Mike
Farman - Growing Up
I’m
Mike Farman, born in November 1933. I grew up in Durrington
from 1939 to 1952, after this we moved to Amesbury. In Durrington
we lived at Claymore, a bungalow at the bottom end of Stonehenge
Road, next door to the Dingle family. From the age of 5, I
attended the Junior School, which was ruled, if not with a
rod of iron, with a pretty intimidating cane, by Mr and Mrs
Tillen. At nine I went to a much more likeable environment
at the lane school, under the indomitable Mrs Holt, who also
ran the post office with her husband. Mrs Holt had enlightened
teaching methods, and I owe her a lifelong debt of gratitude
for her patience in encouraging me to work and pass the scholarship
for Bishop Wordsworth’s School and for opening my mind
to many other things. I’d be very glad to hear from
anyone who was also a pupil or who remembers her. * I had
my first crush at that time on a girl called Gillian Bevis;
I wonder what happened to her?
During
W.W.2 the village made its own entertainments; Mr Dingle produced
the annual pantomime and several other dramatic groups flourished.
I got involved with some of these and did several cabaret
acts with the later-to-be-famous Trevor Bannister. I also
fell heavily for Beryl Jukes, but was far to shy to ever tell
her how I felt.
My
father, having been in the army for 18 years previously, become
Captain of the local Home Guard and marched them about regularly.
When about 8 years old, I used to follow them, brandishing
a wooden fake rifle, trying to keep in step.
Durrington
was a great place to grow up in. We could wander freely about
Milston, Hackthorn, Seven Bridges and go swimming and boating.
Visiting a couple of years ago, I saw how much these places
have changed in 50 years. Inevitable, I guess, but also depressing.
The aerial view of Durrington on the internet is almost unrecognisable
to me now. But as I grow older, the memories come back more
and more.
Mike
Farman
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