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Married Quarters
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Gloucester road (AMQ) in 1962. Parked in the road in front of the house is Terry Chandlers Triumph T100a and his father's Standard Vanguard. Terry's father worked in the MT section, The adjoining house on the end of the terrace to the right was where the Strachans lived. It is just about possible to see the TV masts located in the back garden on the right. This was because the RAF did not allow TV ariels to be attached to any part of the building |
Beer's Garage in Houghton did a door to door paraffin delivery service. There was no central heating back in the sixties just an all night burner coal fire. The RAF used to supply a paraffin heater for additional heating. This was a common practice in those days and paraffin heaters were a major source of fires. |
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Married
Quarters Gloucester Road 1962
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Married
Quarters in the late sixties
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Officers
Married Quarters
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| Airman's married quarters viewed from Cornwall Road in the late sixties. Gloucester Road is on the right where the cars are parked. There are many more cars in evidence compared to the 1962 photograph of Glouscester (above). Some lock up garages have also been built, and someone appears to be using the telephone kiosk. Private phones were a rarity back then. | ||
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Oxford Close 1964
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Oxford
Close 1962
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1962
Wyton at home day
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OMQ
viewed from Sawtry Way
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RAF
Wyton had two nearby nieghbouring operational airfields. RAF Upwood
near Ramsey, which like Wyton operated Canberras, and RAF Alconbury
where the USAF 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron operated Douglas
RB-66 Sky raiders from 1959 until 1966. These aircraft flew over the
Wyton married quarters in what at the time seemed to be and endless
stream on their approach to Alconbury. Pictured here is the how the
RB66 was routinely seen back in the 1960s. I remember that as they approached
they affected the TV signal. The picture would visibly pulse until the
aircraft had passed over. They approached from the East (the same direction
as the TV signal source).
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RB66
always over flying married quarters
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Half
hidden by the fence, Officers married quarters as seen from the junction
of Mere Way (the road to Houghton) and Sawtry Way (AKA The Mad Mile).
This was the road from RAF Wyton to St Ives. What I remember about it
was that no matter in which direction you might be cycling along Sawtry
Way the wind was always against you! Of course once I had got myself
a motorbike this was no longer a problem. The telephone box was where
those that attended Ramsey Abbey school were dropped off by the school
bus. Out of view just behind the camera is where the Blenhiem cafe used
to be. The cafe has long since gone, but Smiths old house is still there.
The rest of the land is now a caravan site. Connie Coppin the newsagent's
bungalow was situated on the right at the St Ives end of Sawtry way.
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Another
view of OMQ from Sawtry Way
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Sawtry
Way (the Mad Mile) looking towards St Ives
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Some of the Married Quarters
traders
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The
Naafi
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Smiths mobile shop an Austin K8 van
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Caveney's
mobile shop - an old Bedford
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Wyton
Handbook advertisement
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Many
traders were eager to supply goods and services to the occupants of
RAF married quarters. There were two mobile shops. K J Kaveney from
Warboys, and Smiths who owned the Blenhiem cafe on Sawtry Way (just
across the road from York Square) also operated a mobile shop. Bonham
the Butcher delivered meat, and Beer's Garage delivered paraffin. These
two traders were from Houghton village. There was also the NAFFI and
the Post Office. Connie Coppin
delivered the newspapers. You can read more about Connie by clicking
the button below. Home delivery is nothing new. Back then you took your
order into the Naafi shop and they would deliver it to your door. Bonhams
the butchers did the same thing.
