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Chesham Stories

George Bayliss

George Edward was born in 1920, the son of George Bayliss and Ellen Elizabeth Rance.

On return from war service he came home to Waterside, to a terraced house (opposite the fish and chip shop). It has since been demolished.

He worked for a short time at a foundry and then at the Atlas Pencil factory.

However, after his war service he couldn't stand being indoors and started his own business as a window cleaner. He worked all round the Chesham area (The Lee, Lee Common, Botley, Ley Hill, Bovingdon, Latimer, etc). He also did some painting and decorating and jobbing. He did this until he retired.

He married Dorothy Thorne and about 1948 they moved to 66 Townsend Road, Chesham, three houses away from where Dorothy had been to school. This house too was eventually pulled down (Cromwell House now stands on the site).

In 1958/9 they moved to 'Fern House' 1 Hivings Hill, Chesham where they lived until they retired and moved to Suffolk.

For many years George delivered Sunday Morning newspapers all around Chartridge and the Lee, buying his papers from Ringsall's in Sunnyside Road.

He supported the 1st Chesham Scout troop, where his two sons were cubs, scout and senior scouts. He had many things given to him on his rounds for scout jumble sales. He was for several years the caller at the weekly scout bingo sessions. He also used to purchase all the prizes, for which a lot of help was given to him by Mr McMinn both from his depot down the Moor and previously next to the Co-operative shop in High Street.

His other great love was flower and vegetable shows and growing and arranging his produce for the shows at Chesham. At The Lee (where he is still a life member) he often judged some of the classes.

He moved to the Royal Hospital Chelsea on September 4th 2006. He has settled in well and is 'working' in the greenhouses and does flower arrangement in the infirmary and chapel. He is shortly going to give a flower arranging demonstration at the hospital! Not bad at nearly 86!

Photographs: Top - taken in November 2006; Bottom: At the Grand Opening of Chesham Museum, October 2009

(Information from George's son, John Bayliss. January 2007.)

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