Interview with Anne Sanders (b.1939) about moving to Bletchley in 1969, housing, education, social activities and the development of Milton Keynes.

Anne Sanders, her husband and two small children moved into Wye Close in Bletchley in 1969 from Reading. Her husband worked in Watford for British Waterways and they were hoping to find cheaper accomodation in Bletchley. The new house they were buying was smaller than their previous rented one and she remembers moving in, in the rain and all the mud. She remembers the ‘Welcome Wagon’ for new arrivals, the delivery of a basket of goodies from local shops. Initially she was very lonely; the shops looked dirty and she missed Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s; no-one said hello. But she gradually met people through the children and didn’t feel lonely for too long. She recalls attending the Young Mothers Club at the clinic in Whalley Drive, their outings and good speakers. Once the family had a car they did monthly grocery shopping in Aylesbury, buying their fruit and vegetables at Bletchley market. She comments that the local buses were good.

The children went to playgroup at the Peter Pan Centre (Betty Maxwell was involved with this), then Whaddon Way playgroup, and onto the Rivers School. She recalls the market and the variety of shops, the lovely drapers, Jim at Cash and Carry fabrics, and was sad when the market closed in about 1974. She was excited by plans for Milton Keynes ‘Brilliant, like being part of something new’. They moved from Wye Close in 1973 to Hunter Drive, because of schools and amenities.

She studied dressmaking at night school with Ruth Pyle. For three years from 1973 she worked as a laboratory technician at Denbigh School, then worked for Legal and General. She has no particular allegiance to Bletchley or to Milton Keynes, but they moved to Central Milton Keynes nine years ago so that in retirement they can easily walk to shopping and amenities. She looks forward to the coming of the theatre and gallery.