Memories of the Dam

Long standing residents of Wellow have fond childhood memories of the dam, and some of these are reproduced here;

From about 50 years ago, from Margaret Lees; I   remember   when   the   dam   was   really   thickly   frozen   over,   and   most   of   us   children   would   head   down   to   play   games   on   the ice,   slide,   and   pretend   to   skate.   I   can't   remember   any   of   us   having   proper   ice   skates.   My   dog,   Rover,   always   came   with me,   but   after   trying   to   join   me   on   the   slippery   ice,   used   to   sit   patiently   at   the   side   waiting   for   me.   Sledges   were   taken   onto the   dam,   but   when   this   became   a   bit   dodgy,   Beech   Hill   was   quite   a   good   sledging   venue,   but   you   were   so   quickly   down, and seemed to spend more time running back up to the top. Gypsies   always   came   to   the   bottom   green,   making   a   camp   site   near   the   dam.   They   had   very   colourful   Caravans,   drawn by   horses,   and   the   interiors   and   cooking   utensils   always   seemed   to   shine.   The   horses   were   also   well   looked   after.   The Gypsy   women   used   to   come   around   the   Village   selling   clothes   pegs,   lace,   etc.,   and   it   was   known   that   if   you   did   not   buy anything from them, they would issue curses, a little frightening sometimes. At   this   time   one   or   two   farmers   still   took   their   animals   onto   the   green   to   graze   under   their   Toftholders   rights.   Mr   Fred Dickinson   had   his   cows   on   the   green,   and   Albert   Riley,   who   lived   at   the   shop   on   the   Green   used   to   look   after   them (known as tenting) when he came home from school. I suppose they would perhaps drink from the dam. Another   thing   about   the   dam   that   I   heard   from   some   of   my   older   relations,   was   how   proud   cricketers   were   if   they   had knocked   a   ball   into   the   dam.   My   Uncle   Edwin   played   for   Eakring,   and   was   so   proud   when   playing   against   Wellow,   of knocking   the   ball   into   the   Dam.   My   Uncle   Tom   was   proud   of   doing   the   same   thing.   I   know   of   quite   a   few   more   people   did this some years later, one being John Hunt, son of Ray Hunt, and Stuart Morris, son of Ted Morris. I   have   been   told   stories   about   the   Ducking   Stone   at   the   Dam,   which   was   for   punishing   wrongdoers,   primarily,   it   is   told,   for ducking gossips. Also on the Maypole Green there were Village stocks which were used to deal with wrongdoers. A   lot   of   children   fished   in   the   Dam   and   had   a   good   time,   but   with   all   the   farm   animals   to   help   with,   and   all   the   games   we played up in the village, I did not go fishing."