Church Street

Elwell Street

Stottingway St

Ridgeway/Old Roman Road

Dorchester Road

Other Roads/Lanes

Victoria Avenue

St Laurence School - to 1976

- Photos (including names where known)

- School Day memories

Upwey - (location map)

Return to the top of the page

The 1960's began with a few changes around the village.

Rev Leslie Jones took over the parish following the death of Rev Bryant in 1958. The Rectory was now at 650 Dorchester Road.

The Congregational Church at the corner of Chapel Lane, linked with Radipole Congregational Church to combine forces and encourage greater attendance. Rev Charles Stacey and his wife arrived at The Manse.

B Smith & Sons had taken over the bakery from Dick Baker and Miss Alice Dunn became Postmistress, following the death of Miss Corbin in 1956. The Co-Op at Grays Corner went 'self-service'.

The Royal Oak closed in 1965 and became a sorry sight being boarded up until it was demolished by the council in April 1968 for a road widening scheme which was completed in 1970. Late on in 1969 Len and May Clark retired from The Masons Arms to live in Elwell Street. Roy Reynolds took up the licence.

1959/60 was the last season for Upwey & Broadwey Football Club. At the end of the season the President (Mr J Cook), Chairman (Mr E Brown) and Secretary (Mr N Restorick) all stood down and as no one came forward to take their places the club was disbanded. This was particularly poignant as that season they had won Dorset League I Championship for the 3rd successive season and the youth team had won the South Dorset Youth League and the Pitman Cup again for the 3rd successive season. Some of the players in the first team were: J Morris; E Ellis; W Sheppard; L Kennard; S Groves; N Squibb; K Whally; R Haywood; J Topp; D Courtney; D Collinson. The Youth Team included: K Whally; J Holder; C Churchouse; H Mitchell; D Neal; M Morgan; Pavey; B Rutherford; D Bishop; D Reed; P Drummond.

Doctors Angus and Jean Robinson arrived in 1962, working with Dr Sloan to care for the villagers, at 592 Dorchester Road. The waiting room had coir matting, an assortment of chairs around the sides of the room and large table in centre covered in magazines. When you went in you tried to count how many people were there so you'd know when it was your turn. There was a poster on the wall of poisonous plants. A gas fire which 'popped' at one end, it was colder nearer the door. A buzzer sounded when the Doctor was ready for next patient. You could see the last patient leave the surgery through the window and be ready for the buzzer to go - but it still always made you jump.

Mr Miles ran Miles Nurseries as a traditional nursery, raising plants from seed. During the busy 'pricking out' season local people were employed to help out; as you passed the greenhouses you could watch them at work and the plants growing.

On the opposite side of the road Rothan Radiators was sold to Marston Radiators when Mr Rothan and his family emigrated. H Sheppard, motor engineer used part of the premises specialising in Volkswagon vehicles.

When the WI moved to purpose built accommodation at the new memorial hall in 1966, Shepstones purchased the site of the WI hut to enlarge their premises. In 1960 following the introduction of the MoT, Shepstone's were among the first local garages to be licensed to do MoT's; Roy along with mechanics from Tilleys and Channons were trained at Bristol.

At Gray's Corner the Napper's were running Upwey Garage and by the mid 1960's the two huts occupied by Mrs Bush and Jimmy 'the barber' had gone. Jimmy 'the barber' moved to 28 Elwell Street occupying the shop where Mr Wagstaff had sold fish. Mr Wagstaff had moved to a general grocery shop at Littlemoor and did deliveries to Upwey.

Frank Bishop took over half of Miss Wright's Drapers shop, selling a huge range of items, including deck chairs, pink paraffin, Carters seeds, Pyrex, dustbins, step ladders, fishing nets, footballs, cigarettes (Players No6) colouring books, paint etc. The other half stayed as a drapers run by Mrs Carey.

Mr Hill was licensee at the Railway Hotel, Mr & Mrs Harding ran Gray's Stores and their son ran Broadwey Post Office.

