Pauline guides us around the Warborough of her childhood.
Pauline, daughter of Mr George & Mrs Maisie Cobb was born in 1946 in the left hand one of the two cottages shown below on Gravel Walk (now Gravel Lane) Pauline lived next door to her grandparents, Mr & Mrs Belson.
Pauline recalls there was no mains water, and water was drawn up from a well in the garden and an outside toilet was at the end of the garden. The cottages had a wash house at the back with a copper basin under which a fire was lit to wash the clothes before being putting through the mangle.
Mains water came to Warborough around 1955 and a septic tank was dug. The water supply pipe is still visible alongside the bridge into the lane
Pauline started school in 1951 at Warborough School, which was in what is now St Laurence Hall. She started in Miss Kirby’s class, before moving on to Mr Bullock’s class and finally into Miss Knobs class. Miss Knobs was the Head Teacher and lived in School House on The Green South. Paul Gadd, (later to become Gary Glitter) lived at the Shillingford Children’s Home and went to Warborough School with Pauline.
Like most schools of the time, Pauline remembers the Tortoise stove used to heat the classroom. During the winter, the milk monitor had to bring in the milk and thaw it by the stove.
We all remember warm school milk, don’t we?
School dinners were taken in the old chapel on The Green South.
Mr Gainsborough, formerly Richard Nigel Tilley, a master chocolatier who lived in Ferry House, Shillingford gave each child in the school a box of chocolates at Christmas.
Sunday School, which Pauline attended was first in the Old Vicarage with Mrs Barker, the vicar’s wife taking the lessons. Later it moved to what is now known as Quaker House.
Pauline recalls the cottages built by Lionel Brett; later Lord Esher being originally called Coronation Cottages. At the most southerly Mrs Birdie Vaughan sold Tizer and Corona, the bottles were refundable, so she always made sure she returned them.
At Ash Tree Cottage she remembers Jim Waters Coal Merchants. Coal and paraffin were delivered around the surrounding villages.
Round in Quaker Lane, in one of the cottages now demolished Mrs Knight sold wool.
Moving onto The Green South, Ford Cottage was a sweet shop and at the Six Bells the landlady, Mrs Valavanis would sell Eldorado Ice Cream from the barn that extends on the left side of the pub.
‘A pure joy’ and a taste that Pauline can still remember
Nurse Gray lived in the Nurses House, now known as Jubilee Cottage.
Harry Turner ran the Post Office in Wharf Road and delivered mail twice a day on his bicycle.
Pauline married David Fletcher on 2nd April 1966 in St Laurence Church, Warborough. David was the grandson of W K Fletcher who ran the shop in the early 1900’s. William K Fletcher had seven children; he also owned a Grocery shop in Dorchester. When he left Warborough Stores he moved to Wharf Road where he took over some farm buildings and built up a confectionery and wholesale grocery business. He owned a Model T Ford which he used to make deliveries around the village. With the onset of the war and the subsequent shortage of sugar the confectionary business declined.
Six of the Fletcher children
Ron & Eric
Marie, Dorothy, Marjorie & Olive
Dorothy, William’s eldest daughter married Cyril Bullock who ran the bakery in the village, living opposite the bakery in the cottages set back from the Thame Road. The villagers would make use of the Bakery ovens at weekends to cook their dinners. Their son Tom was the teacher at the school.
David Fletcher lived in Dorchester where they live now, but Pauline always feels most at home when she comes into Warborough and is still a member of the WI.
Pauline chatted to Liz Eaton & Lynda Raynor on 18th July 2024