10th December 2014. The tenth contribution to the Village Advent Calendar Windows, at Claremount, Little Street.
More pictures on the next page.
And now a little Christmas story about a former inhabitant of Claremount. In the 1960s an elderly couple from Erdington in Birmingham bought (and named) Claremount for their retirement years. They were Mr and Mrs Wallington. Sadly, Mr Wallington died within a very short time, leaving Mrs Wallington on her own. Molly and I, with 5 year old Catherine and baby Susan were living opposite in Dippers Cottage, as indeed we do now (for the second time). On Christmas morning 1968, we were preparing a little family Christmas lunch, just for the four of us, when there was a knock at the door. Mrs Wallington stood on the doorstep. “Happy Christmas”, she said, and then ” but I am so very lonely….may I please come in and sit with you for a little while….I will be absolutely no trouble”! Of course she was invited in and of course she stayed for lunch and of course she stayed for tea and supper. She was as good as her word and initially said very little but soon became an entertaining companion. Thereafter she became a family member. The girls adored her. She was a fine seamstress and had an attic full of silks and satins. She entertained the the girls for hours by helping them to make all sorts of amazing dresses, thus:
Spencer House, next door to Dippers Cottage, can be seen under construction in this photograph.
Colin Wootton