Veronica Box
A Whittington Childhood in the 1940s

I was born on 20th August 1936 in the cottage called Vine Villa which stood on the ground immediately over the Swan Bridge; in its place now stands a very large house. Vine Villa stood in five acres of ground and my father, John Vincent Leo Drury, kept all kinds of livestock, which included Dolly a much loved carthorse.

Mom and Dad became the licencees of the Swan Hotel in 1937. I was only very young so my memories start about 5 years old. I know when I went to school the Headmaster was a Mr Hughes and a form teacher Miss Burgess. Miss Burgess lived on Darnford Lane and when I was ten gave me private lessons with a view to obtaining exams to get me to The Friary School - she failed.

I remember as you walked from the Swan towards the village there was Charlie Mann’s farm to the left and Horace Ball's to the right.. Moving on through the village, somewhere this side of the place that is now a café was the paper shop and next to that the only Taxi, driven by a little lady named Patty Sturgess. I think her car was probably a Ford or Austin. She used to take us three children to Trent Valley Station to travel in the guards van on to Rugby to an Aunt's for the holidays. There were no telephones so Mom never knew of our safe arrival; a letter to her from Auntie Betty informed her of our return day. Where the café is now, was Walkers paper shop that sold everything, and the daily papers were delivered by a disabled chappie named Tom Spinks on his very large three wheeled bike. Now in to the heart of the village: on the Green the butcher, Bill Farnsworth, his daughter, Sheila, is a friend of mine. On the right hand side Astons Bakery and store where as a child I queued ration book in hand to obtain marmalade oranges, how we ate them so sour! Bananas a huge treat, and of course hot newly baked bread. Mrs Leach kept the haberdashery and clothing, but, as with food, we had to have coupons…..lots of trading between people took place sometimes to buy something special.

Nurse Darby so famous for the delivery of most Whittington babies, myself included……………. Mom told me that Nurse Darby delivered a girl, Jean Morris, on the 18th – Gay Berks on the 19th and me on the 20th…Gay was delivered one side of midnight and me the other….one very special lady. In the village in the Swan Cottages lived a family that had eight children; because Nurse Darby always arrived with a big blue bag on her bike, as children we all believed she brought them.

Finally in respect of the shops Carrie Rickwood’s sweet shop next door to the school buildings - not a shop front, just a bay window, where we purchased Liquorice Wood, Sherbet Dips and Liquorice - not much compared to today, but we loved her and her shop. Down the back lane to Huddlesford on Sunday mornings, as rationing eased, we would walk to the Plough for a drink and call in at a thatched cottage. Living there was a lady called Sue Neal who sold little bars of Cadbury’s chocolate; I often wondered how and why she had it, because it wasn’t really a shop. I spoke to my brother about her and he remembers it well.

The Barracks complete with American soldiers was a huge part of my childhood. The Christmas parties were unforgettable; village children were collected in Army vehicles, taken to the Barracks and given lots of delicious food and goodies; all very special, as they were times of rationing. I remember m y Dad selling out of beer and soldiers sitting on what was then a small piece of ground opposite the pub, waiting for Dad to open following a delivery of beer - from Ind Coope’s Brewery.

There was only one Midland Red Bus; it ran on a Friday from The Bell to Lichfield. If we needed a bus at any other time, we had to walk to Botany Bay or The Jockey… and we often did. As Catholics the nearest church was at Whittington Barracks, so Sunday morning we walked to the service; I’m a totally lapsed Catholic now, and I never wonder why.

I have Grandparents buried in St Giles churchyard and a little brother; maybe I should take a look at the records and see where they are. I am enclosing photographs Dad on his much loved horse Dolly outside the Swan Mother on the left of the picture outside the Swan Three photographs of the G.I’s that to us children were like family, the one standing alone was Carol Miller, Two standing in the front garden of the Swan… In Moms story you will see that little brother Jimmy that died at 5.1/2 years old was the son of a previous marriage, Mom was a widow when Dad met her….

I left Whittington, aged 12, one very unhappy girl to go and live in Burntwood.

Veronica Box writing in January 2011