from Jane Ingram, nee Masters, 2023
My family moved to Yoxford in 1959 when I was a year old. We moved from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, my mother, father, grandmother, brother, sister and me. We were joined a few years later by my other grandmother. I had an idyllic childhood, my best friend lived next door and we spent all our time playing in the ‘Plantation’, (part of Grove Park) the wood behind our house and in the field beyond making dens. We would fish for sticklebacks in the river Yox, which we would catch in jam jars. I have checked recently and there are still sticklebacks in the river. We lived in the middle of the village opposite the Blois Arms. My dad ran the shop selling electrical goods and bicycles and carried out electrical repairs. (Now Yew Tree House). If not at school I would accompany my parents on the accumulator run to houses with no electricity which ran off an accumulator, basically a large battery. My dad would take one away to re-charge and leave the charged one. I can also remember the old chap with a barrow who used to take the ‘night soil’ from the outside loos! Most days someone would call at the house, Monday the laundry man would collect the sheets which were returned wrapped in brown paper and string. Tuesdays and Saturdays the baker would call and on Wednesday Mr Horner would come for the grocery order which was delivered on Thursday. There were two butchers, Tews grocery and hardware shop, a sweet shop, The wool shop (where I bought my Famous Five books) The Post Office run by Mrs English. A chemist, Horners grocery and Horners Drapers. Three pubs and a Coop supermarket on the A12. Barclay’s Bank, and a newspaper shop. There was also an upmarket ladies dress shop where the antique shop is now, I had a Saturday job there. I used to love Christmas time when Horners window would be full of toys. On the last day of school term at Christmas, after lunch, Mr Rouse, dressed as Father Christmas would descend from a loft hatch and give us presents. My parents were both active in village life, my dad was a sidesman at church and took part in Mrs English’s drama group. My mum was treasurer of the Parish Council and on the committee of the W.I. When she retired, she ran the Welcome Club for the over 60’s. Dad died in 1973 and our shop closed but mum remained in the village moving to Little Street and then to Oakwood Park until 2009, marking fifty years in the village.
