Upper Heyford School

A Memory of Upper Heyford.

My father was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford 1949 to 1953.  My brothers, Peter, Michael and myself, Mary, went to the village school.  My older brother Richard went to school in Steeple Aston.  I remember the two rooms, the infants with Mrs Jones in the small building and the Juniors in the other.  We had a teacher, a Mrs Kearney, the same surname as myself, who lived in the teachers house opposite the school.  I remember some names, a Victor Gregory, Veronica Rackstraw (I think) - I'm not sure whether she was the girl who was knocked down by a car up by the Co-Op and broke her leg.  There was a girl called Jennifer, I think her grandmother ran the post office.  I remember a girl who I think was related to the family who ran the coach firm.  She and her family went to Australia.  Zena Creed, I used to call for her sometimes on the way to school.
I remember May Day and the May Queen chosen from the village girls.  Oh, I did want to be a May Queen.  We used to go round the houses and sing May songs and have a little tea party at the school. I also remember the Coronation festivities and running races.  All the children were given a coronation cup/mug. We RAF kids used to sit on the wall outside the pub which was opposite the Co-Op waiting for the school bus back to the camp.  I have memories of school dinners which were eaten in the small room that was used for the dentist, doctor and nit nurse.  I remember we drank milk out of cups which we had to supply. We had to wind wool around the handles so we would know our cups. We later had milk in bottles and I remember the bottles used to be placed around the coke burning stove to warm in the winter.
I only went into the village church once because my family were Catholics so whenever the school went to church for a service we stayed behind with Mrs Jones in her class room. I enjoyed country dancing, singing and the nature walks, whether they were near the canal or up by the airfield. I would love to hear from anyone who was either on the camp or at the village school during the period 1949 to 1953 when we left to go to Birmingham following the death of my father.  I am now 73 years old .  I have been back with my brothers to look around the camp and the village a few times.  It's all so different now. Mary Moore, nee Kearney.