This site contains the stories of the people of Newbury, Berks, England. (Only the initials of the subscribers and the names of the streets they lived in are printed to protect privacy). Any new stories or information required on subscribers and the contents of their stories, contact: Gordon Rookes on e-mail: gin@rook1.orangehome.co.uk

NEWBURY MEMORIES. THE BACKSTREETS OF NEWBURY

ln compiling this history of the backstreets of Newbury l was initially asking for stories from people who lived in these houses during the post-war decades of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. But it soon became apparent that l was receiving e-mails and letters from people who had resided in Newbury back as far as the turn of the century. This made for a rich tapestry of life throughout the first part of the 20th century and to leave these letters out would have deprived the reader of a mixture of the wonderful, sad, and nostalgic experiences of their Newburian forefathers. l therefore include all the letters l received.

THE STREETS OF NEWBURY
The backstreets.
There have been alleyways, yards and passages leading off all three main streets of the town almost as long as there has been main streets. During the town's wealthy period of the wool trade in the 1500's it was the weavers who occupied the cottages in these backyards as their homes. These cottages were replaced by the new homes in question during the Victorian era with many of the yards changing their shapes and others being extended to accomodate Newbury's growing population.
ln 1917 a survey was carried out detailing the conditions of these back street properties which included the recommendation that these houses were in such disrepair that..
"the results of the enquiry may be sufficient to
show that there is a great need for immediate action."

However, as we shall see, progress was either very slow in fulfilling this action or nothing was done at all.
That said, the houses in which my family lived in Faircross Terrace, which were privately owned, were still inhabited up to the 1960's and were still structurally sound, albeit not conducive to prolonged habitation, when they were pulled down in the mid-1960's.

The People of Newbury. Their stories.

Mrs M. P. Craven Road. 1947
l remember the Christmas of 1947 when rationing was still in force and we found things were hard to get in order to celebrate the festivities. At the end of a year of power shortages, arctic weather and strikes my mother had her work cut out putting anything on the table. But mother being mother she improvised by filling bridge rolls with the ubiquitous dried egg scrambled with tomatoes. For dessert she would use mock cream with jam. Food decoration was limited to sliced sausage with beetroot and speared peas on cocktail sticks.
There were extra rations laid on for the celebrations but still many things were in short supply. The Ministry of Food recommended using carrots and mashed potato to substitute for dried fruits. The Christmas cake was another problem, and even if you found the right ingredients icing the cake was nigh impossible. This was because the country was short on sugar and such decorations were thought of as frivolous and unnecessary.

Mrs V. F. Pound Street 1942.
l was born in 1942 at 17, Pound Street, Newbury, which was my grandparents house (Mr and Mrs Eggleton). The house was a three-storey terrace with a cellar, and had been converted from a disused navvy hospital along with seven other houses in the street. This hospital had been built to accept the injured navvies working on the railway line in the 19th century. Once the railway was completed there was no need for the hospital.
When the house was modernised - from an outside loo and out-houses to all mod cons in the late 1960's/70's - a well was discovered in the back yard along with an arch which had housed the cooking range and was part of the kitchen to the hospital next door. All that covered the well was a concrete slab.
Approximately 500 yards from my grandparents house was St John's Church. The church was bombed in 1943 and at the same time a bomb hit the senior school at the bottom of our road and the almshouses opposite the church. Fifteen people were killed including three schoolchildren who were staying after school. Shaw House, a large Elizabethan house on the other side of town and which had been used by the army and the Americans during the war, was now empty and so the senior school was transferred to here.
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- Pound Street 1936 -
13. Gee Fras. Geo.
15. Hurd Wm. Jn.
17. Eggleton Hy. Jesse
19. Winter Wm.
21. Hudson Rt
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Victims of the 1943 bombing.
Newbury School: Sylvia Ruth Bishop; James Brown; Herbert Purdy; Joyce Patricia
Patroney; Mildred Alice Reid.
Almshouses: Amos & Mary Cooper; Jane Syms; Albert & Clara Singlehurst; Mr & Mrs Benham.
Newtown Road: Amy & Kathleen; Ethel Wallin.
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My first memory of seeing the bombed site and what was left of the church was just a wall behind the alter left standing. l used to pass the site on my way to St John's Infant school, which by then, 1947, was just a prefabricated building being used as a temporary church.

My first day at school passed without much angst while l played in the sand tray, and as l could already read l was left to my own devices. The shock came when l realised l had to go back the second day - and forever, according to my understanding. The shock was such that l ran home and fell head first down a very badly gravelled pitted slope. This did not stop me getting home, but l found my mother had even turned against me. She frog-marched me back to the school secretary in order to staunch the blood from my knee with iodine. from then on l went to scholl and did not repeat the exercise.
 lt wasn't all bad though, l can remember learning how to dance around the Maypole, with its long red, white and blue ribbons. Then on lovely hot summer days we would occasionally drag the benches from the classrooms and set them up on the grass in the shade of the old trees. There we would enjoy our lessons.
 We would also attend church services at the Parish of St Nicholas in Bartholomew Street. On the journey from the school we would have to form a 'crocodile', while walking sedately and holding hands. We were always flanked by our teachers.
 One such service was on Rememberance Day, but only those children who had lost a relation during the Second World War attended.

Newbury held a Schools Musical Festival in the Corn Exchange every year. My school would always enter and we were given a number of songs to learn and peices to play on our musical instruments. We would arrive with several other schools to play and sing our hearts out, practising in the mornings, awarding scores and then repeating it all again for audience, which comprised of our proud parents and the officials from Newbury.

 The junior school l attended was built in the 1800's on top of the old coke furnaces. These were under the wooden classroom floors and l can still smell the aroma that only burnt coke releases. In the 19th century the coke was delivered by lorry..........

Another memory l have from around this time was attending the cattle market in Market Street. The market was first built in 1873 with further ground being added in 1915. l hated going to the market. There was the noise of the animals, the shouting of the auctioneer, the smell of it all and the sight of the poor animals in their pens. ln my opinion it was revolting. Then in the 1950's l was cycling passed the market when this calf came lumbering out from between a lorry and pens. The calf and l both skidded to a halt, but the calf was killed. Although l wasn't hurt l cried because l thought the calf deserved to live. 
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- Newtown Road 1947 -
41. Visick Stanley, grocer
- Andover & Old Newtown Rds -
St John's C. of E. Primary Infant School
Thorn Mrs (Ashcroft)
61. Thorn T. & Sons masons
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Every Christmas we were taken to see the pantomime at the Corn Exchange, Newbury and see the Reading Show where my violin teacher, Mr Bush, played in the orchestra. l used to wave from the balcony to him at the interval and then meet him at the stage door. l thought he looked very handsome dressed in his evening suit.