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The artist, Louis Keene, was born in England Keene spent his youth in South Africa and most of his life in Canada but studied art in London, Paris and Munich. He was stationed in Tweedsmuir Camp during World War II. Alert near Aldershot during the Battle of Britain, 1940 This article is from https://www.artbiogs.co.uk/ : Born in England Keene spent his youth in South aftrica and most of his life in Canada but studied art in London, Paris and Munich. He came from an artistic background: his mother was a prominent photographer (the first woman to be elected to the Royal Photographic Society) and his father and artist and craftsman. When he was only 17 Louis and his father held a joint exhibition of their paintings in South Africa. Keene travelled throughout his life,in Europe but also Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Hong Kong, Mexico and Siberia. Throughout his army career Keene was an avid artist, using watercolour, ink and pencil, and India ink and chalk to create his pictures. They range from scenes he completed in Siberia during WWI (Canadian Expeditionary Force) to WWII paintings inspired by events in Surrey and London. When Keene was stationed at Tweedsmuir Camp (Surrey) during the Second World War, he permitted a few of his paintings to be exhibited in Thursley village (in close proximity to the camp) in aid of the roof fund for St Michael’s church, Thursley. Many of Keene’s works are held at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC). Keene had a distinguished career in both World Wars. In WW1 he was commissioned as second lieutenant and was wounded at Ypres his right hand smashed by shrapnel. He later spent six months with the Canadian Army in Siberia. In the Second World War, as Commanding Officer of the Lorne Scots he witnessed the bombing of Liverpool and London. He was presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister David Lloyd George. On 20 March 1943 ‘The Hamilton Spectator’ (Canadian newspaper) announced that NDHQ had promoted Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Keene to full Colonel, with address of his next of kin. Hereafter Keene has been referred to as Colonel Keene of Oakville, Ontario. Reporting in the Spectator on 4 December 1944 Doug How, Canadian War Correspondent, stated that Keene’s promotion, in February 1943, made him the highest ranking Lorne Scots Officer serving in western Europe. Throughout his army career Keene was an avid artist, using watercolour, ink and pencil, and India ink and chalk to create his pictures. They range from scenes he completed in Siberia during WWI (Canadian Expeditionary Force) to WWII paintings inspired by events in Surrey and London. According to his Obituary, While in England Col. Keene did some paintings of the air raids and these were later purchased by the British government. Some of his wartime paintings were also sold to the Canadian government and the artist later sold several of his works to Sir Edmund Walker, Canadian financier and one of the founders of the Toronto Art Gallery.

This article (see pdf below) was written by Chris Shepheard, Surrey Defences Survey (SIHG), c/o Rural Life Centre, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham GU10 2DL and Alan Crocker, President SIHG, Surrey Archaeological Society, Castle Arch, Guildford GUI 3SX. Most relevant to the Thursley History Society are the references to the Atlantic Wall and the structure on Hankley Common. The key events which have resulted, during thepast twentyyears, in historians and archaeologists recording and interpreting defensive and related military structures which were erected in Britain during the Second World War, are summarized. Locally, the Surrey Defences Survey played a significant role. Three aspects of the research carried out by volunteers working on this survey are discussed. Thefirst of these is the recording of pillboxes and anti-tank ditches, particularly those associated with the GHQLine which was constructed across the countyfrom Farnham, through Shalford, Dorking and Horley, to Lingfield. Then the defences of two towns, Dorking and Guildford, which were selected by the Home Defence Executive as nodal points, are considered. Finally a massive wall on Hankley Common near Farnham, which is a replica of a section of the German Atlantic Wall and was built to test assault equipment, is described. In 2001, English Heritage selected the defences near Waverley Abbey to receive thefirst in-depth survey of such structures to be carried out. The aim was to establish national criteriafor statutoryprotection of Second World Warfortifications. However,far more remains to be done and in many cases the need is urgent. Here are three illustrations from the article:

