Shared Memories of Market Drayton
Market Drayton, Buntingsdale Hall 1899
(ref: 44449)
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Year: 1953
Buntingsdale Hall and Farcroft.
My first posting as as an L.A.C. Chef in the R.A.F. was to 22 Group H.Q. at the hall in May 1953. I was eighteen at the time and was to become chef to A.V.M. Merton in his residence, Farcroft in Market Drayton.
I reported to the guardroom and was then whisked up to meet the A.V.M. by his P.A. F/Lt. Jan Badini who I was told was a Polish Count. I think he must have been as he later told us about hunting wolves on his estate in Poland before the war.
I was later to live in Farcroft cooking for the A.V.M., his wife known to us as 'Agie' (behind her back), Cpl Davis, Pete Redcar and another batman called O'Gorman.
It was a quiet life for about a year before I was moved on to R.A.F. Bridgnorth.
The main thing I remember there was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, coming to dinner and staying the night. I was given an audience the following morning with the Duchess still in bed, nightcap and all, while I was congratulated on the dinner and told 'I had light fingers', she was referring to pastry making but we laughed at her wording afterwards.
I went back to Market Drayton during 2005 on a 'down memory lane' visit. I found the old hall still there with the mist still rising off its still waters but the Farcroft had been pulled down and replaced by a housing estate.
jamiesmith1935@hotmail.co.uk
Last edited: 04/06/2008 17:13 by Jamie Smith
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RAF Tern Hill and St Joseph's College
From 1946 till 1951 we lived at RAF Tern Hill and every day my brother and I travelled by bus (Butters Bus Company as I remember!). We were dropped off near the lovely ivy-covered hotel in the square, and walked down the hill past the swimming pool then uphill to St Joseph's College. We were always impressed by the thought of Clive of India climbing that church tower - we looked at it once but decided not to try it. Tern Hill airfield was a paradise for adventurous little boys, and I never forgot the rasping sound of the engines of the Harvard trainers.
The college in Pell Wall Hall was also wonderful, with the ground filled with beech trees and rhodendenrons. I remember being told that a woman had committed suicide in Buntingsdale Lake while we were living there- later I wondered if that was true? Everyone we met in Drayton was nice and friendly, and I have wonderful memories of my days spent there! I went to Market Drayton Grammar School for a year after taking the '11 Plus', before moving to Wellington - a horrible place in comparison!
Posted: 28/04/2008 23:05 by Kevin Kelly
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Market Drayton, Buntingsdale Hall 1899
(ref: 44449)
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Year: 1948
Mid-1948 to Mid-August 1949
In mid-1948 my RAF posting was to Buntingsdale Hall. Our quarters were one of two occupied Nissen huts where RAF 22 Group communications flight was housed. At first our aircraft occupied a hanger on the Stoke side of the airfield. When a maintenace unit required that hanger we relocated to the Tern Hill side of the airfield, home to the flying training school equiped with Harvard aircraft.
The communications flight was used by Air Marshalls (and associated ranks) to ferry them to RAF 22 group locations, usually in Great Britain and Northern Island.
Buntingsdale Hall was used by us for meals, where a Warrant Officer was in charge.
At Buntigsdale Hall the commanding officer was a Flight lieutenant, nicknamed Tojo.
Our quarters were approached down, and then up, a long flight of steps, from the roadway by the hall. Also on this site were brick buildings housing clerics, a bath- house and a NAAFI,
A civilian driver, using a RAF coach, drove us to work each day. I remember that, on leaving Buntingsdale Hall ,the twisty road had a "Lake" to our right.
The summers of 1948 and 1949 were long, fine and plenty of sunshine.
Posted: 27/12/2007 17:22 by Les Winn
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