Additional information given in an Interview by R Maltby with Mr Harry Joynes and Family of ‘Lucknow’, on February 17th 1965.
R Maltby "Mr. Bevan tells me that you will be able to add some information to what he has given me. I wonder if you can go right back to when you were children".
H Joynes "At that time - a very long time ago! we lived in a cottage at Little Shurdington. We had our milk from Greenway Farm, what is now Shurdington Court; we played our games on a piece of common ground known as 'The Green' and we went to school at the village school, built in 1839. There were not many children there and we were all ages. There was a governess and one teacher. "
RM "Were the farms very extensive?"
HJ "Greenway Farm was about 1000 acres and Hitch's Farm at Pool Farm - now Shurdington Riding Stables, was very big too. One of the farmers at Greenway Farm was a Mr. Henry Theyer who went to Australia. The Mrs. Barrow who has recently bought Shurdington Court, was descended from Mr. Theyer. The Court is not a farm now, and there is another farm called Greenway Farm."
RM "Mr. Bevan was telling me about John Pick and Tom Twinning the Blacksmiths".
HJ "There were some others before them - the Coopeys of Wentworth House, and a blacksmith and carpenter had a place in Farm Lane. Wentworth House was a Post Office then. Organ's where Tom Twinning worked was an undertaker too".
RM "There seem to have been Post-Offices and Shops in various places".
HJ "At one time it was down in the village by Mr. Bevan’s, then the house next to the Police Station was built as a Post-Office. The house 'Lyndhurst' was once a General Stores where I used to buy sweets and bags of coal for 1/- (one shilling). It was also used as a Reading Room and Boy's Club. Mr. Bevan told you about McVities' shop. When Mr. Roberts first came here, he used to grow a lot of vegetables and take them into Cheltenham in a cart, to sell them."
RM "Have you any interesting news about the public houses in the village?"
HJ "Apart from the fact that there used to be a third house, The King's Head, the most interesting fact is that both the New Inn and the Bell Inn were purchased by West Country Breweries on the same day in 1898. There was a bakery at the Bell and the oven is s till there."
RM "Was there a road running past Blenheim Cottages?"
HJ "There was a lane called Betty Robert's Lane, which led to Mr. Ford's buildings, but these are now derelict".
RM "I should rather like to spend a day at the church if you could spare the time to show me round ".
HJ "I will certainly do that".
RM "Thank you all for your help, and we'll meet again at the church Mr. Joynes".