The Nashes

The Nashes

No. 1

In living memory, Bob and Marjorie Tustain lived here with their son Raymond, but when Marjorie's elderly mother moved in, they had a house built on land which once formed part of the Methodist Chapel.

Both Bob and Marjorie were keen tennis players, and helped in keeping the lawn well cut and rolled so everyone could have a good game of tennis.

No. 2

Mr. & Mrs. Pinfold lived at No. 2 The Nashes with Fred and Jim, and both the sons had shortened lives

Mrs. Pinfold had a rather squeaky voice and a funny eye so her vision wasn't all that good. Jim her son, a keen photographer was developing some photos in the kitchen sink and had left the film plates in the liquid. As the process took some time, he went out of the room. His Mum, with her bad eyesight, just thought it was water in the sink and decided to strain the potatoes into it – so that was the end of those films!

Fred was killed during the war, and Jim died of polio.

Mr. Pinfold was the village postman, and he was the one to bring the telegram to his own house, with news that Fred was 'missing. His death was registered on 21st April 1944. He was aged 23!

He was a Sergeant in the Volunteer Reserves as Air Gunner Royal Air Force. Before being called up, he worked at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre as Front of House Staff, becoming engaged to Mary Jeffrey. Very fond of fishing, he, at one time, worked in the shop in Stratford selling fishing tackle.

A terrible tragedy for the family.

Martin Bailey has a very lovely memory of the time, when a 16 year old enjoying his first motor-bike, he arrived home to be given a message by his mother from Mrs. Pinfold. Could Martin go and see her! Martin spent that short walk to her house wondering whatever he had done to be asked to confront that lady. To his amazement, Mrs. Pinfold asked him if he would like to have Fred's flying gloves. Martin treasured those gloves. They were very special to him, for Fred – as all those who gave their lives for their country – was a hero.

Jim found work at Burchells, meeting, falling in love with and eventually marrying another Pinfold – but no relation! Sadly some years later, Jim died from polio while still quite young.

No. 3

Mr. and Mrs. Alder lived here either before they moved to what is now known as charity house No. 49– or after they had left No. 49! Then Jack Radbourne moved in with his wife Dorothy. It is believed at that time, that Jack was a lorry driver working for The Manor.

Then Mr. Woodward aged 90 retired from The New Inn, and needed a cottage in the village, to spend his last days with his daughter Violet. So Jack and Dorothy took on The New Inn, (both the Pub and No. 3 or course owned by Mrs. Rees-Mogg) and the Woodwards moved into No. 3.

Soon Violet was left on her own, and seemed very happy in her home. However her life finished very rapidly when, being visited by one of her friends and chatting quite happily together while Violet was eating her meal of chicken, a bone became stuck in her throat and neither lady was able to remove it quickly enough. An ambulance was called, but arrived too late to help.

No. 4

Mr. and Mrs. Hogg moved in here leaving their small one-year old son living with his grandparents and Uncle Henry, at Cold Comfort Farm. Eventually Claude finished up living there when he married and started life together there as husband and wife.

No. 5

A Mr. and Mrs. Lively lived here – maybe something to do with the Livelys who used to live at Cold Comfort Farm. When the Livelys left, Mr. and Mrs. Harness moved in.

Mr. Harness was always seen each morning cycling into town for work, his stiff ram-rod back never bending in an effort to push his bike up the slopes. Yet he always seemed to cycle with ease, never getting puffed out however steep the climb, and still managed a friendly smile and nod as he passed by pedestrians.

His widow stayed there many years after her husband's death and when she died, one of their grandchildren moved in.

No. 6

Tony Green and his wife Pat moved in here as a young couple, with later the birth of their only child Diana. When they moved into their new bungalow built on The Tennis Court, Nurse Souter moved in with her sister

No. 7

Mr. and Mrs. Ward lived here with their four daughters, until they were moved by Mrs,. Rees-Mogg to one of the bungalows in Shipston Road . I would imagine the children loved that. Although No. 7 had a long garden, it was a very narrow one, but the bungalows in Shipston Road had large gardens, and the girls must have felt they were living in a Palace.

The reason for the move was because one of Mrs. Rees-Mogg's tenants was Bill Beard with his wife Nancy. Bill suffered terribly from asthma and he was living along Duck Lane very near to the river, with all the damp coming up from the river.

So he and Nancy were moved out of Duck Lane with its tiny cottage and tiny patch of garden, and into No. 7. Nancy was from Wales and coped with anything. So did Bill. He was a keen gardener and the long but narrow garden was soon transformed into a garden of flowers and vegetables – in some places growing together. When Nancy died, he continued living there, quite happy pottering around in his garden, and very content with his lot