Top Photo:
The Stationmaster's house at Cannop. 1955.
Bottom Photo: David recalled (Jan 2007):
Left to right : 1 - I'm afraid I can't remember his name, but he lived in a cottage on the opposite corner., 2 - Davina Morris, Station Master's Daughter, 3 - Brian Kerr at whose house the picture was taken, 4 - myself David Morris, the Station Master's son.
The buildings in the background belong to the charcoal factory.

David continued (Jan 2007): "I went to Broadwell primary school, then to Bells grammar school. My family moved to Cannop about 1948-50 when my father Donald Morris (left) was appointed Station master. Previously he was a clerk at Ross on Wye. When we moved there, there was an army store consisting of a large hanger style building at the cross roads opposite the charcoal factory, and a truck depot. There were, towards Cannop Ponds, large stores of bombs hidden under the trees, these were in the process of being loaded into rail trucks to go to Lydney dock where they were taken out to sea in barges and dumped. Cannop colliery was of course in full production then and large supplies of coal were transported by rail. Two people I remember who worked at the station was a porter whose name was Eddie (Edward) Ruck, I believe he was eventually Lord Mayor of Lydney. A signal man was Bill (William) Farley, He lived at Lydbrook, he had seven daughters. The manager of the charcoal works was a Mr Goldstein (?) who lived in a white two story house at the cross roads, he was unfortunate in that he had a young daughter who was killed by a flying brick when he took her to see a large chimney being demolished. Another person I remember who lived in the second group of miners cottages those near the colliery, was a man surname Salmon, he had a truck and no doubt carted coal. Another family, who lived near the Jones's, first group of cottages, were the Coopers, he won a place on council and succeeded in having a street light erected opposite his house. Going to school entailed a walk up Cannop Hill to Broadwell where one of my teacher's was a Miss Smith, then later on to Bells at Coleford. I also remember gypsies in their horse drawn caravans. Is it politically correct to call them Gypsies these days?. They made clothes pegs from a split stick with a bit of jam tin wrapped and nailed around it for strength, and sold them locally. At the Cannop colliery was the cooling pond, called by everyone the Lido, a favourite swimming hole and picnic ground. I believe the Lido survived the ravages of the Iron Maiden. M. Thatcher, Not much else has".
Thanks to Ivor Ellis for adding (Jan 2007): "The man refered to in these notes was a Mr Goldsworthy (I think that's how it is spelt) He lived in Castle Main House at Parkend. His daughter was killed at the felling of Castle Main chimney."

Thanks also to Janet Kear who added (Feb 2007) "As far as I know the Mr Ruck mentioned by David became Lord Mayor of Whitecroft not Lydney. It was Mr Goldsworthy senior who lived in the house on Cannop cross (now the Pygmy Pinetum) and it was his son Frank who lived at Castle Main House Parkend. Frank's daughter Lee was killed by a brick when the chimney at Parkend Pit was felled. Mr Salmon worked at Cannop Pit and his neighbours Mr and Mrs Symonds ran the coal lorry while their sons were in the army (later to become T.D. Symonds Coal Merchants).

Thanks also to Matthew Cavill who added (Mar 2007): "Re - The cottages you mentioned near the cross roads and Mr. Cooper, My family lived at No. 3 next door to Mr. Cooper. My grandfather was Horace Preece, my mother and father moved to the cottage from the bungalow on the crossroads which was owned by the factory 'Wood Distillation'. My father was Alfred Baldwin and he was foreman of the Wood Distillation and worked for Mr. Goldsworthy".