David & Sheila Clay

also click Lane Farm Caravan Site for details of this enterprise

Researched by Joan West. The following details were emailed to me by David in 2023 after I asked him if he would jot down details of when they came here and their memories of Lacey Green to add to this wiki history. Grateful thanks to you both.

David and Sheila Clay, with their daughters, moved from Speen and came to live at Lane Farm, Church Lane, Lacey Green in September 1984. In October Dolly Clay, Sheila's mother joined them to live in the annex

David & Sheila's 3 daughters were as follows :-

Tanya aged 11; Kerri aged 9; and Heather aged 6. Here, they learnt about the countryside because they had the freedom to explore as far as lower Loosley Row road and Smalldean Lane without crossing and pubic road. K. & H. became great tree climbers and had secret dens! They also helped look after the animals.

David was Senior Manager at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and other supporting hospitals in the district.

Sheila worked for Social Services as a children's day care advisor.

Dolly Clay attended St John's Church and joined the 81st Club.

Their near neighbours during their time here were David & Barbara Chalkley, Laurence & Linda Rostron , Rob & Carol Knight, George & Mollie Ward and Phillip & Elaine Dell.

David wrote that "during their time at Lane Farm many animals shared their garden or field over the years. Their black Labrador was favourite but several pigs were reared and shared a large run with geese, ducks and hens. A pony was borrowed for a year and rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters were given accommodation which they shared with field mice in the winter months.

When they bought the House from John Plowman he had owned two fields but they didn't feel they needed the one beyond their tennis court and the Chalkley's property so only bought one of them.

John west from Stocken Farm used their field from time to time in the winter months for grazing the cattle and in return cut the field hedges for them and gave them a wonderful large turkey for Christmas..

David also took up Bee Keeping with five hives and Sheila managed almost everything else.

Permission was granted by the Caravan Club to provide a Certified Location for up to five caravans on the adjoining field which was popular partly due to the lovely views across the Aylesbury Vale. John West was called upon on several occasions to help extract caravan owners and vehicles from the field in wet weather.

To find out more about their enterprise of a site for touring caravans click Lane Farm Caravan Site.

Sadly when all daughters had left home to seek independent lives, David and Sheila sold Lane Farm and down-sized before eventually returning to Speen".

Hallmark July 13th 1986. Strawberry Tea and Band Concert, 3pm at Lane Farm, Church Lane