Kings Langley

A Memory of Timberscombe.

The first 8 plus years of my life were spent here at Merrow Down, off the Common. The only time we were away was for a few months in 1939-40 during the Phoney War. I had various nannies, the best being Flora. She came about autumn 1940 and stayed until autumn 1942 when 'called up ' for work of national importance (day nurseries) and my mother had to cope with both my sister and I. It was a shock to her. I went to Mrs Hazlewood's school a few doors down for a year and then to The Priory. I didn't like it there and was going to London weekly for psychiatric treatment. In the spring I was sent to a sort of boarding school in Berkhamsted, with visits to psychiatrists weekly. My gullible mother swallowed everything they told her, which were a pack of lies. It was staffed by weird females and exercise consisted of walks. One of the women was called Anita and she was a blonde. She rather fancied herself. Thankfully the establishment closed down in July and I went joyfully home. For the next year I was  taught privately but attended Berkhamsted twice a week.
Our house had a nice garden, tended by Parkins once a week and our 'Daily' was Hobby (Mrs Hobbs). We grew all sorts of fruit and vegetables, and also had a henhouse, thus ensuring a good egg supply with 'retired' hens ending up in the pot. Father also shot rabbits from his bedroom window. From the age of 5 I used to play on the Common on my own where there were lots of trees to climb. Later I used to bike there and in winter when it actually snowed, I toboganned. Each June a funfair would come for a few days and most summer sundays there was cricket to watch. We also used to cycle to Bovingdon to watch the Yank aircraft. One afternoon I was out with my mother and sister when we saw loads of parachutes and a Flying Fortress descending in flames, evidently having been shot up during a raid. I can recall hearing V2s exploding. During this period I enjoyed a few holidays viz Sandbanks 1941, Watchet 1943, Torbay 1944, Higher Court 1945. Despite shortages, Christmases were good as toys were recycled and others fashioned out of bits of wood by my talented father. In 1944 I got a secondhand clockwork train, which I cherished. We used to visit Watford and Hemel Hempstead on occasions. Public transport was good with the bus passing near the bottom of our road and the railway station in walking distance. I loved to watch the trains steam by, such variety. In the High Street were the shops. I recall Kinghams the stationers, Montague's newsagent etc, Mr Cook's cycle shop, the Elite and Flitney's. The canal was always a source of interest with narrow boats going to and fro. They mostly went to the Ovaltine Factory with coal and sometimes we watched the unloading.
VE day was a great celebration, everybody waving flags. We drove around London in the morning and there was a parade and service in the afternoon. The summer was quiet after that until July when we took off for Higher Court for 5 weeks. Other places I remember were bluebell woods, watching threshing taking place using a traction engine, a variety of transport passing through the village both military and civilian. It included steam wagons, Bren carriers, Queen Marys, and farm tractors.
I went to boarding school in Sept 1945 but was on half term in November when everybody lit up the sky. We moved to Somerset the following year and I had mixed feelings. I often feel that my parents made a great mistake moving when they did.

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