Spooner's Corner

A Memory of Park Street.

Living in Park Street Lane from 1940 to 1961 I passed this corner every day to go under the railway bridge to the recreation ground and school or on to the village. The branches of the Horse Chestnut tree in the foreground gave a copious supply of the very best 'conkers' to us local children. Many's the time it also sheltered us from the rain and the road would become slippery with the large wet leaves and crushed horse chestnuts.
There was a building (a coach-house I think) with a clock on top on the opposite corner to the house, behind the tree. I can remember a yearly 'garden party' event held at the house. I believe members of the family were involved in springboard diving and during the afternoon diving displays were given from the high board over the swimming pool by members of a well known swimming club. Quite a big village event back then in the 1940's.
In the field to the right another regular event was the Steam Engine Rally when as a young child I remember what seemed to be enormous machines trundling and hissing their way around. Who else remembers the old steam rollers used in roadmaking ?
A path to the railway station also ran along the edge of this field and before they fenced it off you took your chances with the local bovine herd and it wasn't unusual to have to scramble through the railway embankment fence to avoid their not always kindly attentions. There were great mushrooms there though and a good feed could be gathered, if someone kept watch on the 4 legged companions.