Z1205/172

Male. Horse & greyhound trainer. b.12.9.1939 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Bedford. Father worked for W.H.Allen for 39 years, as did his grandfather. Later his grandfather ran a pub, The Three Tuns in Castle Lane. (05 mins)An aunty looked after his crippled Grandmother, after Grandfather died. (10 mins)He started at Bedford Modern School in 1947. Lived in Woburn and travelled by bicycle to Woburn Sands station to travel by train to Bedford St. John's and walk to the town centre. 1200 boys at the private school. Belonged to County House, and had dinners in The Grove, off Bromham Road. (15 mins)Related to Ronnie Barker, the comedy actor. (20 mins)More about his parents' families. (25 mins)Bedford celebrations at the end of the Second World War. Secret activities at Woburn Abbey. Wartime Christmas parties for children. (30 mins)Air-raid shelters in Woburn. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)As a boy delivered wartime telegrams on his bicycle. Wartime crash of Flying Fortress aeroplane when 22 Canadians were killed at Husborne Crawley. Uncle Len was in local Home Guard. (05 mins)Two German paratroopers bailed out over Woburn Park before their plane crashed. Local troops put a cordon round the town house of the Duke of Bedford who it was thought may have been sympathetic to them if they sought shelter there. (10 mins)Attended Woburn Primary School. Miss Clifford and Miss Gayle taught there. Guides and Brownies, Cubs and Scouts continued during wartime. Gymnasium in Crawley Road. Duke of Bedford built the open-air swimming pool so that all village children could learn to swim. He and his brother learned to swim with Mr. Jilks who was the caretaker of the pool, using a pole with a loop round your waist to give you confidence, which he then lowered when he could see you were swimming. Used to work on local farms when not at school, especially at harvest time. (15 mins)As boys, used to climb in to swimming pool for illicit swims at night. Two evacuee girl twins stayed with them in Woburn during the war: Andree and Vera. Their mother was a interpreter for the Belgian government in exile and their father had disappeared, believed dead. (20 mins)Loved listening to the radio. Bedford Modern school known for its sporting prowess. Dickie Jeeps played rugby for England. Left school in 1953. Volunteered for three years service in the Royal Air Force. (25 mins)After a few temporary jobs, on leaving RAF, joined Vauxhall's at Dunstable and earned good money for about eight months. Then County Electrical Services for four years and Bedford Auto Electrical for 11 years, both in the motor trade supplies. Then he went into bookmaking. First love was football - played for Leighton Buzzard Town Football. (30 mins)Then he saw an advertisement offering a "Horse. Good home needed". He bought it and reared it. After that he was hooked. Found he bonded with horses. Moved to Willington. Rented a neighbouring field to keep horses in. (32 mins)End of Side B CONTINUED ON CS172C2 (oo mins)Breeding and training greyhounds. his favourite pasture land. Breeding and training hRacing horses. (05 mins)Horse dentistry. (10 mins)Looking after horses' legs and hooves. Learning from vets. Falling in love with horses. (15 mins)People don't converse now as they once did. The scourge of television. (20 mins)Less community spirit. (25 mins)Childhood enthusiasm for radio programmes. "Dick Barton - special agent". (26 mins)End of Side A END OF INTERVIEW. Original Interview 90 mins.

30 October 2002

From: 1935 To: 2002

item

Allen,
Barker, Ronnie,
Jeeps, Dickie,
Vauxhall,
Barton, Dick,
Jilks

public houses, dogs, horses, racing, Bedford Modern School, World War Two, Christmas, air raids over UK, child labour, flying, Canadian Army, DEATH, Home Guard, German Army, Woburn School, Boy Scouts, swimming, farmer, evacuees, Belgians, interpreter, radio, sport, Rugby Union, RAF, veterinary medicine, television, WOBURN, Woburn Park, HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, WILLINGTON