Geoff Gomme
From Lacey Green History
Research by Joan West
In 2011 Geoff Gomme sent me the following letter, in response to my request for his life at Court Cottage in Church Lane, Lacey Green.
The GOMME FAMILY moved into Court Cottage in 1938 – 39. It consisted of the living room, about 12ft by 12ft, a small kitchen (or scullery), which was called “the backplace”, a room added on by a previous tenant, with inclined roof containing the “copper” a large copper bowl, bricked in with a fireplace below, where water was heated for laundry, bathing etc.
LITTLE PRIVACY UPSTAIRS
Upstairs a similar layout, one large bedroom and a smaller room which was more like a landing leaving little privacy for the occupier as people passed through to reach the main bedroom.
NO ELECTRICITY
There was no electricity in the cottage at the time. Light in the living room consisted of a “Wonder” lamp. Fuelled by paraffin with a two-inch wick it gave a lovely white light – better than our modern bulbs. Elsewhere candles had to be used – including going to the loo down the garden.
NO TAP WATER
We had no tap water then. Outside the back door was a water tank, catching rain from the roof. Any water we used had to be drawn up from the tank using a bucket attached to a rope. It wasn’t until the late fifties that electricity and water were piped in.
SCORCHED AT THE FRONT, FROZE AT THE BACK
The walls of the cottage were mainly brick and flint. In some places they were eighteen inches thick, with no cavities and no draught proofing. And was it cold! All we had for heating was the range on which most of the cooking was done. The range had an open fire on the left with the oven on the right. When we sat in front of the fire we scorched at the front and froze at the back as the draught was pulled in from the door and the window.
1939 Evacuees by Geoff Gomme
JOHN, AGED FOUR ARRIVED
I described Court Cottage in 1938. In 1939 our first evacuee arrived. He was a lovely little four year old, called John Schuter. His father was in the forces and his mother worked in London and she wanted him out of the way of the bombing.
A LITTLE CLAY PIPE AND A TWINKLE IN HER EYE
Next we had two girls, Beryl and Stella Hunt. That’s when I had to go and sleep at my grandmother’s – her two sons were in the army so she had room. I quite enjoyed that, for Grandma always had tea brewing on top of the range. It came out of the teapot almost like black treacle to which she would add two big spoons full of condensed milk. Lovely! She would sit puffing on her little clay pipe with a twinkle in her eye as I gulped it down gratefully.
NEVER HEARD A WORD AGAIN
Our final evacuees were the Wager family, mother and youngest son and sometimes the eldest son too. They were actually related to us. But, do you know, after they went back to London, when the bombing had eased, we never heard another word from them!
BATH NIGHT PROBLEMS
We got on well with all our evacuees. The biggest problem was bath night. If you can imagine drawing up bucket after bucket from the tank, heating it in the copper, carrying it through to the tin bath placed in front of the fire. It was quite a chore. Then a wooden clothes – horse would have to be erected with a sheet as a partition and all those not involved would have to retreat to the colder parts of the cottage. But somehow we managed!
Geoff Gomme career was as a photographer for the Bucks Free Press.
He sent several articles to the village magazine "Hallmark". For these click the following; -
2002 Ted Biggs. Memories of Ted, on his death
Bill Attridge. Memories of Bill on his death