A marvellous film of this event and enjoy the wonderful singer

One mile from Thursley, the substantial and historic house of Milhanger occupies a dramatic elevated position, surrounded by its own extensive grounds From Knight, Franks sales particulars, April 2025 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/160626821#/?channel=RES_BUY From Savills and Strutt & Parker's sale particulars: https://media.onthemarket.com/properties/1001670/doc_1_2.pdf An extensive write-up from Country Life: https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/surrey-rhapsody-the-arts-and-crafts-mansion-that-was-home-to-queen-drummer-roger-taylor-214312 And another from the Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2807655/8million-mansion-Geldof-suite-party-barn-remarkably-colourful-rock-n-roll-pedigree.html

This article was written by Dr John N Bennett and Andy Moffatt who kindly gave Thursley History Society the right to reproduce it. They acknowledge with gratitude the assistance of Chris Shepheard, Manager of the Rural Life Centre in Tilford for tracking down the historical illustrations, the help of Mark Alex-Sanders of Fugro Robertson Ltd for the identification of the microfossil, and the Ordnance Survey for permission to reproduce the map. The Boundary Stone in August 2004 The Boundary Stone surrounded by dense vegetation in 2003 The key questions which the authors set out to answer were: • how big is it? • what is it made of? • where did it come from? • how did it get there? and these are dealt with in the article below which runs to eight pages and includes nine illustrations as can be seen in the pdf:

This article by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Thursley Parish Magazine I have been gripped by the tragic and rather mysterious tale of an air disaster over Thursley, in days gone by. The observant amongst you may have picked up a mere whisper of it in the poignant epitaph to Edmund Haviland from The Old Parsonage in last month’s magazine. It would appear that Edmund knew the harrowing tale that explains the existence of one of the memorials in Thursley church’s graveyard. The story begins on Wednesday 27th July 1932. It was a blustery day with storms predicted later on in early evening. A bright young man of 21 years old, already qualified as a pilot, planned an outing for his mother and a friend, visiting from Hanover, Germany – a mere afternoon jaunt to Hamble on the south coast and back to Heston, on the west side of London. The young man in question was Bruce Bayne Bossom, his mother Mrs Emily Bayne Bossom and his friend a rather dashing sounding Count Otto Erbach-Fürstenau, or to give him his full title, Count Otto Adolf Joseph Emich Alexander Graf zu Erbach-Fürstenau (aged 23). Mrs Bossom was the wife of wealthy noted architect and Member of Parliament for Maidstone, Mr Alfred C Bossom (later ennobled as Lord Bossom). Mr A C Bossom had had a renowned career in the US, an early exponent and well-respected pioneer and designer of many of New York’s famous skyscrapers in 1910-20’s Manhattan. He married his American wife, before returning to the UK with their three young sons, in order for them to receive a traditional English education (Eton). It was at this stage that he followed his father into political life in Westminster, only to be succeeded many years later by one of his two remaining sons, Sir Clive Bossom MP for Leominster. Mrs Emily Bayne Bossom Bruce Bossom, who piloted the plane, was a promising and talented airman, who by the age of 21 had passed his parts A and B licences and his blind flying licence and according to his father “had flown for several hundred hours and was capable of flying any type of machine”. He was fully intent on making his name in the still emerging world of aviation and had hopes of being an early adventurer, often talking about breaking flying records across the Atlantic. He had just become engaged, to Miss Odette Herard, although not with the blessing of his parents, who felt he was too young and not yet established in a career, for such a step. The young German prince, who hailed from a distinguished aristocratic family, had been visiting the Bossom family on his first trip to the UK, staying with them as their guest in their rather smart house in Carlton Gardens, Belgravia. The story