weddings at the church

I got married at the church in 1993 to Loraine Adams. Other members of my family were also married there: my mum and dad,  Bob Groves married June Seabrook in 1962, My grandparents John Seabrook married Joyce Martin, my great aunt and uncle, Eric Bailey married Connie Martin-and more recently my brother-in law Ian Adams married Nicola Millward and my brother Tim Groves married Emily Cooke!! I have two chances of continuing the family tradition!!

It would be interesting if anyone else can list any family weddings on here- I will add some pictures of the above weddings at a later date.

I wonder if anyone got married here before they were famous?

Below my dad Bob Groves and mum June Seabrook were married at the church in the big freeze of December 1962-the picture shows them getting into the car just outside the lychgate, notice how deep the snow is!!

Another wedding I remember going to at the church was that of Linda Knight- then of number 2 Church st. when she got married to John Ruffle-must have been about 1973?

The village green

We were lucky enough to live opposite the village green so used to play there more than our own garden!! There are a lot of memories of the village green as a child. The excitement when the tractor arrived with the numerous cutters on the back to cut the grass-when he had gone we had hours of fun with the cut grass in those long hot summers!! There were little holes in the hedge along the bottom where we could crawl through under the hedge and make hideouts!There was a big rock in the corner by the churchyard railings-covering a hole where you could lift it up to find bugs! There was a telephone wire running across the middle of the green-we used to kick the football over it and get told off!! There was the bench just past the rectory which we used to sit on with the peeling green paint!

There were no goal posts -we used to use rolled up jumpers! No playground equipment-we used to have so much fun though making the most of what was there!! Remember it like it was yesterday!!!

The Post Office

I have been thinking hard about my first memories of the shop. The earliest one must have been when I was about three someone spoke to me and I was hiding behind my mum's legs!!

 I am sure the post office part was on the left hand side with a hatch through to the next room? Then I remember it being at the back on the left hand side and then at the back in the centre-sounds a bit like football positions!! Not sure where it is now-must pop in for a nose!

There were always newspapers on the rack outside the front door on a sunday-we had to post the money through the letter box-very trustworthy!

There was a stamp vending machine on the wall and a chewing gum machine-can't remember if either of them ever worked though!!

Inside the shop in my earliest memories there always seemed to be cats wandering around-don't think that would be allowed these days!!

I remember a mars bar was about 5p and a can of drink about 8p- I don't remember spending old money in the shop but I do remember my bus fare to school was a sixpence and an old penny!! Maybe that's why we had to walk most of the time-anyone know the bus fare from Teston to Wateringbury now?!

The post office c.1960

The post office c.1907

The post office c.1910

A "Beatle" visits Teston

In 1983 I had the privilege of meeting Sir Paul McCartney on location in Teston. He was filming a scene for the film "Give my regards to Broad St." on the river at the locks. I had been working in The Chequers at West Farleigh and managed to get a tip off. So before anyone else knew about it, I left college early and with a couple of mates we went to Teston to try to get a glimpse.

Watching from a distance by the locks he called us over! We were standing chatting to him for a good half hour and got autographs and photos-what a nice bloke!

The scenes they were filming were about 30 seconds in the actual film-but that was the day a beatle visited Teston.

Fairlawn House

This photo must have been taken around 1974. It was taken in the grounds of Fairlawn House in Malling road.At the time, the house was owned by the Lascelles family-when they sold it, most of the grounds were sold for development and became Nestor Court.

More from Church Street

I found this one- must be about 1970-71? The houses in the background are 4,5 & 6 -the boys are myself and youger brother Tim.

Church Street

Church Street is where I lived up to the age of 13 opposite the village green at number 3.
The photograph clearly show 1 and 2 together then number 3 attached to 4, 5 and 6 which were all one house after Mrs pellatt left for one of the four bungalows in the street. All the white weatherboard houses are grade 2 listed buildings.

Below shows the tree which was planted in 1977 to celebrate the Queen's silver jubilee -I was at the planting ceremony! If I remember rightly it was Ernest Swaisland that put on the first shovel of soil-it was only a couple of feet high then....look at it now!

This is Church St. around 1968 showing number 2 and 3 in the background. Also shows me on my Grandad's Hillman Imp and my mum June Groves next to my dad's 1950's Ford Consul.

Teston church

Teston Church as it is today.

Teston church

Just outside the church-the man in the photo I believe is Fred Martin who was my mum's Uncle but I am yet to find out who the child is. The car is apparently Fred Martin's car which was a Morris 8 and was in production in the late 1930's. So I guess the photo will be 1940's.

I have now identified the car by sending the photo to a Morris 8 specialist-it is actually a Ford model c 10!! I found the picture above to show the match!! So it may not be Fred's car after all!!

Teston Church

As it is today.

Teston church possibly in 1920's.

This is Church Street taken from the village green. The van I believe is my grandad's mobile shop (John Seabrook).Behind can be seen the four bungalows  along with the village hall and the village shop. Must be 1950's.

The people I remember

I thought I would list a few names I remember as a child in the seventies. From Church street-The Philips family from the Post office, The Swaislands and Bloomfields from the bungalows oh and Mrs Pellat-can't remember who was in the forth bungalow. Mr and Mrs Saunders from No.1 Church Street, The Knights from No.2 and my family from No.3. Then known as 4,5 & 6 The Griffiths family, then living at The Rectory was reverend Sharpe. Next was Olive and Roger Oxley with Miss Bond and her mother next door. Next were two houses but I can't remember their names-but remember a lady with a white MG sports car with a little girl!

Let's continue into Woodlands-bit sketchy here- at the top was The Inglett family whom I believe still live there, near-by were the Willows family- I was friends with Desmond until they moved up near the North Pole pub and subsequently to the U.S. Remember Mr Watson further down, then i think it was Ron Severn and his wife, the Godfrey's-Zenith was a dinner lady at wateringbury School in the seventies. Finally there was a lady-Godden or something like that who used to chase us off when we came zooming down Woodlands on our bikes!!

Welcome!

Welcome to my first post!

I lived in Teston from a small child till I was about 17. My earliest memory was when I was about three when my brother was born in 1967. My mum also lived in Teston as a child in Fairlawn Close and so did her grandmother. I have always taken an interest in the history of Teston as there are a lot of old buildings with stories to be told.

I have started this blog hoping for a few contributions from other people with connectiond to Teston past or present. so please write some posts and add some pictures!!