Next to where Burrows Garage is currently located is the former Post Office, still standing today, but looking much worse for wear. Elizabeth Bamford was the Post Mistress & Shopkeeper and her name appears in Kelly’s Directory from 1903 through until at least 1915. The delivery van parked out in the road is likely to be that of Cotton & Bamford, see next pictures.

	 
 		 
	 

These general views of Olney Road show the Olney Road Farm beyond the former Post Office on the right. Walter Ives was the Farmer in 1901. The 1920/30s Kelly’s Directories show John Willers Glasscock as the Dairyman & Sub-Postmaster. The farm became known locally as Glasscock’s Farm, since demolished to allow for road widening. In the distance is the former ‘Ambulance Hall’ (gable end to the road with door and windows visible).

The delivery van shown here was built by Frank Lay in 1921 based on a model T-Ford chassis. Harry Bamford, son of Elizabeth the Post Mistress, is seen here posing in the cab of the van. Frank Lay was extremely versatile: for example, he also built a horse drawn milk float/carrier shown in another photo dated 1925.

This photo shows an early view of the so-called Council Houses, the first three blocks of which were built circa 1934. Two more blocks were built but it is believed that the builders subsequently went bankrupt. A number of residents formerly living in the Dust Yard cottages (where the present Village Hall car park is located) made a welcome move to these new houses when the latter cottages were demolished as unfit for habitation.

A well-known landmark in the village was the wind-powered water pump in the field above Olney Road, sadly now gone. This view was taken in 1994 with thanks to Ken Jackson. Interestingly, four frost-covered willow trees were adjacent to the wind pump in a square, two of which appear in this view; Brian White explains that these grew out of four sticks stuck in the ground in the mid-1930s by his brother Bill when he was a lad. The sticks were put there in order to support fencing to contain a few chickens in the plot!

The following views show the terraced dwellings that lined the south-eastern side of Olney Road. Not all have survived; a demolition gap in the row of cottages was used as a Council work yard for some many years. More recently the yard has in turn been replaced by a matching new cottage development. As noted above, the ‘Tusting’ leather factory now occupies another earlier gap in the scene.

A gathering of members of the St John Ambulance Brigade posing outside of the Ambulance Hall, mentioned above.