of the actual crash is perhaps better left to the reporters from The Portsmouth Evening News, dated 28th July 1932, the day after the crash: MYSTERY OF MACHINE SHATTERED IN MID-AIR Mrs Emily Bossom, wife of Mr. A. C. Bossom, M.P. for Maidstone, her son Bruce, aged 21, and Prince Otto Erbach Furstenau were killed last night when the aeroplane in which they were flying to Hamble crashed at Tilford, near Churt, Surrey. The cause of the disaster is a mystery. Is it possible the machine may have been struck by lightning, though there is no sign of it having been burned? Or perhaps another view is that the wind may have torn off one of the wings which was seen to come away from the plane in mid-air? These are among the questions which experts will have to solve when they investigate the cause of the crash. Our Special Correspondent gained a grimly vivid idea of the terrible nature of the tragedy when at dawn today he stood atop the brow of Kettlebury Hill, within a mile of Mr. Lloyd George’s country home at Churt, and looked over the wide valley below. Half a-mile away, in a spinney of young beech trees, was the battered fuselage. Six hundred yards to the east of it was a portion of one wing, and nearly a mile still farther away was the wing which was seen to tear off in the air. Five hundred yards to the west of the fuselage, a policeman on guard marked the area about 100 yards square—in which the bodies were found. A gust of storm force wind, might have turned the machine over and put strain on the landing wires which they could not bear; which in turn could have ripped out the side of the aeroplane hurtling the occupants to their death. It is however, practically impossible to say anything definite at the moment, except that one side of the fuselage seems to have disappeared. The men of the Border Regiment were duo to have left their bivouacs at 3.30 a.m. to-day, to march across the slopes where the wreckage lies, to engage in a mock battle with the Devon’s, but the manoeuvres were postponed on account of the tragedy. It was these men who formed the search party which spread over the heather-clad valley looking for the bodies. This is the air accident investigation details of the crash. Date: 27-JUL-1932 Time: 17:45 Type: de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth Owner/operator: Brian Lewis & Co Ltd Registration: G-ABDH C/n / msn: 2081 Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Devil's Jump, Hankley Common, Churt, near Hindhead, Surrey Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi Departure airport: Heston Aerodrome, Heston, Middlesex Destination airport: Hamble, Hampshire We continue with the strange tale of the three passengers in a light aircraft, meeting their fate over Hankley Common. As you saw from last month’s photograph, the two members of the Bossom family killed – mother Emily and son Bruce - are buried in our churchyard. And although Alfred, Emily’s husband, went on to marry another American lady, he, along with a further son, are also buried alongside his first wife and son. An inquest into the plane crash was opened in Farnham Police Station on 29th July 1932, two days after the fatal accident. The Coroner, Mr G. Wills Taylor, stated that he proposed to take evidence just sufficient to permit the funerals to take place and would then adjourn, until the 14th September, to allow the air accident report to be made available. Sir Percy Simmons, solicitor, appeared for Mr A. Bossom, who sat next to him. The post mortems revealed some very odd results. It was confirmed that all three victims had died of multiple injuries, wholly consistent with falling heavily through the air. However, injuries which were indicative of burn marks or electrocution, caused before death, were present on all three bodies. Does this imply the lightening theory, rather than mechanical failure was more likely? Possibly, but never confirmed. Remember, they were flying through a thunderstorm at the time of the crash. The Western Daily Press of 30th July 1932 reported that “the funeral of Mrs Bossom and her son will take place at Thursley Churchyard, at the foot of the famous Hindhead Ridge, today at 2 o’clock”. The bodies were released from Farnham and went on immediately to Thursley. The body of Count Erbach Furstenau was conveyed to London to prepare for it to be taken across the Channel for interment at the family’s castle in Hanover. His brother was present at the Inquest and made the necessary arrangements. However, before rushing back to Germany, he paused briefly in