Bell Hill, Lydbrook in the late 1930s.
Bell Hill, Lydbrook - late 1930s
Kelvin wrote (June 2008): "
I've attached a photo which came into my possession when my mam died.
She had told me that it was a photo of Lydbrook taken in the late 1930's when she, her brother and parents visited relatives of her mother.
I believe it could either be a photo of were they stayed or a photo taken from were they stayed !
My great grandfather, Alfred John Lear Taylor, moved from Lydbrook to Llanelli in the late 1890's with his parents, Alfred Johns and Elizabeth Taylor nee Lear.
My mam died before I took an interest in family history and my uncle who accompanied her and who is still alive, has only a vague memory of the trip, but he did tell me that he remembers a row of terrace houses with gardens in the front and a hillside behind ?
Dave Stafford wrote (Jan 2009): "My relatives lived in the
cottage to the left. Marg was the local postie in the 60s. Uncle Tom had a
sister Gladys who was married to Norman Lewis and lived at "Suncrest"
opposite, below the "Ghosthouse". When we stayed this was an old cottage
but was rebuilt in the 1970s. My gran was Dorothy, another sister, who moved
to Bath before the war. As a child we used to spend our holidays at "Suncrest". No streetlights, outside toilet, a real eye opener for a "city
boy". I was always fascinated on how small Uncle Tom and aunty Margs house
was! Other relatives were Gwen who moved to Manchester where she had a
boarding house and another brother (name escapes me) who lived at Drybrook.
I remember the Bell Inn because my Uncle Norman would take my Dad, an
occasional drinker,there and my brothers and I would wait to see him being
carried home!! I remember an old lady lived in the "ghosthouse" who used
to play the piano and sing for us, her voice had deteriorated but every
now and then she hit the right notes and it was heavenly! She also had an
Ostrich egg which was huge! I believe her daughter lived in a house on the
left of the steps leading to Joys Green. As a teenager in the early 70s I
was friends with Linda Symonds, her dad was the local butcher, and Alison
Edwards,her family ran the shop opposite the Post Office. Where are they
now? Let me know!!".
Barry Lewis wrote (Feb 2009): "The two cottages in the
foreground: In the early Thirties my grancher, Charles Probert, lived in
the one to the left with my grandma Elizabeth (nee Lear). He owned the
left-hand one where my parents, Norman Lewis and Gladys (nee Probert) lived
and where I was born. In 1936 we moved to the cottage 'Suncrest' the other
side of the brook".
"The small white cotage in the front of the photo housed telephone
communications equipment and my gran was paid a small sum to keep it's
attached garden tidy".
"The house behind was owned by the Smith family. Mr Smith 'Barney' was the
bass drummer in the village band. Mr and Mrs Hunt lived in the white
cottage to the left".
Sue Crocombe added (August 2009): "... to Dave Stafford - Alison and her family still run the shop in Lydbrook - I went in there last year and Pip her brother seems to be the man in charge now - but their parents still help out!".
Eddie Bosticco added (March 2017): "... I think I may know who the Mr. & Mrs. Hunt (referred to by Brian Lewis) are: George (1900-1962) and Hilda (nee Downes) (1905-1951) Hunt. My Mum, Pearl Bosticco (nee Hunt) (1927-2005) was born on Bell Hill possibly in the cottage mentioned by Brian Lewis. Her parents were George and Hilda Hunt. I guess her brother Ray (1925) would have lived there, too, along with her sister: Dorothy (1929). By 1931 they lived in Holbrook and then moved to Joys Green. I'm not sure where her other brothers (Tony and John) and sister (Jean) were born. My Great Grandad Benjamin Hunt (1954-1929) lived on Bell Hill with his wife Catherine (nee Cotterell) (1857-1923) and their children who were probably born there: Laura, James, Mabel and George (my Grandad). Also, William Cotterell (Sophie's son) lived there. Benjamin's brothers: Thomas (1851-1929) and Charles (1863-1929) also lived on Bell Hill. There is some (newspaper) evidence that my Great Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Hunt (nee Jones) (1824-1900) lived on Bell Hill ...".
... Angela Lewis added (October 2023): "We had the house rebuilt in 1970 as one house and Dave Stafford and his twin brother used to stop at Suncrest with me and the family; we used to go blackcurrant picking in summer holidays. Patrick lewis, my eldest son has now been scattered down at the river in Lydbrook tump".
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