Childhood

A Memory of Roydon.

We moved into Roydon in 1939 as a temporary measure and stayed. I lived in Halls Green until the Parkfields estate was built in 1947. I have happy memories of our walk to school, road in winter, footpath in summer. I was notorious for tree climbing but many of those have now been felled. I was a member of St. Peter's church choir and a server until I married and moved away from the village completely. I recall laying in the field by number 9 bridge and listening to the skylarks. 30 acre field which, by season, became Wimbledon, Wembley, Lords or other sporting venues. The old green opposite our cottage at halls green was used as a bonfire site on may occasions, including VE and VJ nights and several Guy Fawkes occasions, many were the baked potatoes which were roasted on them and much fun was had by Terry John and myself, as much in the anticipation as the event. Dad lived in Parkfields until he moved to stay with us in Newcastle until he dies on Christmas day 1994 and was buried in Roydon Churchyard beside my mother and my grandparents. My three boys knew Roydon also as we used to visit frequently but they never had the fun that I did as a boy with all my mates around me. First romance in Roydon but I married a girl from Scotland in 1960 and we are still together and we have 12 Great grandchildren now, 8 - 4 to the girls. I shall never forget the old lady who lived across the green and ran a tobacconists and sweet shop and was a universal "Gran" to all who visited her shop, which never closed even at night until about 9.30 but she was a stickler for the coupons required, and quite rightly so.