GUESTBOOK

I have just been browsing the old Brundall School photos and have further names to add to the lists.

Mrs Forsyths class 3F, front right is Fiona Lain (my cousin!)

I also have most names for Mr Goddens Class 1G:
Top: Sheila Dunstan, Claire Goodson, Matthew Harkness, Gary Alcock, Tim Beales, Sarah Lake, Alison Steussy, Mr Godden
2nd Row: Joanne Cullum, Robert Kingsley, Caroline Copping, Caroline Seely, Paul Arthurs, Jeremy Ware, Rebecca Cole
3rd Row: Catherine ?, Michael Culyer, Robert Charles, Mark Lewis, Mark Ashby, Tim Bishop, Haydn Wilkinson
4th Row: Cathy Hall, Duncan Heath, Michael Boast, Mark Weavers, Deborah ?

Mr McKays class 75/76
Top: Caroline Seely, Tim Beales, Leanne Stowell, Paul Arthurs, Elizabeth Lamb, Robert Kingsley, Mark Ashby
2nd Row: Helen Drummond, Sharon Gunton, Sheila Dunstan, Mark Weavers, Matthew Harkness, Haydn Wilkinson, Sarah Lake, Jeremy Ware
3rd Row: Keren Crowson, Robert Bully, Adam Hayes, Robert Arthurton, Robert Charles, Elaine Sturman, Leon Betts, Gavin Warnes
4th Row: Miles Jermy, Steven Rowland, Peter Daniel

Hope these help! Sarah Woollestone (nee Lake).

ed. Many thanks for these details - hope others will follow your example and provide more class names.

My grandparents, Fred and Ellen Chamberlain lived in Links Ave. for many years - Fred died in 1961 and Ellen moved to a residential home for the last years of her life in Dereham.

My sister, brother and I all remember Brundall with very fond memories - coming out from Norwich where we lived, on the bus or train.

Our dad Gordon and his brother Clifford may have lived in Brundall - the address was 'Gersham' Links Ave. next door to the Long family, the butchers. They drew water from a well in the back garden and a truck came to collect sewerage!

I remember going to Morses the rose growers in Highfield Ave as a very small child. We played down in the woods on and playing fields. My sister visited Links Ave. recently and met the current occupant.
Very interested to hear any news from that time. I may have photos for your Archive. I live in Shropshire but visit Norfolk regularly.
Best wishes Eileen Lewis.

ed. Very pleased you contacted us with knowledge of your family attachment to Brundall.
Would love to hear more and certainly your offer of photos is most welcome.
Thank you for allowing this message to be posted on the website - others may then pick up on your story and wish to make contact

My father Arthur(Nobby)Sparkes was a member of this group but as we lived down on the marsh area between the Keys farm level crossing and Buckenham station , he reported to the Strumpshaw Lodge, on top of Barnes Hill, thereby not being on this photo.

I believe that the tall thin person - 4 from the right middle row- is in fact my uncle Harry Turner. His connection with Brundall is that he worked on the railways and was for many years in the signal box at Brundall Station. I have three photos of Brundall Station from books - a mid 50s, a 56 and a 1980 in the snow if you would like copies.

Thinking about the home guard the Strumpshaw group had a pill box to defend use from invasion situated about 100 yards on the right of the Reedham Road taking the left turn at the four cross ways at the bottom of Barnes Hill. It was still there the last time I went that way.

Hope you find this of interest. ps both my brother (Derrick) from 1941 and myself from 1943 attended Strumpshaw School.
Arthur (Tubby) Sparkes.

ed. Many thanks,
I'd appreciate copies of any relevant subject matter / Home Guard / Railways / football teams / Strumpshaw School etc.

I have just chanced upon this archive. My father is Colin Henry Waterhouse Wood and his brother Louis Walter Wood.

I had no idea my father or his brother had given these amazing interviews which gave me an insight into their lives that brought tears to my eyes.

My father, like his father before him, is a wonderful gentleman and now at 84 years young continues to delight his whole family with his perspectives, sense of honour and the right way to behave. He has been the most outstanding role model, father, grandfather & great grandfather to a very large and happy family.

He and my mother Dorothy have been our life coaches and pillars of stability and our development for half a century. We owe so much to them for a brilliant life.

