MEMORIES OF MAIDENHEAD

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On Saturday 13th May, visitors to Waterside Quarter enjoyed a fun free fairground inspired event to celebrate the installation of the final piece of artwork in the Maidenhead Memories Sculpture Trail, a traditional fairground horse. Church bells would have been rung as a warning if there had been an invasion, but thankfully it never happened. The Nazis were not prepared for such action at the time. I continued to do my paper round and discovered that one of my customers was George Allison, the manager of Arsenal Football Club. In 1960, Maidenhead was home to 30,000 people (it was just over 70,000 in 2020), and was a very different place to today. They also rejected the proposal of a higher springboard at the (outdoor) swimming pool, because it was not sufficiently deep enough.

Councillor Wayne then wanted permission for traffic signals at the junction of the High Street and King Street. For the duration of the war, White Waltham Airfield was the HQ of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).

The pub is a social hub where people can meet existing friends, make new friends and enjoy a selection of real ales, lagers and other beverages. Visitors can also host events, use the internet, have a game of crib or throw some darts. The next stage of the refurbishments will include re-fitting the kitchen so a permanent food offering can be introduced to improve the visitors’ experience. At the moment the food for the various meetings and events is out sourced. A big thank you to Shanly Homes for letting us get involved in such a key part of Maidenhead’s history and legacy." I’d like to express a huge thank you to all the students from Beech Lodge School and their teachers for helping us mark this splendid occasion.” As part of the celebration, one student from Beech Lodge School was chosen to receive a special prize due to his creative sculpture design. The return of peace time gave the local Town Council the opportunity to start redevelopment of Maidenhead. There was a desperate shortage of housing and one of the first tasks was to build a new estate at Pinkneys Green. The new roads were named after RAF aircraft.

We carefully covered the surface with individual beads of weld that give the impression of the Berkshire Pig's characteristic long hair. Those early years are remembered so well - walking to Courthouse Primary, across the park, lessons with Mrs Palmer. Then on to Gordon Road secondary, initially to the annexe on Castle Hill, then the main school, always down Belmont Vale, by my friends house. Those were the days of Mr Addison (kipper), our head - a strict task master - pity there are not so many now. So here's to you all, those that were there from 1962 to 1966, and Messrs Severn, Bristow, Lacey and the rest of the teachers I've forgotten, if you're still around. What he didn’t realise was that in 1967 the new Town Hall’s frontage was to feature as the Hospital in Carry On Doctor, with Barbara Windsor pictured filming a scene there. London took a terrible pounding with many casualties and night after night we could see the flames in the distance. In the early days of the war Maidonians took cover in air raid shelters and cellars when the sirens sounded but when nothing happened we returned to the comfort of our own beds.We modelled the sculpture in a style that we felt conveyed the animal's appealing nature. Hopefully it will be enjoyed by those who encounter it for years to come.”

Our pupils have really enjoyed making their clay pigs in a wonderful variety of forms and colours and are looking forward to seeing Maidenhead's new pig statue in all its glory.As well as morning drop-ins, a local autism group holds regular coffee mornings and social evenings at the pub for parents and carers of autistic children and young adults. The ‘Maidenhead Memories’ group have also held their first meeting at The Craufurd Arms and are planning to meet on the first Wednesday of every month. This group helps to bring together any isolated members of the community. Daniel Gillespie, headteacher at Beech Lodge School, said: "We at Beech Lodge School are delighted to be involved in this lovely ‘pig celebration’. Maidenhead was a dreary place, there were three cinemas, the Rialto, Plaza and the Ritz but few people ventured out at night. The pub is prominently located on Gringer Hill, in a densely populated residential suburb, approximately one mile north of the town centre and mainline station.