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Now
an antiques shop Bonhams old shop Thicket road Houghton village
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Austin van as used by Bonhams for deliverys to RAF Wyton Married Quarters
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Teenage Saturday nights at Wyton
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Saturday night pre youth club ritual. Watching Juke Box Jury and Thank
Your Lucky Stars. Both programes featured audience participation. On
Juke Box Jury David Jacobs would often ask three members of the audience
to decide hit or miss. Also Janice Nichols on Thank Your Lucky Stars
"Oi'll give it foive"
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The
Education and Hobbies Centre: The youth club was located on the ground
floor on the right hand side of the entrance
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In
the early sixties Wyton was a relatively remote place, and at weekends
and in the evenings it was poorly served by public transport, this
made the youth club an important focal point for socialising (especially
in the winter months). At the youth club you could socialise with
your friends, listen to records free from parental interference, and
even dance if you wanted to. I do not exactly remember how the youth
club originally began, but I do recall that the inaugural meeting
was held at the pavilion, which in the sixties was located just behind
the big Wyton water tower. I also recall that, the first meeting was
an adult organised bicycle treasure hunt (all a bit to much like being
at school). Not long after this, the youth club was allocated a permanent
meeting place in the education and hobbies centre. Less closely supervised
and more informal events like Saturday night record hops soon became
the norm, and thankfully much to the relief of us kids, the organised
activities were quietly abandoned. There were a couple of visits organised
to the new rather small, open air swimming pool at St Neots, but that
was all. And it was at this time a new face took over the running
of the youth club. Warrant Officer Still. W.O. Still was exactly the
right person for he had all the right qualities to be a youth club
leader. He kept a low profile and stayed discreetly in the back ground.
It was also at the Wyton youth club that a young teenager, Alan Fish
played his first gigs. Alan went on to become a full time musician
and has played with many bands including the Ground Hogs, Rusty's
Dumpy Nuts, B B King, and many others. Today Alan still records and
tours with his band Egypt. To learn more about Alan's music career
Click on the External Links button at the bottom
of this page.
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A
bit more about Alans early years as a musician
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| Inevitably, sooner or later your dad would get posted. If your dad was in the Air Force that was how it was. The pictures below are from after Alan left Wyton when his dad was posted to Singapore. The band that he was playing in, in those days was called The Toadstools. | ||||||
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On stage Alan (right) and Colin Singapore 1965
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Alan
(centre) with brother Colin (right) after moving away from Wyton and
an unknown person during his time in Singapore.
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Colin
and Alan with the Toadstools Singapore 1965
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One
of Alan's first (if not his first) electric guitars was a Dallas Tuxedo
and I bought it from him. I never did get past the ' three chord wonder'
stage, and I lost the guitar many years ago (lent it to someone, and
never got it back). I remember buying a small Selmer practice amp to
use with it (that went the with the guitar). That is the nearest I ever
got to being a rock'n'roll star! Years later I got another guitar, but
sadly I have not made much progress since those far off days when I
owned that little Tuxedo.
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On
leaving school I worked at St Ives Sand and Gravel while waiting to
go to college. The first priority was to get myself a myself a motorbike.
I bought a 250 BSA C11 from a man in St Ives. It turned out to be a
very good buy. Despite all the abuse and mistreatment that it was subjected
to the BSA proved to be extremely reliable. That bike started a life
long love with motorbikes. This is me and my mate Terry Chandler setting
off for the Rendezvous coffee bar in St Ives.
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Dallas
Tuxedo guitar
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| Dallas Tuxedo guitar a little anecdote: | Off to the Rendezvous |
The St Ives and the surrounding area
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A
few words about The St Ives Sand and Gravel Company. I started work
in the steel bending shop, and later on was transferred to the Mould
making shop. The rate of pay was just 2/4d an hour. Saturday morning
was part of the standard working week. Never the less I was able to
save up for, and buy myself a motorbike.(Pictured on the right). I remember
that there was also another company in St Ives that made precast concrete
structures. Atcost prefabricated farm buildings. St Ives Sand and Gravel
concentrated on civil engineering work.
