Doris Bond

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Summary

Based on the interview conducted on 3 August 2005

Born in 1916, Doris Bond grew up in Luck’s All in a close-knit, lively family of eight children beside the River Wye. Her childhood was full of simple joys: playing cricket in the quiet road, walking the railings of the coal yard, and paddling near the old toll bridge. She fondly remembered her time at Mordiford School and later Hereford High School, often cycling with friends like Audrey Thomas from the Forge.

Married at 21 to her sweetheart in Fownhope Church, Doris’s life soon changed with the outbreak of war. Her husband Tom was sent abroad for five years, and Doris stepped up to support the war effort, working long hours at the Rotherwas munitions factory. She handled chordite, helping to assemble shells, cycling to shifts in blackout conditions and seeking shelter during air raids. Though she confessed she “hated it” at the time, she later spoke of pride in what they all accomplished.

After the war, Doris’s visits to Fownhope were often to the Tump, helping her sisters with the farm. She recalled a world where bread arrived by horse and cart, children made their own fun, and whist drives brought people together. Through it all, she remained gentle, steady, and quietly brave — someone who faced change and challenge without fuss, always ready to help.

Her reflections give us more than a glimpse of the past: they remind us of the resilience and warmth that helped build our community. From wartime factories to riverside games, Doris Bond’s story is a thread in the tapestry of Fownhope life — humble, strong, and deeply cherished.