Bernard Paull has been collecting postcards and photographs of Loders for nearly 40 years, has given a number of presentations on the village’s history and has now published a book, ‘Loders Back-Along’.

The book is split into two parts and this week we will look at part one, which covers the years just after the Second World War and is based on Bernard’s own personal recollections.

Bernard says that as a child, everywhere was their playground - with the only consideration was to arrive home in time for dinner - the older generation was addressed as Mr, Mrs or Miss, people grew a lot of their own produce and they ate vegetables in season - and were expected to eat all the food on their plates - and even though much of the war-time rationing had ended, supplies in the shops were limited compared to today.

Domestic arrangements were very simple. When first married, women carried on working, but when children came along, they stayed at home to look after the family, cook and clean, as well as taking responsibility for elderly relatives who lived with them or nearby.

Electricity arrived in the village in 1936 and by 1950 most houses had been connected. Electricians Edward Marsh from Trossachs - now Butterwell - and Maurice Tucker wired many village properties.

Even though there was mains electricity, a few of the more elderly residents still kept their old wireless set that ran on an accumulator.

Mains water came along in 1963. Before then, every property had access to its own or a shared well or water chute and Bernard can recall two drinking water chutes. In Uploders, the water came from an iron pipe in the wall of Pine Cottages (Tiddly Cottage) into the drain on the roadside. The pipe is still there but no water.

Yondover had two shutes, one of which was drinking water. Marjorie Randall told Bernard that her mother used to scrub the drinking water shute every fortnight, so it was spotlessly clean.

Monday was washing day and bonfires on a Monday were strictly taboo.

Bernard said: “Looking back, it all sounds very primitive, but the people, their clothes and houses were clean and well looked after.”

There were no main sewers in the village until 1972/73. In the 1950s, a few properties had the luxury of a flush toilet discharging into a septic tank. Other had an earth closet or Elsan lavatory in the corner of the garden.

In 1973, virtually every property was connected to the main sewer with new indoor toilets installed and small bedrooms or box rooms converted into bathrooms.

Very few people had cars, but the Southern National Bus Company ran a service with its green and cream buses. It ran from Bridport to Askerswell and back, with a workman’s bus leaving Uploders for Bridport at around 7.30am, leaving Bridport to return at 6.15pm, and a bus for shoppers leaving the village at 9.50am and returning at 1pm. On Saturdays, a late bus left Bridport at around 8.45pm, which fitted in neatly with going to the pictures at the Palace or Lyric.

For longer distances they could catch the train. To get to London they could catch the train from Bridport Station, change at Maiden Newton and join the Weymouth to Paddington line.

Maiden Newton was the gateway to almost anywhere in the country. The north-bound line led to the Midlands, the north and south Wales via Bristol, to the west country and London Paddington. The south-bound line went to Dorchester and Weymouth with connections to Waterloo.

There was serious talk of a railway halt at Loders, but it never happened, and the Bridport to Maiden Newton line closed in May 1975.

The Royal Blue coach company ran a service along the south coast between London and Penzance. Bridport coach station was a stopping point that connected with other services. The Black and White Bus Company of Cheltenham ran a service between Cheltenham and Bridport.

In the early 1900s, the village had carpenters, thatchers, blacksmiths, a cobbler, builders and carriers. There was a butcher, a post office and small shops. Local bakers delivered the bread and the farmers the milk.

In the 1950s, there were still several small businesses in Uploders. Grannie Hyde ran a shop from her house, Riverdale, selling tinned food, jams and marmalade, Lyons cakes, Smith’s crisps, blocks of salt and more. When the sweet rationing ended on February 5, 1953, Grannie Hyde gave advance notice that sweets would be on sale that day. Nationally, as well as locally, stocks quickly ran out and rationing returned.

At 2 Box Cottages, Walter Tudball, the cobbler, worked from his front room, which was dedicated shoe repairs. He moved to Uploders in 1932 and retired in in 1952 aged 84, having spent 68 years as a cobbler.

There was Charlie Gale the Blacksmith and Mr Brown who did contracting work such as road repairs, and recharged acid batteries.

Lower Loders had the village post office, shop and butchers. Mrs Wells ran the shop and post office and her husband, Albert Wells, was the butcher with a slaughterhouse behind their home and post office. The village was served by at least three Bridport grocers and bread delivered several days a week with milk delivered by electric milk floats from Rax Dairy, owned by Percy Norfolk. Fish was delivered to the villages by local fishermen and coal came in goods trains to Bridport Station.

Newspapers were delivered by Cyril Tiltman, who also ran the St Andrew’s Road Post Office and The Echo was delivered in the evenings by a schoolboy. Mr Lee delivered the Sunday papers.

There were mail deliveries twice a day with paraffin and household hardware items delivered by Mr Major, Blazley’s and Mr Fuszard and his sons, Peter and John.

Bernard started at the village school in 1949, where all children received milk and school dinners were delivered in aluminium containers by Mr Trent, served by dinner ladies, Mrs Darby, Mrs Chard and Mrs Dora Legg. In 1951, hot and cold water was installed at the school.

Sunday school was for children up to the age of 11 and held at Loders Church in the afternoon, which had outings during the summer.

Loders Court was a big part of the village. Around Christmas time, Sir Edward and Lady Le Breton would invite the children from the village to the ‘court party’, which featured a Punch and Judy show, a conjuror who pulled rabbits out of hats and other magic tricks, followed by sandwiches, iced buns and meringues with cream.

Loders Fete was, and still is, held on the first Saturday in August at Loders Court.

One of the most memorable events in the 1950s was the Queen’s Coronation on Tuesday, June 2, 1953.

Very few people had televisions, but those who did invited those who didn’t in to watch the historic event. Colonel Sir Edward Le Breton from Loders Court was a Gentleman-at-Arms at the Coronation, who lined the route.

Houses were decorated with red, white and blue flags and a fancy dress parade set off from Matravers bound for Loders Court.

Next week we will take a look at part two, which looks at the village from around 1900 to the end of the Second World War.

The book is available from Bradpole Post Office, Bridport Museum, Bridport Tourist Information Centre, The Book Shop, Cilla and Camilla, Groves Nurseries or by calling 01308 427475 or emailing 1944bjp@gmail.com