing at Gatwick are either from the USA or were manufactured there, the usage is correct. As for throwing bricks at the Ducks; no, I used to shoot them with my .410.
DeleteYou are wrong. British people should say and write "aeroplane". It's the same with pavements. We must not give in to "sidewalk" and it's "taps" not "faucets".
DeleteWhat a lovely picture. Yes, I grew up in a village, similar to yours only not quite as pretty but things were the same, you could stay out all day on your bike and you knew everyone. I still live in a village which is pretty and everyone knows everyone but now there's this constant remarking on who is 'local' and who is not, very tiresome. But at least we don't have hundreds of foreign men descending on us...yet. Things don't get any better do they, take me back to the 1950's please!
ReplyDeleteVillage life in those days was perfect. I feel so sorry for those who are having to have all those illegals dumped on their doorsteps. We all know what will happen!!!
DeleteVillage life in Stretton was fun. We had room to play out. The Crescent had a big Green in the middle, our neighbours were our friends. There was a village shop across the road run by Mr and Mrs Walker, a gentle elderly couple. I went to the village school, and sang in the Chapel choir. I know we shouldn't look back, but look forward to the future. Where has it all gone.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that it can only get worse, and it's being done on purpose. Those halcyon days are gone for ever.
DeleteI'm just glad that I was born in 1949, and had a normal working class background. Yes we had struggles for money, but we found lots of ways to entertain ourselves with very little cost.
DeleteI think it is natural to recall the past through rose tinted spectacles but remember homosexuality was illegal, women couldn’t get a mortgage without a male guarantor, the polio vaccine wasn’t rolled out until you were 10, over half of households didn’t have an indoor toilet. Much has changed for the better.
ReplyDeleteThese days in Africa and India, many children are lucky if they own an old T Shirt. There's still a long way to go.
DeleteI grew up in a village similar to what you have described.Now its been swallowed up into Derby. The " new" A52 cut straight through the middle of Kirkleys Avenue. Dividing it into north and south. The constant hum of traffic is terrible.
ReplyDeleteFrom Stretton we used to get a bus to Derby to go shopping. It seemed to take forever, we could sit on the top deck and gaze through the windows at the beautiful countryside. Front seat was favourite. It was like going on holiday. Now the roads are all joined up by ugly concrete jungles.
DeleteChange is natural progress, but it doesn't mean we have to like it.
DeleteA community is what the people living there make of it. To have good neighbors, we need to be good neighbors.
ReplyDeleteHow very true. I need to explain that to two of our new neighbours here in France.
DeleteOut in the Colonies my life growing up was very similar. No village pond but we had the town Bobby and freedom to roam and enjoy growing our childhood.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that life was better then. OK we didn't have the internet or mobile phones; some of us didn't even have TV. But we were never bored.
DeleteI used to watch a British program, Escape to the Country. People fleeing the cities bringing the mess to the country. It breaks my heart for the citizens of Great Britain. I also used to watch the Judy Dench series, As Time Goes By. Lionel, who was raised in the country, called the hoards Townies. Now it isn't civilized folks from the city who hadn't a clue how to be country, it is barbarians they have to guard the women and children from. I am outraged! How much more you who actually lived in that other world and are now actually being raped and pillaged on purpose by your politicians can keep yourself from marching with torches and pitchforks. I grieve for you and for England. We're going through our own madness but thankfully, we seem to have a little more window of time to deal with it. If Kamala had succeeded, we would all be hiding in the hills. But for the grace of God and people waking up, it could still go very dark here. Communism and Islam are united as the Democrat Party. Insanity! And we have many cowards in the Republican Party. That's why MAGA happened. Make America Great Again. I say, Make England Great Again! The Barbarians don't have to breach the gates. The traitors running the country wave them in. And I'm talking my country here. Western Civilization is under siege and way to many folks are still in denial. Okay, I need to calm down and go get a cup of coffee. We are in this together. For the sake of our children and grandchildren. I feel kind of sick. And tired. But we can't stay silent.
ReplyDeleteHow right you are on all of that. The saddest thing is that intelligent young people support the invasion, support terrorism, and have absolutely no idea of what they're wishing for. We will never get our old England back, but we could halt its decline. However it would need a government with backbone to do that, and sadly we don't have one.
DeleteTrump has done so well, hasn’t he? For himself that is. His corruption truly beggars belief
DeleteWhen you were raising your children, would you have allowed someone to come into your home and tell your children how terrible you are. How terrible their grandparents are. In fact, how terrible everyone who built your country was. Then label you racist, fascist, and every other name. And then on top of that, would you pay them a hefty salary and short work year to do so? That is how our children are educated. Over here it started during the Vietnam War. And now we are supposed let men shower with our girls. Maybe we better get tough enough to be called a few names. That's why Trump! I remember back in 2016 looking at the usual bunch of candidates speaking in their "reasonable" voices. I thought Trump was a joke, until he opened his mouth and said everything I believed was wrong with this country and what he would do about it. And he has! I could care less if he's vulgar. To me the folks that encourage sex changes for children (they are now prosecuting the doctors that did that over here) are a lot worse than vulgar. Sorry for the rant. It's one of those days. I fear for my grandson starting university. His father and mother were indoctrinated. Both PHD scientists and still vote far left. Privileged White Guilt
ReplyDeleteJust hopping in here to say, That's the most common sense comment I have heard for a long time from across the pond. Thank you Kathe.
DeleteMuch the same is happening in the UK. The result of the indoctrination in our schools and universities is antisemitism, and the huge support for terrorists. Common sense WILL resume at some stage, but it's taking a long time.
DeleteIn Trelawnyd , it’s the events that bring people back to those “ old days”
ReplyDeleteThe flower show, the tea party the show etc
Hang onto it as long as you can. It's easily lost!
DeleteYou're welcome, Meanqueen. We need to not let anyone separate us from one another. That's how they keep the hate going.
ReplyDelete