18th Nov.’10. David Bourne.
I have just stumbled on this site. What luck. My family moved to Little Downham in 1953, I was seven. My mother took over Little Downham post office from her mother, my father became postman. He also had a shop in the post office selling sweets etc. therefore I did not actually shop at Loft’s but as we delivered papers for Dad every evening after school and very ofter the mail,(especially at Christmas) we knew most of the people in the village.I agree with everyone, Little Downham was a wonderful place to grow up in.I left in 1962 and went to sea and have lived abroad ever since. Presently in Burgundy, France.

If you have an email address that I can contact you on please, that would be much appreciated.

Lesley.

I also knew a John Belewski who had once lived at Townsend.

John had been quite a character.

I can still remember two situations where John’s amusing sense of humour had revealed itself.

One being where John had hidden himself upstairs in old vicarage on a Sunday morning.
As happened in those days us youngest would be taken to vicarage. On that particular Sunday morning as we had entered the vicarage John had suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Then had proceeded to startle all of us as he had ran down the stairs shouting a bogeyman had been after him.
Ian had your nick name been Iggie at one time. Because although very young at the time I do still remember you may have been friends with a person called Charlie Clark.

Charlie Clark had lived down Lawn Lane.

One memory I do have; is all of us fishing down the Hurst in what I believed had been called Green’s pond.
I never did find out who had stocked the pond with fish; but I do remember catching some small carp in the pond.

I’m writing on behalf of my father who knew a belewski.

He would like to know some more information about him and maybe a photo would be helpful so he could confirm whether it was the same one.

Best regards
Kat

I remember some of the old characters like little Walter Leigh who could out drink anyone in the village, Storky, who lived down California in a caravan – he had only one leg; he used to bike everywhere.

I have a few more stories to tell when I can remember them, memories going, getting old.

Yes, I live in British Columbia – unfortunately my brother died in January of this year. I’ve lived in many places since I left the village in 64 but I can’t think of a better place to grow up than Little Downham.

Good old Downham Swifts: The local derby Littleport Football Club big. Sam Murfitt, who could forget, him great bloke and Fid Hall who could handle himself – not many people tried to take him on. Geoff Suddell, is he still a plasterer?

One more thing I would to say enjoyed my days at Witchford Secondary Modern.

Hello, ive read your read your message and im also looking into my family history. i also have the surname BELEWSKI.
My name is Lesley Belewski, im 44 years old. My father was called Jerzey Belewski. He came over to England during the second world war. All i know is that his parents and youngest sister were tortured in the war. I have a cousin born 1st April 1959 name im not sure. ( Jerzy Belewski’s father was a priest ) This is all i know.

Please get in touch with me at LBELEWSKI@AOL.COM

Love Lesley.

Prackatan

Good to see Geof Suddal still about he was a good player he was strong and good in the air but let his temper get the better of him.

hope to hear from geof.

cheers Fid

Nice to hear from you Fid. Maybe someone should start an archive for Little Downham Swifts. Does anyone know much about the history of the club? When did it start? I’ve seen a photo from the 1920s (?) with my Uncle Ernie (Saberton). The Swifts were a great part of my life when I was a kid. I started going in the 50s when my Uncle Keith (Fenn) was playing. I don’t remember much from that time, I remember John Casbon was in goal and the man who kept the Red White and Blue played (I think). Later I remember old men watching on the touchline who were said to be “stars from the past”. One man made us kids laugh because he stood watching with his bicycle and used to swing it in the air when the game got exciting. I believe his name was Elias. I think the era when you Fid and Roger Saberton, Brian Cox, Mick Dewsbury and the Pearsons etc played must have been one of the best ones in the club’s history.

Good to see you remember the old Downham Swifts , I take my dog for a walk down North Fen every day and I go past where your cottage used to stand wondered where you were let me know a little about your life.

Cheers Fid

A photograph of Little Downham Football Club

Mike, do you think you could email me a copy of that photograph? karl@bedingfield.biz

We were very lucky to have our own village bobby but I think I am right in saying he died from a heart attack
None of us who could ever forget the Lofts shop, the visiting fair and the church fetes.

I too remember the sunday school in the cosy kitchen in the rectory and I went on to be the sunday school teacher. Do you remember the stamp books we collected for attendance and following the annual christmas party we were given books.What about the outings to the seaside, most I went on were with the methodist church in 2nd Drove.

I left in 1970 to start a career in nursing and came back to marry in 1975 and live now in the south of England. I come back several times a year but reconize very few people

Why not publish before and after photos?

Why not use this site to find out what we have all be doing since those days.

I was very good friends with both Linda and Tyrone Butcher who were tragically killed on the Seven Sisters corner – opposite side of the same corner where Susan Cockerton lost her life. I was also good friends with Stephanie and would certainly like to make contact again.

You refer to garden fetes on the Rectory lawn, can you also remember Little Downham Feast when a small fair used to be set up each year in the small field to the right of the drive that leads up to Lawn Farm? There is a relatively new dwelling now in that small field.

Stephen Gilbert

I usually stooped and bought a “Bubbly” or two, or if i was really flush a quarter of pineapple cubes.

I always remember that there were displays in other windows that never changed, and the fact that some days it would take Nora (i think that was her name), a good two or three minutes to appear behind the counter once you had entered the shop.

Have lost contact with a lot of the “old” village people that I used to know and go about with as a youngster but would like to make contact again.Recently spent a day with Michael Fenn and have had contact with Christine Crane now in Menorca.

Have a photo that we had taken on a youth club trip to Yarmouth – in it is Keith Scott and Gillian Cooper , Lynn Jarrod and I forget his name but I still beleive he works for Crown garage in Soham (I believe we knew him as Josh and would it be Reynolds??) and me with Stephanie Bedingfield. We are all being photographed with small monkeys!!

Would be interested to know how and where Stephanie is these days.

Regards
Stephen Gilbert (Formerly of Park Lane)

Mike’s my Dad. I will let him know you spoke of him.