Toddington, Bedfordshire

My childhood in Houghton regis.

My name is Daniel (Danny) Cronin, the youngest of 5 and the only boy of Harry 'H' and Ann Cronin. My life began on the 27th of November 1970.

My first place of residence was Recreation Road where I have broken memories of childhood play times with my sisters. As a big family we were lucky enough to be allocated a nice big 3 story town house on the new parkside estate, our address being 36 Trident drive. My first real memory of this address would be quite a daunting one, I could have been only 2-3 yrs old I'm unsure. I was playing outside the front driving my little red Mini peddle car with my mother over looking from the kitchen window, there I was trying to impress my mother with my driving skills, making engine and beep beep noises as I drove back and forth at break neck speeds, my dog Blackie was also very impressed as he watched with one eye as he basked in the sun. What happened next I'm unsure but I found myself lost in a maze of alley ways followed by the ever Loyal Blackie, the alley ways turned out to be garage and pathways at the beginning of the 'Private estate' across the southern part of parkside drive. I then found myself terrified and lost by the harvest home pub having vivid memories that I have seen this before and thinking I was near home once again guarding me with his life was Blackie. From then I don't really have any more memories other than what I was later told. I was found asleep on the path outside the 'Reck' on Tythe farm road yards from my old street of Recreation Road by a passer by. He tried to see if I was ok but my guardian Blackie would not let him near me and would have gave all he had to protect me from this Stranger. Apparently then I was in the newsagents opposite the harvest home where I was sweetly interrogated by the woman shop keeper as she waited for the police to arrive, Blackie once again eyes fixed on me waiting outside the shop ready to come to my aid if the woman that I was told he knew from his younger days of living in Recreation Road put a finger on me. The police were on their way and had an idea I was the lost boy my mother had reported. I was also told by my elder sisters that the local middle school 'Linmear' and upper school had also put out a supervised search for me. I was reunited with my mother later that day. I remember walking down trident drive, one hand in the safe grasp of a Police woman, the other clasping a bag which contained my wetted shorts and under pants and once again the ever loyal Blackie at my side.

As both myself and my sisters were growing up we made many friends as most of the residents of the new Parkside estate had moved from either inner London (As mine did to Recreation Road) or the surrounding old council estates. I remember my eldest sister Tracy being best friends with 'Linda' one of the daughters of Jack and Viera Smith of No 35, Dennise with Michelle Grothe (or was it Grow, I'm unsure), Caren with Trudy Stiles, also of Trident drive, Rosalind with Cindy Crute etc.

I myself became friends with the 'Phipps' boys being Dean, Patrick and Terry who also used to live on Recreation road but later moved to 35 Dolphin Drive. I remember as a young boy having many run ins with these, especially myself and Terry, we were always at each other, always scrapping then moments later being once again inseparable friends along with his brothers. I later made more friends with people such as Richard Vincent, David Ringer, Simon Lampard, Billy Brinkley etc.

I first went to school at Hawthorn park lower school situated at the top of Trident Drive where the notorious Mrs Gadd ruled with an iron hand!! I remember her widely feared three smacks on the back of your hand followed by her most infamous words!! 'SIT THERE' illustrated by a firm and decisive point to the floor at her feet, as a young 4-5 yr old this was shear terror!! Hawthorn park school had 2 playgrounds, one for the the young and one for the elder students. I remember being separated from my best friend Patrick Phipps at play-times and feeling desperately sad!!

As I grew up more myself and friends became more familiar with our place of residence and would venture further on to the neighbouring and also new Chelsea and Bromley gardens and used to Visit the 'Big Slide' at the top of the long path that ran from the southern part of parkside drive all the way up to the north side, enclosing the whole of the parkside estate, Chelsea and Bromley Gardens alike in a big D if you was to look at it from the air. We also used to venture into the vast 3 mile wide waste ground, east of the arial D which then separated Houghton Regis from the Luton district of Lewsey farm where many a great battle was fought between the 'Tythe farmers' and 'Lewsey farmers. This is now built up.

I then started going to Linmear middle school and met more friends such as Martin Kirkby, Justin Golder, Jason Humphries, Paul Kettle and meeting amazing teachers like Mr Nolan, Mr Clark, Mrs Roscell and mine and my friends favourite Mr Baker the games teacher.

I then found myself in a broken family as my mother and farther had split, my elder sisters had moved away from Houghton Regis, leaving Caren, Rosalind and myself, frequently moving back and fourth to Slough with my mother, back to my father until I was 14, I have not lived there since.