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Douglas Vellender

Home for the family was a one up and one down cottage (the boys slept top to bottom, in a bed on the landing) on the Stanway Estate owned by the Charteris family where their father, known as ‘Joyful’ worked as cowman and cider maker. It was a tight-knit community and Douglas remembers that neighbours’ doors were always open and children used to wander in and out of neighbouring houses at will.

The family moved to Didbrook when Douglas was about 12 years old. He felt a special bond between his sister Marian and himself, having had to assist at her birth.   Janet, the youngest refused to be left at home and would race after the boys as soon as she could walk. As the boys raced away to the woods with Janet chasing after them, their mother’s voice would call after them, ‘Look after that babby!’. Janet believed that Douglas was her dad as he was the one who looked after her and made things for her; Joyful was just ‘our old chap’.

When the boys had finished their chores on the allotment, they joined in the village cricket and football teams. Douglas later acknowledged that it was an advantage to have a father who did not do anything for them, because they were forced to learn to do it for themselves; if they wanted a go-cart, they would have to make one. He later put this advantage to good use in the building trade.

He met Rosemary Thomas when she was working on a nearby farm and lodging in Toddington. They were married at Eastbury church on Douglas’ 24th birthday and moved to Vicarage Cottages in East Garston which was sub-let by Mrs Hall who rented it from the vicar, until the council house became available.

Douglas started work for Roy Denton’s building firm in East Garston, a couple of months prior to the wedding, whilst he was lodging with the Cottrells at The Plough. He worked with village men.   He entered fully into life in the village, playing football, collecting the waste paper with Ray and Eric Hobbs, and even entered the round the village race on several occasions.

Bellringing was one of Douglas' greatest pleasures and He used to ring with the old team, some of whom I remember: Mr Ted Baker, Mr John Russ, Mr Bob Powell (Possibly Mr Ted Wooldridge). We used to go up and watch, not dreaming that we would one day form the new team; bellringing being very much for men only (and old men too, apart from Douglas who was required to make up the numbers). Douglas also mowed the churchyard grass for 20 years, going up first to give Bob Powell a hand who had done it alone for some considerable time and was beginning to find it a struggle.