Category Archives: Oral History

Cottage life

Posted on 12th June 2018 by Ruiha Smalley

Now back at the cottage our life with the Bennets and Morriss’ went on. We had a huge walnut tree, it really belonged to Captain Bentley but it was our patch for the tap, which supplied all the water for … Continue reading →

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Life at Wilmar

Posted on 11th June 2018 by Ruiha Smalley

Now for my life living in Wilmar (1930).  (This was not the sort of house that we were used to and we were only there because my mother acted as caretaker when the family were abroad.) I can only tell … Continue reading →

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Poverty and home life

Posted on 8th June 2018 by Ruiha Smalley

Poor people seldom had the doctor, it was far too expensive and if they did call they were never too bothered.   We were all vaccinated when we were small they used to prick you three or four times on the … Continue reading →

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Tony Austin: “Thong Lane all my life”

Posted on 7th June 2018 by Ruiha Smalley

I have lived in three of the four Cheney’s Cottages in Thong Lane all my life, they were originally built for Darnley Estate workers and later rented to workers at Cheney’s Farm. I originally lived in one of the cottages … Continue reading →

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Ray Lucas: Shorne in the 1950s

Posted on 7th June 2018 by Ruiha Smalley

At the time I used to go to Shorne Woods, all during the 1950’s, I lived in Taunton Vale, there were five of us that used to roam everywhere and the woods was one of our haunts. To get to … Continue reading →

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