The Year I Was Born...

I also have found memories of the home .I was there with my sister's and brother..I was very young when I was there in the late sixties ..early seventies..

Yes, I remember Waitrose very well from childhood. We lived in Chalfont St. Peter then at a house called Gestingthorpe. Father had to level the garden and planted a lovely lawn. The Misbourne stream was at the bottom of the garden and was dry! What a thrill it was when the water started flowing again. I had a little vegetable patch near the stream and built myself a cold frame in brick to combat the cold weather. In the school holidays, I used to go shopping in GX cycling up the hill and roaring back down with full shopping bags on the handlebars. I remember Waitrose very well and especially Betty on the bacon counter, she later became manager of the Playhouse cinema and used to let me in without paying for a ticket! Later she was fired for embezzling some of the takings! Also Sainsburys opposite Waitrose which had two counters one down each side of the shop with customers using the centre aisle to visit the various departments. The butter counter was fascinating as they had a VAST slab of butter and used to cut off small portions for customers' needs, shaping it into 1lb or half pound blocks with wooden butter pats. There was also a grocers named I think Maples with a similar layout to Sainsburys where the intriguing method of payment fascinated me. The money was taken at the various departments and scooted in a container by overhead wire to the cashier at the far end of the shop, with the change and receipt coming back by the same method. Other memorable places were Bott's or Botte the excellent fishmonger, the Park Creamery with a cafe and terrific home made ice cream and later Mclarens the greengrocer who amazed us all by selling washed potatoes!!
I would also like to know if Maple was the correct name for their store. I seem to remember the store name in raised gold lettering on a green background. The store was on the same side of the Highway as Sainsburys and between them and Oak End Way.
All the best, Iain