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Waterbeach
Waterbeach maps
Historic maps of Waterbeach and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Waterbeach maps
Waterbeach area books
Displaying 1 of 10 books about Waterbeach and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Waterbeach
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Cambridgeshire memories
The Moon & Sixpence
When my mother first bought the 'Pink' cottage, at the edge of the fen, it was very dilapidated, the barn in the back was almost gone, we had no electricity, no running water, the ceilings were too low, the stairs were falling down. My first memory of the place was my mother gardening, I would 'line up' worms in a row, of course they wriggled away. My fifth birthday party was held at the hall, just up the road. We kept horses in Mr Wells's field at the end of the village (Burwell Road side), we would ride on Devil's Dyke, or out on the fens, sometimes to the village shop, (run by Mr Seargent I think?). The dairy farmer used to drive his cows on to the green and down to the field by the dyke, then home again every day. The Lord Mayor used to come yearly and throw new pennies about for the children. I have recently returned to see the cottage, it is very grand now,... Read more
Bott5isham Village College
I attended the college from 1959 to 1963, it really was a wonderful time and set me up well for life.
Playing in The Corn Fields
I lived in the cottage next to the Chapel, and played with Wendy, we used to cycle to Upware and Wicken fen. At one point we would sit on the haystacks after the farmers had finished them. I would go horse riding in the corn cut fields, wonderful thing to do.
One good memory was when it snowed, Mrs Dowdswell used to pour water on the playground so we could all slide on it. Not allowed to do that sort of thing for the children today, Health & safety and all that! The village used to have a few shops, which sold more or less anything you wanted, and two pubs. We had lots of places to play, cadnam, down the fen, up heath road. It was a happy time. Children now adays do not know how to play with each other.
Elephants in Waterbeach
I am assured that my memory is not playing tricks on me when I recall elephants living in the large garden close to Dr Pritchard's old surgery. The nuns at the convent off the A 10 road used to terrify my sister and I. They were all partially visible behind a decorative gridded screen to the side of their chapel, black-clad and mumbling.
The parcel people would pass through Waterbeach regularly. A woman who turned naked cartwheels through The Fen was a popular sight.
My Sister.
The lady on the left by the railings of King's College is my older sister then aged 22. We lived in Cambridge until 1922 and I was a pupil at Cambridge High School during the First World War. I am now 93.
Marshall's Airport
I lived at 14 The Homing, Meadowlands, Cambridge which was close to the airport. I was 8 years old in 1955. Often on sunny weekends, my Mum would takes us on a walk over to the airport.
It was a quiet relaxed place in those days. There was no kind of airport security, and you could stroll through the gate and sit down on benches to watch the odd Tiger Moth taxi over to the runway and take off. The pilots would fly over and wave.
I remember watching a Venom jet fighter being started up and all the sudden noise compared to the previous peace and quiet. Occasionally we would walk down by the taxi way, and watch the planes taxiing to the runway apron. Again I remember a jet fighter pilot taxiing down there in a Meteor and waving to us kids. It was so exciting.
I also remember a 3 engined biplane flying out of there. I can still remember what it looked like,... Read more
Sweet Shop
my g.g.g. grandparents the Nixons had a sweet shop at 26 Petty Cury in the 1850s to early 1880s. Anybody ant news or pics?
