Tales of Times Gone By!

There were some characters in the village .

Maggie Buckstone and her daughter Peggy, lived in C/Ash in a cottage next to Jolleys Farm, the cottage was demolished many years ago after Maggie died. Peggy died before her mother I think in the early 60's. Maggie was a character, born into a farming family she and her daughter lived quietly in their cottage but walked or cycled around the village. Maggie wore a blue/black raincoat, waterboots and a black felt hat winter and summer, on Sundays she would come into the Bucks Head and ask for "10 Woods and a box of strikers". They kept rabbits and chickens and as boys we bought the rabbits for pets from them otherwise they went to the sale. They did not go upstairs in the cottage that's where the chickens were!
Maggie suffered a horrible accident when she was gathering wood, either the axe head came off and hit her in the head or a piece of wood that she was cutting flew up and hit her, it was not long after this that she died.
When the picture was taken I do not know but it was at their cottage door, how the photographer persuaded her to take off her coat I do not know.
"Songs Of Suffolk"
Recorded by Neil Lanham, a Suffolk Auctioneer, in the 1950s & '60s who worked at Campsea Ashe Cattle Market, where he took part in the traditional music and song that could be heard in a host of local pubs including the now closed "Ashe Buck" (bucks head) seen left.
At the 'Talbot', song often broke out after a sack of spuds or a pen of weaners had been sold in the auction, with the general dealer and box player, Boxer Fairweather (Oscar Wood's best mate) always to the fore with the collection. Here too Charlie Howlett would rest Barnie, his mule, while he enjoyed refreshment in this company before returning with his cart and deliveries to Framlingham. To obtain recordings of Suffolk Orality in Song, Story and Lore, please visit Traditions of Suffolk


Anthony Hurren farmed, in the 1960’s, at Park Gate Farm, Stratford St Andrew, Suffolk where he was tenant under the Cobbold family on the Little Glemham Estate. He also farmed on Lord Ullswater’s Estate at Campsea Ashe where he was a friend of his Lordship.

To this day Anthony is remembered with affection for his broad, blunt and bawdy sayings and country philosophies which ‘at the drop of a hat’ he would surely subject anyone and everyone who he could get to listen. In spite of his outspokenness and constant desire to tell everyone what to do if he thought that anyone genuinely needed help he would be the first to oblige. Just one of the colourful characters who do not seem to be around any more in the computer age.



The Cricket Connection
Campsea Ashe v Lowestoft Railway circa 1950
"In those days, Lowestoft Railway used to play all day Sunday fixtures against Campsea Ashe and Woodbridge British Legion which included family lunches and teas, Also being a cricket club member entitled you to the use of the social club facilities and free parking on the station car park!!" a contributor writes
"I remember those cricket matches at Lowestoft very well. We all met at the Talbot as it was then and load the coach with some refreshment for the journey and after one or two stops for personal needs we arrived in Lowestoft for the match. Children were entertained by Mrs Grace Lankester who was the wife of the landlord of the Talbot.
At lunch we all went to a restaurant next to Lowestoft Railway Station which overlooked the dock and as children we counted the fishing vessels for a prize.
Teas were served at the ground and on the way home late in the evening Mrs Lankester told us children stories at the front of the ever stopping bus. I still tell my grandchildren versions of those stories.

Campsea Ashe Cricket Club was formed by Lord Ullswater out of the I Zingari CC which began around 1900. They played at Campsea Ashe and against Yorkshire and other notable clubs.

Campsea Ashe cricket ground in its heyday was one of the best grounds in this county and is well remembered by many cricketers and followers of cricket today".

The Campsea Ashe World Cup connection.

Thomas de Brotherton ( born 1 June 1300 ), was a son of Edward I and was created Earl of Norfolk, his daughter became Duchess of Norfolk.

This C14 armorial glass shield is in Campsea Ashe Church and it is of course the three lions of England and forms part of the Duke of Norfolk family crest to this day, which is where the England badge comes from. Not many villages can claim this connection.