William Taylor Halford
"Bill"
(3rd June1934 - 25th November 2025)
Sadly we lost villager Bill in November last year (2025). The majority of the following details and photos have been passed on to us by his son, Robert.
Bill was born in June 1934 at Chickerell Maternity House to proud parents, William and Ivy. His much older sisters were Betty, Rena & Marie and the family lived at Rose Cottage, opposite Waddon Manor, where his father, William, worked as gardener and groom for the Corbetts of said Manor.
Portesham School 1932
18 Betty Hodder (nee Halford)
27 Rena Dike (nee Halford)
William Halford Senior at Waddon Manor c. 1950 with Mrs Corbett, the then occupier of Waddon Manor. He worked for the Corbetts from 1927 until 1968
Being in a reserved occupation, William Senior volunteered for the Portesham Home Guard. He's the officer, no.15, to the left of Major Collingwood (centre).
Bill was a proper village lad and, through the 40's, enjoyed nothing more than roaming the fields, climbing trees and playing with his friends, especially with his best friend, Rob Brown. Bill's favourite place was the quarry up on Rocket.
Bill recalls riding his bicycle through New Road ford ,where the bridge is now, next to the Knapp. Somewhat later than this photo but we believe the bridge was built just after WWII.
Bill was a good sportsman and active in village life. He played for the village cricket team and was a keen footballer.
Bill is the young man
front row left
He pumped the bellows to power the church organ at each service - he received 1 guinea a year - he was paid 1/2 guinea in midsummer and 1/2 guinea at Christmas. He was in the church choir and the Portesham Boy Scouts under Commander Cox of Portesham House.
After WWII, Bill, aged 11, started at Weymouth Grammar School. Then in 1949, aged 15, he started work for the Southern Electricity Board in Bridport. He remained there for 3 years before being called up to the RAF for National Service.
In 1955 Bill joined the Metropolitan Police in London and he served as a police motorcyclist and traffic cop until he retired in 1997.
Bill in the garden with his pet Cocker Spaniel at Seaview, Winters Lane c.1952 aged 18.
Policeman Bill c. 1962 at Twickenham Police Station, West London.
When Bill & Dee retired in 1997 they moved to Hill House in Portesham embracing village life. They were very happy times at Hill House with family and a wide circle of friends. For Bill these were his happiest years, he loved being in the village community and he did much to contribute. He helped build the vestry in St Peters church, where he was church warden, maintaining the gardens around the village hall and in other places around the village.
He was a member of a number of groups and societies, not least one of his great loves, the William Barnes Society,
Bill & Dee in Portesham Village Hall, with their grand-daughters, celebrating his 80th birthday in 2014.
Later in life Bill was asked to add his fount of village knowledge to the Portesham Parish Map which can be viewed on the Knapp.
Bill passed away at home on the 25th November, just 3 days after their 67th wedding anniversary - but a stone's throw from where it all began, in Winters Lane.
Bill c. 1957
RIP