Friday 25th May 2012
Penelope Welch writes ~
I have been trying to track down information about the life of my adoptive mother and the woman who brought her up in Warminster. The woman was a social worker, and they bought one of the new bungalows in Bradley Road in 1932 or so. My mother went to the local school and also became a scout/guide leader and a telephonist before she met my father during the war. She stayed there until the end of the war though and then moved to Essex. The older woman Emily Richens moved some five years later. She was quite a busy body and known by many, but I can find little trace of either her or the girl she brought up called Margaret (Peggie) Richens. I am particularly curious about her younger days. I do have my father’s diaries from that time which mentions how he met her at a local police dance. The diaries also give an insight into his travels to and from Southampton to visit and the nights he slept on the train when it didn’t make it back. He mentions his concerns whether Warminster could be bombed and his call to my mother to make sure she was alright.
I was actually adopted from Warminster, my natural mother was from Warminster too, this was unusual even in those days, but my mother had already moved to Essex so I think they didn’t consider it was a problem. Plus Emily Richens had instigated the adoption and usually what she said went. My natural family you are probably familiar with as my natural mother Betty Strong worked in the High Street for years and of course my brothers and sister are a large bunch of nine children, so I make the 10th. I like Warminster, we used to visit it when I was small, but I think my adoptive mother was terrified that somehow my natural mother would bump into me and claim me! Mind you I do have the look of the other children when they were young.
When I have visited Warminster there are many living there who are old enough to have remembered Emily and Peggie, but they are all new to the area, having retired there. The one person who knew them both quite well is Audrey Jeffries and I am still in touch with her, but she only met them during the war when she moved there to be with her husband Bob.
If anyone remembers Emily Richens and/or Peggie Richens in Warminster, please contact dannyhowell.net by emailing dannyhowellnet@gmail.com