Reminisce with Rhoderick Davies of Holly Bank in the 1950/60's

The Davies children - Howard, Rhoderick, John and Elizabeth all spent the formative years of their childhood at Holly Bank, and all have many happy recollections of it. Their memories of Holly Bank are recorded under the house. Here, Rhoderick recalls some of his many memories of life in the Park.

For much of the 1950's, we would buy our fresh Country Maid bread from the Mill office, situated just inside the main entrance on the right. The aroma from the bakery used to greet us while waiting for the No: 13 bus to and from Chester.

During our time in the Park very few new houses were built, the first being Redlands (no:54), which was built opposite to our next-door neighbour Mrs Dobie. Prior to Redlands being built we had a direct view from Holly Bank over the meadows into Chester (Dicksons Drive and the railway were a distant vision). The grass in the meadows was high enough to play hide and seek in and not to be found. The field opposite the site of Redlands and the neighbouring house was used by Mr Godwin (of Godwin Dairies at the Bache) to graze his horse Polly. All three of us boys were co-opted to help Mr Godwin - a weathered old man, in a milk stained brown homburg and a khaki overall reeking of stale milk - on his rounds. These took place in an open cart and horse drawn by Polly; the milk was ladled out of churns in the early and later delivered in bottles, but still by horse and cart, both of which were stabled next to the old post office, on the site opposite the Egerton Arms car park. Mr Godwin’s niece Miss Nixon was postmistress. We seem to remember being paid for our labours the sum of 1s 3d (the price of a ¼ pound of Black Magic chocolates).

The land to the west was undeveloped, a tangle of bush and neglected woodland, which formed the grounds we think of the old Upton House. I remember playing among the leveled foundations.
(see the old OS maps

Between the Mill and Millside (no:84) was a dense copse with a sinister aspect, which we used to hurry past at night prior to the development of the new houses.

‘BOB A JOB’ week was another time when we boys used to exploit the generosity of Park residents to raise money for the Boy Scouts (1st Upton by Chester Troop).

There are so many recollections that it was a privilege for all the Davies children growing up in Upton Park. We were able to play with complete safety, and the families that lived in the Park with or without children were some of the nicest people around.


Father Ken - the Park's legal advisor - enjoying a pint of cidar from a keg stored in the garage.


possibly playing in the field opposite home (now site of nos:50 & 52)

The rest are home and back garden snaps



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