Ron Bye
Ron’s father originally came from Hullavington, but having been gassed during the First World War he was sent to recuperate at a special hospital in Southampton. There he met Ron’s mother, got married and raised a family. Ron was born on the 14th May 1938 and, had it not been for the second World War, would probably still be living there and supporting Southampton FC instead of Swindon Town. During WW2 Southampton became a target for the Luftwaffe and Ron’s father moved the family to Hullavington, where many of his kith and kin still lived. They lodged with family until they found a place of their own at 1 Hill Hayes Lane where they stayed until moving to New Town in 1952. Ron remembers there being a shop at that this time in New Town run by Dolly Neate (more of this later).
Ron aged about 10
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Ron started at the village school when he was 5 and left at 15 to become an apprentice toolmaker before being called up to do his National Service in the army. He did his basic training at Le Marchant Barracks near Devizes before being posted over seas to Hong Kong.
Ron in uniform
Following demobilisation in July 1959, he took a job at E K Cole until they relocated to Southend. He then, like many in the village, worked for a while at Westinghouse. Following this he did a spell working on the RAF camp and it was here that he decided to join the Air Ministry Fire Service. Ron remembers that it paid a princely £15 per week. Unfortunately he was on watch when a fatal air crash occurred just outside Luckington. It was a a grisly affair with him having to find and collect bits of burnt aircrew. This disturbed him greatly and he decided the job was not for him. He took careful stock and decided he wanted to work with his hands. Like his father and brother, Ron has educated hands and was never happier than when making things (see the photos of his model aircraft below). So he chose the building industry and applied for a job at Agars Builders in Sherston. They asked him what he could do and he told them he was interested in the carpenters job. He was hired and told to report with his tools on Monday. I suspect there was a bit of bluff in this because, although he was clever with his hands, he was not a carpenter by trade and had no tools. Anyway, fortune favours the bold, so he went home, told his dad and between them they were able to rustle up a set of tools for his start on the Monday. Ron made the point that this step set the direction for the rest of his working life; one which he loved, was good at and, what’s more, he won many highly prized NHBC awards for the quality of his work.
Ron married Carol in 1964 and lived in Dolly Neate’s old shop that had since been converted into a dwelling. He remembers they paid £4 per week rent. Their first daughter was born there and it was soon time to find somewhere larger. In 1968 they moved to a house in Greens Close where their second daughter was born. Ron and Carol later bought the house and still live in Greens Close today
The village of Ron’s childhood was a different world to that of today. In fact, if a teenager could go back and visit Ron's childhood, it would seem like a foreign land. There was always plenty to do and here are a few snippets from the materiel Ron provided to give you a flavour of what it was like.
In those days a mobile cinema visited the village hall every Saturday and it was a highlight of the week for the kids
The village was much smaller then with more green spaces within the village itself. He remembers an old walnut tree at the end of Watts Lane where they use to collect the fallen nuts. Evidently there was a lot of competition for these nuts and Ron remembers having to get there at 6:00am one morning to secure his share of the pickings.
In the summer the kids would take their sandwiches down to the Gauze Brook for the day. Here they would dam up the river to create a pool deep enough to bathe in
There was also a Fun Fare named Scarrots that visited the Village and it got a good village turnout.
Ron’s father was a wheelwright by trade and used to maintain the farm wagons and field gates for the farmers. He also did most of the carpentry work for the parish council. Ron remembers going with his father to the village blacksmiths to see the metal tyres being fitted onto the wooden cartwheels his father had made
As mentioned before Ron is a keen supporter of Swindon Town FC and in 1969 he went to Wembley to watch them beat Arsenal 3:1 in the League Cup. Can it possibly get any better than that.
Before Formula 1 began, Castle Combe was an important race circuit. Ron and his mates would cycle over there to see the famous drivers and cars. He mentioned Sterling Moss & John Surtees, and cars like the Vanwall, BRM and Mazzeratti.
Ron's first car bought in 1959 for the sum of £60
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Believe it or not, this is not a real plane in flight but a working model of a
Lancaster built by Ron
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Another of Ron’s model aircraft in flight. This time a Viscount
C130 Hercules in Ron’s back garden.
Ron’s mum and Peg.
Cutting from the Gazette and Herald
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This is a photo of Ron's grandpa, who was the last shepherd in Hullavington
A months petrol bill fom the village
garage. Look at the price over £12 for 10 gallons
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