And now I have a wonderful historic view on his life before me.

What a fabulous find and thank you so much for publishing them on the web.

How can I get a copy of the audio tapes?

Rodney Wood

ed. appreciate that the website is realising its aim of bringing the history of Brundall alive with material accessible to family members and the public at large.
Its interesting that in this case our archive contains family info. within three areas of the website: 'Audio Tape' transcripts/ 'WW1 Military Hospital' images / 'Links' to the Norfolk Sound Archives at the Norfolk Record Office

Congratulations on the quality of the Houses of Brundall & Braydeston book. I started reading it and could not put it down until I had finished. That for me was a miracle, I'm a very slow reader and get tires of reading quite quickly and easily.

ed. Many thanks for your comments.
I know the Group are very pleased with their latest publication and hope that, with further research material being offered by local residents, will no doubt embark on Volume 2.

I have just read (on your guestbook page)that a Brian Jackson is looking for a photograph of the Glengary. I have just found one of her taken at Norwich if he is still interested,
regards, Peter.

ed. Many thanks to Peter Allard for once again supporting our needs. Contact details shared.

Please can you tell me when the cemetery was opened and who was responsible for the planting the national collection of Eleagnus shrubs ? It seems a pity that Brundall will lose this distinction.

ed. possible sources of info. shared.

you may be interested to bring your history goup to Hindringham hall to hear the history of this moated Elizabethan manor house and the site over the last 900yrs.
www.hindringhamhall.org

On the 1882 old map near Brundall Marsh there appears to be a Grease Manufactory. I wondered if anyone had any information on this please. Thank you for your time.

ed. would appreciate anyone helping with this enquiry as we are all 'stumped' at the moment.
Please view Map in the 'Recent Uploads' -section 'Various Subjects'

Hello,
I wonder if you could pass on the contact details for Dr. Brenda Akeroyd, the grand-daughter of Dr. Beverley. I have written a little about Dr. Beverely in a book.
Yours sincerely.
Kevin Clifford

ed. Request sent to family for opportunity for them to respond

Hi. My brother and I lived at "Kenmare", The Street, Brundall, (now known as the White House at the top of the Dales), in the early 1960s. I visited the Dales last evening to collect some ebay items and this sparked off a heap of memories. Shall I send some to you? My mother bought the house from Mr Godfrey, who had failed in his business and was moving to Truro. He "lived" (literally) in a small white minivan at the time of the handover, 23rd December 1963, a month after the assassination of President Kennedy. In the garden there were many asbestos chicken houses, falling to pieces and piled high with guano compost. At the side of the house was a vast pile of old TV and radio valves which my brother and I would use as bombs against the wall. On that wall was a huge green fig tree, in a very sunny spot and always heavy with fruit in the summer. There were many brick outhouses, including mr Godfrey's glass-fronted shop, full of ancient record players with purple felt discs on the turntables. Also, sadly lost, were piles of old 78 rpm records. We had loads of feral cats running around in those old sheds, and finally the RSPCA were called to put them down, a task my twin and I were heavily involved with. Can't imagine that with today's 12 year olds! The house had 17 rooms, with a huge pine ship's fireplace and corrugated steel blinds that drew up inside the windows - obviously someone had had a lot of valuables in there previously. I believe it still has the mosaic flooring and 3-storey piranha pine staircase. It had and still has a tower room, with a lovely view over the Yare to Poringland, a room in which I played my violin for many hours as a 12 year old. On the side of the house, to the right as you looked from The Street, pushing into what was then the road to Bell Boats and is now the Dales, was a huge ballroom with a sprung floor. That ballroom is now gone, sadly - when we lived there, its outer wall had a large vertical split due, I suspect, to subsidence or landslip. On its opposite wall when we moved in we saw a card sign - "No jitterbugging". With the house was a very large parcel of land to the back, now accommodating the Health Centre and houses. The house to the right (from The Street) was also built on land sold by my father during our time there. My parents ran "Kenmare" as a guest house for a couple of years, accommodating Broads holidaymakers, a string of Bacton gas workers and various elderly sisters, before its maintenance became too much for my father. Incidentally, the house was purchased by us, with all the land, in 1963 for £3,600. Sadly, my family sold it for a similar amount - it went on to be immensely more valuable in later years for subsequent owners, of course. I don't know who built it, or the date of the build, but it is not unlike another towered house in your photograph collection, I notice. With the house's remarkable specifications, I presume the original Kenmare owners were very well off indeed, and the link to Ireland in the house name is possibly a clue. I know our neighbours to the right were the Spicers, with a son, Edward. The boys in the houses opposite went to Bracondale and The King Edward VIth in Norwich, but I don't remember any names.
Other keywords: Curtis's store, Taylor's store, later the PO, Longs the butcher, the No 7 bus from Norwich and the 7b. The Old Beams restaurant, owned by a lady whose name eludes me but my brother might remember. Miss --?
I recall. Mr and Mrs Curtis, shopkeepers, took separate holidays, as they had seen enough of each other the rest of the year. And I believe Taylor's opened while we lived there, probably in 1964. Well, I have several more memories of the locale, so let me know if they'd be of interest.
Sincerely, Trevor Harvey
ed. Tel. No. provided.
Many thanks Trevor. Look forward to the next edition!

