The picture of pupils from 1948/9 in the Diss Express shows me on the front right and my wife, Shirley Barker, is on the front row in the centre.

Teachers I remember at Mellis School were Mrs Pearce? Mrs Allen (her daughter is on the photo and we are still friendly with her), Mrs Avery, Mrs Randall and Mrs Fuller.

School dinners were brought by van from Stowmarket in large insulated containers which had to be carried by the older boys across the common and later in the day the empties had to be carried back

My mother was canteen assistant at the new school for several years with a lady cook from Palgrave

I was born in the railway crossing cottage on the Eye branch line, and I lived with my parents there until I joined the RAF in February 1959.

My parents owned the cottage after the line was removed under Beeching until about 15 years ago

I used to ride on the steam engine from the railway cottage to Eye and back on Saturday mornings. The train had to stop at the crossing and open the gates before proceeding.

During the wartime Mellis Station would be closed to all traffic (road and rail) for ambulance trains to bring the wounded servicemen for transport to the hospital at Redgrave Hall.

I remember Mellis being an active station with two lorries being used to deliver to the surrounding area.

One lorry was driven by my father, Charles Mole (who went on to become inspector at Norwich Station), and the other lorry was driven by Bert Lockwood.

I went on the lorry with my father on deliveries, especially to Thornham Park, when it was used by the army, and going to the NAAFI on deliveries where I was given a bar of chocolate (rationing was in force but we never worried about it).

Savills Mill was also a very active place, employing several men from the area. Railings at the front of the granary were used by the children as swings

Groceries were delivered by van from either Diss Co-op or Eye (the baker would take the order book on a Friday and the groceries were delivered on the Monday - now they say internet ordering is the new idea!).

The butcher (I believe a Mr Ellis) from Eye would come round on a Friday with a horse and cart with the meat in the back and you selected the joint from the tailboard (there were no Common Market hygiene rules then).

In the spring of 1947, I remember walking along the Yaxley/Mellis road over all the snowdrifts that covered half the road.

Methodist Sunday School anniversary days and afternoon teas were held on Last's shop lawn (I still occasionally see my Sunday school teacher, Miss Alberta Last)

Cattle were allowed on the common to graze in the summer, but not before the church bell had tolled at the start of the 'grazing season'.

Gates were installed on certain roads which were not always shut so cows would occasionally wander along the roads away from the common.

What are your memories of life in Mellis in the 1950s? Did you attend the old or new village school?

Write and tell us: Mellis Memories, Diss Express, Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4AE or email editorial@dissexpress.co.uk