Aylesbury memories
Here are memories of Aylesbury and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Aylesbury or a Aylesbury photo.
Hotel Manager
My father was also the manager of The Bulls head hotel in the 1950s, Mr Ronald F Williams. At that time Sophia Loren was staying and she joined us for tea as my mother is Italian also, they had a good long chat. I remember sitting with my corgi called Kim in that front bay window looking at the people passing by. How lovely to see this fantastic old Hotel again and what a shame it's no longer there.
The Manager of The Bulls Head Hotel.
My father Bill Thomas was one of the last managers of the Bulls Head Hotel. He helped the police when they stayed at the hotel working on the Great Train Robbery.
My Home
The shop just to the right of W. H.Smith is The Mac Shop where my father was manager. This was my home from 1955 until university, 1974
Whiskin's Grocers
In the 1871 census records my Great, Great, Great Grandfather owned a grocery store in this street. His name was Charles Whiskin and he lived here with his wife Susannah and Catherine, Edward and Ernest his children. Many other relatives lived here also along with a nurse maid and a chap called Henry Green who again worked in the shop.
Canal Bank Down From Park St. Bridge
I never saw this part of the canal as shown in this photo, the opposite bank was the site of Frith's, the builders' supply company. My father was a salesman for Frith's for many years. The location was called Hilda's Warf, and earlier in the 50's & the 40's supplies such as bathroom tiles were delivered by narrow boat. (Tiles are fragile & the canal was a smooth ride.) Of course Frith's is long gone, its now a row of townhouses.
Kingsbury
The WWI tank was removed because little boys used to enter and use it as a toilet. It exploded when the welder went to work on it because there was still petrol in the fuel tank, not ammunition. The welder flew across Kingsbury and landed, dead, in front of Ivatt's shoe shop (the signs are still up on the wall). The Rockwell has reverted to its original name (thank heavens), why are pub names changing all the time? The Hen & Chicks became "Big Hand Moe's", look what happened to it!
Family Picnics in 1950s
In the 1950s my family made regular summer trips to a scenic and elevated spot somewhere in the general area of Aylesbury for family picnics. I have a few b&w snaps - one of which shows a road wide enough for two vehicles to pass comfortably, but with no paved footpath on either side. There appears to be a wall topped/capped with white coloured stone that may be the frontage for a house or houses on the far side of the road. We parked on the rough grass verge and accessed the picnic site via the black iron railings - of the style of spaced uprights with wide apart horizontal railings that could be climbed through. The field was of rough grass with shrubs and small trees dropping fairly steeply down to a more thickly wooded area about 100 yards down the slope. It was a well elevated site with panoramic views across farmland with nothing in the way of built up areas visible except for one house or farm... Read more
Memories of Aylesbury During The 1960s And 1907s.
I was born in Buckingham Road in 1962 and lived in the same house (no.225) until I left for North Wales in 1985. I have many happy memories of living there, going to the Primary and Junior schools in Dunsham Lane and playing in the Alfred Rose Park, especially playing the Pitch and Putt golf with my family and friends at the top of the park. I have many happy memories of growing up in Aylesbury, where I remember it being a bustling busy town with many little shops. These shops included Weatherheads the book shop in Kingsbury Square, (where I loved spending hours looking at the secondhand 10p books in old boxes underneath the tables!) and visiting Bakers Toy shop with my Dad in Buckingham Street where he would sometimes treat me to some little plastic animals for my farmyard, that were displayed in a glass case at the far end of the shop. I have a lot of memories of visiting 'Pages of Aylesbury' Bread shop (also... Read more
Brown
My mother was called Rose Brown and she had 11 brothers and sisters, not including 3 youngsters that sadly died much earlier. Mum's parents were George Henry Brown and Alice Fanny Brown (Taylor). They lived in Prospect Place.
Childhood
I was born 1950 at Royal Bucks Hospital and moved from Aylesbury about 1957. I have so many memories of growing up there but would love to find a old photo of PROSPECT PLACE in Walton Street. My grandparents lived there and my mother was born there. I have tried several years looking for a photo of the row of houses but nothing. Can anyone help find a photo of Prospect Place? Thank you.