I have a concrete/brick air-raid shelter which must date back to the war. It is very solid, completely dry and cool, is about 6ft x 6ft and has an additional room attached to it as well. It is very well built and must have been used, as it is very professionally constructed. You are welcome to view it. It would be useful to glean some information on its history. Best regards. Tom Adams.
ed. member to follow up

Eager to trace ancestors of Hubbard family in Gorleston. Coming to area in 2012 and would like to get in touch with history center/geneaological center to find descendants.

ed. Any suggestions/help regarding 'HUBBARD' family would be appreciated.

You have records of Lt Alfred Bridges, killed by a mine at Horsey.Do you know if Lt Wilmot Fowke was also killed with him. Same Coy of Engineers, killed same day, deaths registered North Walsham same time, seems likely.

ed. further information welcomed. Part reply from the member responsible for our original research and current data base:

In addition to the two officers (Bridges and Fowke) there are two other R.Engineers killed on that date:
1860047 CQMS JENKINS A.H.who was buried in Plymouth
2011733 Sapper VICK A. who was buried at Harefield Church in Essex
One other man warrants some further investigation as there were a lot of Royal Norfolks involved in coastal defence work:
5776248 Pte RINGER E.H.who was buried at Kenninghall.

My partner and I moved into one of the apartments in Uplands Court last September 2010. We would love to know the history of the building and also see any old photos of it if there are any please. Many thanks.
ed. what little information we have has been published in our 'Book of Brundall & Braydeston'. We would therefore welcome further photos, Deeds, etc.

I have had great fun in checking out your website, and may have a couple of pictures to send you. I have one of the Derbyshire trip 1986 and another at St Andrews Hall singing with the Choir. I'm not sure of the year though, I would imagine its around 85/86
ed. Many thanks - Always pleased to receive further images

Nice to see these photos getting an airing. Can provide some names for the "Scouts Go-Cart-Racing 1983" photo.
L-R back: Hugh Owen, SImon Eke?, ?Daniels, Simon Welin, Jon Carter, ? Pearce, Ashley Dean, ?, ?, Andrew Daniels.
In the Rowallen Rocket is Greig Harvey.
I have a large number of photographs from both scouts and school that you are welcome to use on the site if you wish.
ed. Many thanks - hopefully others will help fill in the blanks?

I TO AM RELATED TO THE GIBBS FAMILY PLEASE GET IN TOUCH VIA THIS SITE.

I AM TRYING TO LOCATE WHAT HAPPENED TO THREE OLD WHERRIES NAMED faith, Hope, and charity and or there owners The Gibb Brothers of norfolk or any descendants.
Ed. Possible websites which may prove helpful - please navigate via our LINKS button on our Home Page eg 'Broadland Memories'. This site has many further site 'Links'.
Other suggestions are welcomed.

