Medmenham memories
Here are memories of Medmenham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Medmenham or a Medmenham photo.
RAF 90 Group Medmenham
After joining as aircrew in 1950 and being re-mustered as motor mechanic in 1951, I was posted to RAF Medmenham and attached to the motor pool. It was a wonderful posting with fond memories of walking along the river banks, drinks at the Dog and Badger as well as trying to visit every pub in Marlow and drinking half a pint. I failed!
I was demobilised in September 1952 and was on a boat heading for Australia before the month was out. I studied instead of drinking and became a psychologist now living in Queensland but even now at 77, still retaining my status as Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Fond memories: eagerly going down the road from camp on pay night to the D& B was easy. Coming back up the hill with a few pints aboard was the hard part, but happy memories!
National Service RAF Medmenham 1956
RAF Medmenham, National Service 1956, arrived, spent the first night in the guardroom, nobody knew I was coming, thought I might be a member of the IRA. First week spent on the rubbish cart, Christmas Day armoury guard, good times though at the Red Lion in Marlow, and the Dog and Badger in Medmenham. Left in 1957 to join the RAF Physical Training Team based at RAF Halton, Happy Days. MERVYN JONES
Happy Days
Medmenham was a beautiful posting and a happy place.
I attended the local dance hall.... where I was in great demand having danced to Silver medal class beore joining the RAF. Dream on you say !!!!!! Yes indeed.
I am still in touch with some old friends and attended a reunion about 10 years ago. Interesting to see how people change.!!!
Now I understand the camp is completely gone, except for ONE of the large gate posts which is in the centre of a roundabout where the entrance was.
I worked in the Orderly Room and played in the Station Band. I would like to hear from anyone who remembers me. I am now retired in Canada.
National Service
I know I was doing my bit for my country at the time but Medmenham will always be in my memory because of the great friends I made at the RAF station. It was also a beautiful part of the country to be doing my service. I got to meet some of the locals who worked on site at the time and found them very friendly towards this Bermondsey, London lad. At weekends when I was off duty some of the lads I was doing service with and myself would go for walks down the country lanes and really enjoy the countryside and call in at the local pubs and enjoy the local brews. I wonder if you can imagine what that was like for a Londoner. One thing is for sure this lad at 69 years of age will never forget Medmenham.
The Dog And Badger, Medmenham
I was born in 1942 at the then Liston Nursing Home in Marlow. My first memories are of the Dog and Badger in Medmenham, where I lived for six years, with my mother, and my grandparents, John and Lillian Nye. The pub was my home, almost, from birth. My memories are particularly of the beautiful garden, not then, as yet, sacrificed to a larger car park. There was a corrugated iron 'summer house' , with playthings such as gas masks. A swing hung from a tree, which when pushed by an adult could reach the highest height. I remembered loving to eat out in the garden, particularly rice pudding. Many times, it seemed, I shared breakfast with Lt Commander Don Clayton, who I supposed rented a room at the inn at that time. I liked him and was very impressed by him, and shared a grapefruit with him for breakfast, pretending, I think, that I liked them, despite the sourness. My grandfather was required to run races with... Read more
HQ 90 Group
I spent most of 1952 at R.A.F. Medmenham and very much enjoyed my stay there. By then discipline had begun to be relaxed and we were able to wear civilian clothes off duty.. I was even able to bring my bicycle from home which opened opportunities to explore the area. I covered miles around the countryside taking in places such as Cookham ( I never did meet Stanley Spencer, though) , Aston (the Flower Pot pub) and Hambleden Lock, village and valley. I became so taken with Hambleden that when we moved to near London 15 years later, my Wife and I spent many happy hours exploring around there.
Medmenham was a congenial and happy place to be (but no sign of the Greay Lady who was supposed to haunt the site).
Any Hills Out There?
I think my dad said his father's (also a Bill Hill) relatives came from Medmenham, my dad was born and lived in Cippenham, Slough all his life and mentioned uncles and aunts at Medmenham, are there still any Hills there?