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A
St Ives Sand and Gravel lorry transporting a precast concrete beam
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The
1946 BSA C11
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ATCOST the other company in St Ives that made precast concrete structures. Atcost designed and made prefabricated farm buildings and industrial units. St Ives Sand and Gravel concentrated on civil engineering work. When I worked at St Ives Sand and Gravel they were making precast structures for motorway bridges. Both companies were major employers in St Ives in the early 1960s. |
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...St Ives Houghton and the Hemingfords |
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'Mac'
MacMasters ran a barber shop in Merrylands, and also a coffee bar that
was located opposite the barber shop. If I remember correctly the coffee
bar had two entrances and could be accessed from both Crown Street and
Merrylands. Mac's coffee bar was a bit more up market than the Rendezvous
(no juke box for example) The Rendezvous on the other hand not only
had a juke box but pinball games machines too. The Rendezvous was where
the lads with motorbikes met and the main topic of conversation was,
unsurprisingly motorbikes. The Rendezvous was also open in the evenings
whereas Mac's opening hours were confined to shop opening hours. Pictured
on the right, the Rendezvous is the second building from the left with
the dormer windows.
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Mac
has long since gone but his old shop in Merrylands is still a barbers
shop
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Airmen
from RAF Alconbury marching past the Rendezvous in 1960 Click on image
to enlarge
Picture from ©View From This Side www.viewfromthisside.com/ |
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Barton
Chemist shop in 1960. Something that I did not know all those years
ago was that Barton also sold wines and spirits (see the RAF Wyton Hand
Book advertisement for details). The red sign just above the weighing
machine is advertising the fact that Barton were authorised agents for
Gilbeys wines and spirits. I wonder if Barton were unique in this respect?
"All supplies for the home party" the advertisement declares.
What an intriguing concept: Buy your party drinks and some aspirin in
case you suffer form a hang over the following day all at the same time.
Or maybe a couple of bottles of wine to go with your picnic lunch, and
a roll of film for your camera in preparation for a day out on the river
Ouse in high summer !
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Bartons Chemist Shop Picture from ©View From This Side www.viewfromthisside.com/ |
Advertisement
from the RAF Wyton Hand book
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River Ouse features
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In
the summer months Houghton mill was always a big attraction. We would
gather there and hang out. Sometimes at the mill itself, and sometimes
on the island that was accessed from Anderson's field. I remember that
the island was reached by crossing an old rickety bridge. When I visited
Houghton and Wyton a few years ago it looked as though Anderson's farm
was no longer being farmed, and that the field was now a dedicated camping
site with facilities such as proper toilets. Sadly the old rickety bridge
has gone
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The
mill has been extensively restored in the intervening years since the
sixties. The water wheel has been reinstated and it is in full working
order. If you go to the External links page you can read a full
account of how and when the work was done by visiting Eddie Winters
Houghton and Wyton website. The village itself has hardly changed though,
and you could easily feel that you had gone back in time to the sixties.
Bonham's the butchers shop which was located on the corner of Mill Street
and The Thicket has long since gone, but Beer's garage is still in business
selling and repairing MG sports cars
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Houghton
Mill
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Hemingford Grey Boathouse a popular leisure facility on the River Ouse. Upstairs there was was also a cafe serving lunch and teas Founded in 1901 jointly by the Rev Byrom Holland and the painter Walter Dendy Sadler, there is an annual regatta held on the river in collaberation with nearby Hemingford Abbots. The regatta is one of the oldest surving regattas in England. Although long since gone, the old railway line that once ran from St Ives to Huntingdon skirted the edge of the village. Trains never stopped at the village because no station was ever built. The railway was built on a raised enbankment because Hemingford meadow wich exentends from Hemingford across to Houghton village is a natrual flood plain that regually floods during the winter months I never knew his name, but I used to see an old man on summer evenings fishing the river for eels. he told me tht they were for his supper! |
Hemingford Grey Manor. Said to be the oldest continuosly inhabited house in the UK. Famous for it's association with the author Lucy Boston. A friend of mine, Linda Christie from New Jersey knew her very well in the 1960s. Her father was in the American airforce stationed at RAF Alconbury. Her family lived in Hemingford Grey before moving into airforce married quarters. Previously to that they had lived in a flat above The Rendezvous coffee bar in St Ives |
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Hemingford
Grey Boathouse
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Hemingford
Grey Manor
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Please choose
