The Great Train Robbery

A Memory of Kensworth.

My parents owned a bungalow in Dovehouse Lane Kensworth in Bedfordshire and as a grown up family's we would get back together at weekends bringing along our own children to visit and enjoy the countryside.
My brother and sister had produced five grandchildren and I the younger unmarred son would take them for walks and keep them generally occupied.
Like all children they loved stories and an adventure and I their uncle would do my best to provide some form of activity to keep them out of mischief.
It was 1963 and the news at the time was all about the Great Mail Train Robbery and one Sunday afternoon I had assembled the five children in the garden whilst they listened in awe as I described the events that had taken place in nearby Linslade, with a degree of exaggeration thrown in of course.
To add to the story I explained that I had heard that two of the robbers had been spotted locally that very weekend, wearing masks and carrying canvas bags and spades and believed to be in the process of hiding the "loot".
I suggested that we should try to find a trail and look for clues to try to discover the whereabouts of the stolen money later that afternoon, but to tell no one.
They were buzzing with excitement as they all rushed inside to tell their parents and grandparents about what was about to take place, whilst I disappeared to set up a few clues in a nearby copse.
I placed an old cap in the undergrowth, a folded up road map with a cross marked on it and carefully placed a crumpled £1 note at the base of a tree next to a pre-prepared mound of soil.
Later the trek began, with me taking up the rear of the line giving out orders to ensure that between them they found the well placed clues.
I called for quiet as they scurried around, their eyes out on stalks as they discovered the prepared objects in turn, until finally identifying the newly disturbed soil. Imagine the glee when the £1 note was discovered and they raced home to tell the awaiting family group of the news of their find.
It was worth a pound note!
John Russell
17th April 2017

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