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A couple of weekends ago I went back to the village where I grew up. I go back once or twice a year but for this visit we stayed at a hotel near the village and the weather was so wonderful we were able to have a wander around and it brought back so many childhood memories.
I lived in Bearsted from the age of 4 to the age of 14, so not a long time but those years were most of my childhood and my memories are special and my time living there had a big impact on who I am today. I made two great friends on the playground at Thurnham Infant School and we have mostly kept in touch for the last 45 years since I moved to Buckinghamshire. Busy lives and young children meant we went quite a long time without managing to meet up, but now our children are grown-up and with social media making contact so much easier, we try and get-together two or three times a year. We always giggle - a lot! I was so fortunate to have such a wonderful and carefree childhood. Growing up in the safety of a village community, surrounded by countryside and with my best friends. Childhood friendships and so special and I feel very luck to have Nicola and Joanna in my life still. Our chats have changed over the years from boyfriends, to husbands, to children, to divorces and now menopause and aging parents but we still enjoy our time together. 
Joanna, me and Nicola (my earrings are from Johnny Loves Rosie)
When we arrived on Saturday the annual carnival and fayre was taking place on the village green - they were commemorating 40 years of the fayre and I realised, I was at the very first one - in fact our mum's helped organise it! As we wandered around the village on Sunday morning, it bought back so many memories .... Cycling to Holly House Stores for our quarter of sweets. Collecting vouchers and going to the village garage to collect our smurfs. Sitting on 'my bench' on the village green and watching the cricket (yes I did have my eye on a boy that I really liked and yes he did come and chat to me sometimes)! Fishing for tadpoles in the village pond. Harvest festivals and Brownie and Guide services at Holy Cross Church. And my sister's baptism. Playing 'It's a Knockout' style games on the field behind the church. Making our 'pound grow' to help raise money to build a Catholic church in the village - we used to make sweets and sell them from our front garden! My dad 'going to Japan' from the village station - well that is what my sister thought, he actually got a train to Heathrow of course. Cycling very fast down the hill outside our house, which we thought was enormous, but looking back at it now, it is tiny! The bottles of school milk waiting for us at Thurnham, sitting under the old oak tree at playtime and walking to school across the golf course and listening out for the first cuckoo. Walking to Mote Park swimming pool via Banky Meadows, with my baby sister in her pram and my other sister sat on the front of the pram in a special seat with me one side and my friend Nicola the other side, both holding the pram handle. Tobogganing at Banky Meadow! Avoiding the stream at the bottom! Endless summer days in 1976 running under the sprinkler or in the paddling pool in our back garden. First Holy Communion parties in our garden. Buying sweets and magazines at Taylor's on the village green or Hoods on the Maidstone Road. Decorating our floats for the carnival and loving the journey through the village. The Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations and street parties. So many wonderful times! I could go on but instead I will share my photos from our weekend away. Love from Michelle xx 
Once Thurnham Infant School, now a private house
Holy Cross Parish Church, Bearsted
Outfit from Hush | Holy Cross Parish Church
My bench overlooking the village green and pond
Dress from Boden | Cricket on the village green, Bearsted
Still friends 46 years on! My dress is from Karen Millen, my sandals are Moda in Pelle
Holly House Stores is no longer a traditional sweet shop!
#SaturdayShareLinkUp Not Dressed as Lamb 
9 Comments
12/7/2018 05:54:52 pm
Sounds like a great village to grow up in! It s great to meet old friends and bring back memories!
Michelle Green
13/7/2018 02:16:13 pm
It definitely is! Michelle x
Ralph
7/5/2019 10:06:50 pm
Thanks for sharing these memories. Reminds me of living in Bearsted as a child too. Love 10p sweet mix from holly house stores...think the shopkeeper was called Stan. Just up road was Peters store...now a hair dressers. I remember the original oak outside the pub.....we used to link arms around it to measure it. Then it blew down in the storms.
Michelle Green
12/6/2020 03:02:56 pm
And the sherbert dips and pear drops! I used to love cycling down there. I don't remember Peter's Store though but I know where you mean. The village has changed, it is so much more part of Maidstone now whereas at one time it was open countryside as you drove into Maidstone. But the village green still looks the same. Yes Howard left a lovely comment about the owners, it is below, did you see it. I am so sorry I missed replying to your comment, I am usually very good, I was not being rude! Love Michelle xx 21/10/2019 11:54:55 am
Oh that's quite near where I used to live. I was nr Faversham and we used to drink along that road to Maidstone! I remember somewhere near Bearstead was a little shop that sold Kent Korkers - sausages that were lovely! Thanks for sharing. x Jacqui
Howard Taylor
23/5/2020 12:46:46 pm
Lovely to see your first memory was going to Holly House Stores. I’m married to Michele, the eldest daughter of Stan & Carole Faulkner who ran the shop until it had to close in the mid 1990’s due to Carole being ill.
Michelle Green
12/6/2020 02:57:25 pm
Hello Howard, I was so delighted to read your comment on my blog about Bearsted, how fabulous that you found me! I am so sorry I have not replied before now, I was telling a friend today and I thought I had replied then realised I hadn't. It was really lovely to read about Stan and Carole. I am so sorry to hear about your loss though but seeing the local people line the route must have been very emotional. I love coming back to see my friends in Bearsted. I will miss my visit this year. Love from Michelle xx
Louise
3/4/2021 11:28:07 am
I came across your blog when looking for a picture for my son, of Thurnham school. It was so lovely to read of your memories and to share your pictures with my children. It brought back to many memories of my own - before your time I think - my family name was Spencer and I had a brother and sister. Although I rarely go to Bearsted I visited regularly until my Mother died in 2018. The village holds a very special place in my heart and it will always be a place I refer to as home. I heard this morning of the death of one of my dear friends in the village and so another precious link has gone. Thank you for helping me ‘revisit’!
Michelle Green
3/4/2021 04:50:58 pm
Hi Louise, that is lovely that you found my blog about Bearsted and was able to share the memories with your son! It is a special village and I love going back. Not made it this last year but I will as soon as I can. I was there from about 1970 to about 1981 I think. If you went to Roseacre you might remember the dinner ladies - Fairy and Brenny? If you did / do let me know, email me. Michelle xx Leave a Reply. |
Michelle ...Welcome to Fifty & Fab, a lifestyle blog to inspire you. I am a blogger with a passion for writing about style, beauty, health and fitness with a focus on the over 50's. I am based in Marlow but work across London and the South East. 
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Hi, I’m Michelle and my blog Fifty & Fab is all about my journey into and through my fifties. I share style tips, health and fitness inspiration, I talk about my holidays and days out and I tell you about my beauty regime and my lifestyle. I hope you might pick up a tip or two and get some inspiration!
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