Julia has kindly let me have copies of her family photos that have a Bodiam connection.
She has given me a brief description for each of the photos along with some comments.
1938ish. Julia's mum, with her sister Betty and parents George and Maud Lovett.
They came from the East End of London.
Julia's mum met her dad, Robert (Bob) Jones, who was a carter's boy at Ockham, when they were 14 and they married 10 years later.
George Lovett with his "heading" stick.
Dad (far left) in the Home Guard.
Julia thinks this photo of Dad was taken in the Army.
Her dad is back row third from the right.
2nd Left back row is Edwin ?
Front row far right Tom Willard, 3rd from right Cecil Leaney and 4th from right Nipper Gladwish
Chris Cutting has informed me that this photo is of Staplecross Home Guard. He has also supplied me with somes further names. They are as follows:-
Back row left to right:- John James , Edwin Willard, Roland Spray, Percy Barnes, Reg Blanch, Ned Messiter, Geoff Ralph, Spar Goodsell, Jim France, Bob Jones, George Waterhouse, Mr Ralph,
Middle row left to right:- Reg Patenden[Canadian army] Henry Simmonds, Les Bridgeland, George Craddock, Ern Sands, Bill Sands, Jack Weedon, not known, Punch Dawson, Fred Willard, Ern Mepham, Alf Huxford, Edgar Smith,
Front row left to right:- Jack Pierce, Harry Wolf, Bert Kemp, Nipper Gladwish, Frank Blanch, Capt B C Petrides [co home guard] Sergeant Major Bob Huxford, Reg Saxby, Charles Reed, Cecil Leaney, not known , Tom Willard
Mum and Nan (Maud)
Ockham Oast.
Dad standing by the cart in second photo.
These were the "before" photos.
When the horses were retired Dad got the tractor (and didn't like it).
The photo below is the "after" and shows Dad on a tractor in the foreground.
Mum and me hop picking
Mum, me and Nan (Maud)
Mum would push her to the hopgarden in her wheelchair
Mum hop dressing with me
Before they built Mr Burgess's house at Ockham
Tar pit at Ockham
(for Geoff Hubble - why did he ask for it? - why did I take it?)
Dad , Uncle Alf and David Blanch at the "pickers bar" Castle Inn, Ewhurst
[The Castle Inn, Ewhurst is now called the White Dog Inn.
The bar in the photo was the old forge and we (Ennis family) had a house built behind the forge and called it Old Forge Cottage.
The forge was pulled down for an extension to the pub.]
Mum (standing) with Aunt Clara Sunderland, Elsie Simmons and Jo Willard
Johnny Hook and Nelson
Nelson was a traveller who stayed at Junction Road every year
Yvonne Jones, me, Joan Larkin, Daphne Etherington, sister Peggy, Violet Larkin, Ian Jones, Candy Jones, Martin Knapp
Dad measuring with Lettie Foster doing the booking.
Mrs Barber (centre) and Mum (right)