My family moved into “Cranham House,” in the centre of Cranham Village in the spring of 1956. There were five of us, my husband Ted and I, Peter and Elizabeth and my husband’s mother Dorothy.

Peter (7) and Elizabeth(6), started at once to attend the village school, which had Miss True as head mistress at that time. The Rev S.Hutchinson was vicar.

A great deal had to be done to Cranham House just then. Most of these jobs my husband did himself, but there was no central heating or mains drainage.

When the house had been brought, “up to scratch” we opened a café there and offered B+B accommodation. This was a very small business enterprise- catering mostly for weekend hikers in the summer.

We provided meals for the warden of the Scout HQ, Mr Mike Allfrey and had some very entertaining times. On one occasion the “host” at, “The Black Horse” asked us to put up part of the Gloucestershire Cricket team. This put quite a strain on our limited accommodation.

Our close neighbours at “Midwinter Cottage”, were Mr and Mrs Milton Stuart. I often helped her with the Brownie Pack where she was Brown Owl.

This and other activities centred around the Scout HQ were a great joy. I loved working with children and as a trained infant teacher was keen to take up full time teaching when the opportunity arose.

My chance came when the infant teacher at Cranham School wanted to leave and I was offered the post. There were only 11 children in my class- what joy! (I remember her name was Mrs Ward.)

The head teacher at that time was Mrs Audry Raymond. She and her husband Geoffrey lived in the school house with their three children. It was a delightful set-up and the time I spent at the school was one of the happiest times of my life.

Geoffrey Raymond taught in Stroud and was a very keen producer of amateur dramatics. During his time he produced three plays at Cranham Church, Elliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral,” “The First Born” by Christopher Fry and “The Long Sunset” by R.C Sherriff. I had parts in all three. The sets for these productions were designed and built by my brother-in-law Strethill Wright who was Sexton of the Church then. He lived in the tiny church cottage alongside the churchyard wall. He was caretaker of the school and general handyman around the village.

During all this time, (seven years in all), I had the joy of living in a wonderfully close and friendly community amongst the outstandingly beautiful Cotswold fringe country. I will never forget my walks through the woods in all seasons and the views from the common as I crossed it each day to and from the School or the Church.

When it became necessary for us to leave the village in 1963 it was with greatest regret.

I hope that some of the enduring love I feel for the village is a manifest in my five stories. All the characters in them are fictitious, but the places I know so well are, I hope, still recognisable.

L.W.

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