Following an enquiry from a former parishioner I looked at your website to find some pictures of Brundall Church and was disappointed to find that there is only one. This is a brilliant site and I'm not complaining about it just asking if you might gather a few, especially some of the old prints of the church. This is particularly important now that changes to the building are being proposed. I may have some myself which I will email to you if I can. Many thanks. Bob Baker (Rector of Brundall 1980-2005)

Hello. We moved into Corner Cottage (next to the Ford garage) a few months ago. It turns out that this cottage was once Brundall Baptist Chapel. If so, it seems appropriate to rename the cottage "Chapel Cottage" to commemorate its past. Do you or any of your members have any information on the Baptist Chapel and this house? It seems that here is an unresearched bit of Brundall that could be of some interest.

What a fantastic site, hopefully I can fill in a few missing names.
On Mr Godden's class photo the missing names (from back to front) are Richard Green,Robbie Wilson, Adrian Cousins & Alan Mitchell.
Just to correct one name I think it should read Ashley Thrift.

The unknown football team is from 1974-75 and the players are:
Back row- Martin Aspin,Garry Palmer,Stephen Jolly,Paul Arthurs,Ashley Thrift.
Middle row-Alan Wright,Andrew McHale,Michael Boast,Adrian Weavers,Andrew Wright.
Front row-John Urwin,David Greenacre,Christopher Laws & Paul Brown.

Ed. Many thanks Garry; good to get feedback & further info.

My partner was born in a house in Brundall called Bradesfield and I am trying to find a picture or even a map with the house on . . . can anyone help, please. It's to be a special present, which I know he would love!

Ed. Has anyone old photos/postcards of BRADESFIELD we could copy please? Text from Book + whereabouts sent to Deborah.

Can anyone tell me if/when FHC married Alice May Kennedy?
FreeBMD has a marriage registration for a Frederick Holmes Cooper to Ellen Smith in 1889 at Wisbech, and the 1911 Census has them still living together in Wisbech . . . .

Ed. Contact made with a living relative for further info. sharing.

I'm not sure of the year but I can name most of the faces:
Back: Mrs Forsyth, Helen Harwood, Hayley Coldham, Kay Brigham, Martin Kenworthy, ?, Hugh Owen, Andrew Daniel, Susan Edwards, ?
Middle: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Simon Eke, Andrew Buchanan, Andrew Tyler, ?
Front: ?, Mark Alcock, Jane Bulley, Joanne Blowers (I think), Susan Hoffman, ?, ?, Joanne Ward, Fiona (Lane?)
Floor: ?, Shelley Dalton.

It was good to come across this site and view some of the photo's taken in my lifetime, some of those relating to 2nd Brundall being most poignant with the recent passing of John Evans who through his work with the Scouts and the Church brought a lot to our community.

Dear Sir,
I am writing a book for the Oakwood Press covering the history of the Lymington branch railway and the paddle steamers that operated the ferry service between Lymington and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.
One of these vessels was the P.S. Lymington constructed in 1893, around 1930 she was converted into a house boat and placed on the River Hamble, however, within a short time she was towed to Brundall in Norfolk and named Glengarry. In October 1938 she was sold to the Norfolk and Norwich branch of the Navy league and became a sea cadet training vessel at Norwich under the name Lord Nelson. I am very interested in any details of this vessel whilst on the Broads including photographs.
Yours Sincerely

Brian Jackson.

I am compiling my family tree and was interested to see a person with my name in one of your photos.
I believe that some of my ancestors came from Norfolk and wondered if any Tacons from Brundall would like to email me to see if we share the connection. I came to Lincoln in 1978 from Middlesex. I believe my ancestors moved from Beccles to Woolwich in the 19th century.
Regards
Tony

Seen a picture of S.S. Resolute - she is now a house boat at Pinmill.
Has anyone pictures of the steamers tied up at Brundall during the War or just after?

hi there,
loved your a article of brundall in your youth was very interesting.
Just would love your opinion as I just bought 5 acres of land from ferry lane where it meets Church Rd down river opposite the Ferry Arms pub (Surlingham Ferry?) just past the public moorings.. I bought it for conservation and will fish off the banks where I have 150 metres of river frontage!
Looking forward to clearing a lot of the scrub mess .. I think it all used to be Brundall marsh wood in the old days.. it was pretty wet in Dec. when I went to view and have heard all the stories about river levels and flooding pretty scary stuff... so my question is - will I have many happy years fishing and looking after the land or will I regret it because of the water levels being a problem? I thought you might know more than most.
kind regards
Ian Broom

