Interview with Wendy Marshall (nee Porter b.1953) and family about Robert Maxwell, other Bletchley characters, local entertainment, employment and events.

Interviewees recall that Bletchley Gazette was where you looked for information. Everyone bought it. They remember local MPs: Frank Markham the Tory in 1964, ‘then along comes Robert Maxwell, ‘Captain Bob’, in a uniform.’ They recall Maxwell’s difficulties with members of the local Labour Party, but they found him helpful with their housing. ‘He was loud and brash, a Tory in the guise of Labour.’ They also recall Mrs Maxwell.

A local character they remember is Fred West, who brought seafood from Kent to sell. There were plenty of pubs in the early days: the Shoulder of Mutton, the Satellite and White Hart (the latter two were the new pubs). They remember the Queen’s visit in 1966 and changing the name of Bletchley Road to Queensway, but questioned the purpose of the visit.

They talk of local entertainment: the Queen’s Pool, the two cinemas – the County in Fenny Stratford and the Studio in Bletchley, where there were long queues for popular films. They recall Bletchley Carnivals. Employment was plentiful, there were many factories; Cigarette Components and Marshalls were major employers. They remember going train-spotting at Bletchley Station and the good station buffet; they recall various parts of Bletchley in the old days including the fun fairs down at the cattle market, the RAF camp and the Lancaster plane there, and the building of the Lakes Estate.