Interview with Joan Burchell (b.1924) and her son Bill Burchell (b.1947) about living in Bletchley, employment and entertainment.
Inside the Queens Pool, Bletchley after the roof had been finished, before reopening to the public. Illustrative photograph supplied by kind permission of BCHI (Accession Ref: BLE/P/282). Original donated by Living Archive.
Joan Burchell and her family moved from Hornsey in 1953 to Arundel Grove, Bletchley; her husband was a bricklayer, tempted by a job with Drabble’s plus a house. They talk of their early impressions of Bletchley, the schools and her husband’s later work as a self-employed builder. She recalls her near neighbours and tells anecdotes about Bob Bunn (‘Bunny’) and his washing machines for hire. ‘God knows where he must have got them (the machines) from, a breakers yard?’ She also recalls Bunn’s mobile shop and Dan the greengrocer
Mrs. Burchell worked at Queens Pool as supervisor, and remembers her time there fondly; people of all ages used the pool. She thinks its closure was a real shame; the present leisure centre is too expensive. But ‘… It was a tragedy what they done to that pool (covered it and heated it)…’ She remembers Bletchley Swimming Club being started up by Mr Prigmore. She met John Smithie, who was very good to her, re-employing her at the Pool each year.
She was glad they had come to Bletchley: neighbours were friendly, and the kids were happy. In her opinion Bletchley locals didn’t initially like incomers, but eventually accepted them. She remembers events at Yeomanry Hall; also the Welfare Clinic and Doctor Connor. She also remembers the Maxwells visiting their house.
She comments that there were lots of jobs available. After Queen’s Pool, she became manageress for Wimpey’s canteen, then office manageress at the Bletchley Chronicle and Echo.
Bill’s social life included Derwent Drive Youth Centre, Wilton Hall and Greenways or Makarios café. Nowadays he thinks there’s nowhere for the kids to go. He started work at McCorquodale’s; he comments on the reduction of labour in the newspaper industry due to technology. He regards himself as a ‘Bletchley boy’; in his opinion Milton Keynes’ development has destroyed Bletchley: it used to have good community spirit, good schools, and was a great place to grow up in. He doesn’t know any London incomers who went back to London.
Creator
Burchell, Joan; Burchell, Bill
Extent
1 audio tape cassette
Contributor
Kitchen, Roger
Reference number
BBB/002/022
Comments about this page
The tape recording of my mum (Joan Burchell) my brother Bill is lovely to listen to, I have so many wonderful memories of growing up in Arundel Grove, Bletchley, and remember fondly all of our neighbours /families who lived there. Such happy times in my growing up at Queens pool, also Denbigh school these memories are precious and played a huge part in my being.
Sue Burchell (Clifford)
It is good to see names and places I grew up on the Saints Estate St John’s Road, many happy memories, the London brick company with the chimneys, Wilton Hall, Steam trains to spot at Bletchley, waiting for lorries after cycling to the new M1 junction, Mr Smith, Headmaster at Wilton. Under the table at the original Shoulder of Mutton, Vimto and crisps, grandads guinness, just a drop. Good Times.
The man standing on his own is Mr Mead the Superintendent. He was newly appointed to the newly covered former outdoor pool and remained until it closed for the new Leisure Centre. This was not actually many years but I was friendly with his son.
I enjoyed reading the article Joan Burchell wrote. Lovely memories.
My parents moved from the Harrow area due to overcrowding and no housing, to Bletchley in 1963 with my 10mth old brother, so about September that year. I was born January 1965. We lived in Rutland House, Middlesex Drive, (my mum thought that 2bed flat was a palace!) In 1968 we moved to Surrey Place. My parents are both still alive and live in Whaddon Way now.
What interested me in Joan Buchell’s story was that now I live in Arundel Grove! My husband and I have lived here since 2001 and are very happy. The residents of Arundel Grove have become firm friends and quite tightly knit since the VE Day celebrations this year. This month, December, we are taking turns in making our windows festive – Advent Windows – and its a lot of fun.
We have residents who have lived here since the beginning, Tony and Hilda, who celebrated 70yrs wed this June, and Berny who has lived in the street for yonks too! We live at the Kenilworth Rd end, our row of semis were built about 5yrs after the rest of the Grove for “executive workers” Tony says they were built for workers of Bletchley Park, but i dont know that for sure.
I love Bletchley, i remember the outlying villages of The Shenleys and Loughton etc being distinctly separate from the towns of Bletchley, Wolverton & Stony Stratford. I used to cycle to my friend’s house in Loughton and then on from there.
I have many fond memories of Derwent Drive Youth Club, great times! I feel i had a full and fun childhood, very lucky to have experienced the freedom of disappearing off with a packed lunch with my friends in the summer and having a great day away from it all in the fields surrounding Bletchley and the villages. I lived in West Bletchley and attended Denbigh School in Cornwall Grove.
I could reminisce more but maybe another day x
Diane Simmonds aged 55yrs & 10mths old
i used to swim at bletchley,and sure that is not queens pool,it had wooden seats round the outside
PLEASE amend daughter’s name to Susan. I don’t know why I typed in Carol!
I would still be interested to know how she is doing,
Thank you
Patricia Palner
I lived next door to Joan and Jerry and their family. My two sisters and I played with Billy, Johnny and Susan. I remember watching Princess Margaret’s wedding round their house because they had ITV! I have often wondered about Arundel Grove because, as they say, Milton Keynes destroyed the Bletchley in which we grew up. My late Mum, Mary, always mentioned Susan and wondered how she was doing. I remember Rock’n’Roll nights at the Working Men’s Club, the swimming pool with Joan telling us off (!) and Saints Junior School. A great childhood!
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