Thursley to attend the funeral of Mrs Bossom and Bruce. The Scotsman newspaper reported on Saturday 1st August “In the secluded churchyard of Thursley, Surrey, about three miles from where they met their deaths on Wednesday evening, Mrs E Bossom and her son, Bruce were buried today. There were only two family mourners, Mr A C Bossom, MP for Maidstone and his elder surviving son Mr Clive Bossom. Other mourners were Count Alfred Graf zu Erbach Furstenau, brother of Count Otto, who was also killed in the crash and Sir Percy Simmons (solicitor). The officiating clergy were the vicar of the parish, the Rev. H G French and the vicar of Maidstone, Canon T K Sopwith. Mendelssohn’s “O for the Wings of a Dove” was played on the organ as the bodies were carried into the church. The only other music was the tune of the hymn “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past” played as the coffins were borne to the grave. The bodies were laid side by side in a double grave. There was a wreath of Lilies of the Valley from Miss Odette Herard, to whom Mr Bruce Bossom was engaged. It was inscribed “Je t’adore, Odette” “. It was, it would seem, a very desolate and intimate affair. More about Odette. At the time of the accident, she was on a Mediterranean cruise with her mother, reported as being a Knightsbridge dressmaker, although reading between the lines, she was more likely a French dress designer, as she had a personal secretary and they lived in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, one of the best-preserved set pieces of Georgian architecture in London. The Daily Herald rather dramatically reported as follows: AIRMAN'S LOVER WHISPERS, "I KNOW" - MONTE CARLO The news of the death of her young fiancé, Mr. Bruce Bossom, in an air crash at Farnham (Surrey) a fortnight ago, was made known to Miss Odette Herard by her mother, to-day, in the hospital at Monaco, where she is ill with scarlet fever. Miss Herard seemed to divine the nature of her mother's mission. " I know, mother. It is Bruce," she whispered, almost before her mother had spoken. Then, in spite of all her courage, Miss Herard. already weak and exhausted from the effects of her severe illness, broke down completely. Her mother said afterwards that her daughter had had a presentiment of impending disaster ever since she left England for her Mediterranean cruise. In parting from her fiancé on the quayside as she left England, she had had to turn away from him with tears in her eyes as she felt certain she would never see him again She had given him a little gold cross for luck in exchange for a ring. Ill in hospital, Miss Herard often said she heard the noise of aeroplane wings, and had feverishly asked when Bruce was coming to see her. A box of chocolates given by Mr Bossom has been kept by Miss Herard's mother as a pathetic souvenir. Only a week before Mr Bossom was killed, his parents had objected to his engagement on the grounds that it would interfere with his career as a pilot. During the research for this article, it was often implied that the flight itself may have had a more sinister raison d’etre, instead of the joyride that it first appeared. Some reports talked about a reward being offered for the return of money or jewels that the plane may have been carrying. That spurned all the local children onto Hankley and surrounding areas, in a vain search for the “illicit” stash. The truth was much more sentimental and believable. Mr and Mrs Bossom had travelled extensively throughout their time together, and rather charmingly, he bought her a pearl from everywhere they visited. This became a four-string set of pearls held together with a precious diamond clasp. When her body was recovered, forty of the sixty rare and highly valuable pearls were missing and her poor distraught husband offered a reward for any pearls recovered. Unfortunately, it was reported on 13th September, some two months later, that none of the missing jewels were ever traced. Finally, interestingly, to this day there are two little known memorials to the Bossom’s on Hankley Common. These mark the spots where their bodies fell. Of course, the bracken and heather will have grown up around them in the intervening years, but if anyone is interested in following up this mysterious tale, the co-ordinates of Emily’s memorial, as seen below, are N 51° 09.023 W 000° 44.760. Bossom aircrash 90th anniversary memorial (From an article written by Jackie Rickenberg in the Parish Magazine in September 2022) Some of you may remember the tragic tale of the Bossom