Burghfield memories
Here are memories of Burghfield and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Burghfield or a Burghfield photo.
Rose Lawn Burghfield Rectory
Met my future wife, Janet, whose parents lived on the caravan site behind Rose Lawn ran by Rev Nicholson. I was a biker, Janet's parents disapproved of motorbikes, so whilst courting I used to bring her home at night & park at the Hatch Gate pub at the bottom of the hill & walk her home up to the caravan site. We married 1966 at Burghfield Church. Moved into a caravan on the site - no bathroom, a toilet that had to be emptied every week, in a shed next to the caravan & a cess pit dug in the garden for drainage. Had to move away in 1968 when we started a family, but a happy start & still together. Often visit Burghfield as Jan's mum still lives Burghfield Common - doesn't change much.
Blands School
I remember Mr Halpenny and Miss Tanner at Blands School, it didn't seem strange at the time to have some small change as teachers. Miss Tanner had apple trees and she always left a box outside her gate for us to have on the way to schoool or take home.
Burghfield Village
I think it was 1950, when my late wife and I were courting and trying to find a home we could afford. We chanced to hear of the condemned Village School and the adjoing Hall, which the Church Commissioners wanted to sell for site value. We saw the place one lovely evening, walking across the Green with the church bells ringing. Although we were given the key to the enormous front door, it was unnecessary as the place was a wreck. The thatched roof had virtually disintegrated. The only service was a standpipe in the hedge! But we thought we could save it. The Bradfield District Council were most helpful, but we had to prepare plans for the conversion. Our parents helped us to pay for these, but they thought we were mad! We bought it and saved it from demolition. I started a Youth Club in the adjoining Hall and one of the children we have kept in touch with, eventually took Holy Orders. He is also... Read more
Memories of The Lane
I remember the Lane so well. Pauline Johnson and myself used to use it on a daily basis to go to school. We used to dawdle and chat and skip and tease the boys, Terry Clark and Alan Berry being two of the names that come to mind. We used to love the little stream that ran along the bottom and often stopped to look at the brown pebbles and the endless amount of frog spawn. I wonder, is that steam still there ? My friend Pauline and I must take a walk along there soon to check !
The Lane Pauline Johnson
I used to walk to Blands School through the lane with my friend Jean Brookes, we would often stop outside the Clark's (Terry) house and climb up the bank where we could see Jean's house across the field. Then we would continue past the West's house (Peter). We were often late for school as you can imagine! The headteacher at Blands school was Mr Halfpenny, one of the teachers was Miss Tanner, a road leading of off Hollybush Lane was named after her. I remember Dauntless well, my mum worked there for a while in the 1960s, a few of the local lads got married to Wrens. I lived on Clayhill Road and my friend lived in the Close.
Memories of Berkshire
My Time at Rapleys, Grazeley Green.
I was born and spent my early childhood at Rapleys, Grazeley Green. My father's farm, James Farm, was at the far end of the Green in James Lane. We had a herd around 120 friesians for milking as well as arable and woodland. My mother had a smaller farm at Goddards Green which had about 60 milking Jersey cows and a bull. My memories are a bit hazy but in those days I used to cycle to Burghfield or Mortimer to visit friends. It was much safer for children to cycle miles on the road then as there was much less traffic. I do remember the 10-ton trucks that used to hurtle by from the gravel pits. They were on piecework so speed limits went out of the window. There was the Old Bell pub run by Mr Gissing. I was much too young to know anything about pubs then; but it was the nearest neighbouring property. The cottages the length of the green were mostly occupied by... Read more
Life in Burghfield in The 1950s
The passageway led from Clayhill Road all the way through the village, and came out on the Reading Road, some 2 miles away, the passageway was used by us children daily as a short cut to school, and it went by the side of most people’s fields and the odd house.
Further down the passageway and at the top of a steep hill (looking down), was Mr Barker’s bungalow. My father told me once that one dark night during the Second World War, Mr Barker’s bungalow was hit by a stray bomb, apparently after a raid on London during the blitz in 1940, and on their way back to Germany, a plane jettisoned its remaining bombs in and around Burghfield. His house roof and walls were badly damaged, and although he had this repaired, you can still see the damage caused by the bomb and shrapnel.
I’m told you could see the distant lights and search lights high in the night sky that was used to strafe the... Read more
Mrs Blands School
We moved into School House in 1941 when my dad, Mr Halfpenny, took over as Headmaster. I was 3 and my sister Sheila 7. I loved living on the school premises and would creep into the infants class with my gas mask when the teacher, Mrs Carbine, wasn't looking so I could dive under a desk when they practised sheltering from an air raid. My younger sister, Christine, was born in School House in 1945 and brother, Keith, in 1948. I remember helping my mum to make huge bowls of jelly and blancmange for the school Christmas party every year. There was great excitement one night when Gregsons shop opposite the school was broken into by some boys from the borstal, not something that happened very often in the 1950s!
I too, remember Terry Clark, he and Keith were great friends and are still in touch after all these years. My best friend who lived in the close was Jenny Mars and we spent many hours playing in the... Read more
Burghfield Common
I was 1 of 9 children, we were placed at 83 Hunters Hill. I went to Garlands Schhool. My friends were Sharon Mallem, Jackie Baily, Jackie Bruce, Connie Sharky. I remember others ie the Farmers, Beals, Kemps, Longs,and more. We got the news a 4 bed house at Purley, mum and dad were really upset but needed more space, we left Burghfield. The years went by, I really missed Mr Biddof and his Christian books and the Wellers Van. My name was Debbie Judges, I was number 8, the others called Terry, Beverly, Sharron, Cherelyn, Martin, Ronnie, Tommy and Sonia. 1984 me and my partner Ady Walker had our first daughter Kirsty, and then Cheryl 13 and a half months later. 1986 I think October time we were placed at 38 Hunters Hhill, July 1987 we got married in the Methodist church on Burghfield Road and partied after at the hall. I became Debbie Walker, although referred by all as Mrs Walker, it was complete and marriage certificate a treasure.... Read more
Childhood
I was born in Blands school house in December 1945 where I lived with my eldest sisters Sheila and Janet and later my brother Keith. My mum looked after the children and my dad ran the school as headmaster, At the side of the house was a small gate leading into the playground, where I used to spend time talking to the children attending school. In the middle of the playground there was a very large metal bell which I clearly recall being hit by lightning on one occasion during a thunderstorm, a lot of the children in the nearby classroom were very upset. I had a very happy childhood and many wonderful memories. I can still visualise the firs where we all used to play, building campsite, going fishing in the local ponds for tadpoles and always spending lots of time exploring and having picnics on the common. I had a friend who lived on the edge of the common and she would let me play with her dolls... Read more
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