Page 32 - Moreton Village Only Book

32 Moreton Village Only

Prospect Cottage, which had been the home of Reg Howes, was also modernised
during the 1950’s. In the year 2000 Reg is the oldest inhabitant to have been born and
bred in Moreton.

In 1960 a bungalow was built on a site next to the Royal Oak pub replacing an old
thatched cottage which had been demolished in the late 1950’s. The old cottage was occupied
for a while by a horse breaker called Yates whose yard was behind The Royal Oak. The new
bungalow was originally a shop which was run by Marion and Dennis Colon, but after two or
three years they closed down and moved away. Their shop was to be the last in Moreton and
it had not been particularly well patronised, probably reflecting changes in the shopping
habits of the rural community, as supermarkets began to emerge in the towns and cities.
Inevitably, some community focus was lost with the passing of the last village shop, and
within a year or two the chapel was also to close its doors for the last time.

Joy’s shop at Brook Cottage which had
closed some years before, was always fondly
remembered as an important meeting place,
as well as a very useful facility which sold
everything from hair clips to bacon. The
proprietor was Joyce Quartly (nee Mott)
who sadly died as a very young mother at
the age of only 26. There were always fresh
groceries and preserves, and even sticky
papers for the children to make into festive
chains at Christmas time. There was also a
post box and a stamp machine, and it is
remembered that the path up to the shop
door was wide and laid in a material which
Brook Cottage – “The Haunted House”. looked like marble.
Brook Cottage is infamous for having a ghost called Archibald. How or why this
name came to be given is not at all clear, but the reports which are available confirm that
the ghost is undoubtedly male. There have been a number of reports strange sounds and
sightings from within the house and these include heavy footsteps on the front path, a rat-
tat-tat on the door and, on one occasion, the sound of horses’ hooves galloping down the
whole length of the property.
There have been two instances reported of a sighting outside the property. On the
first occasion the ghost was encountered near the little bridge over Cuttle Brook on the
well used path into Thame. Two young men were on their bicycles heading for the Royal
Oak pub when they came across a figure dressed very strangely in old fashioned garb.
The figure did nothing but stand aside as they went past, but when they turned to get
another look at him he had vanished. (It should be pointed out here that there is no doubt
that these men were on their way to the pub and not coming back from it!).

The second report concerns a young lad who met our ghost in much the same place,
down by the bridge over the brook. The lad immediately remarked on his style of dress –
his description was that his clothes were “rough and weird”. On this meeting the man
appeared to be very agitated and disturbed. The lad asked what was wrong and the ghost
simply replied. “It’s them up there”, pointing back to Brook Cottage where extensive
renovation and building works were being undertaken. It seems that at this point our
young lad lost his nerve, and fled back home to his mother as quickly as he could, to relate
his experience. It might be rather foolhardy to assume that Archibald may not one day
make another appearance. The footpath alongside Brook Cottage is still much used and
there is every prospect that he could again greet someone from Moreton one night.

By Moreton standards the 1960’s were to be quite eventful. Agriculture was booming,
with the government urging farmers to produce more and more; the constraints imposed by
the war, including rationing, now some years behind. However, this did not necessarily
mean more jobs on the land. In fact the reverse was true, as farm machinery was improving
in efficiency and reliability and tractors were gradually more powerful. Manual labour was at
last becoming a thing of the past. Arable outputs were rising with greater use of fertilisers
and improved varieties of grain. Milk yields too were rising as improved concentrates were fed