air crash that I retold in the May and June 2021 articles. The crash, on Hankley in 1932, of a light aircraft, killed Lady Emily Bossom, her pilot son, Bruce Bossom and his friend, an aristocratic German Count. By another strange quirk of fate, it transpired that a villager who read it, knew a direct relative of the Bossom’s – both of whom are buried in our churchyard. This in turn led to a delightful meeting with Lady Barbara Bossom, whose late husband Sir Clive, younger brother of Bruce and son of Lady Emily, is also buried in the family plot in Thursley. As this July 27th was the 90th anniversary of the crash, a small memorial service was recall family held in the churchyard and attended by interested parties, Lady Barbara and her eldest son Sir Bruce (I know, a confusion of names!). Rev Hannah delivered a short reflective service and Sir Bruce read an apt poem (see below). Afterwards lunch at Hedge Farm provided an apt opportunity for the Bossom’s to recall family memories from that time. It was a sunny but overcast day and the graveyard was peaceful and tranquil, all very fitting for the occasion. The churchyard working committee had done a tremendous job of clearing around the impressive Bossom headstone and it seemed appropriate for Thursley to remember this part of its past in such a contemplative way. Impressions of a pilot by Gary Claude Stoker:read by Sir Bruce Bossom Flight is freedom in its purest form, To dance with the clouds which follow a storm; To roll and glide, to wheel and spin, To feel the joy that swells within; To leave the earth with its troubles and fly, And know the warmth of a clear spring sky; Then back to earth at the end of a day, Released from the tensions which melted away. Should my end come while I am in flight, Whether brightest day or darkest night; Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain, Secure in the knowledge that I’d do it again; For each of us is created to die, And within me I know, I was born to fly. The report below is from Surrey History: Above scans courtesy Dr John N Bennett Report of Accidents Investigation Branch dated 27 July 1932 Report by Aviation Safety Network, updated 4 July 2021 de Havilland DH80 Puss Moth, photographs courtesy Dr John N Bennett

From the Times, September 14 1927 and reprised September 14 1994

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in January 2023 Happy New Year from the Thursley History Society. Last month, James Mendelssohn wrote about the lessons learned from the devastating fire on Hankley Common this summer, and how we can apply those findings to our own small but fairly spread-out community. We all like to hope that the fires that have ravished our commons in recent years were accidental incidents but this month’s story features a far more sinister turn of events. I came across this article taken from Old Bailey Proceedings Online, dated 31st March 1879, from the trial of Thursley resident, Alan John Mitchell, who was charged with Arson, with intent to injure. The article is as it was written up in the Proceedings, so there is an element of repetition, but I thought worth including a lot of it, in order to get the full story. The language is of the time! WILLIAM LILLYWHITE I am keeper to Mr Robert Webb, Lord of the Manor of Witley, in the county of Surrey. On 9th March I saw some fires burning on the common. I went to find a friend, Mr Budd. I went in front of the Red Lion public house** at about 10pm. I saw Alan Mitchell there, and heard him use the expression that he would burn the b_____ common* out. I then went and concealed myself a little distance from the Hammer Ponds, about half a mile from the public house. I saw the fires burning from the direction of the public house all along the road. I saw the prisoner and two other men, Keen and Elwyn, coming along the road towards the Hammer Ponds. They came close to where I was watching and I heard Keen say “Don’t do it, Alan, you are a fool if you do, there is someone watching”. The prisoner then stepped back in the road for a few seconds, he then came towards the bushes, a little above where he was the first time, and I moved from the place where I was watching close where he came across, and I distinctly saw him take the matches from his clothes, light them and put them into the bushes, and light the bushes in several different places. The common was burning the six or seven different places at that time. I said to him “Alan, what are you doing this for? Are you not right, now?” He did not make any reply. I told him he would