Watching Parkside Grow

A Memory of Houghton Regis.

When my brother and I were old enough to go to Linmear Middle School,(Kings Houghton now), we would walk via a huge field next to Sundon Road, this was sold and Parkside estate began to grow. One of my old school friends called Shirley moves from Tithe Farm to the new town houses on Parkside, we were all so jealous because her house had 3 floors.

Whist attending Linmear the Upper School was built, which had a small swimming pool in it. This was opened to the public during the breaks and at week-ends so we didn't have to walk all the way to Dunstable, which was a nice change.

Both my brother and I didn't go to the Upper school as our elder brother had gone to Ashton's and then onto Manshead Upper School, which was built next to the Downside Estate. So in the end 3 of my brotherw went to Manshead and 1 brother and my sister went to Northfields instead. I have never quite worked out why though.

My mother was a traffic warden in Dunstable for many years, along with Maggie and Joan, they were quite formidable but in the early days they wee aloud to use discretion and so be alot fairer than todays traffic wardens.