by Ivor Smith
Moving to Churchdown was a defining moment in our lives and having lived there for so long we have wonderful memories. Unbelievably, and unbeknownst to me, so had my ancestors. One of the most fascinating time-consuming hobbies you can enjoy in retirement is researching your family history. I was surprised to find that my great-grandmother was an immediate descendant of Churchdown’s Gaze family, and even more surprised to discover that my sixth great-grandfather, Emanuel, is buried at St Bartholomew’s churchyard on Chosen Hill. He has actually got one of the best seats in the house, a short distance from the church’s front door.
When I first visited his grave, I was astonished to find an inscription informing us that his eldest son, William, was ‘killed by natives, Swan River Island, June 17th, 1832’. I was delighted to find that my great-uncle had gone to Western Australia as a ‘Pioneer Settler’ and not as a convict. His story is extremely well documented. William and a colleague were farming on the banks of the River Canning one day when they were attacked by a party of raiding Aborigines, led by a man named Yagan. William was speared five times but was still alive when he was rescued. He died from his wounds five days later, and during that time he made his will, the first to be proved in the Court of Western Australia. A bounty was put on Yagan’s head, and he was hunted down and shot two years later. He then truly lost his head, which was smoked to preserve it before being transported to England. Amazingly it was housed in the Liverpool Museum and I must have walked past it most days when I attended Liverpool University in the ’60s. Following a huge petition from the Aborigines, his head was returned in 1997 and today a large statue immortalising Yagan the freedom fighter stands on Swan River Island. And now you know why Chapter Five is entitled ‘Pioneer Settlers’.
William’s sixth great-nephew and his wife left for Derbyshire in August 2007, and Angela and I settled into our new rural home. At breakfast time, which these days is a very casual affair, we enjoy watching the mad behaviour of the large brown hares across the nearby fields, and we are visited by partridges and pheasants each morning. In the afternoons we are regularly visited by granddaughters Darcey and Millie. These tend to be far less tranquil occasions.
The Derbyshire countryside is beautiful, challenging and peaceful and we are fortunate to have lived in two beautiful parts of rural England. We enjoy our frequent trips to visit relatives and old friends in the Cotswolds. Invariably the conversation turns to the world of animals, and I am often asked, ‘If you had the chance to do the same thing all over again, would you do it?’
There is only one answer:
You bet your life I would!
PLATES
With my first best friend, Nellie, at home in Gloucester, 1950.
Classmates at Chedworth Roman Villa, 1955. From left to right: Keith Russell, Ted Rudge and Phil Richardson reserving their energy for the long bike ride back to Gloucester.
Crypt School 1st XV, 1959/60. Back row: G. Middleton, R. Jones, J. McGarr, P. Hendy, D. Powell, R. Eggleton, C. Richards, Mr H.O. Edwards. Middle row: D. Johnson, E. Newton, P. Richardson, I. Smith, R. Hannaford, M. Pickard, D. Simmons. Front row: G. Dalby, C. Grafton.
Gloucestershire Schools Rugby XV, 1959, captained by Trevor Wintle, who would shortly become England’s number one scrum-half. I’m in the front row, third from the right.
Getting to know the bulls, 1961. Vacation work at the MMB artificial insemination centre at Longford.
An occasional visitor to Greenbank, an annexe of Derby Hall’s hall of residence, 1961. Angela was sneaked into neighbouring Dale Hall at night, the ladies’ student residence.
Late night beverages at Derby Hall, 1962. Half of this lot were insomniac students from our year at the Faculty of Veterinary Science.
Liverpool University students’ charity panto procession, 1961.
Wedding bells at Hucclecote, 1963. Ivor and Angela are married at St Philip and St James’s Church.
Nigel in charge of the post-operative recovery of a bovine Caesar at Leahurst, 1965.
Odd Farm, Crudwell, 1966. Our first rural home – mice and all!
Ridgeway Veterinary Hospital, Crudwell – complete with hanging baskets – in 1967.
The Churchdown practice, 1972. Week one and the builders start work on the surgery.
Getting to grips with running my own business in the ’70s, as depicted by Gloucester cartoonist Derek Tyson.
A true friend: John Eggleton (1941–2000), pictured here in 1992.
As a veterinary representative of Arnolds, the specialist surgical instrument company, John Troth was a regular visitor to the surgery. He is seen here on the left in 1976.
Below: Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, 1977. Farmer Ben Pullen heading a trailer full of youngsters passes the veterinary surgery in Albemarle Road.
There were countless rides after the procession when Uncle Adam Pullen entertained walking the elephant.
The Red Devils Air Display (Extra B) Team, 1981. Ivor and Mark Hicks-Beach prepared for the jump of their lives.
A few hours break with the family at the top of the Malverns, 1982. From left to right: Ed, Sally, Labrador Ginny, and Angela.
Clients generally wait patiently at the surgery, some in the waiting room, some in their cars. This well-behaved goat was chauffeured to surgery from Coopers Hill Farm by Miss Metson.
Judy Pullen riding post-operative mare Moffet, 1979. Moffet recovered from her injuries – seen here with deep chest scars under the breast plate – and went on to have a colt foal, Soup Dragon, who competed at Burghley, Badminton, and at international level.
Dental surgery under field conditions in 1981 – and still using Immobilon.
The iguana recovering from tail surgery in 1996.
National Pets’ Week, 1995. The dogs, their owners and The Brambles’ staff gather at the surgery in Churchdown for the start of a charity walk over Chosen Hill.
A youthful Coco (left) with her mum, Jimmy, on an early morning run over Chosen Hill, 1991.
The Brambles veterinary surgery in 2008.
Daughter Sally with granddaughters Darcey and Millie in rural Derbyshire in – and not forgetting Bramble, of course.
Ivor and Bramble enjoying retired life on the River Ecclesbourne, .
COPYRIGHT
First published in 2008
The History Press
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG
www.thehistorypress.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2011
All rights reserved
© Ivor Smith, 2008, 2011
The right of Ivor Smith, to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 7180 8
MOBI ISBN 978 0 7524 7179 2
Original typesetting by The History Press
Ebook compilation by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
