Interview with Michael Brace (b.1941) about moving to Bletchley.

Michael Brace was born in Southend in 1941. He recounts his early life during the blitz and the family moving back to the London docks area, living with his mothers’ parents. His father worked at a gasworks and was offered a move to Bletchley, where they arrived in 1956. He discusses conditions in their shared house in London and his expectations of a more rural life. His parents were very excited about moving to their own house, but he had mixed feelings over leaving friends and interests (cycling club and Scouts), and was particularly sad to leave his grandparents.

He describes moving day in detail and recalls the contrast of Bletchley’s new Rivers Estate – then only partially built – as ‘like stepping onto the moon’. The rooms seemed small; they only had basic furniture and his parents saved for extra items. After an initial sense of isolation, he met a few other young Londoners and began to settle in. He talks of the youth club at Freeman Memorial Hall, and cycling for North Bucks Road Club. His grandparents visited but did not like Bletchley (they commented: ‘This must be the last place on earth!’). He occasionally cycled to London to visit them.

He recalls family and community life at the time, explaining that his mother was very sociable and a great cook, and knew everybody locally. He talks about his first day at Bletchley Grammar School (a brand new school) and the differences between education there and in his East Ham school. Discipline was less good, but it was a mixed school and he disliked having women teachers. He enjoyed the rugby.