The Village of Brandon in the County of Lincolnshire

I lived in Brandon at the Old Hall from June 1957 to January 1966. It was a great place to grow up as the family business of agricultural contracting was based at the house. There were numerous farm buildings attached to the house which were useful for storing most of the seasonally used machinery. The property,as well as the Old Hall, comprised two cottages a paddock (with two ponds) an extensive range of out buildings some with a second floor and a stack yard plus a large and rather delapidated barn; probably some 31/2 acres in all. Only one of the cottages was occupied when we moved from Hampshire and the tenants remained there for the entire period of our ownership.

We moved in summer time so the whole house was quite comfortable but as winter set in things became decidedly chilly in the house. It seemed virtually impossible to stay warm unless you remained in the kitchen or the snug, everywhere else was very cold especia;;y the bedrooms. Nevertheless we soon acclimatised to these conditions and thoroughly enjoyed our years at the Old Hall. We weren't there long before we realised that there were several presences from past times also around and the one up on the second floor felt hostile. Therefore as there was only one room on the second floor with electric light I found a place to develop my model railway and this I did provided I wasn't up there after dark when things made you feel uncomfortable. Over time I got used to this presence and it didn't bother me, but my father resused to go up there at all.

The winter of 1962/3 was the coldest on record and we had no productive work or income for over 3 months. this put an enormous stress on our business's finances from which it never recovered leading to it being closed down in 1965. I had gone on to further education by that time and as my grand father died so the house was too large for my parents so it was sold in early 1966.

I fondly remember my 'Brandon Days' , and consider that I was happy with life in general.

Peter Copeland.