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