In the mid-1930s the Bletchley Town surveyor, Mr Arthur Bates, designed the Central Gardens; these were described as a ‘pleasant amenity for the town’. The rose gardens were originally laid out by Mr H. Grace and his father George (both who used to work for Ramsbotham’s the local horticultural nursery in Bletchley).
The groundsman in charge of the Central Gardens was Mr George Tatham, he arrived in 1937 after having worked on the Leon Estate for 17 years. George took great pride in his work, maintaining the flowerbeds, lawns and tennis courts. On Easter Monday, 1939, a miniature golf course was opened, also after the war a croquet course was built for ‘older people’.
The paved sunken garden near the Western Road entrance was a popular venue for band concerts. Over the years many a ‘mischievous’ Bletchley youth tried to land his ball from the putting green right in the middle of an unsuspecting audience who were enjoying a concert!
In the 1970s the Central Gardens were demolished to make way for the futuristic new Leisure Centre. Do you remember the good times playing tennis, putting and just enjoying the wonderful amenity which sadly now is just a memory?
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So so lovely used to sit in there when i was going out with my first hubby, it was always kept so pristine would put some council gardeners today to shame
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