Bob & Diane Sanders

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Research by Joan West

Robert 'Bob' Sanders born ? was the son of Wilf & 'Rene Sanders

Diane Hatt born 1951 was the daughter of Don & Freda Hatt

Bob and Diane married in ?

Diane wrote the following memories of life here for me. Many thanks from Joan West.

I was born in The King William IV Pub in Speen in 1951 where my Great Grandparents had run the Pub, my Great Grandfather, Alfred Lovett was at the time a well known bodger and haulier.

No 11 GREENLANDS. Built 1951 Very soon after, my parents Don & Freda Hatt moved into 11 Greenlands, we were one of the first residents on this small development which at the time was run by Wycombe District Council.

SITE ON A HILL The bungalow we occupied was at the bottom of the road and we were fortunate to have a large garden but the downside of living on a hill was that to get into the bungalow there were 5 steps to the front and back doors (which made it difficult for Mum to get a pram up and down these steps).  I remember Mum telling me that she had to push the pram to Speen for the baby clinic as there were no facilities in the village or a bus service to Speen.

INSIDE The bungalow as I remember had a copper boiler in the kitchen where the washing was done and an open fire in the main room and also an open fire in one bedroom.  I also recall that in the Winter the windows being single glazed would freeze on the inside so it was pretty cold going to bed, no luxury of central heating or electric blankets.  In those days there was a Bakery on what is now the junction of Goodacres and Main Road and I regularly went to collect bread for my Mum although the end piece rarely found its way home!

ATTENDING SCHOOL I attended St John’s School at the bottom of the village from age 5, at that time there were only 2 classrooms and the main one was heated by a large black stove. We always tried to sit next to this heater in the winter to keep warm.  We had free milk of a third of a pint which again in winter was put next to the heater to thaw out!!  About once a year the “nit lady” would give us a once over to check we were clear, we also had a health check and I remember us lining up in the corridor in just our vest and knickers.   Whatever the weather we had to walk to and from school every day. At the age of 11 we had to say goodbye to the village school and headed off to High Wycombe for our secondary education

METHODIST CHAPEL I attended the Methodist Chapel for Sunday School, where Mrs Church played the organ and Mr Frank Claydon hand pumped the bellows. During the course of the year several functions were organised. We looked forward to the Anniversary where we would recite recitations and poems to the congregation and of course had a new dress for the occasion.  We also went to an Old Peoples Home in Aylesbury to relate our recitations to them.  Summer trips were organised to the coast for a day out.  Harvest Festival was arranged so that we bought fruit and vegetables along and then soon after these were auctioned off and proceeds went to the Chapel funds. There was also a Christmas Party in the Village Hall organised by Gordon May and Mrs Church where games were played, a lovely spread of party food and a good time was had by all.

YOUTH CLUB In later years the village Youth Club was opened in the Village Hall and this had a good reputation and was attended by not only the teenagers from Lacey Green but also from outside the village.

DOCTOR'S SURGERY In the years of my childhood the village was smaller and as a result most people knew one another, indeed the Doctors Surgery was held once or twice a week in a private house on the corner of Westlands Road.

WINTERFOLD built on the old "DELL" I continued to live in Lacey Green until I was 20 and it is where I met my Husband, we got married in the St John’s Church with our reception in the old Village Hall following which we moved away to various villages around Lacey Green eventually moving back in 2000 to live in Winterfold.  Ironically Winterfold is sited on what was known in my years as a child as “The Dell” where we spent many happy hours playing.