Tower and Town, February 2016 (view the full edition)Earlier Times in MarlboroughI was born Ann Rushen in Savernake Hospital in 1942. My father was a milkman. Winters were hard, no salt on the roads and hills almost impassable. There were floods in The Parade. The swimming pool was filled from the river. Very cold on a Monday! My uncle, Mr Turner, taught at St Peter's Boys, now the Library, and my mother at St Mary's in Herd Street (infants and junior girls). I remember Miss Underwood, Miss Shelton and Miss Gregory. Mrs North and Miss Pearce. The Grammar School is now St Peter's and I was the last Head Girl in 1959/60. Sheep were herded to fairs on the Common from the station up Herd Street, and sometimes ended up on our lawn, as did some troops at the end of the war. The Library was behind the Council offices on The Green and very small, but well used. Dobson's garage in New Road is now the wine shop and Leader's garage in the High Street is now WH Smith's and the Prospect shop. There was another, Bell's, by St Peter's Church, now Cook's. There were four dairy rounds: us, Nash's and Church Farm (Harris's), and the Co-op that also had a shop in the High Street. There was Stratton's, the large grocery store in the High Street, and Dible and Roy's, which had a massive fire, as did the Polly tea rooms. The firemen involved there received medals for bravery. On the Common had been an American hospital and a prisoner of war camp. When this was disbanded, the Nissen huts were used by the Council to house those who were waiting for the houses in St Margaret's Mead to be finished, not squatters! Gale's honey farm was next to the entrance to this. The town did not mix with the College. They were however the main place of employment. The schools were allowed to use the Chapel for a combined carol service. The College also hosted the swimming carnival in the moat Ann Owen |