Seriously underused forum...

[monicamary]

Thankyou normanspants for your letter but am hoping I have succeeded according to my last letter.
All those spiders,snakes etc. does,nt really worry us you have to live out in the bush to see them but it always pays to be careful especially in this hot weather.It is still 40degrees today so another day inside with the air-conditioner on.
Thank goodness its not as hot as this often I remember coming home to Tetbury quite few years ago arriving on Christmas Eve and that evening standing under the Town-hall listening to carol singers I loved it but it was,nt long before I wanted to get back to my family here.I think most ex-pats live in limbo,when we are here we call England home and when we are there we call Australia home.I would still like the Poms to beat the Aussies at cricket though.
Regards Monicamary.

[charlie k]

bograt said:

I believe the shop near the junction of Church St and West St causing the confusion between pets and sweets was at number 43. It used to be a Sweet shop but the old lady that ran it sold pet mice as well. Im afraid I cant remember her name, but it was there for a long time, as my Father in law bought mice from her. Later it was a design studio / collectables shop called Deco.

[charlie k]

charlie said:

bograt said:

I believe the shop near the junction of Church St and West St causing the confusion between pets and sweets was at number 43. It used to be a Sweet shop but the old lady that ran it sold pet mice as well. Im afraid I cant remember her name, but it was there for a long time, as my Father in law bought mice from her. Later it was a design studio / collectables shop called Deco.

The other shop in church street was owned by mr and mrs cook

[cliff]

Greetings to all of my readers. Now back from Malta. Quite perturbed to see all of the angst in the last couple of pages. If I re-call correctly without looking back to previous pages it was suggested that the subject matter could be something like " Do you remember when ?" giving Tetbury ex-pats the chance to go down memory lane. It was also an opportunity for anyone interested in how it used to be and ask the question.
MODERATOR. Is it possible to set up another Forum along those lines? It could be that anyone still living in Tetbury would then have no need to access a forum that is of no interest to them. We could then go on to use words of more than the norm of four letters.
Nice to see another reader. Greetings Charlie K. Hope to see you in print again.
MONICA MARY Will be in touch in the usual way once I have got back into my routine. Made several attempts at a cyber cafe but owing to the slightly different format lost out at every attempt. It really does go to show you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Also tried to answer Phillip H with the same result.
Happy New Year to you all out there in the ether.
Cliff.

[Webmaster]

Personally, I don't see the problem with you using the General Forum. Perhaps this subject's name ("Seriously underused forum...") is a bit misleading though? Should I change it to something more relevant to the topic being discussed?

[cliff]

WEBMASTER.
I agree that we could possibly amend the title of seriously under used forum to something more appropriate. Have you any suggestions ? Be pleased to see what other readers think, and welcome their suggestions.
Cliff B.

[monicamary]

Hi Webmaster,Icant really see the problem about changing the name of the Forum because apart from a couple of us ex-pats most letters are from the local people and I have taken the advice of normanspants and Webmaster to ignore some of the messages
Regards Monicamary.

[cliff]

Hi to any one out there,
With thanks to Lewis CARROL for the following quote. "The time has come the Walrus said, to talk of many things! "
Now that the furore has died down, does anyone want to set up conversation. Willing to talk about any thing. If interested can help with memories your Parents/Grandparents mentioned of a Tetbury child hood mid-30's to early 1950's. Maybe if you are as old as me, "Do you remember when?)
Will be nice to hear from you.
Cliff.B

[monicamary]

Hello all,
Just looking through previous letters and read one from Charlie k
dated 7th JAN.I remember when Mr and Mrs Cook had the sweet shop next door to Mrs Clarke but before that there was a a Mr and Mrs Pegler I believe Mrs Pegler had the Sweet shop and Mr Pegler had a small Grocers Shop.All this has started my memory working overtime and I have worked my way up Church St to the top of the town on the left hand side and now will try and work my way down Long St. to the bottom of the town, it iwas all so different to what it was the last time I was in Tetbury.I am now going to work my way up the other side.Its surprising what things amuse you after dinner on a Monday evening relaxing with a nice glass of red.

