Mrs Phyllis Alcock old Exwickonian
Extracts from two letters received by RAMM, summer 2009 from Phyllis Alcock
By RAMM Development Officer Living Here
June 2009
I hope you won't mind my contacting you, but I really must say 'THANK YOU'.
"My younger daughter made 1st contact via the web (or something!).... Exwick came up to her view which led her somehow to Mrs Nell Tolley's Poem entitled 'On Exwick Farm' the farm where I was born in 1921!!
Now, my reason for writing 'thanks' to you, is because for so many years, I have longed to know more about what must have only been a few years living on the farm - if that for me.
My Father, Cecil George Roberts, farmer and fruit grower and my Mother, Victoria (Queenie nee Foster) were married at Glastonbury Congregational Church, on Janurary 22nd, 1917 by the Reverend T. Morgan.
It has always been of great interest, but sadly, a complete mystery to me, how a Welshman met and married the daughter of a farmer/blacksmith from Dorchester, and were married in a Somerset town!! I shall never know now, as all those who could tell me are now 'resting' on another shore, and in a GREATER LIGHT' as the Anglicans put it so beautifully.
There were three of us children, May, Lewis, Phyllis. Eighteen months difference (app) in age between each of us, May being the senior, and myself the youngest.
My farther died at the age of 45 years; don't know the cause, leaving Mum with the rented farm, which I understand was in the ownership of Sir Redvers Buller - one of the Boer War Generals, and the young children - Mary, the eldest, was 'adopted' by 'Uncle John and Auntie Florrie' at about the age of 7 years, and went to live with them at Glastonbury, where 'Uncle John' was a builder and owned a brickworks.
Mum, Lewis and I moved into Exeter, to Bystock Terrace, where Mum rented a house and took in what we then called 'paying guests' (lodgers today!). We eventually moved to Glastonbury, to be nearer to my sister, and then, 'on' to Bristol, when Lewis left school, as the only work available at Glastonbury was either 'below town' at Clarkson & Moreland Sheepskin rug and slipper factory, or at Clarks Shoes at Street, two miles walk away, and Lewis wanted to go into Horticulture so Uncle Douglas, who was an Essex Seed Merchant, found him a job at a Nursery Garden near Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
I became 'Hooked' on a career in Baking, at the age of 10 years, when my Mum took me to a cookery demonstration by the 'Belling Gas Oven' Company at the Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury. I still have the Belling cook book she bought me!!
I had one more year at school in Bristol, and then found myself a job in a bakery at a 'HOME-MADE-CAKE' shop and restaurant.
We were both very happy in our respective jobs, and were planning to say 'THANK YOU' to Mum, in various ways, for all the sheer hard work she did for us, when 'BANG' September 1939 and War.
My brother and (we heard) sister Mary were in H.M. Forces, but I was given a 'Compassionate Posting' in a local factory making aeroplane components; Mum had been entirely without hearing for a many years, (don't know how many) but of course, she was still at great risk when I was at work on the three shift system. 2 to 10pm, 10 to 6am, 6 to 2pm, alternate weeks, and we lived 5 minutes away from Bristol Aeroplane Factory at Filton.
My brother Lewis was called up at midnight on the day war was declared (he was in the Territorial Army). He went to various theatres of war, without 'Home Leave' - ship torpedoed on the return from an aborted landing at Dieppe - War Office Telegram "dangerously ill in Military Hospital - regret no visiting allowed".
No 'Home Leave' on wonderful recovery to health, but a transfer from the 6th Gloucester Regiment to the Tank Corps and an immediate posting to Burma to join the Ghurkhas in stopping the invasion of Burma by the Japanese.
Came THE END - 1945 and Mum and I eagerly awaited his coming home; we hadn't seen one another for six years and I had lots to tell (and lots to try to forget)."
On Sunday morning, October 28th 1945, I took my Mum a cup of tea and found her dead - I still don't need to look at the calendar on that day; I was 24 - Post Mortem - Inquest - Coroner's report which I had to have explained afterwards .... (neither brother or sister brought home for funeral, had to 'wait their turn for demob'. Self and Auntie Dorothy only at the funeral).
It is to the eternal regret of Lewis and myself, that Mum never gave us our family history, but as my brother is the 'carbon copy' of his Dad (photographs) it is understandable.
I am severely disabled with Osteoarthritis - excuse the handwriting!
It has been GREAT to 'talk' to you - therapy for me!
Keep up the good work,"
Yours sincerely Phyllis V. Adcock
August 2009
"Thank you so very much for the copies of the Exwick Trail... I have sent one to my only brother, we are the only two of our family living now, Lewis is 89 and I shall be 88 on the 11th September this year.
The Exwick Trail booklet was WONDERFUL - it gives us a great deal of fresh history, and Lewis and I send very many thanks to you, and everyone who went to the trouble to compile it; at least we know a little more of our childhood hamlet etc!!! Though Mrs Tolley told me that the horse trough is now hidden in a hedge and the River Exe is no longer in existence, but is now a Flood Relief Scheme!!"
With very best wishes to you ALL and may HISTORY Flourish
Yours sincerely Phyllis V. Alcock
Published with kind permission of the author who now lives in Leicester.