Reed/Reid Family
Looking for any information on a Mary Frances Reed or the Reed family whom we think lived in Aylesbury at the time. Name might have been spelled Reid. This is for genealogical purposes
Lydia Dorcas Elliott Family
I am researching my family history, and try to find relatives, my Aunt Lydia married Reginald Elliott in Kent during the 1930s, they had 5 children?? Reg, John, Fred, Rose, Yvonne, My Aunts death in 1972 was reg in Aylesbury, this is a very long shot, but maybe someone knows about the Family.
Brian.
Memories of Buckinghamshire
Summer Days in Stone
We were very lucky to grow up in Stone at a time when we could hang out all day with our friends enjoying the joys of the river at Eythrope, sipping cool water from the Egyptian Springs, or swinging on a rope over the dip in Bluebell Woods, there was always someone to play with and just chat about nothing. Idyllic days!
Seven Stars Inn
I was born in the public house called Seven Stars Inn, Dinton. The date was the 5th November 1940. My godfather, then Doctor Ralph Gardiner, delivered me. He lived over the stile in the farm nearby. The pub was run by my nan and her second husband Harry. Her first husband ran a cattle business at the rear of the pub. Unfortunately he died after a truck door hit him in the back. My mother lived at the pub with nan (her mum) where, on arriving looking for digs, my father met her. The pub bar itself had two rooms, a small lounge in which I was born, and a large bar. Nan served from a small bar in the wall. Dominos was an almost nightly game and darts were played sometimes. The pub took in some refugees from London and I met a few of them. There was a strong touch of 'Cromwell' about the pub, it had very narrow stairs to the bedrooms, two small and one very... Read more
HALTON 1978-1983: PLAYING IN THE CANAL & SCHOOL
My name is Forsyth now, but I was a Plumb.
I moved to Halton when I was six and joined Halton 1st School and then Wendover Middle School.
I lived in the big black and white house, which bordered the canal. There was a bridge, which my friends and I used to climb along. I expect it’s not that high, but it felt so daring at the time. We had a long garden at the front that we used to stand in to watch the air displays.
My best friends were a boy who lived opposite me and a girl who lived in the village shop - which was cool!
One day my friend, Amanda from Wendover Middle School, and I decided to run away from home. We arranged to meet at the tower in Wendover. I think we thought we could live there for some time with food we were going to take from home. We were going to meet at midnight. I must have slept really... Read more
AUNTY ELIZA And Her Son ALF
Great Aunty Liza lived in an area called Buckland Wharf in a long, low, white bungalow where time stood still except the Grandfather Clock ticked in her "parlour" to tell us otherwise. The room was very dark because the blinds were drawn "to keep out the sun". There was a heavily framed picture of her husband on the wall- a severe looking man with a handlebar moustache - very much the Victorian gentleman. I cannot remember the furniture but vividly remember the rag rugs on the floor. In her kitchen she cooked over a range, did her washing in an old butler sink and bathed weekly in an old tin bath. She was quite the handywoman and on her 80th birthday very proudly showed off her latest creation - a bright emerald green knitted petticoat (my cousin and I were told off for having a fit of the giggles).
My mother and her cousin would always holiday with Aunty Liza when they were little - one memorable day... Read more
Anne Boleyn's Cottages
My late Sister Daphne Hemmings owned No 3 Coldharbour Cottage. She passed it on to her son Jimmy Hemmings. I have fond memories of visiting her and staying awhile in these fascinating dwellings. You wouln't want to be six-foot plus with the low doorways plus the low beams, you would crack your head on the oak beams. If anyone passed away upstairs you would have to be lowered through a trapdoor located in the front bedroom in line with the front door. As a school boy in the Second World War years I used to walk from Aylesbury to Wendover up Coombe Hill to the Monument and in the war years (if my memory serves me correct) there were dummy anti-aircraft guns all around the hills. In 1965 my wife, children and myself emigrated to Australia. In 1993 we decided to have a trip back to the UK, staying with my sister for a short time, and we decided to have a walk up Coombe Hill which I hadn't done... Read more
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