Lower Radley Romantic Reminiscences

A Memory of Lower Radley.

"Thieves! Bloody villains and thieves, that's all they are. Makes my blood boil.
I can't kill enough of the sods... no Sir!"
I hadn't the heart to point out that I was actually a lover of all birds for fear of being shot as a traitor.
"They steal what ain't theirs and see my boss outa pocket by ruinin' crop yields. Proper fat boogers".
I thought it an odd form of respect that he had for 'the Boss', until I realised he was addressing the
'Curse of corn fields'; the Wood Pigeons. Had he the same dislike for say, the crow family, I wondered?
"Them black 'uns, nowt but trouble the lot of them, all no gooders and kill them in the coverts... you
know, where the pheasants and partridge breed like... them young dun't even get outa eggs, proper
sods them lot, and clever... they tell each other I'm about. Bastards they are, smart as a salted cut!"

By honing the conversation towards his outright anathema for all things winged I'd actually got
away from the point that I was, in fact, not only a trespasser, but a bird watcher. He ignored the
binoculars slung around my neck and seemed completely oblivious to my manufactured conversation.

We parted ways, into our respective futures back then in 1967. He, to blast away like a licensed mad-man at all things that merely do what is natural, and me, towards whatever might cross my path. My hope was that it'd be more agreeable, and in one extent it was, for I didn't see another shotgun for a great many years after.

Lower Radley was something of a bland, yet beautiful gem at the time, one that, like so many now, has been corrupted through changes involving unnecessary development and 'Husbandry'.
A strong proclamation, perhaps, and yet one that might here be justified as seen
through the eyes of a ten year old witness.

My parents relocated the family to our purpose built new home in the mid 1960's.
From the onset I found the immediate neighbourhood rather fascinating, and also
came to know about, among other things, the 'Lording', of local land ownership.
When, within that first year, I discovered my environment, I developed an affinity
with it, and a lifelong love of the countryside as it was then; but not the changes.

At the end of our half-acre garden was an arable field, a mile long. Planes used to
land on it when it was left fallow. Also, there was an ancient orchard, the former
home of three cottages, long since removed. The field subsequently went off to
Sandford-On-Thames, which still had a working Paper Mill on the river itself.
There was also a Sewerage Works that you could smell, especially in summertime.

Between our home and the river that meandered south, were many large fields and
coppices, including osier beds, all in part due to that area being 'Prone to flooding'
that were given on the Ordnance Survey Maps. The access to the river had been
created by St. Peters College Boat House facility opposite Nuneham Courtenay :
The only crossing point of the Thames, aside of Sandford, between Oxford and
Abingdon, was here, where a ferry of unknown merit operated. Any photo's?

The Thames flows south-west just below Lower Radley, and this region was
always of great interest, as it had gravel pits... an adventure playground and great
area of Natural observance - wildlife. Beyond the river the land rose to over 300ft
into ancient woodland, where a great many events (such as the opening) occurred.
I am personally very fond of Loch Wood and thanks to British Rail for the same!

I might have completed this by including the other cardinal points and yet, feel
with regret, no one is interested, and heck, this is merely the intro. Well I admit
that being 60 makes me old and unable to continue. I might only add that I am a
genuine contributor and that my father still lives in Lower Radley.

I have attempted to document my history in a book called 'Odyssey Of An Oddity'
but find life is full of regrettable cynicism - perhaps I should be a crow... (!).

Many thanks for reading, and if you happen to fall upon it, I am Second Side Up.
Try the BBC.

Every success and happiness.

Mark.

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