My father was brought up in an orphanage in Brundall and I am trying to find info/photos regarding it, I know the building was not far from the railway station and it had a spire/tower.
Any info. you have would be much appreciated.
I am hoping to try and contact other people that were in there at the same time as my father who is now in his 70's.
Further Information:
My father was born in 1933 and his name is Basil Goodwin , his father (I believe) lived in North Walsham, his name was Henry Goodwin.
Replies: .
Orphanage now identified as being at Shiels Court, Braydeston Avenue, Brundall. (GH)

I remember going to Shiels Court with the Library Van when it was a hostel for the boys studying at Burlingham Horticultural Station. This will have been in the 50s and 60s. (WW)

The description fits the building although, of course, it wasn't an orphanage as such - maybe some residents were orphans - but it was a local authority boys' home.
The 'Master' was a Mr Deasley whose son lives at Lingwood. (CB)

Hello,
Our museum has a photo taken at Brundall in WWI.
We are trying to positively identify the people, and the exact date if possible.
http://www.angloboerwarmuseum.com/Boer70i_hero9_agar2.html
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Roxanne Spritzer
Archivist
Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum.

I would dearly love to find any trace of a family called Johns who lived in the upper flat of a house called the Uplands, I believe it was on the corner of Station Road. The father of my friend was called Don Johns and he worked in the offices of the Railway company in Norwich

Hello,
I read the above interview and noticed that the george family was mentioned from brundall, I am trying to do a family tree and either contact details for Colin Henry Waterhouse Wood or any information you are able to provide on the georges would be very helpful.
kind regards
Hayley.

I loved your web site, I am researching my family ancestry and came to Brundall last week.
My family names are Laskey, & Gibbs who lived in Brundall I will gather some information for you in the near future.
I live in Lancashire so not that easy to come and join you.

Regards Jill

Hello - my name is Carol Gingell and I run the Broadland Memories website which is an archive dedicated to preserving old photographs, personal memories and history of the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads. I am currently working on a project on Broadland Bridges for the website and would also like to provide a little history about the many ferries which also operated during the 20th century. I know that a foot/cycle ferry ran from Coldham Hall for many years, but wondered whether you could tell me when it ceased? I know that Harry Last was running it until his retirement from the pub in the early 1970s, but did it continue after this time?

Congratulations on a lovely website - there are some wonderful photogrpahs within your archives and some great memories. I recently purchased a copy of the book for a friend who lived in Brundall for several years and he was thrilled with it!

Regards, Carol Gingell

Hello
We are in the process of setting up and, in fact about to launch a website for Westfield Mission in Brundall and intend to include a page giving some details of the history of the fellowship in Golf Links Road for our visitors to see.

We have been very interested in the information shown on your website and in 'The Book of Brundall & Braydeston - A Tale of Two Parishes' and wondered if you would be willing to allow us to use some information contained in the book and your website.

More importantly it would be most helpful if you would be willing to allow us to have a copy of the photograph of the wooden church before the fire to include on the site.

Of course, we would provide an acknowledgment to Brundall Local History Group for any information and picture used.
We look forward to your response and if you are willing for us to use the picture and information, what credit you would like us to show.

Kindest Regards

Roderick
Trustee of Westfield Mission

Just discovered it - it's very good! One or two small corrections:
Sid Brown's memories: It was Billy Futter (not Footer) who was the postman, they were Nissen huts at Brundall house originally for Army units in the village - much later for Italian POWs.
Ray Clark's memories: don't forget Dr McKelvie also had surgery in the village; the second Thorpe bakers were named 'Forkes' not Foulkes.
J.Orford memories: Gowings farmed at Braydeston Hall.
Comments: Albert Greenacre would not have not liked to be demoted - he retired as a Detective Inspector! Re Drama group photo - Edna (not Ruby) Snelson in the background.
Best wishes,

My grandfather was Frederick Holmes Cooper. He lived at the Banks of the Yare from 1917 until the 1930s. He was involved in the development of the village (Holmesdale Rd was named after him). I am researching his life; I have a lot of info about Brundall at that time and am interested in finding out more about my grandfather. We could exchange info if possible? I would love to purchase a copy of your book.