Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire

The Chequers

At the age of 16 I remember picking cherries on the trees (still existing in the photo and just shown to the left of the picture) while being too embarrassed/shy to acknowledge the presence of my first "girlfriend", Valery, on her bike below.
The Chequers was my fathers local from the mid twenties until the mid eighties. He hardly missed an evening's visit during the whole of that time, so the Chequers became a rather "looming" object throughout my childhood, rather like a third (naughty) parent. But it did provide the odd Vimto and packet of Smith's crisps in the late forties/early fifties.

Two weddings

My parents were married at Great Hampden church in July 1929, they were Neater Ruth Groom of Prestwood, and Harold Aubrey Hall of Beenham in Berkshire. January 4th 1956 Barbara Hall, their only child, was married to Reginald Frank Ridgley, also of Prestwood. My mother died in April 1994, the wild cherry blossom and bluebells were adorning the Glade as we followed her coffin up to the church, we walked that way so often in the years gone by. Dad followed her in Feb 1995, it was cold and grey, but there were a lot of people, sharing the memories of lives spent in this lovely area, and Rev Phillip Hill who conducted our wedding, and the dear old Vicar who was there in my childhood, walking round his Parish, visiting, always happy to talk.

The most interesting gents barbers in the world

Probably just behind the photographer was an old fashioned mens barber shop. All the old men would go there for a haircut and mums would take their sons too. What the mums never knew is that when you sat in the alcove to have your hair washed there were numerous naughty pictures that could only be seen from in there. I wonder if any boy ever told his mum what he'd seen?

PIGLET

We came to live in Downley Road in 1987 at The Barn which was in a bit of a state in those days. Wife, daughter, me and three cats. The very first memory I have is of our first weekend here when we thought we would  quickly nip out to the back of the common to get our bearings for half an hour, and trudging back exhausted four hours later after getting hopelessly lost!

We spent the best part of 4 years improving and renovating during which time daughter Kim left and got a flat. Angie got a job at Bradenham Manor and the ship sailed on.

Naphill is a very nice place to live with some very decent people and we were very happy here. A retreat from the week's business. Someone actually told me that if you lived in Naphill, you'd made it!

Sadly Angie my wife passed away in 1994. Over the ensuing years I have changed jobs and come to terms with living on my own, but having had a loving and caring wife I wouldn't recommend it. My daughter Kim lives in Beaconsfield with her family and our three cats have one by one departed this world, to be replaced by just the one - Negin - who is a fiesty female of 2 years, cunning and deceitful with a useful right paw. A thorough bad-hat in all things feline, but she's what I've got!

The old place is harder for me to maintain now and I don't really have the heart for it. So may look for somewhere new, but still in Naphill. Perhaps a bungalow which looks out on the common which we are truly privileged to have behind us.

I like to keep fit, think young and look good, but that's ok with a positive outlook and with the best will in the world it's not always possible. My dad, alive and positive, says above all you must keep a sense of joy and he didn't read it in a book!

Well. Naphill hasn't really changed in 20 years, thankfully. I still need a torch to stroll the lanes at night, I'm actually pleased about this except when it's been raining hard and I can't see the puddles in Louches Lane - a small hardship. And the football team, quite famous locally when I was a boy, seems no more, whatever happened to the Naphill Lions or did I just imagine them?

Anyway, it seems I am the first to post anything here which surprises me considering all the vocal folks we have in Naphill, so to all my friends and acquaintances, and I suppose the rest of you as well, from the embers of 2008 let hope, health and happiness embrace us all.

Peter MCC.