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Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford maps
Historic maps of Upper Heyford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Upper Heyford maps
Upper Heyford photos
We have no photos of Upper Heyford, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Road Weedon| Lower Weedon| Weedon| Duston| Great Brington| Althorp| Milton Malsor| Blisworth| Newnham| Northampton| Daventry| Hardingstone| Welton| Watford
Upper Heyford area books
Displaying 1 of 8 books about Upper Heyford and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Upper Heyford
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Northamptonshire memories
Cappels Shop
I remember going into Cappels shop in the late 1970s and buying kali and liquourice. I also remember going down to Coach bridge, swimming with my friends, and a man called malcolm used to come over on his penny farthing, good times were had by all.
The Shop
Church Street, at the end of this my parent's shop, home until dad decided to retire to Badby. Next door the Roman Catholic church. Anyone else remember the processions down Church Street when it was Remembrance Sunday or the Church Fete with Rose Queen on the trailer surrounded by attendants. Running for the bus along there too, especially if you needed to get to Northampton in time for school as I did. Further up the street the cobbler's shop and Mr Gates coal merchants. Can you imagine we had 4 shops all in that one street in the 1950's, most villages are lucky to have one now!
Car Project.
The Morris car depicted in the photograph was overhauled and bodied by my late father, Arthur Parker, in 1951-2. He had removed the body from a c1937 Morris 8 van, overhauled the mechanics and the chassis, and built from scratch a new shooting brake style body. As a 7-year old I was thrilled to be able to help with the work and immensely proud of the result. Unfortunately, when father came to register the car the authorities decided to demand the full purchase tax which hadn't been levied on the original pre-war commercial vehicle. This sum, in the hard times of the early 1950s, was difficult to find and the Morris sadly had to be sold to cover it.
Early Years at Farthingstone
I was born in 1950 and lived in Farthingstone until I was 3. There are many things I will never forget. My first haircut, with me sat on a wooden box at the bottom of someone's garden. "All things bright and beautiful" at the village church. Walking in the Joy Mead with family or friends. Looking over the garden wall at the cows in the farmyard and most of all how much I loved this peaceful, quiet village.
Train Crash
On April 18 1967 I was on a train travelling from Northampton to London. It was a sunny April afternoon, with a few small white clouds drifting across the sky. The train was about a quarter full and we rattled along peacefully until we reached a point just east of Milton Malsor.
Suddenly there came the urgent sound of a train's siren blasting repeatedly, followed by violent braking, then the rending of metal and smashing of glass. The train shuddered and vibrated and I got down on the floor, thinking this the safest place. As crouched there I vividly remember dust particles dancing up and down as we shuddered to a halt, and the pipe of a man who had been smoking near me go bouncing past my nose.
We had collided with an empty coal train travelling north, and many wagons were derailed and flung into a heap. Our front powered carriage was derailed and pitched down an embankment. After a long stillness and silence... Read more
St John's School
I remember the Sunday March to Tiffield Church from St John's School and return. I remember masters there - Betteridge, Faid, Wooley and the young lads 'lusting' after Headmaster's daughter!! The good teaching received there.
My 'friends' and our adventures on our 'Day Out', Sinnott jumping into the canal to give us an excuse for returning late to school ... whatever happened to them all??? 'Ricky' Richardson, 'Wiggy' Roberts and many others!! The friendly villagers. The 1st Tiffield Scout Troop at St Johns. My becoming Troop Leader. The trips to cinema in Towcester, Northampton. Cricket, football, played at school playing fields. Memories I have carried through my life. Returning from a 'Task' with RAF in late 1980s, I saw St John's empty, looking forlorn. No doubt a factory or housing estate now in 2008. What is Tiffield like now? Are there any persons 'Out There' who have similar memories?
I enjoyed my stay there, 1948/51. Then National Service called just as I returned home to Bristol. The 'Lads' came... Read more
Swimming Pool
Any of you remember the swimming pool that was built by the kids who where there, Mr Cliff was the instructor while that was being built, I got there just at the very end of it being built. After I was there for awhile I joined Mr Cliffs building class and became a bricklayer, and it served me good until 1976, then I got to the point I couldn't do it no more over here in Florida, as it was to hot. I did work on the new class rooms there and after placing the memorial stone in the first building I was allowed to go home.Thanks Tiffield.