Home deliveries were normal; as well as Mr Wagstaff; International Stores from Weymouth did weekly deliveries; the Corona man came fortnightly; Eddie the Baker came three times a week with bread and cakes and both butchers (Lovering and Lockwood) would deliver.

Other people who called regularly were the insurance men collecting your monthly premiums (Mr Howe from Britannic and Mr Ayles from Prudential were two), the TV rental man (Mike from Marshalls on Portland), the Kleeneze man with his suitcase which was like a treasure chest to children, the knife-sharpener who sharpened knives on an attachment to his bicycle. One caller who you hoped didn't need to come too often was the 'Rat-Man', he rode a bicycle which had a black box on the back where he kept the poisons/traps to deal with vermin.

To children a very welcome sound was the tune of the Walls ice cream van which travelled around the village on a Saturday afternoon.

With all these people calling in you'd think that housewives had to stay home all day to receive and pay for their shopping - but this was a different time, doors were often not locked - if they were the key would, like as not, be on a piece of string which could be reached through the letterbox - if you went out you left a note and the money for whoever was coming that day on the windowsill or stairs and they would sort themselves out, leaving the groceries on the stairs.

The ancient celebration of 'Clipping the Church' was revived at Upwey Church in 1963. Rev Jones explained that the celebration carried out on Mothering Sunday arose from the Epistle in the Bible which referred to the church as the 'mother of us all'. The tradition was an 'embracing' of the mother on the 4th Sunday after Lent. After a ceremony, at which children brought posies to be blessed for their mothers, the congregation would go outside and link arms around the church.

Many of the village children were members of the church choir and with other school children spent many hours rehearsing the annual nativity play. There were visits to Mrs Moorhead at Upwey Manor to try on outfits; Angel Gabriel's wings were large and very impressive.

The Congregational Church had a busy youth section for young people aged 12 plus. They met twice a week: on Sundays for worship and 'happy thinking' and on Friday evenings for social activities such as table tennis and record playing. They produced their own magazine initially called The Plunge later called The Outlook.

The Congregational Church received the gift of a pipe organ in 1969. However the cost of dismantling, overhauling and transporting from Sturminster Marshall, then erecting at the church amounted to £400 - much fund raising was required!

Girl Guides met at Upwey School, as did the Brownies for some years with Mrs Newton as Brown Owl. Later on the Upwey Brownies joined with the Broadwey Brownies at Broadwey School, as there were not enough girls to make up a pack.

Mr Cole organised the Scouts and Cubs who met at the old chapel next to Southbrook House in Church Street. A Sea Scouts troop also met there.

Upwey & Broadwey Youth Club met at the memorial hall on a Wednesday evening and continued to perform variety shows produced by Madge Moon. In 1969 they marked the 12th anniversary of their youth club by presenting a Grand Variety Show at the memorial hall. Talented youngsters, such as Dunn & Dunford, were supported by Bill Duxbury, Billy Norman, magician Vic Bridle, local band The Reflections, Carle and Diane Grahame and William Goodland on African drums.

The Memorial Hall Social Club activities included badminton, billiards, table tennis, tennis (at Westbrook House), the very successful cricket team and weekly bingo.

During the summer fetes were held at some of the 'big' houses in the village - Westbrook House hosted the Conservative Association; Upwey Manor or Southbrook House was the venue for the St Laurence Church fete. Fancy dress competitions and displays of country dancing by school children or Miss Weaver's School of Dancing were highlights.

