My daughter

Caroline Ellis born June 15th 1979

I would say that I have some very happy carefree memories living here in Finedon which include: School When I was at the Infants School I remember taking a new battery powered barking dog to show to friends, whilst playing with the dog in the sandpit, Sam Sumner fed it sand ensuring it never worked again.

I remember also pushing a pea up my nose and sitting outside Mrs. Charles door with a tin of sweets waiting for her to remove it.

Junior School

After developing a fascination with the paranormal I set up a Ghost Club at the Junior School with some friends and managed to get out of a lesson on the understanding we were drawing the huge heater in the boiler room under the headmaster’s office when in fact we were looking for sightings of paranormal beings behind a stack of chairs. Sorry Mrs Pearson!

I recall going in a Coach with Mrs. Pearson to collect eggs from a hatchery in Burton Latimer and I think back as to how exited we were all were coming into the classroom every morning to see if another chick had hatched. We could have them out of the pen and at times they would mess all over the desks, much to our amusement.

I loved the weekly dip in the swimming pool in the summer months and sports day out in the Recreational ground where we would sit in our House Teams, I was in Tingdene.

Up until the age of around ten I remember every Sunday going to The Independent Wesleyan Chapel. For a Fancy Dress competition my Mum once dressed me up as a dice; really only a cardboard box with spots on and holes for my head and arms, I remember being really embarrassed until I won a prize, probably out of pity.

I remember helping to run the Tuck Shop and Lyndsey Horn coming up with an idea for us to make pom poms to then sell, they were very popular.

I also remember sitting to listen to Mrs. Pearson reading the story Charlottes Web, Playing the Ocarina with Mrs. Lisamore and also Mrs. Osborne; they were all brilliant teachers. A group of us used to act out various plays which were always great fun. I remember once doing a comedy sketch in assembly pretending to be old ladies at the hairdressers gossiping as well as a banana man sketch with the Banana exploding on someone’s back, this wasn’t supposed to happen, but the teachers found it funny anyway.

Co-op Disco

I went there every week without fail, where we used to love dancing to “Five Star”, “Madonna” and Michael Jackson. There was a cloakroom, where any adults would usually catch someone having a kiss behind the coats.

She drinks Man.

He used to call at Eastfield Crescent every week on a Thursday evening and we used to get money back if we handed in empty pop bottles; I remember that I liked Dandelion and Burdock and Limeade.

Water Fights We used to have lots of water fights in the garden but we would end up getting the house soaked through when the hosepipe somehow came into the kitchen; the whole street seemed to end up in the garden. Mum did not mind this too much because at least she knew that we were safe.

Carnival Days

I remember the huge green dinosaur in the parade and how the street was full of brightly coloured floats which would finish down at the Rec. I always wanted to be part of the Carnival, but it seemed to finish before I had chance to.

Winter Months

My brother and his friends used to take a plastic sledge down the pits and I would usually tag along .A group of us used to build our own little bases down at the Pits.

The Grotto

I remember regularly going down to the Grotto, near to the Old Hall, where there was also a circle of trees, which we believed was used by Witches. We used to go into the Old hall when it was derelict. I recall a time we came running and screaming out after hearing footsteps above, even though the staircase was concreted off.
Mona’s We were regular customers at Mona’s. She was a lovely kind lady who used to give me free sweets whilst my mum was doing her shopping.

Bike rides Down to the Mill with mum her friend Pam Wells and her children having a picnic whilst we were there. As I got older a group of us would go for sneaky swims in the Mill, I wasn’t allowed! Not quite sure how I used to explain why my clothes were damp when I got home. I also clearly remember us going on our bikes to the Cinema in Burton Latimer. On one particular outing it poured with rain on the return journey. Mum called into the Co-op in Burton and made my brother and myself put on a carrier bag each to keep us dry, we were mortified at having to wear an upside down Co-op logo printed on our chests. Fortunately by the time we got to Finedon, it had stopped raining, so luckily I don’t think anyone saw us.

Next door neighbours Ted and Margaret We grew so close to Margaret and Ted that there was a gap in the hedge in the back garden so we could go round and visit easily. I remember playing in the apple tree. They had a huge back garden and every November we would have a big bonfire there. I also clearly remember what a brilliant cook Margaret was and how lovely her cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire Puddings were. Margaret would often come out clothes shopping with us often going to Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering…..she was like a second Nan especially after Finedon Nan died. The whole of the Ellis family were very upset when Ted later died and then some years later Margaret. I also remember being really exited at Christmas time and seeing the scouts coming round with Father Christmas on the float.
I remember going to Wellingborough for the first time without parents being present; I was with Elizabeth Adams.
We spent our return bus money and started to walk home until one of mums friends stopped to pick us up; big trouble there.

Bill Underwood’s I remember buying bags of Monkey Nuts from Bill Underwood’s shop for ten or twenty pence, also we used to buy butterfly nets which we took down to the Mill to try to catch frogs in. We also bought Ice Polls and a mix up from Cox’s shop in Allen Road. Although I do not feel that Finedon now has a sense of community as it once did, I have very happy memories.