Nobby Kerton pulls a pint of his excellent cider Nobby Kerton with Edward Lutley
Fifty years ago three Chilton Cantelo House School pupils gate-crashed a cider tasting at the 400 year old cider press at Higher Farm, adjacent to the school and which from the inception of the school has seemed to be almost part of it. Then as now the farmer and the proprietor of the cider press remains Nobby Kerton.
The three pupils Nick Collis, Peter Liesching, and Peter Isaac were there again, half a century later, this time invited as part of a re-enactment organised by Edward Lutley. They had a strong supporting cast of contemporary Oldies on this occasion to sample the scrumpy offered by eternal mine host Nobby, and his wife Sue.
The Kerton family quite literally married into the school when Nobby’s brother Charles married Miss Protheroe, one of the teachers. The pair then subsequently emigrated to New Zealand where Charles embarked upon a farming career, curtailed only by his too-early death. Nobby explained to the guests how he had, in recent years, journeyed to his brother’s grave at Whangarei in the north of New Zealand’s North Island.
Gail Isaac, Edward Lutley and Peter Isaac in Nobby Kerton’s cider press Gail Isaac, Edward Lutley and Peter Isaac in Nobby Kerton’s cider press Susan Kerton, Ruth Sawtell and Nicholas Collis admiring the bowls of gooseberries at Higher Farm, Chilton Cantelo Nicholas Collis with Diana Lutley Diana Lutley, Rodney and Ruth Sawtell at Higher Farm, Chilton Cantelo Nobby Kerton, Edward Lutley, Peter Isaac, Gail Isaac, and Richard Cotes-James Peter and Gail Isaac near the cider press
Interest to read updates on my old school, I was there from 1964 for 2 years and remember Peter Liesching and Ed Lutley and Ruth Thomas. There was two other girls there, Mary Carslake, her brother also a student. Regards to any who remember me.
David (Lery) Constantine.
Dear David,I was sent to Chilton by my irresponsible mother and step father from 1980 to 1986..Some years later she said to me and I quote”Iv lost you somewhere son”.After leaving and losing my Chilton family at the age of 16 and a half and then venturing into the open world I have become quite the survivor and at 50 I’m still a bit lost.I’m still pushing and still thriving after all that life throws at us but she will never understand my life and my home as a Chiltonian.It was my home and my adopted family that I still carry with me.No matter where I have been in the world and whatever challenges life has presented over the years,Chilton values have seen me through.From what I see now of the world I’m so God damn proud that I had that opportunity of being a Chiltonian.Than you Mum.