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HELLO, I DID THE STREETS OF OUR PART OF OLD STOKE WHICH WAS STOKE BRIDGE & THE RIVERSIDE OF WHERSTEAD ROAD UP TO LAMBERTS THE FRUITERER & THE BETTER KNOWN PORKY PRYOR'S JUST SO IT & THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE IN MY TIME WON'T BE FORGOTTEN ALTOGETHER.IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF OLD STOKE I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THESE & IF YOU CAN SCAN THEM AT 150 DPI & EMAIL THEM TO ME OR EVEN POST THEM (EMAIL ME FOR MY ADDRESS) I WILL RETURN EVERY ONE THAT IS POSTED. SO IF YOU COULD SEND THEM EMAIL OR POST WITH YOUR NAME I THINK THAT WOULD BE NICE AT LEAST SOME OF US WON'T BE FORGOTTEN SO PLEASE SEND ME THOSE OLD STOKE PHOTO'S. EVEN IF YOU CAN'T SEND ANY PHOTO'S LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTO'S OR STORIES TO TELL, YOU CAN EMAIL ME DIRECT ON THESE ADDYS IF YOU WISH. THANKS

Email us:- ipswich2006@ntlworld.com

I HAVE SUCH GOOD MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD OVER STOKE THAT JUST TO GO OVER & STAND BY THE RIVER NEAR WHERE THE ORWELL PUB WAS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF IMAGINATION YOU CAN SEE THE RIVER LADY TIED UP AT THE STAGES OLD BILL THE FERRYMAN ROWING ACROSS THE RIVER,ALL THE KIDS SWIMMING IN THE RIVER & DIVING OFF THE STAGES & ON A SATURDAY NIGHT THE YANKS COMING ALONG NEW CUT WEST IN LORRIES GOING TO THE DANCE AT RANSOMES & RAPIERS CLUB, I WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE YANKS THEY WERE GOOD TO US KIDS THEY GAVE US CHOCOLATE & CHEWING GUM THEY MUST HAVE HEARD THAT SAYING "HEV YOU GOT ANY GUM CHUM" A THOUSAND TIMES BUT STILL THE GAVE US SOME.A WALK FURTHER ON YOU CAME TO THE IRONS (R&R'S STEEL) THESE WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND US KIDS USED TO CLIMB ALL OVER THEM & THINK NOTHING OF IT, (HEAVEN FORBID IF I SAW THE GRANDCHILDREN DOING IT TODAY), THEN YOU COME TO OLD STOKE BATHING PLACE A PIECE OF THE RIVER FENCED OFF, THE FIRST BIT WAS THE FREE UN A CORNER FENCED OFF & JUST SOME WATER TO SWIM IN, NOW THE TUPPENYS (2 OLD PENNIES TO GET IN) WAS A DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH ALTOGETHER, IT HAD WALKWAYS ROUND THE SIDES TO DIVE OFF A HIGH DIVING BOARD IN THE MIDDLE CUBICLES TO GET CHANGED IN A REFRESHMENTS HUT & IT EVEN HAD A BUMBY, YOU MIGHT LAUGH NOW BUT IT WAS BRILLIANT TO US KIDS. OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR Mr. HARVEY USED TO RUN THE BATHING PLACE HE WAS A REAL GENT TO US KIDS. FURTHER ALONG THE RIVER YOU WOULD COME TO WHAT WE CALLED THE VALLEY IT WAS JUST THE GROUND RUNNING AWAY REALLY, THEN THERE WAS THE CYCLE SPEEDWAY TRACK I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE IT JUST THAT IT WAS ALWAYS THERE, NEVER MASTERED THE SPEEDWAY MYSELF MAYBE BECAUSE IT WAS MY GRANDADS BIKE & IT HAD TO BE BACK IN THE CONDITION I BORROWED IT NOT A MARK ON IT, THEN IF YOU TURNED RIGHT YOU WOULD COME OUT ON THE WHERSTEAD RD AT THE BLACK BRIDGE, DOWN ON THE RIGHT WAS THE LANE TO THE HALIFAX DAIRY UP THERE AND TURN LEFT WAS A SHORTCUT TO BOURNE PARK, IF THE TIDE WAS OUT YOU WENT HERE TO PLAY IF THE TIDE WAS IN YOU WENT SWIMMING IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT REALLY, UNLESS YOU HAD ERRANDS TO RUN NORMAL THINGS LIKE GROCERIES & FAGS WERE EASY YOU GOT THEM FROM FRED BARNES ONTHE CORNER OF PURPLETT ST. & KEMP ST. OR Mrs.BECKWITHS ON THE CORNER OF PURPLETT ST. & HAWES ST. BUT IF YOU HAD TO GO & GET COAL THAT WAS DIFFERENT WE HAD AN OLD PRAM FOR THIS JOB WE USED TO TAKE ANY OLD RAGS WE COULD FIND TO TRY & FILL UP THE PRAM, FIRST THING YOU DID WAS SORT OUT THE WOOLLENS YOU GOT A BIT MORE FOR THOSE, ALL THIS DONE WE WOULD WALK DOWN VERNON ST. OVER STOKE BRIDGE THROUGH THE DOCK PAST CRANFIELDS TO COPROLITE ST. & UP TO LONG ST. TO WEIGH IN OUR RAGS HAVING DONE THAT WE WOULD CALL IN MELLONIES COALYARD GET A HALF CWT OF COAL DELIVER TO WHOEVER ORDERED IT GOT OUR PAYMENT USUALLY A TANNER & THERE WE WERE WELL OFF FOR A LITTLE WHILE & A GOOD JOB DONE. WE ALL WENT TO LUTHER RD. PRIMARY SCHOOL UNTIL WE WERE ELEVEN BOYS WENT ON TO TOWER RAMPARTS & THE GIRLS WENT ON TO CHRISTCHURCH IN BOLTON LANE. A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER THEY STARTED PULLING THE HOUSES DOWN IN OUR AREA & AFTER PEOPLE MOVED WE ALL SEEMED TO LOSE TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER IT'S A PITY REALLY BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU SEE ONE OF YOUR OLD CLASSMATES YOU ARE BOTH REALLY PLEASED TO SEE EACH OTHER IT SORT OF CHEERS THE DAY UP & MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. I'M NOT SAYING EVERYONE HAS MEMORIES LIKE THIS ABOUT OLD STOKE THESE ARE JUST MINE & I WOULD'NT CHANGE THEM FOR THE WORLD.(I MIGHT DO). ALL THE BEST & THANKS FOR HAVING A LOOKSEE AT THE WEB PAGE.