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Chesham Stories

Mrs Checkley - Happy Days in Chesham

We first came to Chesham from London in 1899, from a big three-storey house. I was born in Royston. We lived in a little cottage. Two or three brothers were born here. There were eight of us children altogether, I was the oldest girl. At first we lived at the other end of the Moor and had to get our drinking water from the well. I went to the Infants' School against Lord's Mill. We used to call it Miss Birch's school because she was the Headmistress. She lived in the house adjacent. We went to school from 9am to 12 noon, and then had to run home for lunch, and then run back again. Wherever we went, we had to run. We had several good teachers; it was a happy time. I was in a play Red Riding Hood. I was given the woodman's part. I asked my brother, who'd just had a new suit, if I could borrow it to wear. I was about 14. (He was killed in the War). I was ill in hospital for about nine weeks, I was rather delicate. Afterwards we moved to halfway up Eskdale Avenue. I had to run up the hill every day to expand my lungs.

I'd always wanted to be a nurse, but I worked in Darvell's for a while. Doctor said I wouldn't be able to stick it (nursing) as it would be too hard. I went to Hillingdon for three months on trial. I went to Uxbridge Station, tramcar to Hillingdon, then across fields. There were two nurses to meet the train for safety. The train to London cost half-a-crown (7½ pence) return.

We used to go to Hinton Baptist, now it's called Trinity Church. I was asked to join Hinton choir. We used to give concerts in the villages, on wagonettes. I remember when King Edward died, my friend and I used to sing, I was a contralto. We went to Wendover. Jack Wright took us in his pony and trap. I had a big straw hat with poppies on it. There was a thunderstorm and we got very wet. We should have been going to sing at Amersham but it was too wet. We used to go to meetings at the Temperance Hall; we had to be teetotal. All my friends were at the church. We had a very happy time. We had a Sunday school. We bought Zion Hall when they gave that up and we use that when we need a bigger place, for concerts and bazaars.

We had more hobbies in those days and people used to enjoy themselves. We used to have dances in the Town Hall. It had a clock to it. Lots of things were held there. Eventually people didn't do anything there, it was a shame. We used to stand at one end of the High Street and see the clock; it was a real focal point. We didn't have a picture house; we had to make our own entertainment. I don't remember going to any pictures when I was young. There was a big skating rink opposite Hinton Church. It was an indoor rink. I fell over and hurt my back so I didn't want to go anymore. We had the park and the pond; they called it Skottowe's Pond then. It used to ice over and people would skate on it, and on the river. The river looks quite different now; it used to have boats on it. There used to be trout in the river and people used to fish. I used to go out with a boy who was a teacher at Townsend Road School. We went to a dance there. It used to be fields where the Methodist Church is. We had teas there, with buns. I used to look forward to that. All the people with money lived in those big houses in Bellingdon Road and Stanley Avenue.

There was a cattle market in the High Street and Broadway, on Wednesdays. Farmers came in from the surrounding farms. They brought business into the town and ate in local eating places. Darvells had a tea shop. There was a high-class dress shop at the bottom of Station Road, the Misses Catling ran it.

Before buses, horse-drawn carriers brought villagers into town and goods out. Webbs brushes and several smaller ones employed all the young people. They used to come to our church, that's how I know them. Beechwoods was only a small place when I was young. There used to be watercress all along Waterside. There was a little factory near the bridge, it made jewellery. It did ever such a good trade, made all the jewellery that went abroad. One of our top men at the Church worked there all his life.

A lot of people from Townfield Yard alley were moved up to Pond Park. They were all very poor people. We used to run up the steps, we daren't walk in case the people came out, we were afraid of them. They keep building up there; it was just a hill then.

Mrs Brandon (she used to be a Rose) was the first Lady Mayoress, we had their house. Henry Rose used to keep his sheep where the football ground is. We use to take ginger beer and help cut the hay. Mr Lowndes used to live in the Bury. He was very good to the poor. They only had to pay sixpence a week for those cottages (The 'Sixpenny Cottages'). He used to help people without many people knowing about it. We used to have fetes and fireworks all around his estate. I used to look forward to that.

Mrs Checkley

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