Reference
X962/T32
Title
Transcript of Interview with Geoffrey Lansbury, born 4 February 1944, Heath & Reach. Childhood spent in and around sand quarries. Interviewed by Bob Bennett.
Date free text
Date of interview 17 November 2009
Production date
From: 2009 To: 2009
Scope and Content
(00 mins)
Geoff – born 4 February 1944 – lived in Heath & Reach until 1968 –married & moved into Leighton Buzzard. One younger sister, Gillian – now in Spain. Father & mother still alive – both 90 years old.
(05 mins)
Family had lived in Heath & Reach for 4 generations – originally in Reach Green (Woburn end of village). Father – forester on Stockgrove Park estate then in sandpits – for Dan Shorts – on light railway. Father called up in 1939 for war – afterwards, in 1946 – joined Vauxhall Motors [See Ronald Lansbury interview R33].
Paternal grandfather, after First World War (WW1), worked for Ministry of defence – planting tree in Stockgrove Park. Maternal grandfather – Alfred Hall – spent WW1 in Palestine – came home & worked for local council as road repair man - also a part-time Special Constable.
Geoff’s childhood – playing on light nights I quarries, along the canal and river, by ponds and lakes. Parents never knew where they were.
Winfield’s Quarry – stone’s throw away form where they lived – Lane’s End – open quarry (original golf course just beyond, towards Plantation Road).
(10 mins)
At top of quarry escarpment – long line of tall trees. Abbey Style – field where they used to play all year – fairly steep slope – sledging in winter – public footpath ran to bottom of Linslade Road to Lane End. Belonged to Tom Stevens. Now built on with houses.
(15 mins)
Once had been a cottage on side of Winfield’s Pit – only remains of old orchard left in Geoff’s time. Large hawthorne hedge separated field from pit. Rushmere Pond – another childhood playground – near Plantation Road crossroads. Full of wildlife – always swans on the island – went birds-nesting – collecting eggs from moorhens – taking home for larder.
(20 mins)
Freezing winters – pond froze over – solid enough to use as skating rink – play ice hockey. As boys – trespassed a lot – appreciated the countryside. Geoff taught his boys to do the same – evening walks after work – along brooks and the river. They days – he felt – children watch too much television and are too lazy to go out and explore. Remembers fishing on canal with a bent hook and a stick and bit of string – by Old Linslade Bridge – towards Globe Inn. Swimming at Sunny Bank. Watching the steam trains coming out of the Linslade tunnel.
Dangerous games on railway lines – dares –putting half-penny on line and having squashed into size of penny –writing down names of locomotives – “Sir Nigel Gresley – beautiful livery, magnificent engines.
(25 mins)
Attended local schools in Heath & Reach until 11 years old – the Beaudesert School – strictly-disciplined Boys school – cross-country runs in all weathers down Plantation Road – round old golf course and back.
Grove’s Quarry – towards Gig Lane and Overing Green – collected eggs from moorhens, mallards and coots – have them for breakfast – scrumping rhubarb and carrots from gardens and allotments – catching birds for fun – trying to catch rabbits.
(30 mins)
Always carried a catapult – shooting stones at things – anything from glass bottles to rabbits or squirrels – and each other! Always had a pocketful of pebbles. Winfield’s Pit – gradually got refilled with rubbish – smelt sulphurish – (methane?)
(35 mins)
Also explored the drying sheds of the sand firms in the evenings – when no staff there. Came away smelling of diesel oil 7 covered in dust and sand – played with the wagons on the track. During summer holidays – would persuade bulldozer drivers to give them a ride on their machines.
(40 mins)
Large Volvo trucks now used to remove sand from sand quarries – JCBs and cranes do heavy work in the pits.
Geoff was brought up in a council house – The Maltings, where the garage is in Heath and Reach. Grandfather Alf’s allotment on Copt’s Hill – Geoff dug it for him when Alf was an old man. Remembers the ‘characters’ there were in the old Heath and Reach.
(42 mins)
End of Interview
Summarised by Stuart Antrobus: 2 February 2010.
Format
Microsoft Word File
The Greensand Trust
Leighton Buzzard Library
Reference
External document
Level of description
item