Journeys to Shropshire

Back in the early 1960s, and to the start of 1970s  I had a number of long journeys in my parent's Daimler to a place outside of the farming town of Oswestry in Shropshire. This so-called place to be more precise was really a large run-down "Victorian" house set out in the countryside. It was known as the Villa, and was essentially a farm in its hay day.


My mater's mater lived there with her cats whose names she would shout out in the mornings to call them in for feeding! She was an elderly pleasant woman, but she seemed to be always dressed in old clothes of the 1920s, and 30s! Maybe this reminded her of "happier" days of the past. Her late husband was a farmer who mater referred to as the "Old Chap". He originally wanted a son to look after the farm but instead he had her, and no further offspring.


I met a number of  farming folk especially Welsh ones. They seemed to be very kind, and generous, and lived a simple kind of existence. Unfortunately though I found such folk dull, and uninteresting. They seemed to continually talk about the most banal things especially marriages, funerals, and the "endless" rainy weather!


Anyway, to return to the Villa per se. It's interior was somewhat dusty, dilapidated, and "arcane" in appearance. It was a cold, dank place with its stone floors. I never really liked the place, and usually stayed there for several days.


 I also recall something which might be "supernatural" in character, and my mater reported the same thing. Quite often during the early morning one could hear chairs move "by themselves" around on the stone floor of the main living room. There could be a perfectly rational reason for this, but I cannot say.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswestry

PS. One thing I recall seeing in the villa was the large antiquated mangle which was operated by hand!! An early form of washing, and cleaning clothes.