Memories of Buckinghamshire
Childhood Memories
My father was born in Marlow and mother had already made 2 very good friends before she met and married him. As a result we as children (I was the eldest of 6) found it a wonderful haven to be welcomed at their home on countless occasions as we were growing up. We lived in London, each journey was an adventure going to stay in the 'country'.
My first memory is being met at the station with Uncle and his bicycle and I was carried on the crossbar while he walked with my parents and me, and we stayed at their bungalow at Munday Dean. The first impression was the gasworks smell and when finally the gasworks came down I really felt it a huge miss! Not for the locals though. I have memories of Auntie lighting the oil lamps and I missed that smell too in later years. I always looked forward to the Regatta, though being in June my hay fever was always at its worst!
We had... Read more
Childhood in Marlow
I grew up in Marlow during the 60s. I have wonderful memories of a really free childhood of bike rides, exploring the woods, rowing a very old boat on the river, even swimming which my mum never found out about , and just general messing about! We used to go to Marlow Common and play in the trenches, or trek through the woods to Marlow Bottom to make camps or down to the end of St Peter's Street to fish, on weekends and holidays we would be out all day. I went to Oxford Road then to Holy Trinity schools. I remember going to see 'A Hard Days Night' at the Regal, it was fantastic! On Saturday I used to go to a Miss Hogg for piano lessons. She lived opposite where there was a fire station. I think. If there was cricket on we would go and watch with my dad and have a picnic. When I go back for a visit I am amazed at how far and... Read more
Childhood in Marlow Aged 6
A wealth of memories flood in:
Saturday morning pictures followed by sausages from Clarkes, the Butchers made by "Uncle" Len Roblett with whom I and my brother were evacuated from London together with his wife "Aunt" Rosie and their sons Goosey & Dadle up Munday Dean.
Visits to the sweet shop in old Dean Street.
Sheltering from the Doodle Bug which landed at Bovingdon Green and visits to the Bathing Place where we hired inner tubes for 1 penny.
Visits to the nurse in Spittal Street for treatment of the Impetigo and feeding batteries and coke to the pigs that were kept near the old magistrates/police station.
Watching the star footballers who were serving with the Black Watch and stationed near Marlow.
Picnics by the river and getting up to mischief up Munday Dean, led by our old friend Eddie Ellery!
Visits to the little "shop" up Munday Dean operated in a private house by Mr Edey where sometimes, presumably using our coupons, we could obtain chocolate and Aunt Rosie's... Read more
When we Had A Shop
I was born in Little Marlow in 1947 and lived three doors away from the village shop, run by Miss Littlewood. I would go there and weigh the sultanas, currants etc., and put them into little blue bags.
My Mum (Phyllis Wright) waited at table when Queen Elizabeth 2nd came to visit Lord and Lady Ronaldshay at the manor house, and can also remember that when England won the World Cup in 1966 the coach with all the players parked outside our house, whilst the players went to the manor house. I would go to the Queens Head pub, with a jug for lemonade. Pub was run by Vic and Joan Woolmore, but before them it was run by Joan's Mum, but I can't remember her name. My little bit of England is Little Marlow, although it's changed so much now, I still love it.
Lane End Born & Bred From 1956
I grew up in Park Lane, this is the eastern side of Lane End, and then consisted of mostly 1940s- & 1950s-built council houses. I grew up in Coronation Crescent, a semi, 3 bed council house. These were not so much pebble dashed, as gravel dashed houses, sharp to the touch and the stones a mix of white, pink & red. Our back garden backed onto the farm of Mrs Archer, who kept pigs, and apparently had a pet fox she would take for a walk, but I never saw this. I went to school in Wheeler end, then later Bartholomew Tipping in Stokenchurch. I attended ballett class for a while in Lane End Village Hall. I was not so much shy as a nervous wreck, so hated any group activity. My mother always entered the Horticultural Show each year with home-made wine, jam, cakes & handicraft, also eggs from our own hens; while I did jam tarts, dinner plate garden, flowers in a jam jar & flowers in a... Read more
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