Do you have a link with Braydon Oak - Savernake Forest, Wiltshire?

[crickley hill]

Kojak,

Just picked up your info on Braydon Oak Lodge(Braidenhook?) Savernake forest. My Great Grandfather was born here 1845. George Astley - father Robert Astley; gamekeeper.Visited lodge summer 2007 but a sad sight - still occupied but very run down. Photo's presumably of later generations?

Regards James Astley

[kojak]

Hi James,

We first visited the property in the winter of 2007 and it must have been just after the house was no longer occupied.

We were so struck by the isolation of the property that we undertook some research on the property and even printed off census returns for the property.

We noted that the property was the gamekeepers home and was so up until 1901.  Very sad indeed how the property has been left to decay.

A recent return visit found the property secure at least, but the state of the roof and broken windows shall lead to problems.

Hopefully the owner does something soon...

Regards,

Kojak

[frogspawn4]

Hi

I have just spotted this post. My Mum lives in Marlborough and I have asked her about the house and the name Lucy, associated with it. She says she does vaguely remember them. She will ask her friend who may have more info.
I will post as soon as I have info.
Hope I can help.

[JAA21X]

I, too, have just spotted this. 

"Jim" (Klaas Ysbrand) TWISK lived there with his wife, Charlene, and their children Kate, Lucy and James, from about 1970.  He would have been about 40 then, at some time was working selling fork lift trucks and died in 1999.  Jim came from London but his parents were Dutch; his father owned a florists in The Strand - Jacques Fleur.  Charlene was from Pewsey, where her family has a farm; her brother was farming at that time.  I would guess that the children would still have local connections; I would start in Pewsey.

I knew Jim, Charlene, Kate & Lucy when they lived in Kew in the 1960's.

[canofcats]

This is certainly turning out to be a strange conversation. I added a comment back in August regarding the fact I grew up with Lucy Twisk in Marlborough back in the early '80s. I have since emigrated to Canada but kept in touch with her for many years. Anyhow, thought I would see what had happened to this discussion over the months. To my surprise, I read JAA21X comments about the Twisk family in Kew in the 1960s. I spent my 'early' years in Kew during that time (being born in '65) when I was a wee nipper - it's an even smaller world than I thought five minutes ago.

Good luck in tracking them down.. Would love to hear of the outcome.

[xylem]

Hi,
I can not believe that my husband has found this and firstly want to thank you for your action in rescuing the photographs and taking time to seek their owners.

I am the half sister of Jim Twisk and remember, as a young child, when Charlene brought Kate into the flower shop, owned by Claas Twisk, Jimmy's father, in which my mother worked as a florist.

If you are still in possession of the items, my family and I would be excited to have sight of them.and any further information you are able to provide.

Thank you to Kojak and Redspookhunter (and Meg Babalicious)

[suzanne2812]

Hi

I'm so glad that a member of the family at last has been found. I think the Twisks were after my gran's time but when the first post showed up I rang her straight away.

Sadly that night gran was taken into hospital & died the following week. Every so often over the last year or so someone would add something to this thread & it was like a constant reminder of those sad days. Seeing your post this morning will give this thread & those events closure for me! I have often wondered if anyone had been found.

Hopefully the photos will be passed on. Do you have any ideas how everything got left like that?

Regards Suzanne

[xylem]

Hi Suzanne

thank you for your response and I am pleased to hear that this will help put 'closure' on some things for you. It is never easy when you lose someone close, especially unexpectedly.

I am delighted and excited to learn of the existence of the photographs etc and may even find that, as a result of these postings, I
am able to make contact with my nieces and nephew! And all because people have been thoughtful enough and taken the time on this site; thank you.
 

[kojak]

hello all,

Wonderful news indeed ! The wonders of this site never cease to amaze us (redspookhunter and I).  We always knew we would trace the photos back to the Twisk family somehow - that's why we rescued them from the rain that day way back a few years when we stumbled upon the old house located in the wood.  We have since moved house ourselves and the photos and some other stuff I'm sure the Twisk family relations would want back will be gotten down from our attic and sent on...

Will ask for the postage address separately xylem.

Suzanne - perhaps your gran helped trace the family back to the photos...everything in this world is connected somehow...hopefully this indeed marks as an appropriate closure for you.


I'm off to the attic this afternoon...redspookhunter won't go up there as there are spiders lurking...


Best wishes.

Kojak and Redspookhunter