Michael Teesdale's memories of Hothfield

Peter Krauss (aka Knowles) and Alan Rayson

their cart was made from bits from Great Chart dump

Mike with his Uncle Jack Stafford

at Waterfall Lake in the 1950s

Mike, his Mum Gladys and sister Yvonne

The family's Morris 8 is in the background

Mrs Teesdale and Mrs Dawson

resting on the step of 15 Beech Drive

Huts camp, good neighbours and a long-lost sweetheart

By Mike Teesdale and Annette (Allman)

I was born in my Gran’s house in Shadoxhurst. When I was a few months old my Mum (Gladys) and I moved to my Father’s homeland (South Wales)

Family circumstances meant that over the next few years we spent a lot of time back at my Gran’s.  It was during one of these visits that my Gran received the long awaited letter confirming she had been granted a council house. So in 1954 we moved to 15 Beech Drive, Hothfield.  My Gran’s first brand new house and with the paint still wet when we arrived.  Here began a wonderful time in my life. What a place to live and grow up. Freedom to explore the Common, the woods, the waterfall and the lakes. It seemed like heaven to us youngsters.

During these early days my friends included Ercole Esposito and Robin Miles. We spent a lot of time in Robin’s house with the lovely Mrs Miles. When denim jeans became popular she would taper ours on her electric sewing machine. Next door to Robin lived Michael Spragg and his Mum. Just around the corner from my house lived Alan Rayson and Peter Krauss (also known as Peter Knowles). Next door to us lived the Beaney family who were always good neighbours to my Gran. Graham Dawson and sister Patricia lived opposite.

During these years, one of my uncles (George Stafford) married a girl from Coach Drive (Phyllis Pincrole).

I too recall the outings the children of the village were treated to, including one where a mistake booking found us in a theatre expecting a pantomime, only to find ourselves being ushered out when the ladies on stage started removing their clothes!

I joined the church choir and remember pulling a truck around the village collecting newspapers for charity. These were stored in sheds by the walled garden. Our family used to visit Kempton Manor swimming pool where the biggest challenge seemed to be keeping our knitted trunks up.

Annette Allman moved from Minster to Thanet Terrace with her Mum, Dad and brother Chris when her father got a job at Ashford REME in 1958. We became what I suppose you would call ‘childhood sweethearts’, spending our evenings walking around the village and in Sainsbury’s doorway, buying Vimto and crisps from the back window of the Thanet Arms. We were young and after a while drifted off to spend time with other friends. Annette joined the WRAF in 1966

My best friends at this time included Ercole Esposito, Robin Murrell , Steve Matthews and David Higgs. John Roders had gone to Canada and Jimmy Fuller had moved from the village. A few years later Michael, Acky and I rode our bikes through Godington Park to work each morning.

Nearly 40 years later I saw Annette’s name on the internet site ‘Friends Reunited’. The rest, as they say, is history. After many e-mails and numerous visits to each other we became sweethearts again. We’ve been happy together now for the last 12 years. We’ve also been reunited with Acky, Robin, Steve and their families and more recently with Jimmy Bishop. John Roders and sister Karen have visited from Canada to see us all.

My son Michael lives in Ashford with his family, Annette’s Dad (now 93) lives in Maidstone and her brother Chris in nearby Kingswood. So with family and friends still in Kent, we visit quite regularly. We never miss a little drive around Hothfield a place that will always hold such wonderful memories for us.

Yours

Mike Teesdale & Annette