Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire

Catching newts

That building to the left with the little spire was my school when I was 11 in 1966. I have spent many hours catching newts in that pond in the foreground. It was partly surrounded by a brick and concrete wall and they would tuck themselves into little caves.

The Friendly Pub

We used to live in the house opposite the Horse & Groom, it was called Yonder Cottage, I wonder if it is still there, it was a very friendly public house, and we spent many happy hours in the company of friends, which I will always remember.
The highlight of the week was the dance at the village hall, when the... [more]

Heady days in 1955-1956

In January 1955 I started as a sixth former at the Royal Grammar School. It was a culture shock after an independent school, but a very good way to get focused. I lived at Frieth and commuted on the Thames Valley bus. The sixth form were a good crowd and a year later, when I left, we celebrated in the evening... [more]

Frogmoor, High Wycombe

I arrived in High Wycombe in as a young girl in 1946, from Scotland. I attended St. Bernard's Convent school. It was situated in a very large old house on the London Road, across from the Rye. We wore school uniforms, green color, which changed to maroon later. The nuns were very strict. But we got a good education.... [more]

What else happened here

There used to be a Saturday market on the left in that covered area and I used to buy a plate of cockles there and eat them with a cocktail stick. That's not very interesting though but I'll tell you something that is. When I was in my early twenties (late '70's) I met a guy, through work, called Charlie Winston... [more]

Vicky mentions that Woolworths

I had a Saturday job in that Woolworths and at the end of the day one of my jobs was to oil that old and dingy wooden floor. I have two glden memories. One was being asked by Mr Ch***** (removed for legal reasons) to turn the boxes of loose biscuits around and date stamp them again a year hence. They... [more]

1949 onwards at High Wycombe

I was born in 1949 at home in West Wycombe Road and lived in the area until 1969. My family owned one of the two Corn & Seed Merchants businesses called Jones and Rivett Limited in Oxford Street and Dovecote Mill on the Dovecote Lane. I went to school at Wycombe Technical High School in Easton Street and then worked in... [more]