The War Years

A Memory of Gamlingay.

I lived in a cottage in Long Lane, beyond Church End as a child during the war. I have vivid memories of my life here. The snowy winter of 1943 when the snow reached up to the cottage windows. We had no neighbours except Dick and May Norman, who lived next door. I remember "Uncle Dick", as I called him, digging a path from our door to the well - for the only source of water then was the well, and wonderfully fresh it tasted too.
I went to the village school, the head teacher when I started was a Mr. Acker (spelling) and later Mr. Robinson came. I was in Miss (Mrs?) Arnold's class. At that time the school had children up to the age of 14, and I clearly remember my first day there and being picked up by one of the "big" girls and cuddled and carried round the playground. I used to walk from the house in Long Lane past Church End every day to school. It seemed a long way to a small child.
I particulary remember the summers and the smell of the fields and hedgerows as we walked home. We used to have to collect rose hips and take them to school for the War Effort!
A thatched cottage (almost opposite the one in the picture) belonged to Teddy Houseden and it was also a sweet shop, a place to visit on the way home. The Baker's shop (now, sadly, gone) belonged to William Watson, and up until the 1960's I always enjoyed the freshly baked bread there. I swear it tasted better than any other!
A Great Aunt of mine lived in the Alms Houses, the one on the end next door to what was then the Sunday School, and next door lived a wonderful old lady, Nellie Yarrow. They all had long gardens and, inspite of their seeming great age, kept neat vegetable plots and grew all their own vegetables.
Nellie Bedford owned a green grocer's in Mill Street, she was always pleased to see people and knew everyone by name and everyone's business, a wonderful character.
Almost opposite to her was the Grocer's, run at that time by the Saunders family. It was full of wonderful smells. It sold tea and sugar loose and had tins of biscuits with glass lids to see the contents in front of the counters. On the other side of the shop it was a general store and chairs were always available for the clientele.
Careles' newsagents was there for years. I used to spend a few coins on sweets, when they were available, during the war. Later, Graham Meeks, a contemporary of mine at school, ran the shop. No doubt he is retired too, now.
A working farm stood on the cross roads and the cows used to come from a field on the Everton road every day to be milked, walking through the village, past my grandparents house at Green End to and from the farm, with a lad, Stanley Gillet, prodding them with a stick.
Over the crossroads, towards Waresley and the small triangular green, was Empson's garage. One got the radio (or "Wireless") batteries recharged there, and in the summer, he was a source of tomatoes, whilst another garage (almost opposite Saunder's shop) i n Mill Street, was a source of Victoria Plums.
During the war the village had lots of public houses. The Fountain on the Everton Road, two on the cross roads (always called "The Cross"), The Cock, still flourishing, The Wheatsheaf down by the church and another near Mill Hill.
I have many, many menories of such a happy childhood to share that I could go on forever!


Added 13 January 2009

#223698

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