Hillam Village

Freda Webster (nee Hesslegrave)

Freda was born in the heart of the village nearly 90 years ago.  One of her earliest memories during the first world war was seeing the zeppelin flying over the village. As part of the Bedford family she has farming roots in the area going back many generations. Amongst her many happy memories of early childhood is helping her maternal grandparents who ran the village shop.  She remembers them baking batches of bread in the old coal oven and mixing and dispensing medicines.

Geoff Woodall

Geoff's grandfather was the first man in Hillam to join up for the first world war. His grandparents lived in a cottage near the Chapel, and Geoff’s earliest memories are of going to Chapel twice a day on Sundays and starting school.  Never, did he imagine that one day he would become a school governor!

Cyril Pickup

Cyril lived his early years relatively isolated in a very simple, primitive farm cottage well out of the main village on Hillam Common Lane.  An only child, he spent much of his time in the company of adults and has vivid memories of the characters he encountered, the changing patterns of rural life and the impact of war.   His early memories include collecting pails of drinking water from the nearest farm, the trials of a neighbouring farmer coming to terms with his first none horse powered farm vehicle, watching a wartime dogfight overhead and being made temporarily homeless by the dramatic floods of 1947.