Bridge Street - Wot, No bridge? (From Bucks Free Press)

Bridge Street - Wot, No bridge?

8:20pm Tuesday 16th February 2010

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I used to live in Bridge Street. Which is nothing to shout about in itself, but it does show that there used to be houses where now there are none.

Now, it is true that I am thinking back some considerable years, back to when the Oxford Road had a river running alongside, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. - I suppose the water is still flowing but the bridge has long gone.

The river of course was a playground for kids and provided hours of entertainment during those long, hot summers we used to have. In fact throughout the whole year come to think about it; A river is an attraction.

There were shops a-plenty, some perhaps more useful in everyday life than others. - The Saddler's did not attract everyone from the neighbourhood, but they did produce fascinating leather goods and it was always fascinating to watch the craft; Mr. Perry if I remember correctly.

The sweet shop next door was far more attractive of course. Not only did Mr. Bullen carry a good range of sweets he also had a motor-tricycle which he would decorate with Wycombe Wanderers colours every match-day.

Keens the model shop occupied the site immediately behind the old Baptist Chapel. Everything the model builder could want could be found within. Balsa wood gliders were a favourite with all the children. The older boys would go for motorised versions.

Various other furniture and carpet shops along with a couple of pubs, a greengrocers, and a butchers were all there. Then there were houses that swept through from Desborough Road and on into the town proper. The whole area had a sense of community, something the town as a whole now seems to lack; I suppose that this is unavoidable if you take residents away.

By today standards the houses were certainly in need of updating. Central heating was unknown as indeed was hot water on tap. Outside toilets are nowadays a thing of the past, then it was quite normal to tramp the length of the garden. At night a lantern would be needed to light the way. Inside the house gas lighting was still in evidence. A supply of gas-mantles would be kept in the cupboard as they burned out on a regular basis. The gas supply was via a meter into which a shilling would have to be inserted, (a supply of these would also be kept handy). During the evening time there would be a sudden panic as the lights dimmed slowly when the money ran out and a scramble would ensue to get the money in before full darkness. The new-fangled electric supply was eventually installed and the front room became the only room in the house to have 'lectric light.

All the families were eventually moved out to the new estates – Micklefield, Castlefield et al.

As everyone now knows, Eden now sits (in a rather ungainly fashion) on the acreage. And Bridge Street as it was, is but a passing memory. The shops on the side that remains untouched by Eden have been done no favours by the road layout. The shops there are mostly reliant on 'passing trade' and the city-planners did not think of helping out by putting in a lay by. To walk there now is to be caught up in a frenzied maelstrom of humanity. The pavement is a bit a hazard, it slopes quite steeply and is littered with all manner of street furniture that has to be avoided.

Probably best not to mention the traffic...

We each have a memory of days gone past and all are similar in content but different in context. Which brings me to my point: - Was it really as idyllic as our minds would have us believe? Did summer really last for months on end, or is it a case of rose-tinted glasses?

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