Earlier this year, the BPARA Committee heard from Jon Symons, a past Treasurer of the Association, now resident in Cornwall. Members may have read in the local press of the death of his mother, Barbara Symons, and Jon has now contributed some of his childhood memories of her and the local area:
“Our family was amongst the very first to move into Whalley Drive in 1962. We moved from a council house in Warwick Place to a new S & S built house on the corner of Roche Gardens.…Barbara was persuaded by the then vicar of St. Mary’s Church – Rev. Hedley – to return (to work) to fill a teaching vacancy at Church Green Road School. The headmistress was Mrs Littlewood and she lived right opposite the school. Within just a few years Mrs Littlewood transferred to become the head of Holne Chase Infant School and Barbara became headmistress at Church Green Road.
Some older West Bletchley residents may recall with some fondness the simplicity of their C of E state education back in the 1960s. The Terrapin Hut that provided the third classroom, learning maths using Cuisenaire rods, the Nature Table, hot lunches being delivered to the school, Sports Day on the recreation ground next to the school and yes . . . outside toilets!
My father, John Symons who died back in 1993 worked as Safety Adviser at The Associated Octel’s fuel research laboratories on Watling Street,
I recall from my childhood just how rural West Bletchley still was in those days. I could watch my father set off to work across the farmland where Ultra Way now is, using a footpath that led from the corner of Park Gardens to the footbridge over the railway line and out onto Watling Street. On more than one occasion sheep from these fields escaped into Whalley Drive and would be found grazing their way along our front gardens and on one occasion everyone turned out to help round up stray cows that had escaped and were eating the heads off garden flowers whilst heading up the road towards Rickley Lane. Fond memories…”
