Sisters reviving grandparents’ wartime love story seek information about Tadley Court

Two South Carolina sisters have traced their grandparents’ wartime romance to North Hampshire.

And they are interested in hearing from anyone with information about Tadley Court which could explain why their grandmother travelled there from London in 1944.

Jennifer Eades hosts the weekly podcast All My Love, Lucy with her sister, Megan Looper, in which they chronicle their grandparents’ love story during the Second World War through the series of letters they left behind.

In one letter, dated July 16, 1944, their grandmother describes a solo weekend getaway to Tadley Court, formerly known as The Wilderness – the subject of their 10th episode.

But her previous letter is missing, failing to explain why she visited the Grade II-listed manor – based 56 miles from her London flat.

The property has had a chequered history since the mid-1930s as a mixed residence of serviced rooms and suites, writes the Hampshire Gardens Trust.

So, could their grandmother’s visit have been a weekend retreat; to escape the V-1 ‘Doodlebug’ Flying Bombs rampaging London; or something else?

Lucy had no previous connections to Tadley, her granddaughters confirmed.

And their grandfather’s letters from May to October 1944 are also missing.

He was still stationed in France after storming Utah Beach on D-Day with the 50th Signal Battalion.

Gertrude Lucy Caroline Cossington was living in London when she met James ‘Jimmie’ Matthew Looper, who was on leave from Salisbury.

He was shipped off to France about a month after they became engaged.

Lucy wrote to him at least once a week, but often more.

And now, 80 years on, their granddaughters are revisiting their story.

Mrs Eades was 12 when her grandmother died and has always been fascinated by her time in London.

“We started looking into their story about a year ago,” she said. “I’ve always been fascinated with her letters.

“Unfortunately, I was not old enough to ask the questions I really wish I had asked.”

Mrs Eades and her sister visited London in September, including many of the sites where their grandmother lived and worked.

She added: “The whole process has been a lot more emotional than we expected.

“But it makes us both feel closer to her.

“As we read about the rationing and fire watching and all of the things she went through, it helped us understand her better.”

Their grandparents were separated for more than two years due to the war dragging on.

Lucy eventually joined her husband in the United States, where they settled.

Mrs Eades confirmed they are planning another trip to London next May, and hope to visit Tadley.

New episodes of their podcast are released each Monday, where they read and break down one letter.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQqKsf7qhrg to view Episode 10 about Tadley.

Contact mirek.gosney@newburynews.co.uk if you can support them in their research.

Built in 1272, Tadley Court is located at the western edge of Tadley Common, between Pamber Heath and Mount Pleasant.

It is now Tadley Court School, which provides specialist education for young people with learning difficulties.