My Childhood Of Old Bracknell Farm

A Memory of Bracknell.

Hi Peter,
I remember the Thompkins was it the baker or was that the Cheneys? Joe Smith was the newsagent who used to treat the kids to a summer outing by train every summer. We used to get a new florin and a bag of goodies and had a great day out in Bognor. We lived in Old Bracknell Farm, my mum and dad were bombed out of London and dad bought the farm. I can remember before Downshire Way was put in, we used to walk along a track to the Downshire Arms pub and Frog Lane was a foot path to Easthampstead. There was a rhubarb farm along there and it was all fields.
I went to school at Priestwood School and walked from Old Bracknell Lane under the single bridge, down Easthampstead Road, past Barings sawmills, across the Wokingham Road, into Stoney road and right into Binfield Road to school. That route was all fields before Priestwood square was started. I remember the Grace brothers were the policeman's boys. Gingers the deli shop, Shillitoes was the station shop. My dad used to go to the cattle market at the back of the Hinds Head and I played my ukelele and the farmers gave me money. The flea pit (Regal) Saturday , sitting in the 9 penneys, front row. Dr Fieldens wife lived up Old Bracknell Lane and she used to walk past every day with her two little dogs named Cora and Slipper. I used to go to Billingtons the dentist, opposite The Old Manor, when it was still in the High Street. I also remember the church with a cedar tree along the high street. When I met my mum off the train there was a wooden trestle bridge over the track that was torn down and a concrete one put in. Whilst I waited the porter came along with a long pole and pulled the rings down to ignite the gas lamps on the station. I watched the mail train with sparks flying out the stack, stood on the pig sty roof and watched fireworks going off at Skimpeds Hill Estate, the memories go on and on.........think I'll write a book
I was there last week.......am stunned; it's all gone. I have zillions of memories and it is very sad that such a beautiful community was devastated by the BDC.