“Growing up here was pure magic, we were very lucky.”
“It’s not our village any more.”
“We don’t want holiday homes at £1100 a month.”
“Father said they’re not National Trust – they’re MISS-TRUST.”
“There was a refugee from Czechoslovakia.”
“In World War Two there was a US field hospital at Kingston Lacy.”
“We used to play cricket here.”
“We swapped eggs with Jean’s aunt for goodies.”
Kingston Lacy.
Abbott Street.
Mr and Mrs Harvey lived at Home Farm.
The Leggs.
Mr and Mrs Deverill – “miserable old fool.”
“Jean Smith lived in Bournemouth but came here for holidays, aunt and uncle were Bill and Beat Budden, Grandfather was the smithy for Kingston Lacy.”
“Bill was the local coachman; he used to pick up all the local kids – he was also miserable, he threw kids off the bus if there was any trouble.”
The Gardeners’ houses – “Mr and Mrs Thick and the Cheesemans.”
“Our mothers were all born in Shapwick. They had three girls – Beat, Freda and Marge.”
“The cows used to wander up and down the avenue twice a day. They made a track.”
Pamphill Manor – “ It was haunted – radios were turned off. The women land girls in World War II were billeted here.”
“There was an exorcism of poltergeists, they were shut in a room by the Reverend Roten-Lee. The National Trust opened the door and released the ghosts. Diane Nolte told the ghosts she was going to live there now so they could behave themselves or get out.”
Pamphill Green – “It was a cricket pitch. We once sabotaged a football match with a tractor – it was common land.”
“There used to be a pond here where someone drowned.”
“John used to collect car numbers – five in a day!”
“We used to play football here.”
Oak Avenue – “There was a torch procession down the avenue on November 5th.”
“John’s job was to take the cows up and down the avenue when he was a lad, that’s if they could catch him, because he liked to go off and play.”
St Steven’s Church – “It’s the centenary next year in 2007. It was given to the village in 1921. I remember the Coronation.”
“Goats used to chase Jean when she was aged 11 -12 .”
“John Whittle – 50 years at the farm. German POWs worked in the garden.”
Cottage 539 – Marge Cherrett lived here all her married life, 51 years. She grew up in the Boyt family.”
The School – “In the 80s when the school was threatened with closure, Vera and three others went up to Westminster. It was part of the community. Tom Chissell who lived in Cowgrove Farm went up with two District Councillors.”
“They tried to close it in the 80s when there were 18 children.”
“Two sisters, Big Fanny and Little Fanny, were teachers, Misses Barrett. One rode a bike to school and the big one had a taxi. They lived in Redcotts Road, Wimborne. They taught the basics.”
“Granf’er used to cut gorse bushes for the bonfire. We dragged them up the hill with our bikes.”
Miss Rodell lived in the Alms Houses. She had a pony called Bob which she kept inside.”
“There was somebody by the name of Forward, a builder, he fixed bikes, did a bit of poaching, used to pinch John’s eggs.”
“John now lives here (between the Vine and the School) for 40 years. He used to play cricket on the green.”
“The Vine was originally a mill house. The Ricketts lived there.”
“The Yanks used to drink there in World War Two.”
“Norma thought the fir trees were creepy.”
Little Pamphill Green.
Cottage 519 – “Carol Dumbleton moved here from Shapwick at six months old.”
Cottage 522 – “The Buddens, Tom. Bill’s brother was in the butcher’s Something Different.”
Cottage 523 – “Norma Roper, now Luther, grew up here until 1955. She now lives in Holtwood. Norma says “There was no fear at all then, all were out and about.”
“John Whittle – billionaire accountant.”
“Farr’s House had refugees from the towns in England in World War Two.”
“Wayne and Debbie Miller’s house for 18 years, born in The Broads estate by QE School in the 1950s and ‘60s.”
“Pamphill played Cowgrove at cricket but they burned the five-a-side cricket bails to make ashes.”
Chillbridge Farm – Jill and Wendy Richards.
Boyt family – “Nine of them, Marge and Carole grew up here. The cottage burned down.”
Cowgrove Farm – “Bridget lived here from 1958 to 1994.”
Cowgrove Pond – “Vera said it is being restored now.”
Poplar Farm – “It was always called Smugglers’ Cottage. Smugglers brought whiskey in barrels up river and stored them here.”
The Old Dairy – “There was a female ghost who walked through the bedroom with no feet.” (Vera Ricketts)
The Court House – “It was haunted too, with dangling chains.”