Memories of Bletchley

WE WERE FIRST!!

I can't see what all the fuss is about, about having an 'inland seaside', its a bit 'old hat'! US LOCALS had a real one, well over 50 years ago, it was great, wherever you dug there was almost pure white sand, where was it? BEACON LAKE, we used to swim or just walk across to a lovely clean 'beach'. You outsiders probably think I'm 'a mad liar' but if our calm little town wasn't ruined it would still be our 'getaway'. The only thing that wasn't very nice was that we had to get changed in bushes, but most of them were gorse bushes, very prickly. We couldn't  go to the end part (where ARGOS is now) because it was thick clay underfoot, and was overgrown with bulrushes and it was really cold water. Down the main big part of the lake was also dangerous because it was really deep, some older people used to swim  right out, but only if they were strong swimmers, because they used to say it was sometimes a bit scary because of a 'pull' in the currents and in places it was very cold. BUT, YES. IT WAS OUR REAL SEASIDE, and we had many, many happy hours there, we all went mainly together, from the Western Road etc areas, and the older people always looked out for the younger ones. It was safe then, parents never had any cause to worry about their children, not like today! It must have looked weird for anyone driving down the old A5 to see us all crossing the road with big black blown-up innertubes over our shoulders - crossing to where T K Maxx is now, that site used to be a brush factory, called 'BEACON BRUSHES'.
I don't think anyone is allowed to swim in the lake now, it's so very deep. But we've had our lovely times there, and it was a long time ago - but yes, we had one here first!.
Bye for now.
Margaret Hogg, nee Margaret McCracken.

Starstruck!

When I was 15 I left Bletchley Road Secondary Modern, and went to work at MOSSES, in Fenny Stratford, I thought it was great to earn £3. a week, I done a lot with that, I used to go to lots of 'dances' a week,  there was the PALACE at Wolverton, twice a week, MURSLEY village on a Friday, WILTON HALL, on Wed and Sat. We had a job deciding where to go, it was mainly WILTON HALL that won, because it was in walking distance from home, and no fares to pay out for. We used to regularly see THE HOLLIES, THE SEARCHERS, GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS, BRIAN POOLE & THE TREMOLOES, ANIMALS, even LULU, done her debut gig there. They were great days, yes, there was a bit of trouble some weeks, but nothing major like today's youths get up to. Loads of 'big-ish' name groups played in Bletchley, people came from miles away to see these bands. It was chaos when THE ROLLING STONES came here, I used to have to work till nearly 6,o'clock on a Saturday,so I couldn't have got anywhere near WILTON HALL to queue up. BUT, I did get get a quick glance at them on my way home from work, they were sitting in MOKARIS cafe eating beans on toast, - 'well, they are no different from most people,are they?'. For about 2-3 years I always left my autograph book in the ticket office where we paid to go in, it was signed by all the stars etc that played there, but after the 'Stones' played there, everyone's 'books' just went missing, we all had same suspect in mind, but 'whatever', it was 45yrs ago. But it brought back happy memories writing about that. It was great here before G L C became involved in Bletchley, then every went manic! THEY! tried to change us into 'townies' but we were all strong 'villagers' but now Bletchley 'is no more' we've lost it. ITS SUCH A SHAME.  My name then was Margaret mcCracken.

Approximately in 1950.

During the Second World War my gran owned a grocery shop at 7 Stoke Road, Water Eaton and my grandad used to take a barrow round the streets selling slabs of salt. I remember looking out of my window (at about 3 or 4 years old)and watching the foxhounds meet on the green, it was a bit scary for me being so young. I also used to like walking up Stoke Road to see an old horse called Kit, he was very gentle and seemed to love people. We'll never get those lovely peaceful, trouble-free, friendly days back, it's such a shame. When I was about 5 we moved to Church Street in Fenny, and I started at Bletchley Road School, then to Western Road, I was older then and could go out on my own (safely). I used to like going through the central gardens and seeing all the pretty flowers in little 'gardens' scattered in the lawns and the sunken 'bandstand', then all the tennis courts and pavilion, then out on to Bletchley Road, to the left was the cinema, with the open-air pool behind it, and to the right was Weatherhead's wooden record shop, then a garage and petrol forecourt, and opposit ewas 'dear old Woollys' - happy days!
Margaret Hogg (nee McCracken).