hear of it. Keen came up at the time and said “If we put it out, I suppose that will do?” Cross-examined I had been out nearly all of the evening. I left home just before 7 – no fires were burning at that time. There was one fire between 7 and 8, but not in the Milward Manor. Our manor is the Witley Manor, it is all the same. Some call it Witley and some Milward, they are not in different parts, they are both in one. I saw one fire in the Pepper Harrow Manor a little after 7, this fire was nearly a mile from the fire I saw burning at Witley. WILLIAM BUDD I live at the Silk Mills in Thursley. I was with Lillywhite on the night of the 9th of March. In consequence of something that he had seen, he asked me to go out with him. I went with him towards where the fire was burning. We hid ourselves in the bushes. I heard someone say “Don’t you do it, Alan”. Then I heard Lillywhite say “Alan, what are you doing that for? I have caught you now”. I can’t tell whose voice it was that said “Don’t do it, Alan”. I did not see anything done by anybody. I saw a fire alight, I did not see who lighted it. I know two Alan’s in the neighbourhood of Thursley. No more. I don’t think so. The two I know are Alan Mitchell, the prisoner, and Alan Elwyn. I did not see Alan Elwyn that night. CHARLES FREDERICK NORTON (Policeman 50 Surrey Constabulary). I apprehended the prisoner at the Horse Shoe Inn on 10th March. I charged him with setting fire to the common, the property of the Lord of the Manor. He said “If you want me for anything I did last night, why don’t you summons me, and not take me now?” He said “Will you let me go home to change my clothes?” I accompanied him to his house, and allowed him to go upstairs to change his clothes and I stood at the foot of the stairs. I could not hear him moving about and I went up and then found that he had escaped by jumping out of the window. I next saw him in a lane at the back of the house. I went after him and when he saw me get over the fence, he started running. I ran after him and eventually caught him. He afterwards said, “I know I went down the road last night, but I was drunk, and if I did anything wrong I did, but I don’t know it”. The proceedings continue on in a lengthy fashion, taking evidence from Frederick Rothwell – the bailiff to Mr Webb, Lord of the Manor of Witley, and witnesses for the Defence including Alan Elwyn and Albert Keen, who “ saw nothing ” and admitted to “ having been in a little trouble, it was not about poaching. I don’t know what it was; I never heard nothing. I have never been in prison, I was convicted and fined for poaching ”. Potentially an unreliable witness, might I suggest! Other names mentioned, who were all drinking in the Red Lion that night and went down to see the fires were Robert Walker, Bill Carter, Jerry Dark, Hughy Mitchell and James “Wisdom”. And even though the waters were muddied somewhat by Alan Elwyn claiming that William Lillywhite had been in The Half Moon*** all afternoon, implying his recollection and judgement might have been somewhat hazy, Alan Mitchell was found guilty and sentenced to five years Penal Servitude, which was, according to The Penal Servitude Act of 1857 , imprisonment with hard labour! *Blanked out in the transcript **The Red Lion Inn (Bridle Cottage) was on the Old Portsmouth Rd, now a private house. ***The Half Moon pub was situated down the slip road onto the A3, I believe, just before Hammer Ponds. If anyone has any photos or info on The Half Moon, we would love to see it.

These wonderful photographs by Jill Fry were for a talk she gave in 2008 and include photographs taken between 2005 and 2007.

This account was contributed by Mr Good, the Honorary Secretary. We are a small branch of 25 members with Mr Abels from Upper Highfield Farm as President, Lt Colonel Dunlop from Pitch Place as Chairman, and Mr Good from Streetfield as Secretary. Monthly meetings are held on every third Tuesday in the Three Horse Shoes. We have a Service Committee which meets when required to deal with any case that has been brought to notice. We have a representative on the Village Hall Committee and a Poppy Day Organiser who arranges the sale of Poppies etc. A representative and delegate attend County Conference. A Remembrance Day Service is held which members attend with Standard. A Branch Dinner was held in March of this year when 26 members and friends had an enjoyable evening. Thursley won the County Chairman’s Cup for 1965 which is presented by the Chairman to the Branch he selects for his special commendation.

