Home to FeltwellTour Feltwell Today Tour Old Feltwell See Feltwell's History Read Feltwell's History RAF Feltwell Memorial Pages Special Photo Sets
Feltwell's Timeline
Historical InfoLoops Photo of the Month Feltwellians Worldwide Feltwell Links

Written Records

March 2002

I managed to get a few hours the other weekend and managed to incorporate some of the new photographs provided by Chris Cock from his postcard collection. A completely new page about Hare Coursing has been added - lots of photos but nothing gruesome. Also a page on The Black Hoods, a local band made up of RAF airmen, thanks go to Vic Cooper, one of the original line-up, for the details. I've also made additions and changes to several other pages and fixed some broken links - see the What's New page for detail. I was particularly thrilled when two articles arrived, unsolicited, concerning personal experiences of the 1952/3 floods. Thanks go to Mr Alan Whitehand and Miss Alice Baker for these.

On a more personal note I was thrilled to find out from a friend of mine, Mr Dave Stansbie, that the website is being recommended in an educational publication as a source of good original historical documentation, particularly concerning the experiences of people in wartime. The site is also quoted in the British National Grid for Learning online site. Dave, who is an Advisory Teacher, and I plan to start developing some educational support materials based on the contents of the site over the Easter holiday. This was one of the original reasons for starting the site all those years ago! Isn't it strange how easily one can get sidetracked?

Fascinating emails this month come from:

- Brenda Carroll who sent a copy of an old Elementary School Class photo. This will be going up next month so it's something that all our American members can look forward to. Perhaps this could start a trend?

- Brian Watts who writes - "I started in the little Primary School, opposite Dolly Cooper's sweet shop in the early 50s and two of my earliest friends were Rod Edwards and Victor Leslie. From there we moved to the new school across the way. School dinners were in the canteen - I wonder if it is still used as a canteen!! Mr. Charlesworth was the Headmaster, but my favourite teacher was Don Feltwell. I remember he organised a school football team of which I was the captain and would you believe that we had a girl in goal, one Heather Brown. Other members of the team were Peter Wing and Graham Brown. Can any body else remember any other team members?" Remember, I'm always keen to receive your memories of Feltwell.

My last year at Feltwell Primary was spent in Miss Beryl Addison's class. She was a fine teacher and I believe due to her teaching I was able to achieve first place in class that year.

- A question from John Norris that I can't answer - "I have just come across your interesting website on Feltwell and noted in the Chronology the reference to Fabian Stedman allegedly being baptised in St. Nicholas church in 1630 but that there is no record as the registers were destroyed by fire. Do you have any info. at all to confirm the story or to suggest a connection Stedman? I thought it had been conclusively established that Fabian Stedman was baptised in Yarkhill, Herefordshire in 1640, where his father the Revd. Francis Stedman was vicar." I need help with this one.

- From Derek Routen LAC 3112480 - "I discovered your website yesterday and would like to become a family member.

My qualification is that I was a 'resident' for 18 months during 1948-9 in Block 33, 3 FTS RAF Feltwell. I was attached to the Repair & Maintenance section, HQ Flight.

Attached you will find photo's of the 'crew', one of the Harvard's about to take off and three of my 'oppo's', in civvies, about to launch themselves for a night on the town. This necessitated borrowing ten bob (between four of us!), which provided a drink or two and a visit to the village dance or the cinema. The village hall had bare, unpolished floorboards and a gramophone: the cinema had a corrugated iron roof which meant that if there was heavy rain whilst the performance was on, the sound track was drowned out! Photograph to be added for next month, you'll just have to wait! :)

Family tree details sought this month for the WILLETT and SPARKE families.

I'm on the look out for a photograph of the old Feltwell Fire Station. I'm told it was in the vicinity of what is now Mulberry Close and that it housed a Mark 2 Dennis engine. Anybody got a picture?

And the work on St Mary's Church continues.