Father Christmas / Santa Claus – Normally associated with the bringer of the above gifts, is Father Christmas or Santa Claus. The two are in fact two entirely separate stories.…

The Victorian era was seen as a time to reward Children with gifts; a celebration and one which was embraced by rich and poor alike. The gifts however differed greatly.…

Christmas Cards The “Penny Post” was first introduced in Britain in 1840 by Rowland Hill. The idea was simple, a penny stamp paid for the postage of a letter or…

Private Edward Brain 24829  7th Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, formerly 1033, Welsh Horse. Son of Walter and Susan Brain of Hartpury, husband of Fanny Maria Brain. Died…

Memorial Stone set in the South Wall of Highnam Church Stoker 2nd Class Leonard Patience D/SKX 411 Royal Navy, H.M.S. Jaguar. Son of Reginald and Annie Patience of Linton, Highnam,…

Harry William Hyett had his birth registered in Ross, Herefordshire in 1894 to William Edmund Hyett and Louisa (formerly Jones). William was a baker from Ashleworth whilst Louisa was from…

A Plaque honouring prisoners of war who survived captivity in the Far East during World War II was unveiled at a sombre service at Pier Head, Liverpool, in October 2011.…

Out of the death camps, my fathers book of love. Starved and racked with disease, soldier Bill Smith recorded his ordeal at the hands of the Japanese in a secret…

VJ Heroes   We have been remembering some of the horrific stories of those brave soldiers who were fortunate enough to survive the horrors of the war at the hands…

COFEPOW or Children of Far Eastern Prisoners of War was a group set up in the mid 1990s. At that time there were still many FEPOWs alive and it gave…

The following account is that of John William Franks, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant who was captured and forced to work on the Burma-Siam Railway during WW2 and his subsequent move to…

For years I have struggled to understand exactly what happened to us in the jungles of Malaya, Siam and Burma. The full effects are plain to see at this late…

The main approach to Highnam Court is from Chepstow Lodge in the centre of the south side of the park, close to the east end of the lake. A drive…

In the Middle Ages the manor of Highnam belonged to the abbot of Gloucester. It was granted by the Crown in 1542 to John Arnold (d 1545), who had leased…

In 1607 there were ten pools on the brook west and south of Highnam Court. To the west were Shoell Pool, Horse (later Dog Kennel) Pool, and Orchard Pool, while…

In Lassington Wood, less than 100 yards from the playing field, was a famous, very old and enormous oak tree. It came down in a gale in 1960, but the…

St. Oswald's church was originally built by Saxons who lived in the settlement in Lassington. Their village was near Atman's Farm on the opposite side of the lane. As well…

I was only six when at Lassington Oak, that was 73 years ago. In those days there were very few houses in Highnam. We lived in a cottage by "The…

John Gough’s stirling efforts earned Highnam the coverted Bledisloe Cup for the best kept large village in Gloucestershire. John was out mowing the lawns and making repairs around the village…

Daffodil Sunday thirty years ago meant an expedition on the Gloucester – Ledbury railway, through the woods and valleys of the Ryeland countryside; it was one of those pastoral routes…

1893 - Contagious disease was prevalent all over the country at this time and for many years there were outbreaks of scarlet fever, whooping cough, measles and diphtheria in the Gloucester…

Citizen 18.01.1980 - NEW OWNER FOR FAMOUS OAK TREE Lassington wood at Highnam - home of the famous Lassington Oak - may go from the ownership of Gloucester District Council.…

Highnam Old School (with adjoining small house for the teacher) was built at the same time as the church of the Holy Innocents. It was a National School and comprised…