Remembering Rodborough - George Evans - Remembering Rodborough - George Evans

Summary of George Glynn Evans interview

· Earliest memories of RB – going down Walkley Hill in his pedal car – meeting his dad at bottom – getting a lift up with the chimney sweep’s (Charlie Cook) horse and cart – Betsy the horse – George aged 4.

· Moved down from London – dad was in the RAF – from Hendon to Aston Down – Grandmother’s house in London bombed.

· Fond memories – as a boy – Tuesdays was Lyons Ice cream delivery day to the shop opp the Albert – a penny without a cornet – tuppence with cornet

· Gardiners the baker with daughter Kathleen – down from the P Royal

· Capt. Forster – thwack on the head if you did something wrong – repeatedly tap your head if you did something right – end up being pushed down into your shoes – so best to do something wrong - Capt F was also the county bowls president – in the school stoke-hole (“Lord Harry only knows where he got the metal plate from”) was a pith helmet with red and blue ribbon – denoted artillery - served in India –

· Bowling Green 1903 after the pub built; Mrs Cook’s sweet shop next door to pub

· No cars in the 40’s – playing marbles in the roads – only vehicle the coal wagon at the end of the day – favourite spot – playing in the cockpits below the RB Cottage – gazing at the Severn – go out in the morning with just some bread and cheese in your pocket and not come back till it was dark – “You been out on the common again” – green knees – going to catch young jackdaws at Jackdaw Caves at Amberley – also catching rabbits - also floating rafts on the canal – visiting Winstone’s ice cream factory – the common was RB demesne – protected form Stroud boys – they played down on the bottom field by the canal

· WW2 – giant US lorries in Stroud with “Negro” drivers – another world – hadn’t seen black faces before – couple of dogfights over the common – Spitfire and a Heinkel – also saw a bomber release a bomb from the common – later found out Brockworth Aeroplane works bombed

· Another favourite place – the bowling green – only game where you shake hands both before and after the contest and then going for a pint – happiest memories – mowing and rolling the green with those wonderful views

· So when did you feel you were leaving RB for Stroud? – getting the smell of hops at Stroud Brewery at Wallbridge as you passed under the railway bridge – he and his wife, Ann, still get the smell today

· The allotments – lots of women working there too – George’s parrot when they lived next to the P Royal would mimic the 12 0’clock chimes – but before 12 - that led the allotmenteers to reach the pub early – pub would still open though