[cliff]

Hi Monicamary,
Glad to see that you are back to using the forum. Nice to sit in the evening sun with a glass of the red stuff. Here it is wet, cool and grey and Horlicks at bed time.
Yes, Mrs CLARK/E did keepthe shop on the corner of West Street, and her Son Fred was the local gas fitter/meter colloector.
I still remember him emptying the penny slot gas meter we used to have. Fuel was a lot cheaper then. Yes there were two PEGLAR/ER shops next door to each other, a sweet shop and a grocery shop. In between Mrs C. and the PEGLARS' when I was a lad was a model aero shop. We spent many happy hours there , followed by happy days flying the models at Larkhill. I do not remember the name of the shop keeper but he was the projectionist at the Palace Picture House.
Anothet couple of name s for your cerebral exercise. Who were, what were they and where were they ? Fent PEGLAR, Miss GOODRICH, Sadler WEST, Frank HILLS, Doris VIRGO.
Could send more but have received 3 minute warning.
Keep in touch,
Cliff.

Glad to see you are exercising the grey brain cells

[monicamary]

Hello Cliff and everyone out there,
First of all Cliff,answering your queries about people in Tetbury.Doris Virgo had Greengrocer shop in Long st,Fent Pegler had small shop opposite St Mary,s Church on the corner of Church and Silver St, he sold heels and soles to mend shoes amongst other things,Frank Hills had Television and Radio Shop also sold papersand magazines and sweets also was a repair man for radios etc, his shop was in the market place near the post office, Miss Goodrich was another greengrocer and where the Cheese shop is now was another sweet shop Mrs Jonathan.
Now back to you Tetbury people has anyone got parents or Grandparents with names that were Beryl Jones Audrey Constable, Christabel Ind,Beryl Baker (now Alley) I am getting names from old school photo could name many more,I am in contact with four so far but all male and I love getting them and talking about old times but would love to hear from some of the girls as well.Here,s hoping Regards Monica

[cliff]

Hi Monicamary,
Not bad on some of the names. Frank HILL was in the class behind me and his Father had Cranbrooke Radio Shop, having evacuated the Family from Cranbrooke,Kent. We charged the glass accumulators for the old steam radios there for 6d each week. His shop was on the other side of the road from the Church, since demolished . Another couple to test you:[ Aubrey FOWLES, IVES, SATTELEY, MURRAYS. HARRIS,(Draper)
That all for now folks, very busy trying to organise my next trip to Moscow and all of the awkward things involved, Visas etc.

[monicamary]

Hi Cliff and everyone.
As you are testing my memory Cliff,here are my answers as far as I can remember.
Aubry Fowles sold bicycles amongst other things in Long st.
Ives was the Local Buses.
Sattely was Jewellers near White Hart Hotel.(Snooty Fox)
Murrays was Fish and Chip shop.
Harris,s was Drapers shop that sold everything,Clothes for Men and women also Material etc.
Still sure Fent Pegler was on the corner of Church St and Silver St and Frank Hills was the radio and television shop near where the newsagent is now.
Perhaps someone in Tetbury can look that up for us to see who has the best memory,just joking Cliff I know from your Emails you have a marvellous memory Monica

[cliff]

Hi Monica Mary,
No good asking about GILLETTS, FAWKES,INTERNATIONAL STORES,TROOPER WITCHELL, Everyone remembers them, but how many are there now that can remember Q'ing up with a ration book in their hands to get what ever was on offer?. Is there anyone out there who like me bought blasting powder at 9d a pound, and fuse to use with same at 3d a yard. I guess we are lucky to be still alive after making "bangers" with it. If Gordon PULLEY is still out there, can he remember when we nearly set fire to the " Drum " (Prince of Wales). I guess Trooper was lucky not to have been arrested under the Explosives Act.
I must admit that despite a reasonable memory, one or two businesses escape me. Shops either side of International, one became the Maple Leaf Cafe, but I remember it as a toy shop run by two elderly "sisters"?. On the other side a shoe shop, MILLWARDS There are one or two more, but I will leave those for another time.
I only wish we had a few more interested viewers.
Cliff.B.

[monicamary]

Hi Cliff,
The name of the toy shop owners was the two Miss Millers.
The Maple leaf Cafe was nicknamed the Pie and Mash by us teenagers.
Mr Long owned a Menswear shop by the Internationals Stores.The Post Office used to be there also and there was a Shoe Shop plus shoe menders(cobblers) owned by Bill Williams.
A bit farther up on the corner of Church and Long st was a big sweet shop called Mrs Gething, the last time I was there was a very exclusive ladies wear shop.
I could go on for ever about Tetbury Shops but it does,nt seem like apart from you and I Cliff no one seems to be interested or have,nt read this forum.
Now back to normal and get stuck into being a boring housewife and its not easy in this awful humid weather although half of Australia is flooded we on the S.East forget what its like to have a good shower of rain,it looks very dull today so here,s hoping.
Regards to every one in Tetbury
Monica