In July 1965 Radipole, Broadwey and Upwey branches of Conservative Association held a fete in grounds of Westbrook by kind permission of Col Thoyts. Highlight of the afternoon was a childrens' fancy dress parade. Prizewinners: Up to 5yrs: 1st Brian Kent (Hans Haas Jnr); 2nd Julia Jarvis (Sunflower); 3rd Peter Tyrrell (Little Boy Blue); 4th Russell Biles (Noddy). 5-7yrs: 1st Sarah Harding (Alice in Wonderland); 2 Tony Maise (Dalek); 3rd Janet Cave (Gypsy); 4th Peter Kent (Cowboy). 7-11yrs: Outstanding entry Susan Virgin (Mary Poppins); 1st (tie) Suzanne Tyrrell (Victoria Lady) and Vanessa Jenner/Martin Richards (Dick Whittington & Cat); 2nd Marian Baker (Lavender Lady); 3rd Jacqueline Hughes (Jockey); 4th Jane Buckett (Mary, Mary).

Horticultural shows included children's classes such as making a garden in a seed tray and gathering different types of wild flowers - one of the best places to find them was the long road to Bincombe from the hairpin bend. Cornflower, ragged robin, tom thumb, bird's eye. King cups and cuckoo pint grew in the boggy part of Elwell field near the Masons. Horse dairies were at the back of the barn at Westbrook.

One of the sporting attractions was the Scrambling that took place on Goulds Hill behind the old pumping station. The Weymouth & South Dorset Motor Cycle and Light Car Club held scrambles on the course from 1965, sponsored by Devenish. It attracted hundreds of people; being on the side of such a steep hill provided thrills and spills and the road to Martinstown was a good viewing point. The two cricket teams continued to play at Redlands.

The Gould Estate was sold in 1964 and included Upwey Wishing Well £4500; East Hill Farm £69000; Windsbatch Farm £11,500; Upwey Allotments £3150, the Rookery £700; 11 acres of land £150; 2 cottages (£2000) and Clovelly Cottage and tea gardens £5100. The Clovelly tenant was Mrs Lilian Perkins who invited visitors to try their famous Dorset Cream Teas, which could be packed as a picnic if required. The Perkins' also had a donkey who could disrupt church services on a Sunday when it tried to join in with the singing!

Children were allowed out to play spending time watching the trout under the bridges at Westbrook, paddling in the river or making 'dens' in hedges and copses. People felt secure during these years with mothers often saying - 'go out to play and don't come back till dinnertime'. Part of that security was that everyone knew each other, including the postman, road sweeper, milk man and police - so if a child needed help they could easily find it. There was also a downside for children in that if they were doing something, or somewhere they shouldn't be, odds were on that they'd be seen and their parents would hear about it - often before they got home!

The village was proud when Mrs Florence Kenyon, who lived in Elwell Street and had been a councillor for North Ward since 1951, was elected Mayor of Weymouth Borough Council in 1964.

Cars were still a luxury and villagers travelled mostly by bus as Upwey was on the route for Dorchester, Weymouth and as a day out Salisbury, Bournemouth or Poole. Upwey station was a long way from the village being off Littlemoor Rd at Broadwey, although that was the only way for mothers to get to town with their prams.

A policeman's tale from the 1960's which is unlikely to happen today, as the policeman would probably have a family car and there is no police station at Upwey:

A prisoner escaped from the Verne and stole clothes from a male nurse at Weymouth Hospital. PC Wye, on duty at Weymouth, had a description of the man and clothes.

Next day whilst off duty, PC Wye and his family got onto a bus to travel to Poole for the day. Upstairs on the bus PC Wye spotted the prisoner on the back seat. He looked back to see the prisoner trying to get off the bus (stairs were at the back of buses at the time).

PC Wye literally 'collared' the prisoner and as the bus was approaching Upwey, asked the bus driver to stop at Upwey Police Station where he handed the prisoner over to PC Elwyn 'Taffy' Jones. The bus waited for PC Wye and then continued on its way to Poole.

There was a difficult time for farmers in 1967 when there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, all farms and footpaths were closed and buckets/troughs of disinfectant were put at the entrances so that boots and vehicle wheels could be washed when either entering or leaving the area. In Britain 422,000 animals were slaughtered.

The winter of 1962/3 saw deep snow and ice for several weeks.

Shepstone's Garage 1960's

Winter of 1962/3Elwell Street