Growing Up In Milford

A Memory of Milford.

My mother was in the WAAFs during WWII. She met my father (an American G.I.) at a dance in Henley. They married in 1944 and after the war, my mother traveled to the United States as a war bride. I was born in Nebraska in April, 1948. In 1951, my mother was aching to visit her parents in England. My father managed to raise enough money for my mother, my sister and I to sail to England in the Spring of 1951. I had my 3rd birthday on the ship. I have a very clear memory of walking round the corner of the row of cottages where my grandparents lived and seeing their excitement when they saw us. They lived at Coombe Cottages, Milford Heath. The cottages were situated at the back of the allotments - close to The Cafe in the Trees. They have long since been demolished and replaced with condominiums. My mother's unrealistic plan was to get a job and save up the money for our tickets to sail back home. She got a job at Secrets and after paying her parents for our keep there was little opportunity to stash some money away. Two years later my father joined us in England so Milford became our permanent home. I attended Milford Primary School. It was a short walk across the cricket green and past the round-about. It was a wonderful place to grow up.

I think I was probably about 5 or 6 when I was allowed to walk to Henry's store in New Road and buy some sweeties. That was when I was fortunate enough to have a few pennies in my pocket. I can also remember walking to Blake's grocery store at the end of Moushill Lane to purchase things for my grandmother, I would need to have her ration book with me to purchase sugar or other grocery items. I can remember watching Mr Blake use the slicer to slice bacon for a customer. I can still remember the wonderful smell the store had.

When I was 6, we moved to Yew Tree Road. Technically, Yew Tree Road is in Witley but to my friends and I it felt more like we lived in Milford. We all walked to Milford School together and often played at the cricket green. We spent most of our time playing on Milford common and we attended Sunday School at the church in New Road. At that time it was a Congregational church and I have very happy memories of going there.

At age 11, I attended Rodborough school which at that time was situated at the old army camp. My friends and I volunteered to help the day we moved to the new school at Oxted Green. We were amazed to see the our beautiful new classrooms, library and assembly hall. A palace compared to the army camp. I left school on my 15th birthday. Back then there was nothing formal about leaving - no graduation certificate. You merely said goodbye and they wished you good luck.

My first job was a clerk typist for a solicitor in Godalming.. This was 1963 and my salary was two pounds ten shillings a week! I usually rode my bike to work. When I was 17 I got a different job and was earning nine pounds a week. That was quite good money for a girl in 1965. In April, 1966 I moved to America. I lived with my father's youngest brother and his family. I had an office job for the government in Washington, D.C. I later moved to Nebraska where most of my father's family lived and also spent a few months living in Canada. I returned home to England in April,1967. Rekindled an old romance and got married in November 1967.

In 1972, My husband and I and our two young children emigrated to the United States. We divorced in 1978., At that time, we were living in New Hampshire and I'm still here after all these years. I like living here but my heart will always consider Milford my home. I had a wonderful childhood. Milford was an awesome place to grow up and from what I hear - it still is!