You are in [Themes] [Reminiscences] [Oral History - Audio Archives] [Barbara Hope with Pam Haseltine, 1992]


Barbara Hope lived nearly all her life at The Bridge, Hungerford. She went to school at nearby College House, and she has a particularly clear memory of life in Hungerford in the early 20th century.

This page includes recordings of interviews of Barbara Hope by Pam Haseltine as part of her research for "Reminiscences of Twentieth Century Hungerford", published in 1993.

This is Part 1 of 4:
- Born 1899 in Bridge House
- Grandfather (Astley) and father solicitor
- School at Mrs Froome's College House, then Cheltenham Ladies College
- Related to Richens family
- Pratt's butchers, Alexander grocers, Gingell's, Killick, Harris baker, Jessett's baker, drapers
- Bodman's and Tyler's
- Life before the motor car
- Tradesmen's deliveries and errand boys
- Hunt Balls
- Saddlers (Blake's), blacksmiths (Caswell and Wiggins)
- Childrens' hoops

This is Part 2 of 4:
- Canal traffic
- Railway
- Tarmac on the roads (after WWI)
- Main drainage, electricity, gas
- Lambs' tail pie
- Population change
- Domestic staff in Bridge House in 1900s
- College House school

This is Part 3 of 4:
- Miss Richens' school
- Vicars in Hungerford - Rev Grey
- Volunteer Fire Brigade
- The Willes family, Hungerford Park 1784-1900

This is Part 4 of 4:
- Rev Denning (and the cricket club)
- The doctors (Major, Barker, Starkey-Smith)
- The Bloomsbury group at Ham Spray