Some recorded memories of Bill Nottage, taken from a 2006 interview
My mother used to work in the laundry at Newsells House for the de Traffords. After she retired Sir Humphrey used to like to bring washing up to mother’s at number 97. The chauffeur Mr Strike would drive him up, and he would come inside and sit with mother in front of the fire and smoke his cigar. Lady de Trafford did not like him smoking cigars at home. Mr Strike stayed in the Humber car outside. Sir Humphrey came every Sunday.
There was a police house in the village (now the vicarage), and PC Sidney Pointer was the local constable. He was a nice chap, and I got on well with him. Our front door was never locked, and when he walked through the village in the early hours, he would let himself in, and using the range which was always alight, make a cup of tea. One night when I would have been 14 or 15, we were woken up by the sound of police car bells. 3 police cars pulled up, and PC Pointer came to our door carrying a large bucket kept in a dog van. We came to the door to see several policemen gathered around looking in the bucket, which held a 3lb roach. Apparently this was a record size. They then all tootled off and took the fish back to New Pond at Cokenach, and put it back in. PC Pointer had been night fishing.
I remember Mr Whiteside at the Post Office. He used to keep a loaded pistol under the counter because he was worried about American servicemen from Nuthampstead!
I remember the vicar Rev. Webb Bowen. He would organise 2 or 3 of us boys in ridding the church of jackdaws. He would be inside the church rattling the walls with a stick, and as they flew out we would shoot them with our 12 bores or 410s. Then the same at the vicarage, with one of us on the front lawn, and another at the back. I had my first gun when I was 5 – an airgun. Eventually I paid a local chap £25 for a 12 bore, and I’ve still got it and still use it. I used to shoot 2 or 3 times a week, and still have all my records.