HOW nice to have childhood memories of Hinton Parva (Evening Advertiser's village feature July 26).

We spent several happy years at Hinton Parva, my late father Arthur Treadwell worked for a farmer David Cook.

My sister Shirley and I attended the chapel, sometimes twice a day, we enjoyed the lessons and singing. I still have my bible presented for good attendance.

We attended Wanborough school going by Percy Chaney's bus, I still have letters sent to me from class mates when I was in hospital for a long time.

Coronation Day was cold but we spent most of the day in a barn (Cooks I believe) where there was a TV on which we all watched the ceremony. Of course we had our new home made dresses on purple and white with hand embroidered emblems on the front, made by our mum. Then there was a party for all in the village hall. During the afternoon there was sports.

Down the lane from our house we could ride our bikes and pick snowdrops, primroses and cowslips, our house was on a corner and had a stream running under and down the side of the garden.

Our neighbours had two horse carriages in their barn, we were allowed to play in these especially when we fed their cats whilst they were on holiday. The best thing was they had a TV and on a Saturday we were allowed in to watch Whirlygig with Muffin the Mule, we had to sit quietly on the settee.

When the Korean War was building up we sat in our window watching the Army lorries going by all day and waving.

We also had picture shows, which are now coming back in rural areas.

Sunday evenings we would walk up to the Black Horse for a drink, maybe ginger beer and packet of crisps. We were happy, we had no car but the butcher came from Wanborough, the oil man who sold household items came from Bishopstone. Dad went to Swindon on a Saturday on Chaney's bus and came back laden with shopping from the covered market.

PAT NASH

Fairford