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[Hayman]

You ask what is the connection between Twyford town and Twyford Abbey. To be honest, I didn’t know that there was a town of Twyford. All I knew was that Twyford Abbey was on Twyford Abbey Road. Apart from ‘escaping’ about three hours once a week when we were given five shillings to leave the Abbey for a short break, we had no real connection with the outside world. So, outside the Abbey was terra incognito for the young brothers. Regarding the five shillings spending-money given to us on our afternoon outside the Abbey, we had to report to the Brother Superior when we returned and bring any change left over from the five shillings given to us. On one occasion I spent the whole five shillings which resulted in a reprimand.

Twyford is a common name for towns and villages, meaning 'two fords'. There may have been two fords close together on the nearby River Brent, hence the abbey's name. The Twyford I know most of is in Berkshire. It was a temporary terminus of the Great Western Railway as it was extended westwards in the 1830s and 1840s.

Having been given five shillings and then being reprimanded for spending it is churlish. What did you buy with the five shillings? Was any money you did not spend added to the next five shillings, or kept by the Brother Superior, perhaps for him to keep for himself? The modern equivalent is local councils being given annual grants from central government. If they are not spent within the given year, any balances are handed back. This means local councils dreaming up unneeded schemes just to spend the balances, because the next year's grants might be reduced by the sums returned.

 

[Roderick]

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, I just love the way random stuff like this keeps turning up. It's one of the reasons I support it.

 

[Hayman]

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, I just love the way random stuff like this keeps turning up. It's one of the reasons I support it.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, I just love the way random stuff like this keeps turning up. It's one of the reasons I support it.

The more we try to control and standardise everything, the more we find it is "random stuff" that often deflects our lives and the way of the whole world. Newton and the falling apple; James Watt noticing the lifting lid of a boiling kettle; a ship and an iceberg being in the same place at the same time; an archduke being killed by an anarchist - they all set in motion changes to our world that are still felt today.
My own parents' meeting could not have been more "random". For me, it is the "random stuff" here that gives substance to the reports from the explorers - historical background and extra information that flesh out the enticing photos usually obtained with some risk to the explorers. The result is much more rounded contributions to the website. I plead guilty to that.

 

[Alexiana1966]

You ask what is the connection between Twyford town and Twyford Abbey. To be honest, I didn’t know that there was a town of Twyford. All I knew was that Twyford Abbey was on Twyford Abbey Road. Apart from ‘escaping’ about three hours once a week when we were given five shillings to leave the Abbey for a short break, we had no real connection with the outside world. So, outside the Abbey was terra incognito for the young brothers. Regarding the five shillings spending-money given to us on our afternoon outside the Abbey, we had to report to the Brother Superior when we returned and bring any change left over from the five shillings given to us. On one occasion I spent the whole five shillings which resulted in a reprimand.

To clarify, we young brothers were given five shillings as pocket money for our afternoon out. Any pocket money not spent had to be handed up upon returning. After having our tea we resumed our labours with the patients.

After leaving Twyford Abbey the brothers relocated to Moston, Manchester, where they had been running a nursing establishment for many years. Eventually they handed Moston over to the local authorities. New vocations faded and continue to fade.

 

[Hayman]

To clarify, we young brothers were given five shillings as pocket money for our afternoon out. Any pocket money not spent had to be handed up upon returning. After having our tea we resumed our labours with the patients.

After leaving Twyford Abbey the brothers relocated to Moston, Manchester, where they had been running a nursing establishment for many years. Eventually they handed Moston over to the local authorities. New vocations faded and continue to fade.

Your saying " New vocations faded and continue to fade" has so much truth in it. "Vocations" - 'callings' are few today, with local and national government social services having very mixed results at filling the roles voluntary organisations once occupied. That
what is actually 'trade training' is now called 'vocational training' shows the distorted world we live in. I have yet to find a carpenter or electrician who felt 'called' to the trade.

 

[Matthias 1966]

Twyford Abbey.

 

[Jak1]

If anyone wants to see the Abbey as it is now, they'd better visit soon as permission has just this week been granted for development to go ahead to convert into flats, as well as new flats built in the grounds. A total of 326 units. If course it will take time before anything gets going but they must start within 3 years of the granted permission. I've also read that the family chapel, crypt and small graveyard still exist outside of the Abbeys boundary but I'm not sure where exactly. I don't live in the area now, to investigate further.