parcel for Rooken House

Fri 30 Mar 2018, 11:57

I forget to mention that I know that Steve Andrews was her favourite neighbour, and here's a hint why, because Steve is very good at looking for lost handbags!? Older people, suffering with memory loss, are always hiding their keys, or their handbags, and sometimes they then forget where that safe place was. Imagine that everything you own is lost and you can't find it, for days, before Christmas this was - you panic, and you phone the police don't you? Or do you? Maybe you should phone the doctor for help, or maybe not - or in the end it's probably best to call a friend. They will make you sit down, put the kettle on for a cup of tea for you and find it! I know you'd like to know where it was found, in a room that she never goes in, tucked out of sight under a cushion on the floor in a corner dropped there when she was trying to - fix the lampshade. Of course, if the doorbell goes that's what I'd do, hide my handbag quickly before opening the door to - friends, hopefully, but maybe strangers?

Fri 30 Mar 2018, 11:36 (last edited on Fri 30 Mar 2018, 20:24)

Everyone knows from the BBC programmes that every house has a story, but what is more important is to tell the stories of the people in Charlbury. I'd like to start the "ball rolling" by asking what Ron Prew remembers about so many things; why there is a connection between the Larcum Kendall room and the blue plague when Jonathan Betts, Senior Curator in Horology at the Royal Observatory Museum, Greenwich, and Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, came; or the connection between Ron Prew and a visit from royalty to unveil another plaque, and he knows why all the rooms in the Corner House have the names they do, as does an awful lot of other clever Charlburians that live here. Who would you like to know more about and their connections to Charlbury? It can be a game - for instance I know that Patricia Ellis's dear late husband was so informed on Napoleon that I can go into the Library and find on the floor his volume he donated of Stanley Kubrick's whole production plans and all the indexes compiled by Geoffrey as the historian consulted to make a film by Kubrick in the 1960s. How many other people saw his donation to the Library? I remember the 1000s of Hungarian "soldiers", chosen as extras, were going to wear "paper uniforms" to keep costs down.

Fri 30 Mar 2018, 08:26 (last edited on Fri 30 Mar 2018, 08:30)

It's where the artist Moira Wyatt lived for many years with her dear late gentle husband Selwyn. They moved there in the 70s? from Rook's Nest on the Spelsbury Road which has a whole other tale to tell. Everyone knows/knew Moira and Selwyn, and knows their community spirit entering with great passion to driving for the Day centre, CADS, CAS, CGS - still winning cups for her roses at the age of 92 and entering paintings too in the 2017 Art Show! And Maureen went up to her at that Art Show and threw her arms around Moira, and welcomed her with smiles!
The reason that she had to leave her beloved home was because she fell and broke her arm when picking apples in the garden, as 92 year olds tend to do. She now has no more loneliness and she even now, at her age, is jollying up the Chadlington Abbeyfields home. Which rumour has it she has taken up with a new beau, a former SAS soldier! We need to support our old people more to stop their isolation, so why not do a profile of Moira in the next Chronicle? I'm sure everyone will enjoy telling their tales of what she did in the 1940s,50s,60s,70s,80s,90s and naughties! I know she was medical artist at a top London hospital, worked as a florist in a Mayfair freezing cold shop, even a Home Office secret "weapon", that to this day she says she can't talk about, drew the D-Day landing craft which is in a newspaper article and in the Imperial War Museum, went to Camberwell Art School where she met and "fell in love" with Humphrey Littleton, met a swedish life-long friend that cycled with her from London to Devon, staying at the Stow in the Wold YHA, which is still there, has many memories of her beautiful glass engravings her album has articles of her work in the Oxford Times and memories at Art In Action at Waterperry. I will stop there are too many stories for this forum...

Thu 29 Mar 2018, 15:16

Liz - Rooken House is directly opposite you!

Thu 29 Mar 2018, 15:12

I've just taken delivery of 2 parcels for this address (Park St) with no name and don't know where it is. If it's for you or you know the house, please pm or text me on 07938 193014