When preparing for the Wedding Belles exhibition in 2008 (see separate entry), research was carried out in the available marriage registers. Nearly 400 weddings were analysed which recorded the occupations of the groom and groom's father. This would be a wonderful subject for a PhD! As a result of updating the Wedding Belles entires of Thursley Marriages, the years 2003 - 2024 have now been analysed and the occupation of the bride has been added:

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in May 2024 From the left: Joyce, Patricia and Marion Everyone that knew Joyce, was very sad to learn of her recent passing. Joyce had lived in Thursley for around 66 years, an incredible achievement! This month we would like to pay tribute to Joyce through the recollections of her great village friends, Patricia Coles and Marion O’Brien. Joyce and Peter Hall moved into South House, in the village, in 1958. A year later, Pat and Patricia Coles moved into Upper Ridgeway Farm and finally, Michael and Marion O’Brien arrived at Vine Cottage in 1964, before moving to The Lodge, in 1969. All three couples were newly married and yet to start their families. The three wives became firm friends and shared their lives and family experiences. Here are some of their recollections: Marion remembers meeting Joyce and Peter at a party in Cosford House, where they threw the most memorable parties of the time. Patricia thinks she first met Joyce at her strawberry farm, Coles Strawberries, renowned in the area for over 45 years, even supplying Wimbledon for many summers. Everyone in the village went there to buy strawberries in the summer, so Patricia got to know both Marion and Joyce very quickly.   The couples began their families and soon Joyce and Peter had Christopher, Adriana and Simon, the Coles, Stephen and Malcolm and the O’Brien’s had James, Sarah and Charles. They remember the children playing happily for hours on the Common, making camps and having all sorts of adventures. Stephen now lives in New Zealand and Adriana in Australia, but still remain close. I am sure there are lots of stories, as yet untold to parents, even after all these years! Joyce was an excellent cook and soon got into village life, and she, Patricia and Marian helped with the catering of the annual Harvest Suppers, the flowers in the church and latterly, the Over 60’s club – very different to The 60’s Club, which was for all the children in the village, born in the 1960’s. Michael remembers being given the job of the table plan for the Harvest Suppers and each year incurring the wrath of Major Brian Camp, the rather formidable chairman of the Parish Council, who, it would appear, was easily given to criticism! Patricia and Marion reminisced further about village life back in their early days: There was a village policeman living in Harvesters, a busy Post Office, in the Old Post Office, a shop, run by Bernie Karn, in the Old Stores and a butcher alongside the shop. The day Marian and Michael moved in, they found a note on their kitchen table, welcoming them to the village from Nan Wonham, who ran the Post Office. Her husband Ben delivered the daily papers, milk was delivered by Mr Ellis and eggs could be bought from Ron and Mary Rapley, in Highfield Lane. Ron Voller was the postman and could be seen doing his rounds by bicycle. He and his wife, Nellie, also ran a kennels at Hilldown. Today it is Patricia who has a wonderful kennels and cattery at Upper Ridgeway Farm. Fewer people had cars and almost all only one per family. Many caught the bus, either to Guildford, Godalming or Hindhead, from the lay-by just before the slip road onto the A3. There was one bus an hour and the ladies of the village caught it to get their weekly shopping, carrying it all back home with them. Patricia recalled a lady who was terribly shy and if the returning bus had any Canadian soldiers on it (still billeted here after the war), she would walk all the way from Godalming with her shopping! There were at least eight working farms; Hill Farm (Middleton), Hedge Farm (Guyatt), Lower Highfield Farm (Rapley), Upper Highfield Farm (Abels), Cowdray Farm (Goble), Punchbowl Farm (Edwards), Upper Ridgeway Farm (Coles) and Bowlhead Green Farm (Ranson). Four of them are still working today. The Coles, Gobles and Ransons still run their family farms with Sally Scheffers now at Punchbowl Farm. The village school had recently closed when Joyce and Patricia arrived in Thursley and there was a school bus to Milford which originally came all the way up Highfield Lane. However, after some accidents on the lane, it took to stopping near the shop where the children would alight and disembark. The Red Lion had closed and was now a garage owned by Reg Cottle, who was a great help to everyone, but The Half Moon pub, near what is now Silkmill House and The Three Horseshoes were very much open. Streetfield had just been completed and there was a new cricket pavilion, which was later replaced following an arson attack. There was an active Women’s Institute as well as a monthly Church Fellowship and a Church choir which Sarah O’Brien sang in, despite being almost tone deaf (her words)! It was so interesting listening to these recollections and hearing how the village has changed. What hasn’t changed is the strong community spirit and great friendships forged within the village. With Sarah’s recent move back to Thursley, Marion, is impressed at the number of WhatsApp groups and other ways in which this spirit is kept going amongst the different generations. Joyce enjoyed this link with the next generations having her son Simon and his wife Amanda, and their two children Nat and Hannah, living at South House, as does Patricia, with Malcolm farming at Upper Ridgeway. One last fond memory of Joyce was told by Patricia: “Joan was wonderfully bilingual but occasionally got a bit mixed up. She once told me a friend had had aquapuncture! I now have to think every time I use the word acupuncture!" She is much missed.