Monday, June 15, 2009

A walk home along High Street, Wing, Buckinghamshire

Stand at the south end of High Street. To the right, the dust is kicking up from the carts travelling the road to Ascott and Leighton Buzzard. To the left, the Dove Inn1.

The Dove Inn looks pretty quiet this afternoon. There's the Pollard boys, hard at work in the blacksmith's shop next door. William's been looking a mite peaky lately, he's stopped to take a rest2. Hold on, there's Ernest across the road waving at me. Better go see what he wants...

Well I never! He's got some more of those post-cards in, photographs of our little village with his name on the back and all - "Cleaver, Wing, Bucks". He thinks the hoity toity set that come to Ascott for the hunting will be keen to buy 'em. That lot are only interested in horses if you ask me, the posh kind, not the good honest carthorses on some of the postcards.

One of the pictures was taken right about where I'm standing now, outside his post office looking up the road. Mrs Cleaver was in the doorway of the post office, and the other neighbours had quite the set-out by the Queen's Head. Have to admit, I came rushing over too when I heard that photographer chap from Leighton was here - but you won't catch me in the photographs! All very interesting it was though. Particularly when Mrs Lovell3 gave him what-for for blocking the road!

Speaking of the Queen's Head, perhaps I'll stop in for a quick pint with Henry.

That's odd, he's not there. Up the road at the Cock Inn4 maybe?

Right, had a quick chat and a wee bit to wet my whistle. I don't think Henry's missus will be pleased though, he's had more than a wee bit!

At the Cross5, so nearly home now. Ernest had another new post-card in, some of the little 'uns dandling about in the road with Wantage House behind. James Adams did well enough, him a carpenter and now managing the estate for Lady Wantage and living in the big House to prove it. You can't quite see our cottage on the postcard though - just as well, or my Mary6 would be wanting one. And who's she going to send it to anyway, I ask you!

This blog post is an entry in A Festival of Postcards blog carnival for "Main Street" June 2009

1 - did I mention it's 1901? It's another century or so before the Dove stopped serving.
2 - William Pollard died in March 1902 at age 24, six months after his only surviving child was born - luckily for me...
3 - Mrs Julia Lovell was one of the village carriers.
4 - yes, that makes three pubs along the 400m total length of High Street.
5 - the intersection of High Street and Vicarage Lane
6 - play along at home with the 1901 census and guess which Wing resident might be walking home!

9 comments:

Evelyn Yvonne Theriault said...

Good morning, Alex.
I want to thank you for your beautifully written post for the 2nd Edition of A Festival of Postcards.
Your post will be the featured article for this edition which will be posted in about 8 hours.
Congratulations!
Evelyn in Montreal

Alex Coles said...

Thank you very much Evelyn - I'm honoured to be chosen :)

I have posted a followup entry about the back of one of the postcards here.

Purple Heather said...

There's a nice postcard of Handpost, Wing on eBay at the moment (but it's a bit pricey)

Alex Coles said...

Thanks Purple Heather. Yes, it is a bit pricey.....if postcards came labelled with the names of the small children posing nicely in them I wouldn't be able to resist!

Purple Heather said...

Do you have a date for the postcard of The Cross?

We live just off the postcard and it's interesting to see how the area used to look (and to confirm that even back then our cottage had a clay tile roof.

I agree that postcards would be even more valuable if there are names to the faces. My ancestors moved from Wing before this photo would have been taken but they had cousins who still lived in the area.

Alex Coles said...

I don't have a date for the Cross postcard but believe it's c.1900. My BAKER family lived "on the Cross" in the 1891 census.

Judith Richards Shubert said...

What a wonderful post, Alex! I enjoy your writing. This is a great submission to the Festival of Postcards.

Brett Payne said...

Interesting postcard photographs, Alex, and a great story thank you. Looking forward to future photograhic contributions! Regards and best wishes from Tauranga

Alex Coles said...

Thanks for stopping by, Judith and Brett. I'll be trying to contribute to some more of the genealogical blog carnivals where I can find an angle that suits the focus of this blog - it's a good opportunity to put together something a little out of the ordinary!

 
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