See also The Mill at Badsey and the History of the Mill.
These photographs of The Mill belong to Mrs Emmeline Hughes (nee Sheward) of The Poplars, Badsey. Mrs Hughes was born at No 1 Mill Cottages in 1935, and her mother before her had grown up there; in early married life she lived first at No 4 and then at No 8.
From left to right: Mrs Arthurs, Mr Arthurs, Mr Case (he lived just up the road but was invited to join the Mill Cottage celebrations), Mrs Jelfs, Marge Jelfs, Dolly Jelfs, Cissy Jelfs (she lived in Aldington but came for the party), Eileen Major, Mrs Beryl Sheward, Mrs Hall, Mrs Tandy, Mrs Roberts, a Land Army girl, Mr Tandy, Cissy Chamberlain.
Not many of these names are known - some have been identified as: Reggie Arthurs, Kay Tandy, Peggy Major, Jean Major, Emmeline Sheward, Sheila Perkins, Maureen Sheward. The old lady at the far end of the table is Mrs Hartwell who lived alone.
No 1 Silk Mill Cottages (demolished c 1975) - note Sid and Beryl Sheward at the upstairs window of their cottage - looking towards Badsey Brook. The wash-house is on the left (the toilet was just past the wash-house) and the garage in the centre. The Shewards' car can just be seen half-submerged on the right of the picture.
This photograph shows the Hughes family outside No 8, taken shortly before they moved to The Poplars. Despite not having a bathroom or inside toilet, five-year-old Angela was adamant that she did not want to move to a modern bungalow! "I'm going to live with my Nan down the Mill," she cried as she refused to step over the doorway of the new house. They were happy times at the Mill Cottages, with a great camaraderie.
These photographs of The Mill belong to Mr Ian Tandy, who was born at the Mill Cottages in 1937 and still lives there today.
This picture shows the front of the Mill cottages looking towards Badsey Brook. Note the hard track which ran immediately outside the front doors and the fact that there are no trees by the bridge.
This picture shows the front of the Mill cottages looking towards the village. The cottage on the left still stands today, but the others were demolished in the 1970s.
This picture shows the boundary of the Mill land, with people by Badsey Brook (look - no water!). The trees and landscaping did not come into existence until the Mill refurbishment in the 1970s.
Fred Tandy (father of Ian) was born in Cropthorne in 1900. He moved to Badsey in the 1930s and spent all of his married life at the Mill. Towards the end of his life, he lived in the modern bungalow adjacent to the Mill; he died in 1991.
If anyone has memories/photographs of living at Mill Cottages, please contact us. Here is a photo of the Silk Mill Cottages as they appear today.