Just to mention that anyone collecting loyalty card points for the supermarket chain starting with T ending O, you can exchange them via their Rewards scheme for Days Out vouchers which include entry to the excellent Dean Heritage Centre at Soudley. This effectively gives us 1/4 price entry. I've just obtained some coupons for this purpose, easy online transaction, received by post just three days later, they don't expire until end of January 2015.
Please visit this deserving museum and the Gage library(Wednesdays only).

http://www.deanheritagecentre.com/

PS please be assured I'm not in any way linked to the above supermarket, I'm just a tightfisted Vurrister trying to help others eke out their hardearned pennies !.

Your post mentioning many names brought back a lot of memories of my first seven years. As I said my grandparents Richard and Annie Fowler lived at the Marefold,which was a lovely old house surrounded by gardens and orchards. The taste of the greengages remain with me today and I know that quite a few people have memories of going "scrumping " for apples and being chased by Richard.
I was born at a house called Ivydean next door to the house where the Foley family lived with their family including Rex who became a great painter of forest scenes.
My father Fred was a fan of cricket, and I remember Ted Nelmes created a cricket pitch near his home and we all used it from time to time.
Many an afternoon was spent by Aaron s or herons pond, and with all the locals spreading their towels on the bank it felt like being at the seaside. I knew Bilk who was friends with my Dad and my best friend was Wendy Merry. We walked to school at Ellwood, stopping to plait rushes on the way. I had a very happy childhood and being so young was not really aware of the war except that my Dad was in the army and having blackouts at the window. Happy memories